Now he was ready to
compromise.
"Grand," he said hoarsely, "I'm going to sell out--I'm going to get
out of this. I'm going to Cincinnati to-night and look up Barnum's
man. He's ready to buy."
Colonel Grand eyed him shrewdly. He could see that something had
shaken the man tremendously. The Colonel believed in strong measures.
He knew precisely how to meet this man's impulses. In his time he had
seen hundreds of desperate men.
"Tom, you're drunk," he announced coldly. "When you are sober you'll
kick yourself for the thought. Go and lie down awhile. I won't talk
with you while you're in this condition."
"Drunk?" gasped Braddock. "Bob, so help me, I'm not drunk," he almost
whined.
"Then you must be crazy," observed the other, walking away.
David saw an opportunity to escape the company of both. He was edging
away when Braddock stopped him.
"Say, you! I want to give you a bit of advice. If you go to putting
high-sounding notions in Christie's head, I'll break every bone in
your body. If you don't like the way she dresses in the ring, why do
you look at her all the time?"
Further utterance on his part, or any effort David may have
contemplated in resenting his attack, was prevented by the appearance
of Ruby Noakes, who came running up from the main-top, waving a
newspaper in her hand and crying out in the wildest excitement:
"David! David! Have you heard? Have you seen it? We've been looking
for you everywhere.
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