Page:Fighting blood (IA fightingblood00witw).pdf/247

 Even Judy and her mother insist on having a interest in the thing, and though I don't want them to gamble their money on me, why, they force me to take two hundred.

In three days I have collected a total of forty thousand iron men right in Drew City from people which was willing to back up their belief in me with the greatest proof of friendship they is in the world—money! Believe me, I felt my responsibility and I was proud of it. I couldn't of been such a flop or they'd never take a chance like that on nothing but my word, would they?

Well, when Nate comes back to our office from Buffalo with Knockout Kelly, where Kayo stopped Indian Brown in three rounds, and I tell him what I've done, why, he's speechless. But Nate's never speechless for long! After remarking that if he had my nerve he'd open a sailboat factory on the Sara Desert, he says he'll just toss in ten thousand of his own and Kayo will sweeten the pot with five more.

"Well—I—eh—I was goin' to get a car," begins Kayo.

"Blah!" says Nate. "What do you know about autos? I bet you think a chassey is lingerie! Put him down for five grand," he adds to me. "I'll send a wire to Kid Christopher's pilot offerin' him fifteen thousand for his end and 'at's all he'll get if he cries his eyes out! Let's sit down now and dope out how much jack we'll need to stage this frolic."

So that's what we done. Allowing fifteen thousand for Kid Christopher's guarantee, three or four thou-