out, and crawls up through the hole. He drops what he wants into his boat, slips down with the tide, and unloads at a Bath Beach fence."
"But all that takes time," complained the restless-souled Lambert.
"I've seen Whitey take a half-inch ship auger, bore up through a pier floor, tap an eighty-gallon brandy-cask, and drain it off and get away in half an hour's time."
"Then the sooner I get through the floor the better. How about to-night at eleven?"
There was a moment or two of silence.
"Tide's against us."
"Then twelve?"
"Too early. About four in the mornin' would be the best."
Then came still another silence.
"Hold on a minute! Why couldn't you wait until about half-past nine to-night, go to their watchman with an order from the office, and get inside and stay there until Whitey gives a signal?"
"Where would I get the order?" Lambert, it was plain, was not his usual inventive and expeditious self. The other man even laughed a little.
"Ain't you a scratcher? Couldn't you work a little Jim the Penman stunt on that wharf bunch?"
"If you can get me a letter-head."
"Sure I can."
"That would give me time to sort out the paper and get it baled together ready for handling."
"There's just one thing," objected the man called Burke.
