"Well, Jack, when customs are finished we'll take the launch and comb out the harbor, anyhow! She'll be anchored nearby, like as not." Not caring to tie up at the dock we chose a berth far enough out to escape the electric glare ashore, and had hardly swung-to when Gates was off in his gig to clear our papers. The port officials were astir and accommodatingly looked us over without loss of time, for the skipper had mentioned our wish to leave whenever the spirit moved us. Those, indeed, had been his identical words, and I wondered if they were prophetic--whenever the spirit moved us! They were a nice pair of fellows, those American officers, and before going into business--a mere formality in our case--we gathered in the cockpit for a long straw and a bowl of ice. The occasion was more agreeable for possessing that sense of aloofness one feels at being on the edge, yet safely beyond the reach, of a little city's night diversions and excitements. "I suppose you've nothing dutiable," one said, knowing we had left Havana unexpectedly soon. "Nothing," Tommy volunteered. "But, yes," Monsieur exclaimed. "I shall declare!" "About the only thing he brought away was a wad of money from a roulette game," I laughed. "Ah, I surprise you," he cried, in high good humor, ducking below; and was soon heard struggling up the stairs, crying: "Give me help!" Into our hands then he began thrusting packages of cigars; packages containing a dozen boxes each, until the cockpit looked like moving day in a tobacco shop. Behind the last of these, he came. "Oh, _la la_," Tommy's jaw dropped. "Where did you tie up with this stuff? We've been together all the time!" "Not all the time," the professor chuckled. "Before you were awake this morning I was in town for camera supplies, and brought back, also, much of that most genial and ameliorating of influences exerted upon us in life--cigars! How much do I pay?" "How many have you?" "Ten thousand." "Ten thousand cigars!" We stared at him. "That's a lot of ameliorating influence," one of the officers laughed. "But, in spite of it, I'll have to charge you on nine thousand, nine hundred--unless a hundred belong to each of your friends. Everyone's entitled to bring in a hundred free." "A hundred are mine," Tommy spoke up at once. "I haven't won cigars so fast, ever! Jack, you for a hundred. Gates, you, too. Colonel," he turned to the officer--out of the Army he scattered the titles of Colonel, Judge, Governor and Parson with a free hand--"suppose you all take a hundred each. It'll be a whole lot cheaper for Sir Walter, here!" The professor was giggling. "They have cost me nothing," he cried, "for last night I have won almost a thousand dollars at that wretched place--see, here is plenty with which to pay!" And a fortunate thing it was that he had, being called on for something in the neighborhood of three hundred dollars.