"She's not gone?"

"Sure she's gone. Wotcha expect her to do? She's gotta to get over to
the other side, ain't she? Cert'nly she's gone." She looked at him
interested. "Do you want to be on board her?"

"Of course I do."

"Then, for the love of Pete, wotcha doin' walloping off'n her like a
sack of potatoes?"

"I slipped. I was pushed or something." Sam sprang to his feet and
looked wildly about him. "I must get back. Isn't there any way of
getting back?"

"Well, you could catch up with her at quarantine out in the bay. She'll
stop to let the pilot off."

"Can you take me to quarantine?"

The girl glanced doubtfully at the seat of the nearest pair of
trousers.

"Well, we _could_," she said. "But pa's kind of set in his ways,
and right now he's fishing for dollar bills with the boat-hook. He's
apt to get sorta mad if he's interrupted."

"I'll give him fifty dollars if he'll put me on board."

"Got it on you?" inquired the nymph coyly. She had her share of