Sam paused and eyed Michael with the first friendly gleam he had shown in his eyes, and Michael, with his heart in a tumult of varied emotions, and the quick color flooding brow and cheek, tried to hold himself in check. He must not speak too hastily. Perhaps he had not understood Sam's meaning.
"Where is Buck?" Michael looked Sam straight in the eye. The small pupils seemed to contract and shut out even his gaze.
"They ain't never got a trace of Buck," he said evasively.
"But don't you know?" There was something in Michael's look that demanded an answer.
"I might an' I might not," responded Sam sullenly.
Michael was still for several seconds watching Sam; each trying to understand the other.
"Do you think he will come hack where I can see him?" he asked at length.
"He might, an' he might not. 't depends. Ef you was in th' bizness he might. It's hard to say. 't depends."
Michael watched Sam again thoughtfully.
"Tell me more about the business," he said at last, his lips compressed, his brows drawn down into a frown of intensity.
"Thur ain't much, more t'tell," said Sam, still sullen. "I ain't sure you're up to it?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ain't sure you got de sand. You might turn faint and snitch." Sam leaned forward and spoke in low rapid sentences. "Wen we'd got a big haul, 'sposen you'd got into de house an' done de pinchin', and we got the stuff safe hid, an' you got tuk up? Would you snitch? Er would you take your pill like a man? That's what I'd want to be sure. Mikky would a' stood by the gang, but you--you've had a edicashun! They might go soft at college. I ain't much use fer edicated persons myself. But I'll give you a show ef you promise stiff not to snitch. We've got a big game on to-night up on Madison Avenue, an' we're a man short. Dere's dough in it if we make it go all right. Rich man. Girl goin' out to a party to-night. She's goin' to wear some dimons wurth a penny. Hed it in de paper. Brung 'em home from de bank this mornin'. One o' de gang watched de feller come out o' de bank. It's all straight so fur. It's a pretty big haul to let you in de first try, an' you'll hev to run all de risks; but ef you show you're game we'll make it a bargain."