"Nothing doing, Hickey." "Guess again," said Hickey, cheerily. "We're not asking you to hang us up this time, Al." "You haven't got any money," said Al, the recorder of allowances; "not unless you stole it." "Al, we don't come to take your hard-earned money, but to do you good," put in Macnooder impudently. "We're bringing you a little sporting proposition." "Have you come to pay up that account of yours?" said Al. "If not, run along, you Macnooder; don't waste my time, with your wildcat schemes." "Al, this is a sporting proposition," took up Hickey. "Has _he_ any money?" said Al, who suddenly remembered that Smeed was not yet under suspicion. "See here, Al," said Macnooder, "we'll back Smeed to eat the jiggers against you--for the crowd!" "Where's your money?" "Here," said Hickey; "this goes up if we lose." He produced a gold watch of Smeed's, and was about to tender it when he withdrew it with a sudden caution. "On the condition, if we win I get it back and you won't hold it up against my account." "All right. Let's see it." The watch was given to Al, who looked it over, grunted in approval, and then looked at little Smeed. "Now, Al," said Macnooder softly, "give us a gambling chance; he's only a runt." Al considered, and Al was wise. The proposition came often and he had never lost. A jigger is unlike any other ice cream; it is dipped from the creamy tin by a cone-shaped scoop called a jigger, which gives it an unusual and peculiar flavour. Since those days the original jigger has been contaminated and made ridiculous by offensive alliances with upstart syrups, meringues and macaroons with absurd titles; but then the boy went to the simple jigger as the sturdy Roman went to the cold waters of the Tiber. A double jigger fills a large soda-glass when ten cents has been laid on the counter, and two such glasses quench all desire in the normal appetite. "If he can eat twelve double jiggers," Al said slowly, "I'll set them up and the jiggers for youse. Otherwise, I'll hold the watch." At this there was a protest from the backers of the champion, with the result that the limit was reduced to ten. "Is it a go?" Al said, turning to Smeed, who had waited modestly in the background. "Sure," he answered, with calm certainty. "You've got nerve, you have," said Al, with a scornful smile, scooping up the first jiggers and shoving the glass to him. "Ten doubles is the record in these parts, young fellow!" Then little Smeed, methodically, and without apparent pain, ate the ten doubles. * * * * *