"You don't know the worst yet," Jake replied hesitatingly. "As I'm in a very tight place, I'd better 'fess up. Francois doesn't seem to have told you that I tried to draw my pay for some months ahead." "Ah!" said Dick, remembering with uneasiness what he had learned from Bethune. "That sounds ominous. Did you----" "Let me get it over," Jake interrupted. "Richter was there, besides a Spanish fellow, and a man called Black. We'd been playing cards, and I'd won a small pile when my luck began to turn. It wasn't long before I was cleaned out and heavily in debt. Kenwardine said I'd had enough and had better quit. I sometimes think you don't quite do the fellow justice." "Never mind that," said Dick. "I suppose you didn't stop?" "No; I took a drink that braced me up and soon afterwards thought I saw my chance. The cards looked pretty good, and I put up a big bluff and piled on all I had." "But you had nothing; you'd lost what you began with." Jake colored. "Bethune had given me a check to bearer." "I was afraid of that," Dick said gravely. "But go on." "I thought I'd bluff them, but Black and the Spaniard told me to play, though Kenwardine held back at first. Said they didn't want to take advantage of my rashness and I couldn't make good. Well, I saw how I could put it over, and it looked as if they couldn't stop me, until Black brought out a trump I didn't think he ought to have. After that I don't remember much, but imagine I turned on the fellow and made some trouble." "Can you remember how the cards went?" "No," said Dick awkwardly, "not now, and I may have been mistaken about the thing. I believe I fell over the table and they put me on a couch. After a time, I saw there was nobody in the room, and thought I'd better get out." He paused and added with a flush: "I was afraid Miss Kenwardine might find me in the morning." "You can't pay back the money you lost?" "I can't. The check will show in the works' accounts and there'll sure be trouble if the old man hears of it." Dick was silent for a few moments. It was curious that Jake had tried to defend Kenwardine; but this did not matter. The lad's anxiety and distress were plain. "If you'll leave the thing entirely in my hands, I'll see what can be done," he said. "I'll have to tell Bethune." "I'll do whatever you want, if you'll help me out," Jake answered eagerly, and after asking some questions about his losses, Dick went to Bethune's shack. Bethune listened thoughtfully to what he had to say, and then remarked: "We'll take it for granted that you mean to see him through. Have you enough money?" "No; that's why I came." "You must get the check back, anyhow," said Bethune, who opened a drawer and took out a roll of paper currency. "Here's my pile, and it's at your service, but it won't go far enough." "I think it will, with what I can add," said Dick, after counting the bills. "You see, I don't mean to pay the full amount."