"
The detectives exchanged looks.
They had taken the measures of the rowdies.
"How do you know?" asked one of the men.
"I'll bet on it."
"You will?"'
"Yes."
"How will you prove it?"
"I'll prove."
"How?"
"That's my end of it."
"You'll bet she is a beauty?"
"Yes, I will."
"How much?"
"A bottle."
"And you are to prove it?"
"Yes."
"I'll take the bet."
The fellow who had offered to make the bet immediately rose, crossed the
cabin to where Cad sat and said:
"Say, miss, you've heard the bet. Raise your veil and let me win. I know
you are a beauty."
The men all laughed. They thought it evidently the joke of their lives;
to them it was immense.
It was so destined to turn out. Immense was no name for what followed,
and it is very unfortunate that similar roysterers do not run up against
a like party.
"Come, miss," urged the man, "I've paid you a compliment. You ain't
a-going to let me lose my bet?"
Cad paid no attention to the fellow, and his companions jeered. One
said:
"She daren't raise her veil, or she'll make you lose, sure."
The man who had bet exclaimed:
"You've lost; I've got a bottle on you."
"Not yet; come, miss, you won't see me lose."
All this time the two detectives had sat silent.
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