"That's where you hit the gambler at Ogden," he heard Stover say
--it might have been from a great distance--"but I aim for the
bridge of the nose."
"The belly ain't so sudden as the eye-socket, but it's more
lingerin', and a heap painfuller," explained the gun man, and
Speed was moved to sympathy.
"Larry only wanted to please you--eh, Larry?" he said, nervously,
but Glass made no reply. His distended orbs were frozen upon
Willie. It was doubtful if he even heard.
"Our honor ain't for sale," Still Bill declared.
Here Berkeley Fresno spoke. "Of course not. And you mustn't think
that Speed is trying to get out of the race. He _wants_ to
run! And if anything happened to prevent his running he'd be
broken-hearted, I know he would!"
Willie's hypnotic eye left the trainer's abdomen and travelled
slowly to Speed.
"What could happen?" questioned he.
"N-nothing that I know of."
"You don't aim to leave?"
"Certainly not."
"Oh, you fellows take it too seriously," Fresno offered
carelessly. "He might _have_ to."
Willie's upper lip drew back, showing his yellow teeth.
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