me to row her down to Madame Medusa's villa last evening; and right
at the sluice of the vitriol reservoir at that."

"Then why the deuce don't you do something to help us?" pleaded
Hamlet.

"How can I do any more than I have done? I've offered you the
Gehenna," retorted Charon.

"But on what terms?" expostulated Raleigh. "If we had all the wealth
of the Indies we'd have difficulty in paying you the sums you
demand."

"But I am only president of the company," explained Charon. "I'd
like, as president, to show you some courtesy, and I'm perfectly
willing to do so; but when it comes down to giving you a vessel like
that, I'm bound by my official oath to consider the interest of the
stockholders. It isn't as it used to be when I had boats to hire in
my own behalf alone. In those days I had nobody's interest but my
own to look after. Now the ships all belong to the Styx Navigation
Company. Can't you see the difference?"

"You own all the stock, don't you?" insisted Raleigh.

"I don't know," Charon answered, blandly. "I haven't seen the
transfer-books lately.''

"But you know that you did own every share of it, and that you
haven't sold any, don't you?" put in Hamlet.