John Mark had only to lead the boy toward a life of heavy expenditures and gaming, lending him, from time to time, the wherewithal to keep it up.

In this way he anchored Jerry as a safeguard to windward, in case of trouble.
But, now that Ronicky Doone had entered the tangle, everything was changed.

That clear-eyed fellow might see through to the very bottom of Mark's tidewater plans.

He might step in and cut the Gordian knot by simply paying off Jerry's debts.

Telling the boy to laugh at the danger of exposure, Doone could snatch him away to the West.