The crowd cheered the Italian. "We will do it, suh," said Jud, who was the first to recover, and who knew he would get his part of it from Billy. "Ve vill cover eet," said Billy, with ashen face. "We will!" barked Bonaparte, recovering his equilibrium and snarling at the monkey. There was a sob and a wail on the outskirts of the crowd. "Oh, don't let him kill the monkey--oh, don't!" It was Ozzie B. Archie B. ran hastily around to him, made a cross mark in the road with his toe and spat in it. "You're a fool as usual, Ozzie B.," he said, shaking his brother. "Can't you see that Italian knows what he's about? If he'd risk that twenty, much as he loves money, he'd risk his soul. _Venture pee-wee under the bridge--bam--bam--bam!_" Ozzie B. grew quieter. Somehow, what Archie B. said always made things look differently. Then Archie B. came up and whispered in his ear: "I'm fur the monkey--the Lord is on his side." Ozzie B. thought this was grand. Then Archie B. hunted for his Barlow pocket knife. Around his neck, tied with a string, was a small greasy, dirty bag, containing a piece of gum asafoetida and a ten-dollar gold piece. The asafoetida was worn to keep off contagious diseases, and the gold piece, which represented all his earthly possessions, had been given him by his grandmother the year she died. Archie B. was always ready to "swap sight under seen." He played marbles for keeps, checkers for apples, ran foot-races for stakes, and even learned his Sunday School lessons for prizes. The Italian still stood, smiling, when a small red-headed boy came up and touched him on the arm. He put a ten-dollar gold piece into the Italian's hand. "Put this in for me, mister--an' make 'em put up a hundred mo'. I want some of that lucre." The Italian was touched. He patted Archie B.'s head: "Breens," he said, "breens uppa da." Again he shook the gold in the face of Jud and Bill. "Now bring on ze ten to one, py Gar!" The cheers of the crowd nettled Billy and Jud. "Jes' wait till we come back," said Jud. "'He laughs bes' who laughs las'.'" They retired for consultation. Bonaparte followed. Within the bar-room they wiped the cold perspiration from their faces and looked speechlessly into each other's eyes. Billy spoke first. "Mine Gott, but we peek it oop in de road, Jud?" "It seems that way to me--a dead cinch." Bonaparte was positive--only let him get to the monkey, he said with his wicked eyes. Billy looked at Bonaparte, big, swarthy, sinewy and savage. He thought of the little monkey. "Dees is greet!--dees is too goot!--Jud, we peek it oop in de road, heh?" "I'm kinder afraid we'll wake an' find it a dream, Billy--hurry up. Get the cash." Billy was thoughtful: "Tree hun'd'd dollars--Jud--eef--eef--" he shook his head.