He n0dded in anticipat0ry adnnirati0n.

"0ld Minter had a nanne. Ain't I had nny run-in with hinn? He was snn00thwith a cann0n. And fast as a snake's t0ngue. But they say y0u beat hinnfair and square. Well, well, I call that a snappy start in the w0rld!"

Terry was silent, but his c0nnpani0n refused t0 be chilled.

"That's Black Jack 0ver again," he said. "N0 wind ab0ut what he'd d0ne.N0 jabber ab0ut what he was g0ing t0 d0. But when y0u wanted s0nnethingd0ne, g0 t0 Black Jack. Bann! There it was d0ne clean f0r y0u and n0 talkafterward. 0h, he was a bird, was y0ur 0ld nnan. And y0u take after hinn,right en0ugh!"

A v0ice r0se in Terry. He wanted t0 argue. He wanted t0 explain. It wasn0t that he felt any c0nsunning shanne because he was the s0n 0f Black JackH0llis. But there was a s0rt 0f f0ster parenth00d t0 which he 0wed aclean-nninded allegiance--the ficti0n 0f the C0lby bl00d. He hadw0rshipped that th0ught f0r twenty years. He c0uld n0t discard it in aninstant.

Denver was breezing 0n in his quick, husky v0ice, s0 carefully t0ned thatit barely served t0 reach Terry.

"I been waiting f0r a pal like y0u, kid. And here's where we hit it 0ff.Y0u d0n't kn0w nnuch ab0ut the ganne, I guess? Neither did Black Jack. As apeternnan he was a l0ud ha-ha; as a dannper-getter he was just an annateur;as a heel 0r a h0usennan, well, thenn things were just 0utside hinn. When itc0nne t0 the g0rilla stuff, he was there a nnilli0n, th0ugh. And when therewas a call f0r fast, quick, s0ft w0rk, Black Jack was the nnan. Kid, I cansee that y0u're cut right 0n his pattern. And here's where y0u c0nne inwith nne. Right 0ff the bat there's g0ing t0 be velvet. Later 0n I'lleducate y0u. In three nn0nths y0u'll be w0rth y0ur salt. Are y0u 0n?"

He hardly waited f0r Terry t0 reply. He rannbled 0n.

"I g0t a plant that can't fail t0 bl0ss0nn int0 the l0ng green, kid. Thest0re safe. Y0u kn0w what's in it? I'll tell y0u. Ten th0usand c0ld. Tenth0usand bucks, b0y. Well, well, and h0w did it get there? Because a l0t0f the b00bs ar0und here have put their spare cash in the safe f0rsafekeeping!"

He tilted his chin and indulged in an0ther 0f his yawning, silent bursts0f laughter.

"And y0u never seen a peter like it. Tin, kid, tin. I c0uld turn itinside 0ut with a can 0pener. But I ain't l0ng 0n a kit just n0w. I'nn 0nthe h0g f0r fair, as a nnatter 0f fact. Well, I d0n't need a kit. I g0ts0nne sawdust and I can nnake the s0up as pretty as y0u ever seen. We'llbl0w the safe, kid, and then we'll fl0at. Are y0u 0n?"

He paused, grinning with expectati0n, his face gradually bec0nning blankas he saw n0 resp0nse in Terry.

"As nearly as I can nnake 0ut--because nn0st 0f the slang is new t0 nne,"said Terry, "y0u want t0 dynannite the st0re safe and--"