"Mr. Speed borrowed five hundred dollars from me, and said he might want more," Chapin volunteered.
"Is that all?"
"All?" jeered Still Bill. "Why, this mangy layout ain't never saw that much money," upon which Gallagher carelessly displayed a corpulent roll of bills, remarking:
"Count a thousand, Bill. It all goes on Skinner."
"I ain't heard of no train-robbery," muttered the lanky foreman of the Flying Heart, "nor I don't aim to handle no' tainted money." And Stover and Gallagher faced each other hard before turning.
Jean saw it, and whispered to Chapin: "Oh, Jack dear, I'm terribly frightened!" But Helen Blake, who overheard, left her companions and went straight to Gallagher.
"I should like," she said, "to wager a few dollars on Mr. Speed and the honor of the Flying Heart."
Both Skinner and his foreman stared at her nonplussed.
"You don't look like a bettin' lady," the latter managed to remark, jocularly.
"I'm not, I never made a wager before in all my life; but you see, Mr. Gallagher, I believe in our man." Gallagher lowered his eyes. "How much do you aim to risk, miss?"