you'd got here last night I could 've sent you off this morning
on a Dominion Line boat. All I got now is a Leyland boat that
starts from Portland Saturday. Le's see; this is Wednesday.
Thursday, Friday--you'll have to wait three days. Now you want
me to fix you up, don't you? I might not be able to get you off
till a week from now, but you'd like to get off on a good boat
Saturday instead, wouldn't you?"

"Oh yes; I _would_. I--"

"Well, I'll try to fix it. You can see for yourself; boats
ain't leaving every minute just to please Bryff. And it's the
busy season. Bunches of rah-rah boys wanting to cross, and
Canadians wanting to get back to England, and Jews beating it to
Poland--to sling bombs at the Czar, I guess. And lemme tell
you, them Jews is all right. They're willing to pay for a man's
time and trouble in getting 'em fixed up, and so--"

With dignity Mr. William Wrenn stated, "Of course I'll be glad
to--uh--make it worth your while."

"I _thought_ you was a gentleman. Hey, Al! _Al!_" An underfed boy
with few teeth, dusty and grown out of his trousers, appeared.
"Clear off a chair for the gentleman. Stick that valise on top
my desk.... Sit down, Mr. Wrenn. You see, it's like this: I'll
tell you in confidence, you understand. This letter from Bryff
ain't worth the paper it's written on. He ain't got any right
to be sending out men for cattle-boats. Me, I'm running that.
I deal direct with all the Boston and Portland lines. If you
don't believe it just go out in the back room and ask any of the