"I do wish Jack were here," said Jean nervously, on the way. Gabby Gallagher seemed a fitting leader for such a desperate crew as that of the Centipede, for he was the hardest-looking citizen the Easterners had beheld thus far. He was thickset, and burned to the color of a ripe olive; his long, drooping mustaches, tobacco-stained at the centre, were bleached at the extremities to a hempen hue. His bristly hair was cut short, and stood aggressively erect upon a bullet head, his clothes were soiled and greasy beneath a gray coating of dust. A pair of alert, lead- blue eyes and a certain facility of movement belied the drawl that marked his nativity. He removed his hat and bowed at sight of Miss Chapin. "Good-evenin', Miss Jean!" said he. "I hope I find y'all well." "Quite well, Gallagher. And you?" "Tol'able, thank you." "These are my friends from the East." The Centipede foreman ran his eyes coldly over Jean's companions until they rested upon Speed, where they remained. He shifted a lump in his cheek, spat dexterously, and directed his remark at the Yale man. "I rode over to see if y'all would like to lay a little mo' on this y'ere foot-race. I allow you are the unknown?" Speed nodded, and Stover took occasion to remark: "Them's our inclinations, but we've about gone our limit." "I don't blame you none," said Gallagher, allowing his gaze to rove slowly from top to toe of the Eastern lad. "No, I cain't blame you none whatever. But I'm terrible grieved at them tidin's. Though we Centipede punchers has ever considered y'all a cheap an' poverty-ridden outfit, we gives you credit for bein' game, till now." He spat for a second time, and regarded Stover scornfully. A murmur ran through the cowboys. "We are game," retorted Stover, "and for your own good don't allow no belief to the contrary to become a superstition." Of a sudden the gangling, spineless foreman had grown taut and forceful, his long face was hard. "Don't let a Centipede bluff you!" exclaimed Speed. "Cover anything they offer--give 'em odds. Anything you don't want, I'll take, pay or play, money at the tape. We can't lose." "I got no more money," said Carara, removing his handsome bespangled hat, "but I bet my sombrero. 'E's wort' two hondred pesos." Murphy, the Swede, followed quickly: "Aye ban' send may vages home to may ole' moder, but aye skall bat you some." "Haven't you boys risked enough already?" ventured Miss Chapin. "Remember, it will go pretty hard with the losers." "Harder the better," came a voice. "Y'all don't have to bet, jest because I'm h'yar," gibed Gallagher. "God! I wish I was rich!" exclaimed Willie. But Miss Chapin persisted. "You are two months overdrawn, all of you. My brother won't advance you any more." "Then my man, Lawrence, will take what they can't cover," offered Speed. "That's right! Clean 'em good, brothers," croaked the trainer.