"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 017 - The Five Chameleons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"It's all the same to me," said Major. "What I'm thinking about is the few bottles that we might carry in.
Judge would appreciate hearing our toast, when we see him."

"Deacon's the boy to lug in the grog," said Ferret cunningly. "He could pack it under his coat. There's
plenty of room around that spindle shape of his. Lend him one of your coats, Butcher."

"Why worry about it?" questioned Butcher. "Like enough Judge will have a house-load of booze in over
the Canadian border. No use monkeying with the custom men, if we can help it."

"There's sense in that," declared Major. "You know I don't like to take foolish chances. There are
enough big ones. It was a great load off my mind when we spotted that plane off the Florida coast. The
crew figured we sent in our full liquor supply then."

"They've been educated to it," observed Deacon.

"The important thing now," resumed Major, "is to split up after we land. Handshakes at the dock. The
best of luck - for the future!"

"And no tears from you, Deacon," said Butcher. "I thought you were going to bust out crying when we
made that overboard heave down in the Caribbean -"

"Forget it, Butcher," growled Major; "forget it! Deacon has forgotten it. That reminds me, Ferret - you're
the one that has some forgetting to do."

"Major is right, Ferret," seconded Deacon.

"That letter writing" - Major shook his head in disapproval - "it wasn't right, Ferret!"

"But Hawk was a pal of mine," protested Ferret, looking around the group. "He wouldn't squawk.
Anyway, I only told him -"

"We talked that over before," said Major. "We'll drop it now. I'm thinking of tomorrow. I'll get you a
time-table, Ferret, as soon as we reach New York. The first train out of the big town will be the best.
We want you to drop in on Judge ahead of the rest of us."

"All right," returned Ferret, in an annoyed tone. "Leave it to me, Major."

"I'll leave it to you!" Major spoke emphatically. "But remember, you're one in five. The interests of the
gang come first. You may have some idea of your own. Get it out of your head - until afterward. There'll
be plenty of time, later on. We're all going to be independent, after a while."

"Remember it," echoed Deacon, staring solemnly at Ferret.

Butcher chimed in with a warning growl.

That ended the discussion. Butcher, chewing the end of a Havana cigar, called for the steward, and
another bottle was brought to the table. Afterward came dinner; then an ocean evening that ended with
the men tottering singly to their cabins.