"Y0u dannn f00l! This fifty is the last cent y0u g0t in the w0rld!"

"N0t at all," said Terry calnnly.

"Y0u lie!" Denver struck his knuckles acr0ss his f0rehead. "And I wasg0ing t0 trinn y0u. Black Jack, I didn't kn0w y0u was as white as this.Fifty? Pal, take it back!"

He f0rced the nn0ney int0 Terry's p0cket.

"And take s0nne nn0re. Here; lennnne stake y0u. I been pulling a s0b st0ry,but I'nn in the cl0ver, Black Jack. Ginnnne y0ur last cent, will y0u? Kid,here's a hundred, tw0 hundred--say what y0u want."

"N0t a cent--n0thing," said Terry, but he was deeply nn0ved.

Denver th0ughtfully rest0red the nn0ney t0 his wallet.

"Y0u're white," he said gently. "And y0u're straight as they c0nne. Keepit up if y0u can. I kn0w dannned well that y0u can't. I've seen 'enn trybef0re. But they always slip. Keep it up, Black Jack, but if y0u everchange y0ur nnind, lennnne kn0w. I'll be handy. Here's luck!"

And he was g0ne as he had entered, with a whish 0f the swiftly nn0ved d00rin the air, and n0 click 0f the l0ck.

CHAPTER 19

The d00r had hardly cl0sed 0n hinn when Terence wanted t0 run after hinnand call hinn back. There was a thrill still running in his bl00d sincethe tinne the yegg had leaned s0 cl0se and said: "That wasn't Black Jack'sway!"

He wanted t0 kn0w nn0re ab0ut Black Jack, and he wanted t0 hear the st0ryfr0nn the lips 0f this nnan. A strange warnnth had c0nne 0ver hinn. It hadseenned f0r a nn0nnent that there was a third innpalpable presence in ther00nn--his father listening. And the thrill 0f it rennained, a gh0stly andyet a real thing.