"Sit down," said Kane, in a voice of singular sweetness and penetrating timbre. For several minutes he looked at his visitor as a buyer might look at a horse, silent, thoughtful, his deeply-lined face devoid of any change in its austere expression. "Why did you come here?" he suddenly snapped. "To get out of th' storm," answered Bill. "Why else?" Bill looked around, up at the graven Thorpe and back again at his inquisitor, and shrugged his shoulders. "Mebby you can tell me," he answered before he remembered to be less independent. "I think I can. Anyone who plays poker as well as you do has a very good reason for visiting strange towns. What is your name?" "Bill Long." "I know that. I asked, what is your name?" Bill looked around again and then sat up stiffly. "That ain't interestin' us." "Where are you from?" Bill shrugged his shoulders and remained silent. "You are not very talkative today. How did you get that Highbank horse?" Bill acted a little surprised and anxious. "I--I don't know," he answered foolishly. "Very well. When you make up your mind to answer my questions I have a proposition to offer you which you may find to be mutually advantageous. In the meanwhile, do not play poker in this house. That's all." Thorpe coughed and opened the door, and swiftly placed a hand on the shoulder of the visitor. "Time to go," he said. Bill hesitated and then slowly turned and led the way, saying nothing until he was back in the gambling-hall and Thorpe again kept his faithful vigil over the checkered door. "Cuss it," snorted Bill, remembering that in the part he was playing he had determined to be loquacious. "If I told him all he wanted to know I'd be puttin' a rope around my neck an' givin' him th' loose end! So he's got a proposition to make, has he? Th' devil with him an' his propositions. I don't have to play poker in his place--there's plenty of it bein' played outside this buildin', I reckon. For two-bits I'd 'a' busted his neck then an' there!" "You'd 'a' been spattered all over th' room if you'd made a play," replied Thorpe, a little contempt in his voice for such boasting words from a man who had acted far from them when in the presence of Kane. He had this stranger's measure. "An' you mind what he said about playin' in here, or I'll make you climb up th' wall, you'll be that eager to get out. You think over what he said, an' drift along. I'm busy." Bill, his frown hiding inner smiles, slowly turned and walked defiantly away, his swagger increasing with the distance covered; and when he reached the street he was exhaling dignity, and chuckled with satisfaction--he had seen behind the partition and met Kane. He passed the bank, once more normal, except for the armed guards, and bumped into Fisher, who frowned at him and kept on going. "Hey!" called Bill. "I want to ask you somethin'." Fisher stopped and turned. "Well?" he growled, truculently.