o make
trouble for a charity!"

"You've got me wrong, officer," said Evan sweetly. "I didn't make any
trouble. It was the other fellows made trouble for me!"

"Yes, they did!" was the scornful rejoinder. "That's what they all
say! Well, they're running this show, see? And they don't want you.
So beat it!"

Evan did not suppose that any charge would be pressed against him, but
even if he were arrested and allowed to go, it would end the trip as
far as he was concerned. He decided upon a strategic retreat. A new
idea had occurred to him.

"That's all right, old fellow," he said indulgently. "Don't
apologise." He turned to go.

The policeman turned a shade pinker than his wont. "Don't you get gay,
young fella! I ain't apologising to the likes of you!"

"My mistake," said Evan, laughing over his shoulder. "Keep the change!"

As he passed out of hearing the blue-coat was saying sagely to Denton:
"He's a bad one, all right. You can see it."

When Evan reached the shore end of the pier, he was cut off from the
view of Denton and the policeman by a pile of freight which rose
between. Unobserved by them, he made his way out on the next pier.
This pier like its neighbour was occupied by craft of all kinds,
canal-boats, lighters, scows, etc. Evan came to a stop opposite the
_Ernestina_, and looked about him.

At his feet lay a large power-boat. She had a skiff tied to her rail.
A burly harbourman, the skipper evidently, sat on the forward deck with
his chair tipped back against the pilot-house and his hat pulled over
his nose.

"How are you?" said Evan affably.

"How's yourself?" was the non-committal reply.

"I see you've got a skiff tied alongside," said Evan.

"Remarkable fine eyesight!" said the skipper ironically.

"I'll give you a dollar if you'll put me aboard that steamboat yonder."

"Why the Hell don't you walk aboard by the gangway?"

"Well, you see it's a kind of joke I want to put up on them. I want
them to think they've gone off and left me, and then I'll show myself,
see?"

"I never see nothing as don't concern me."

"I'll make it two dollars."

"I ain't running my head into no noose."

"Oh, I assure you it isn't a hanging matter."

"Nothin' doin', fella."

"Well, look here; you be looking the other way, and I'll take the
skiff, see? Then you won't know anything about it. You can recover it
with one of the other skiffs in the slip here."

"How do I know you won't make