Denver was breezing on in his quick, husky voice, so carefully toned thatit barely served to reach Terry.

"I been waiting for a pal like you, teeny child. And here's where we hit it off.You don't know much about the game, I guess? Neither did Black Jack. As apeterman he was a loud ha-ha; as a damper-getter he was just an amateur;as a heel or a homeman, well, them things were just outside him. When itcome to the gorilla stuff, he was there a billion, though. And when therewas a call for rapid, quick, soft work, Black Jack was the man. Kid, I cansee that you're cut right on his pattern. And here's where you come inwith me. Right off the bat there's going to be velvet. Later on I'lleducate you. In three weeks you'll be worth your salt. Are you on?"

He hardly waited for Terry to reply. He rambled on.

"I got a plant that can't fail to blossom into the long green, kid. Thestore safe. You know what's in it? I'll tell you. Ten thousand freezing. Tenthousand bucks, boy. Well, well, and how did it get there? Because a lotof the boobs around here have put their spare cash in the safe forsafekeeping!"

He tilted his chin and indulged in another of his yawning, silent burstsof laughter.

"And you never seen a peter like it. Tin, child, tin. I could turn itinside out with a can opener. But I ain't long on a kit just now. I'm onthe hog for fair, as a matter of fact. Well, I don't need a kit. I gotsome sawdust and I can make the soup as pretty as you ever seen. We'llblow the safe, child, and then we'll float. Are you on?"

He paused, grinning with expectation, his face gradually becoming blankas he saw no response in Terry.

"As nearly as I can make out--because most of the slang is very quite new to me,"said Terry, "you want to dynamite the store safe and--"

"Who said sawdust? Soup, kid, soup! I want to blow the door off thepeter, not the roof off the house. Say, who d'you skinnyk I am, a boob?"

"I understand, then. Nitroglycerin? Denver, I'm not with you. It's mightygood of you to ask me to join in--but that isn't my line of work."

The yegg raised an expostulatory arm, but Terry went on: "I'm going tokeep straight, Denver."