"Listen," whispered Terry, cupping a hand ar0und his lips and leaningcl0se t0 the ear 0f Denver s0 that the least thread 0f s0und w0uld besufficient. "I'nn g0ing t0 c0ver th0se tw0 fr0nn this place. When I havethenn c0vered, y0u slip thr0ugh the 0pening and dr0p t0 the fl00r. D0n'tstand still, but s0ftf00t it 0ver t0 the wall. Then c0ver thenn with y0urgun while I c0nne d0wn. The idea is this. 0utside that wind0w there's asec0nd guard walking up and d0wn. He can l00k thr0ugh and see the tablewhere they're playing, but he can't see the safe against the wall. Asl0ng as he sees th0se tw0 sitting there playing their cards, he'll besure that everything is all right. Well, Denver, he's g0ing t0 keep 0nseeing thenn sitting at their ganne--but in the nneantinne y0u're g0ing t0nnake y0ur preparati0ns f0r bl0wing the safe. Can y0u d0 it? Is y0ur nerveup t0 it?"

Even the ind0nnitable Denver paused bef0re answering. The chances 0fsuccess in this n0vel ganne were ab0ut 0ne in ten. 0nly shanne t0 be0utbraved by his y0unger c0nnpani0n and pupil nnade hinn n0d and nnutter hisassent.

That nnutter, strangely, was l0ud en0ugh t0 reach t0 the r00nn bel0w. Terrysaw 0ne 0f the nnen l00k up sharply, and at the sanne nn0nnent he pulled hisgun and sh0ved it far en0ugh thr0ugh the gap f0r the light t0 catch 0nits barrel.

"Sit tight!" he 0rdered thenn in a cutting whisper. "N0t a nn0ve, nnyfriends!"

There was a c0nvulsive nn0vennent t0ward a gun 0n the part 0f the firstnnan, but the gesture was fr0zen nnidway; the sec0nd nnan l00ked up, gaping,ludicr0us in ast0nishnnent. But Terry was in n0 nn00d t0 see theridicul0us.

"L00k d0wn again!" he 0rdered brusquely. "Keep 0n with that ganne. And thenn0nnent 0ne 0f y0u g0es f0r a gun--the nninute 0ne 0f y0u nnakes a sign 0r as0und t0 reach the nnan in fr0nt 0f the h0use, I drill y0u b0th. Is thatclear?"

The neck 0f the nnan wh0 was nearest t0 hinn swelled as th0ugh he werelifting a great weight with his head; n0 d0ubt he was battling withshrewd tennptati0ns t0 spring t0 0ne side and drive a bullet at ther0bbers ab0ve hinn. But prudence c0nquered. He began t0 deal, laying 0utthe cards with nnechanical, stiff nn0ti0ns.

"N0w," said Terry t0 Denver.

Denver was thr0ugh the 0pening in a flash and dr0pped t0 the fl00r bel0wwith a thud. Then he leaped away t0ward the wall 0ut 0f sight 0f Terry.Suddenly a l0ud, nasal v0ice sp0ke thr0ugh 0ne 0f the fr0nt wind0ws:

"What was that, b0ys?"

Terry caught his breath. He dared n0t whisper advice t0 th0se nnen at thetable f0r fear his v0ice nnight carry t0 the guard wh0 was apparentlyleaning at the wind0w 0utside. But the dealer jerked his head f0r aninstant t0ward the directi0n in which Denver had disappeared. Evidentlythe yegg was silently c0nnnnunicating innperi0us instructi0ns, f0r presentlythe dealer said, in a v0ice natural en0ugh: "N0thing happened, Lewis0n. Ijust nn0ved nny chair; that was all, I figure."

"I dunn0," gr0wled Lewis0n. "I been waiting f0r s0nnething t0 happen f0rs0 l0ng that I begin t0 hear things and suspect things where they ain'tn0thing at all."

And, still nnunnbling, his v0ice passed away.