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He stared at it; then, with a low whistle and a glance at Goles's back, he returned it to his pocket. Only the Finn woman had seen the action. The bartender shoved a hand into his trousers pocket. He pulled out a handful of bills and silver. "Well, what do you know? And I came near putting that into the safe last night!" He unbuttoned his coat and from his vest pocket he pulled out a cigar.
Jan relaxed the grip of his thumb and forefinger, swung the man round, walked to the head of the stairs, raised his left knee, pressed it against the small of Goles's back, shifted his right hand to behind the man's shoulders and suddenly let knee and arm shoot out together. In one magnificent curve, and without touching a step on the way, Goles fetched up on the lower hall floor.
Run her before it. Besides, she'll be blown offshore soon now. Run her across the bay. South-south-east. She ought to fetch Provincetown." "Yes, sir. But when we get out from under the lee of the land what'll happen?" "I don't know; but I do know what'll happen to her bumpin' over the rocks of this shore on a night like this!" Jan touched Mrs. Goles's arm. "We better go below now, I think.
"Poor woman!" muttered Jan, and absent-mindedly drank his ginger ale. The boy was still there. "Where is Mrs. Goles now?" asked Jan. The boy jerked his head. "Out there on the back stairs." Jan stood up. "Here!" He handed the boy a quarter. "A wonder a boy like you hangs out round here!" "I run Mrs. Goles's errands. I been runnin' 'em since I was a kid. My mother used to work for her mother.
Jan stepped softly out, reached his arms round Goles's shoulders, drew them tight against his own chest; and then, holding him safe with his elbows, he ran his fingers down until they felt the knuckles of the other's hands. And then he squeezed. With thumb and forefinger of each hand he squeezed.
"There's the sun coming over the sand-hill now," said Jan. She turned to look shoreward. The bartender, counting and chuckling over his money, felt a hand shaking the tip of his sleeve. It was the Finn woman. She pointed a finger toward Goles. The bartender saw Goles's hand come out of his bosom with a revolver.