edly sat down, and began smoothing out
and counting the damp bills. "Well, well!--forty-five, fifty-five,
sixty, seventy--the only time in my life I ever beat a cash register!
Seventy-two--four--and on a good night there'd a been three times the
business--eight-four--six--eight. Eighty-eight dollars."

Goles looked over his shoulder at the bartender. He wet his lips and
stood up. After a time he threw off his overcoat. "How about a drink
from that flask?" he asked suddenly.

Jan, without looking around, drew the flask from his pocket and handed
it to him. He had already given the two men a drink each--and the Finn
woman and Mrs. Goles two swallows of it during the night; and almost
half the brandy was now gone. Goles put the flask to his lips. The
bartender stopped counting his silver to watch him; and, seeing it go,
he called out: "Say there, Bill, just leave a taste of that, will you?"
Goles drank it to the last drop. When he had finished he threw the empty
flask overboard. "Well, if you ain't one fine gentleman!" exploded the
bartender.

Goles paid no attention to him. "How long before we'll be ashore now?"
he asked.

"Only a few minutes now," said Jan. He was still standing with his back
to Goles.

"A few minutes?" repeated Goles. At the words his wife turned sharply.
Husband and wife stared at each other.

"There's the sun coming over the sand-hill now," said Jan. She turned to
look shoreward.

The bartender, counting and chuckling over his money, felt a hand
shaking the tip of his sleeve. It was the Finn woman. She pointed a
finger toward Goles. The bartender saw Goles's hand come out of his
bosom with a revolver.

"So long as we're safe," said Goles slowly, "you're going to get
yours--and get it now, you--"

Jan was looking at the shore, but Mrs. Goles had turned with the first
word and thrown herself toward Goles as he fired. Mrs. Goles fell before
the bullet. "I was going to get her anyway," said Goles evenly, and
leveled his revolver at Jan, who had jumped to save her from falling
overboard and was now holding her away from Goles.

"I got you where there's no comeback!" gritted Goles, and took careful
aim at Jan!--but did not fire. He felt a ring of cold metal pressed
against his neck and half turned to see what it was. "Don't shoot!
Don't!" he begged.

"You--" The word the bartender gritted out could not be heard, because
he pulled the trigger as he said it.

Goles sagged down until his knees