as usual."

There was five in the scrubbin' squad, includin' the second mate, a
pie-faced Swede by the name of Nelse; and, while they seems mighty busy
with pails and mops and brass polishers, I notice they all manages to
drift over to our side of the yacht. You couldn't exactly accuse them
of wearin' grins, but they did look as though something amusin' had
occurred recent. Which shows we was still doin' duty as human jokes.
But that's just what I makes my play on.

As soon as I can dash up the landin' steps, I beckons the second mate
to follow me aft.

"Call your bunch back here, too," says I, "So there'll be no bonehead
plays made."

Then, when I gets 'em together, I tips Nelse the knowin' wink.

"You ain't supposed to know a thing about what's been goin' on
to-night, eh?" I asks.

Nelse, he shrugs his shoulders.

"Aye yust know about work," says he, lyin' free and easy.

"That's a swell motto to pin on the wall," says I. "But listen, Nelse,
while I put a case to you. Suppose, now, you'd been tipped off that if
you dug under a certain bush in a certain back yard you'd find--well,
something worth luggin' away? Ah, never mind shakin' your head! This
is only supposin'. And we'll say the neighbors were wise; they'd
watched you go out with your spade and lantern. And after you'd near
broke your back diggin' you found you'd been buffaloed. Are you
followin' me?"

Who says a Swede is all solid maple from the neck up? Nelse's
buttermilk blue eyes flickers with almost human intelligence. Some of
the men smother a snicker.

"Well," I goes on, "we'll say you was sensitive about it. In order to
duck their frivolous remarks when you came sneakin' back, maybe you'd
be deceitful enough to bluff it through. You might lug something home
in the bag, even if it was only some loose real estate. I don't say
you would, mind you. You got such an honest, cash-register face. But
there are shifty parties who could do that and never bat an eye. I
ain't mentionin' any names."

I didn't need to. To a man, they glances over the rail at Mr. Ellins.

"Then that's all," says I. "Only you got to lay off with them merry
expressions when you lug those sacks aboard. Handle 'em careful and
reverent, and stow 'em in the main cabin where you're told. If you do
it well I expect there'll be more or less in it for all of you. Now,
then, got your cues, have you?"

They salutes respectful.

"Then get busy with the stevedo