Читать книгу The Young Wireless Operator—With the U. S. Secret Service. Winning his way in the Secret Service онлайн

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Either the tramp was already asleep, or was possessed of discretion, for no sign of him was to be seen. Dusk was coming fast, and Willie should have returned to the Lycoming, but, like the tramp, he hated to move. Though he was at some distance from the gang of boatmen, they might nevertheless think he was spying on them. So he snuggled down closer than ever in the lumber pile and watched. Presently the group of bargemen broke up, and the various canal-boat captains and others started to go their separate ways.

“Don’t forget,” Willie heard the man who had done most of the talking say. “To-morrow night. And it will be rich pickings for somebody.”

The speaker slid over the side of the pier to a canal-boat. To other boats and toward the street the other members of the gang made their way. In a few moments the pier was vacant.

“Now for the Lycoming,” thought Willie. “Roy will think I’m lost.”

He started to rise, then sank back quickly in his seat. Something was moving in the pile of boxes. Willie looked intently. A head was thrust quickly up among the boxes. It was the tramp. He took a quick look around, saw that the pier was deserted, and leaped from his place of concealment. Willie did the same. There was no reason why he should delay a moment longer in getting back to the Lycoming. But before he had taken a dozen paces, the tramp was beside him. The tramp opened a wallet and took out a crisp dollar bill.