Gangway!

    On deck, Vangie frowned, and paused in her labors. She and Francis were packing gold ingots into small wooden boxes marked TEAK. Once all the gold was packed away, the wagon would be broken up and dumped over the side.

    Still frowning, pensively gazing toward the horizon, Vangie said, "Francis?"

    "Mm?"

    "I want you to know," she said, "that I like you very much."

    "Well, thank you," he said, surprised.

    She looked at him, a sad smile touching her lips. "Very soon now," she said, "we're all going to be arrested and put away forever in separate prisons, but I do want you to know I've grown very fond of you."

    Touched, Francis said, "You've been a sister to me, Vangie."

    "And you to me."

    "But maybe we won't be caught," he said. "We've gotten away with it so far."

    Vangie sighed. "Maybe you're right," she said, without conviction.

    Farther north, aboard the San Andreas, First Mate Crung was untying Roscoe in the knee-deep water in the hold, while other crewmen were doing the same for Roscoe's companions. From above, a steady malevolent ROAR could be heard.

    Roscoe, free of his gag, looked up and said, "Percy's all right, eh?"

    "He's a little a

    "Not a bad idea," Roscoe said. Rubbing his wrists where the rope had chafed them, he looked around at the water lapping everywhere. "This damn tub's sinking," he said. "We better get to the lifeboats."

    Gabe was taking a breather on deck, his place below being temporarily taken by Francis, who had insisted on finding out how, real sailors live.

    Gabe and Vangie leaned against the rail, their arms around one another. Neither had much to say; Gabe out of weariness, Vangie out of pessimism.

    Captain Flagway called from the bridge, "Ships ahead. Coming this way."

    Gabe watched them, idly interested. "In a hurry," he said.

    Vangie suddenly clutched his arm. "Police."

    "Take it easy," he told her. "They're not looking for this ship. It's the San Andreas they want. That was the whole idea of the switch."

    Nevertheless, he could feel how tense she was as the two police launches arrived and shot past to starboard, thundering northward. Standing up in the bow of the lead launch was a red-haired figure, straining forward. McCorkle.

    Gabe frowned, watching that shock of red hair go by. "Is that bluebottle everywhere?"

    "That's what I've been trying to tell you," Vangie said. "Some bluebottle is everywhere. You just can't get away, Gabe."

    He looked at her, trying to keep his confidence. Rational problems he could work out, but superstitions were harder to deal with. Could she be right after all?

    Then, from the bridge, Captain Flagway sang out, "There it is! San Francisco, dead ahead!"

    Gabe laughed, in sudden relief. "They're not everywhere," he said, and looked out toward the distant hills of the city.

***

    The police launches very nearly missed the San Andreas entirely. All that was left of her when they arrived was the gently descending top six feet of her foremast, with the Paraguayan flag fluttering in the breeze, as though somewhere beneath the surface of the water someone was holding a garden party.

    Officer McCorkle, in the prow of the lead launch, removed his hat and held it over his heart. His red hair flew and flickered in the breeze, like an answer to the Paraguayan flag.

    The two launches circled the sinking ship. The mast settled slowly, as bubbles popped to the surface here and there. The flag dipped, wetted itself, wrapped itself dankly around the mast, and disappeared at last into the sea.

    Officer McCorkle replaced his hat. Then he took out his notebook, flipped through it, studied an entry here and there, shook his head, and tossed the notebook into the ocean.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

    Up the dusty slope toward Francis's gold mine came a large wagon full of small boxes marked TEAK. Ittzy was driving, and Gabe was sitting on the high seat beside him, smiling around at the countryside. Captain Flagway was perched atop the cargo with his braided cap at a jaunty angle and half-full flask of whisky dangling from his hand. Francis and Vangie rode a brace of matched white horses beside the wagon.

    The sun shone. Birds sang. An occasional rabbit hoppity-hopped across the green and su

    They arrived at the entrance to the mine, and all dismounted. Francis said, "I can't help it, you know, I just have trouble absorbing this. We're bringing gold to a gold mine."

    "That's right," Gabe said. "And we're going to start selling it right back to the Mint again, one bar at a time." He turned to give Vangie a big grin and say, "Unless you still think we're go

    She looked all around in the sunlight, frowning and squinting as though baffled by the non-appearance of the United States cavalry. "I just can't understand it," she said. "How can the Government let a thing like this happen?"

    "I guess they must be thinking about something else today," Gabe said.

    Captain Flagway leaned against the wagon and toasted the world at large with his flask. A crumpled smile was on his lips and a sputtering gleam in his eye. "Oh, happy day," he a

    Gabe gri

    "Well on my way."

    Vangie, trying not to show her emotions on the surface, said, "Well, Gabe, I guess you'll be on your way, too. Back to New York."

    "New York." Gabe smiled faintly in reminiscence, then frowned a bit, gazing out over the hills toward San Francisco. Wisps of fog were begi

    Vangie didn't care what the trouble with Twill was. She wanted to know what the trouble was with Gabe Beauchamps. "No, I don't," she said.

    "He doesn't understand where the future is. Life is moving West, Vangie. This is where the future is… right out here."

    She couldn't believe her ears. "Do you mean that, Gabe?"

    "I'm kind of getting used to things out here," he said.

    "You are?"

    "The slower pace, the small-town life." He shrugged. "San Francisco isn't too bad, for a yokelville."

    Francis said delightedly, "Gabe, you mean you'll stay?"

    "The burg has possibilities," Gabe said. "I might invest here."

    "The cancan shows," Francis said. "They're going to open again, I got inside word. You could…"

    "No," Gabe said thoughtfully, "I don't think so."

    "Oh, yes, Gabe!" Vangie cried. "Show business!"

    "The cancan shows," Francis said, "are the wave of the future. A man could get in right now on the ground floor. That's what I'm doing with my share, becoming an entrepreneur."