“Good work!” approved Collaton.  “I hope he makes all kinds of money.”

“I don’t!” snapped Gresham.  “Did you read the papers this morning?”

“I read the racing and base-ball returns.”

“There was more to interest you in the news.  Gamble has a big hotel proposition on—­and I want it stopped.  Can you get another attachment against him for about fifty thousand dollars?”

“It’s risky!” And Collaton looked about him furtively.  “It’s easy enough to fake an old note for money—­”

“You must not say ‘fake’ to me.  I will not countenance any crooked business.”

“To dig up an old note for money I am supposed to have borrowed and spent—­”

“Not supposed.”

“For money I borrowed and spent on the work out there—­and have a quiet suit entered by one of my pet assassins in Fliegel’s court, have the summons served and confess judgment.  Johnny is sucker enough to confess judgment, too, rather than repudiate a debt which he can not prove he does not owe; but I’ve already milked that scheme so dry that I’m afraid of it.”

“You’re afraid of everything,” Gresham charged him with the scorn one coward feels for another.  “Your operations out there were spread over ten thousand acres of ground; and it would take a dozen experts six months, without any books or papers to guide them, to make even an approximate estimate of your legitimate expenditures.”

“I don’t know,” hesitated Collaton with a shake of his head—­“I only touched the high places in the actual work out there.  I believe I was a sucker at that, Gresham.  If I had buckled down to it, like Gamble does, we could have made a fortune out of that scheme.  He’s a wonder!”

“He has wonderful luck,” corrected Gresham.  “I tried my best to scare Courtney away from him with that attachment, but he insisted on clinging to his Johnny Gamble; so we’ll hand him enough of Johnny by laying a fifty-thousand-dollar attachment against his property.”

“You’re a funny cuss,” said Collaton, puzzled.  “If you wanted to soak him for this fifty thousand why did you try to scare Courtney off?”

“Can’t you understand that I’m not after the money?” demanded Gresham.  “I’ve explained that to you before.  I want Gamble broke, discredited, and so involved that he can never transact any business in New York.”

“What’s he done to you?” inquired Collaton.  “He must be winning a stand-in with your girl.”

“My private affairs are none of your concern!” Gresham indignantly flared.

“All right, governor,” assented Collaton a trifle sullenly.  “I’ll fake that note for you to-night; and—­”

“I told you I would not have anything to do with any crooked work,” Gresham sharply reprimanded him.

“Oh, shut up!” growled Collaton.  “You give me the cramps.  You’re a worse crook than I am!”

CHAPTER VIII