“Oakland is a tough town to take a pinch in, kid. You can’t fix your case, and you’ll get the limit if convicted. I’ll take a gun along. You needn’t. There isn’t much you can do. When the bull is out of the block and pedestrians are a couple of doors away I will do the best I can. You stand nearby and if anybody gets wise to me, you shout to him: ‘Look out, he’s got a gun. Let’s get a policeman!’ ”

At nine o’clock we passed the window. A crowd was admiring the ring. At ten the pedestrians had thinned out, and half an hour later Sanc’s chance came.