I'm sorry I have to run but we have to get back to Nevada tonight."
"Tonight?
But there aren't any trains until morning."
"I have my own plane, Mr. Moroni.
That's how we came up.
We'll be home by nine o'clock."
Moroni came around his desk.
There was a look of concern on his face.
"Better fly low, Mr. Cord," he said.
"After all, we just gave you a lot of money."
I laughed aloud. "Don't worry, Mr. Moroni. It's as safe as an automobile.
Besides, if anything happens to us on the way down, just stop payment on the check."
They both laughed. I could see the look of nervousness cross McAllister's face, but to his credit, he didn't say anything.
We shook hands and Moroni walked us to the door.
"Good luck," he said as we walked out into the reception room.
A man was sitting on the couch.
He got to his feet slowly. I recognized Buzz Dalton, the pilot whose plane I had won in a crap game.
"Hey, Buzz," I called. "Don't you say hello to your friends?"
A smile broke over his face. "Jonas!" he exclaimed. "What the hell are you doin' here?"
"Diggin' for a little scratch," I said, taking his hand. "You?"
"The same," he answered, a dejected look coming over his face again. "But no luck so far."
"Why?" I asked.
Buzz shrugged.
"I got a mail contract. L.A. to Frisco.
Twelve months guaranteed at ten thousand a month.
But I guess I’ll have to pass it up.
I can't get the dough to buy the three planes I need.
Banks think it's too risky."
"How much do you have to borrow?"
"About twenty-five grand," he said.
"Twenty for the planes and five to keep them flying until the first check comes in."
"Yuh got the contract?"
"In my pocket," he said, taking it out.
I looked at it.
"It sounds like a good deal to me."
"It is," he answered.
"I got it all worked out.
I can net five grand a month after expenses and amortization.
Here's the paper I worked out on that."
The figures seemed right to me.
I had a good idea what it cost to run a plane.
I turned around and looked at Moroni.
"You meant what you said in there?
About my additional credit?
There's no strings on it?"
He smiled.
"No strings at all."
I turned back to Buzz.
"You got your money on two conditions," I said.
"I get fifty per cent of the stock in your company and chattel mortgage on your planes amortized over twelve months, both payable to the Cord Explosives Company."