"Sleight of hand," explained Newmark. "The simplest kind of
palming."
"Well, Charlie," said big Tim, "looks to me as if you had just about
as much chance as a snowball in hell."
"Where'd you get onto doing all that, Newmark?" inquired North.
"You ain't a tin horn yourself?"
Newmark laughed briefly. "Not I," said he. "I learned a lot of
those tricks from a travelling magician in college."
During this demonstration Orde had sat well in the background, his
chin propped on his hand, watching intently all that was going on.
After the comment and exclamations following the exposure of the
method had subsided, he spoke.
"Boys," said he, "how game are you to get Charlie's money back--and
then some?"
"Try us," returned big Tim.
"This game's at McNeill's, and McNeill's is a tough hole," warned
Orde. "Maybe everything will go peaceful, and maybe not. And you
boys that go with me have got to keep sober. There isn't going to
be any row unless I say so, and I'm not taking any contract to
handle a lot of drunken river-hogs as well as go against a game."
"All right," agreed Nolan, "I'm with you."
The thirty or so men of the rear crew then in camp signified their
intention to stay by the procession.
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