g to put one over on me, an old pal... stood by him through
thick and thin... would've gone through fire for Whit Monk, and in my
way I have, many's the time. And now he hooks up with Phinuit and this
Delorme woman, and leaves me to shuffle my feet on the doormat... and
thinks I'll let him get away with it."

The voice in the dark gave a grunt of infinite contempt: "Like hell..."

"I understand your feelings, monsieur; and I ask you to believe in my
sympathy. But you said--if I remember--that we were in the same boat,
you and I; whereas I assure you Captain Monk has not abused my
friendship, since he has never had it."

"I know that well enough," said the mutter. "I don't mean you've got my
reasons for feeling sore; but I do mean you've got reason enough of
your own--"

"On what grounds do you say that?"

Another deliberate pause prefaced the reply: "You said a while ago I
knew something. Well--you said it. I and you've both been frozen out of
this deal and we're both meaning to take a hand whether they like it or
not. If that don't put us in the same boat I don't know..."

Perceiving he would get no more satisfaction, Lanyard schooled himself
to be politic for the time being.

"Say it is so, then... But I think you have something to propose."

"It's simple enough: When two people find themselves in the same boat
they've got to pull together if they want to get anywhere."

"You propose, then, an alliance?"

"That's the answer. Without you I can't do anything but kick over the
applecart for Whit Monk; and that sort of revenge is mighty
unsatisfactory. Without me--well: what can you do? I know you can get
that tin safe of Whit's open, when you feel like it, get the jewels and
all; but what show do you stand to get away with them? That is, unless
you've got somebody working in with you on board the ship. See here..."

The mutter sank into a husky whisper, and in order to be heard the
speaker bent so low over Lanyard that fumes of whiskey almost
suffocated the poor man in his bed.

"You've got a head, you've had experience, you know how... Well, go to
it: make your plans, consult with me, get everything fixed, lift the
loot; I'll stand by, fix up everything so's your work will go through
slick, see that you don't get hurt, stow the jewels where they won't be
found; and when it's all over, we'll split fifty-fifty. What d'you say?"

"Extremely ingenious, monsieur, but unfortunately impracticable."

"That's the