'And if it's her you want, I seed her lying up against Cherry Gardens Pier this very morning.' 'Let us go to Cherry Gardens Pier by all means, as soon as possible,' Racksole said, and the boat swung across stream and then began to creep down by the right bank, feeling its way past wharves, many of which, even at that hour, were still busy with their cranes, that descended empty into the bellies of ships and came up full.

As the two watermen gingerly manoeuvred the boat on the ebbing tide, Hazell explained to the millionaire that the 'Squirm' was one of the most notorious craft on the river.

It appeared that when anyone had a nefarious or underhand scheme afoot which necessitated river work Everett's launch was always available for a suitable monetary consideration.

The 'Squirm' had got itself into a thousand scrapes, and out of those scrapes again with safety, if not precisely with honour.

The river police kept a watchful eye on it, and the chief marvel about the whole thing was that old Everett, the owner, had never yet been seriously compromised in any illegal escapade.