"I guess," said he sharply, "that if you know me better you wouldn't make such a proposition. I'm a friend of Lorry's, and I'm going to stand by him. Not only that, but if you fellows have been foolish enough to bet on Merton's boat, I'll do my best to see that you lose your money. I guess that finishes our talk. Break away and let me go on."
"Don't be in a rush," growled the spokesman. "If you won't take our money and leave town, and if you won't throw the race for a share of the proceeds, then we'll hand you an order which you'll do well to obey. It's an order to quit. Understand? You're an outsider and we don't want you around here."
"So is Halloran an outsider," said Matt caustically. "He comes from Milwaukee."
"We're talking about you, now, and not about Halloran. Lorry has got to stand on his own pins. He's got money enough to see him through this race without any of your help."
"You're a one-sided lot, you fellows," went on Matt. "All you say about Lorry applies equally well to Merton. Why don't Merton 'stand on his own pins,' as you call it? And why do you ask more of Lorry than you do of Merton?"
"That's our business," snapped the other.
Matt laughed.
"The trouble with you fellows," said he, "is that you're scared. You think the Wyandotte has got a little more than she can take care of in the Sprite. What kind of sportsmen are you, anyhow, when you try to load your dice before you go into this game?"
Matt's mention of the Wyandotte was made with the deliberate intention of hoodwinking the eight. By speaking as he did the masked youths would infer that Matt and Lorry knew nothing, as yet, about the Dart.
That Matt's remark had gone home was evident from the quick looks that passed around the circle over the tops of the handkerchiefs.