to come along," he said.

Barnes ran after him.

"Say," he exclaimed, "I forgot to tell you. One of 'em's leg's a little
stiff and the other one's shy an eye."

Gregory whirled about.

"They've got brains and hearts left, haven't they?" he challenged. "Tell
them to come along."

Walking rapidly to the office he entered and closed the door. When
Barnes came in at quitting time the room was thick with smoke. In the
center of the smoke-screen Gregory sat at a small table, hammering away
at a typewriter. On a near-by chair, the ex-soldier caught a glimpse of
a colored poster, glaringly captioned:

JOBS FOR SOLDIERS

Shutting the door softly behind him he withdrew, smiling to himself.

CHAPTER V

THE WAY OF THE GULL

Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-r.

The alarm-clock announced the hour imperiously, triumphantly, the
importance of the day being manifest in its resonant warning.

Kenneth Gregory leaped from his bed and hastily donned a brand-new suit
of overalls. A young man's first business engagement was not lightly to
be passed over. Particularly when it promised a chance for excitement
and new adventure. He dressed quickly and hurried out into the street.
With difficulty he stumbled through the dark streets and groped his way
along the water-front to the Lang wharf. All about him was darkness,
opaque and impenetrable.

"You're early."

Gregory found himself blinking into the white light of an electric
torch. By his side stood Dickie Lang.

"Yes," he answered. "Wasn't sure whether my clock was right so I set it
half an hour ahead."

Still holding him in the rays of the light, the girl examined him
critically.

"All right but your shoes," she announced. "You'll break your neck in
those leather soles. I'll see if I can rustle a pair of tennis-shoes."

She vanished suddenly and a moment later he saw her light fall upon the
burly figures of three bare-footed fishermen shuffling along the dock.
She greeted the men familiarly.

"Got that coil for you, Tom. Cache it this time where those thieving
devils won't beat you to it. Coils are hard to get right now. Bill,
you'd better run down Lucas way and scout around for barracuda. They
were beginning to hit in there strong this time last year. How's the
baby? I phoned to town last night for that medicine I told you about.
They said they'd shoot it out on the first mail."

As she spoke Gregory saw other shadows draw near and hover for a mome