with the swag?" asked London Bill.

"Steam yacht," replied Storri sententiously. "I shall carry it from the
mouth of the drain to the yacht with a launch. It's as silent as a bird
flying, is that launch. Oh, I've thought everything out in full; I can
get the yacht and the launch. The latter will freight an even ton every
trip. Do you know how much gold money it takes to make a ton?"

"Half a million dollars," said London Bill, with his professional grin.
"You see, partner, I've had to do a deal of studyin' along the same line
as yourself."

"Precisely," returned Storri, disregarding the compliment implied by the
epithet partner; "five hundred thousand dollars. We shall have seven
hours a night for three nights, in which to freight the gold from the
mouth of the drain to the yacht."

"Four nights," said London Bill correctively; "Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
and Monday nights. I can carry that tunnel to a place within two hours
of the stuff, with the Treasury full of people; no one would catch on.
Take my word for it, you can begin getting out the gold the moment it
turns dark on Friday night. Let's pray for a storm for those four
nights."

"Your argument is right," observed Storri, "but there's a point you
overlook. We shall have but three nights; Monday and Monday night will
be required to take the yacht down the river, and into the open ocean.
The instant the loss is discovered, they'll know the business was
managed with the yacht; they will recall her as having been in the river
the three or four days before. I mean to repaint her from black to
white, the moment we're out of sight from the shore. I shall change her
name, and have papers ready to match the change. Oh, my friend, you will
see that I"--here Storri, who had studiously refrained from his usual
bragging, exultant, staccato style of speech, and aped the plain and
commonplace, almost forget himself; he was on the brink of giving his
name, which thus far had been withheld. He checked himself in time, and
ended soberly by saying: "You will see that I have left nothing
unconsidered."

"Seven hours a night," ruminated London Bill, "and three nights: In
considering everything, as you say, have you figured on how many trips
your launch, bearing five hundred thousand dollars a trip, can make
between shore an' ship?"

"The launch can make as many as twenty-one trips a night. In three
nights she ought to put more than thirty millions of dollars aboard the
yacht