“Clear as day,” said Sellers.
“Well, then, here’s something else. If that wreck is what she’s taken to be, it’s more than one man’s job to shift the boodle and bank it. I’ve got to have help, and if we can arrange a deal I’d just as soon have you two in the show as anyone else.”
“Now you’re talking,” said Sellers.
Carquinez said nothing, but his hand shook, and Ratcliffe, watching him, received a shock. A wreath of cigarette smoke was stealing out from beneath the patch on his cheek! He wished the conference over and himself back on board the healthy Sarah. It came to him all at once that he had been drawn into a web of which Carquinez was the spider. Satan, too, and Jude had been drawn in. He could do nothing, however, at least for the moment, but watch and wait, and Satan’s face was worth watching as that wily diplomatist sat facing Sellers.
“Not that I don’t believe you’d kidoodle me over the business if you had a chance,” continued Satan. “You would, sure; but you see I’ve got the weather gauge of you, knowing what I do of you, and that’s more’n I’d have with strangers.”
“Well, then,” said Satan, “we’ve got that far, and it comes to terms. What’s your share to be for helpin’ to collar the stuff and dispose of it in Havana?”
“Two dollars out of every three that we make,” said Sellers promptly. “There’s the salving, you can’t do that alone, or your dad would have done it prompt; then there’s the cashing of it, you’re lost men if you try that job on by yourselves. Why, there’s not another man in Havana could do it only Cark, and even he couldn’t bring the stuff into Havana Harbor! It’ll have to be landed back of the island, north of Santiago. Lord knows what he’ll have to pay!”
Satan cogitated for a moment.
“I’ll meet you,” said he at last. “I’m not set on big money. Anything more?”