Billy left the Cafe Ducrot and made his way to the water- front. He
was expecting some electrical supplies by the PRINZ DER
NEDERLANDEN, and she had already come to anchor.

He was late, and save for a group of his countrymen, who with the
customs officials were having troubles of their own, the customs
shed was all but deserted. Billy saw his freight cleared and was
going away when one of those in trouble signalled for assistance.

He was a good-looking young man in a Panama hat and his manner
seemed to take it for granted that Billy knew who he was. "They
want us to pay duty on our trunks," he explained, "and we want to
leave them in bond. We'll be here only until to-night, when we're
going on down the coast to Santo Domingo. But we don't speak
French, and we can't make them understand that."

"You don't need to speak any language to give a man ten dollars,"
said Billy.

"Oh!" exclaimed the man in the Panama. "I was afraid if I tried
that they might arrest us."

"They may arrest you if you don't," said Billy. Acting both as
interpreter and disbursing agent, Billy satisfied the demands of
his fellow employees of the government, and his fellow countrymen
he directed to the Hotel Ducrot.

As some one was sure to take their money, he thought it might as
well go to his mother-in-law elect. The young man in the Panama