"They know about the five-thousand-dollar mortgage," admitted Dale, reluctantly. Racey rubbed his chin. "I was here when Molly found it out." Mr. Dale nodded miserably. He was too utterly wretched to resent Racey's interference with his affairs. "She--she told me," he said. "Don't they know about the other two thousand you lost to McFluke, or what you dropped at Lacey's?" Mr. Dale shook his head. "I never told 'em. I--I only lost fifteen or sixteen hundred at Lacey's, anyway." "Fifteen or sixteen hundred is a whole lot when you ain't got it," said the direct and brutal Racey. "Instead of seven thousand then, you done lost eighty-five or eighty-six hundred. I swear I don't see how you managed to lose all that and yore family not find it out." "I kept quiet." "I guess you did keep quiet. Gawd, yes! Lookit, Dale, I'm going to help you out of this. But you'll have to start fresh. You've got to go in and make a clean breast to the family about where the other thirty-six hundred over and above the five thousand went." Mr. Dale's jaw dropped. "I--I never even told 'em where the five thousand went." "Huh? I thought you said they knew about the mortgage--after Molly found it out." "They knew about the mortgage all right enough, but they dunno where the money went. Yuh see, Racey, I--I done told 'em I lost it in a land deal." "You did! Aw right, you go right in and tell 'em the truth, all of it, every last smidgen." "I cuc-can't!" protested Mr. Dale. "I ain't got the heart!" "You ain't got the nerve, you mean. You go on and tell 'em, Dale, an' I'll fix it up for you, but I won't fix up anything for you if you ain't gonna play square with those women from now on. And you can't play square with 'em without you begin by telling 'em the truth." "How you gonna help me out?" temporized Mr. Dale. "I'm goin' to Old Salt, that's what I'm going to do. I'll fix it up with him to lend you the money." Mr. Dale shook his head. "He won't do it." "Shore he'll do it. You don't think he's gonna have somebody else come in here in yore place, do you? Not much he ain't. He'll lend you the money and glad to." "I done already asked him, an' he wouldn't." "'You asked him, and he wouldn't?'" repeated Racey, stupidly. "When did you ask him?" "About two months ago--soon as ever I found out I wouldn't be able to pay off the mortgage." "And he wouldn't lend it to you? I don't understand it, damfi do. It ain't reasonable. Lookit here, did you tell him what you wanted it for? Did you tell him about the mortgage?" "Non-no," said Mr. Dale in a still, small voice. "I didn't." "Why didn't you?" "Because I was afraid he'd take advantage of me. I was afraid he'd fix it so as to take my ranch away from me if he knowed how bad and what for I needed it." "But ain't that exactly what the Marysville bank could 'a' done if it wanted?" demanded Racey, aghast at the Dale obtuseness. "Yeah, but I had hopes of standing off the bank, and--"