"Whew!" whistled Smith; "you don't mean it. Young Sibley Gawthrop! Holy sailor, I'd rather not touch him. His father is a power in the land." Gardiner shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, very well, there are others. And in any case, who need know you took a hand in it? Now, will you or won't you? Yes or no, or I quit right here." "You don't quit. I'll do it," said Smith. "I'll do it for you, C.O.D." It can be judged how much he did it for Gardiner when C.O.D. is translated "Cash on Delivery." "Right!" said Gardiner, "and pick him a nice easy ship. A good old English limejuicer will be the thing. I want him to go to Europe." He went up town, and curiously enough found himself having supper in the swagger restaurant of the city at the next table to Hunt's victim. "Gawthrop, I want to have a talk with you on very special business," he said. "Can you spare me half an hour to-morrow morning if I call on you?" And when they parted next morning, after their talk on "very special business," Sibley Gawthrop was in a high state of excitement. "If I can only get that Hunt out of the way for three months, I believe I can work the racket with her. But what I can't understand is Gardiner's notion that he has any chance. I suppose that's what he meant by keeping on saying, 'Don't think I do this for you. I'm not in it for friendship or for my health. I'll do you if I can.' Poor beggar, he hasn't the least show. Oh, but isn't this a game! To think of old Hunt turning up in the London Docks!" He actually drove along the water-front that morning in order to gloat over the ships in the harbour, and when he saw men working up aloft he burst into laughter. The notion was splendid, whatever motive Gardiner had in putting him up to it. It was odd that he had never taken any interest in the seafaring trade of the city before. Gawthrop eyed the very loafers on the wharves with new feelings. Though he did not know it, he saw Shanghai Smith and his runner Billy at the bottom of Spear Street. "Jehoshaphat," said Smith, "now this is a queer coincī-dence. Billy, that's the young feller I've been telling you about. See him?" "Rather," growled Bill. "When do you want him shipped, and how am I to get him?" "I'll tell you when it's fixed up," said Smith. "I've got to see the chap that's runnin' the show." "There'll be a holy row on about it," grunted Bill. "It ain't exackly legitimate business, Mr. Smith. It's all mighty well doin' what I know. I can get a crew out of a ship in the bay with any man; but shanghain' sons of millionaires----" "You're a forsaken fool," said Smith. "If you do it neatly, who's to know till he comes back? And who knows then you or I done it? And ain't I reckonin' to allow you a bonus of ten dollars extra? With times as they is now, ten dollars is ten dollars, lemme tell you. And you've taken to growlin' lately in a way I'm not goin' to stand, Bill. I don't want any slack-jaw from you, so there."