l it--by
ten gentlemen at once. That surprises you, eh? Yes, yes, ten. Leastwise
there were nine of them gents good enough in their way, and one
downright gentleman, and that was . . ."

Ricardo gave another upward jerk of his chin as much as to say: He! The
only one.

"And no mistake," he went on. "I spotted him from the first day. How?
Why? Ay, you may ask. Hadn't seen that many gentlemen in my life. Well,
somehow I did. If you were an Englishman, you would--"

"What was your yacht?" Schomberg interrupted as impatiently as he dared;
for this harping on nationality jarred on his already tried nerves.
"What was the game?"

"You have a headpiece on you! Game! 'Xactly. That's what it was--the
sort of silliness gentlemen will get up among themselves to play at
adventure. A treasure-hunting expedition. Each of them put down so much
money, you understand, to buy the schooner. Their agent in the city
engaged me and the skipper. The greatest secrecy and all that. I reckon
he had a twinkle in his eye all the time--and no mistake. But that
wasn't our business. Let them bust their money as they like. The pity of
it was that so little of it came our way. Just fair pay and no more. And
damn any pay, much or little, anyhow--that's what I say!"

He blinked his eyes greenishly in the dim light. The heat seemed to
have stilled everything in the world but his voice. He swore at large,
abundantly, in snarling undertones, it was impossible to say why, then
calmed down as inexplicably, and went on, as a sailor yarns.

"At first there were only nine of them adventurous sparks, then, just a
day or two before the sailing date, he turned up. Heard of it somehow,
somewhere--I would say from some woman, if I didn't know him as I do. He
would give any woman a ten-mile berth. He can't stand them. Or maybe in
a flash bar. Or maybe in one of them grand clubs in Pall Mall. Anyway,
the agent netted him in all right--cash down, and only about four and
twenty hours for him to get ready; but he didn't miss his ship. Not he!
You might have called it a pier-head jump--for a gentleman. I saw him
come along. Know the West India Docks, eh?"

Schomberg did not know the West India Docks. Ricardo looked at him
pensively for a while, and then continued, as if such ignorance had to
be disregarded.

"Our tug was already alongside. Two loafers were carrying his dunnage
behind him. I told the dockman at our moorings to keep all fast for a
minute. The gangwa