While we were looking at the boat, a fat little man came out of a house on the water-front, and hustled down to the boat. He gave us a hard look, then stepped on board.
“Hey!” I said.
He looked up, and climbed off the boat again. His face was burned nearly black by the sun, and his hair was bleached yellow-He didn’t look a bad guy in a tough, hard way.
“Want me?” he said, eyeing us over, then he grinned. “By Golly!”
I hunched my shoulders and grinned back.
“Not you—your boat,” I said.
“Chester Cain, by Jeese!” he said. He took elaborate precautions to keep his hands still and not to make any move, but he wasn’t scared.
“Sure,” I said.
“That’s okay with me,” he said. “The radio hasn’t let up for the past half-hour. The whole town knows you’re on the mn.” He eyed Miss Wonderly. She apparently made a hit, because he pursed his mouth in a soundless whistle. “So you want my boat?”
“That’s the idea,” I said. “I’m in a hurry, but I’m not going to rob you. Take my Buick and a grand?”