Abie the Crimp laid his hand over his heart.
“Cap,” he declared, “there’s men ashore—Chinks and crooks—who would pay you five hundred dollars to get away from Keenon. See the point?”
Captain Gully nodded.
“All right, I’ll be waiting, Abie. Do you need a boat?”
“Lend me your dingey. Let me have that mate, Hansen. He’s got a pair of blue pants on—just the thing to imitate a copper’s.”
“Where will the boat be if I want it?”
“At the foot of Meigg’s wharf.”
“What time are you going to send out the first men?”
“God knows, cap; but it’s an awful crooked part of town where I’m going to make those phony pinches in.”
Captain Gully followed Abie up the ladder. Hansen took the skipper’s orders, touched his cap, pulled the dingey alongside the rudder-post, and motioned for the crimp to slide down.