The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University

of Sam he laid down both engines of destruction and
beamed. He was not a particularly successful beamer,
being hampered by a cast in one eye which gave him a
truculent and sinister look; but those who knew him
knew that he had a heart of gold and were not intimidated
by his repellent face. Between Sam and himself
there had always existed terms of great cordiality, starting
from the time when the former was a small boy
and it had been John Peters’ mission to take him now
to the Zoo, now to the train back to school.
“Why, Mr. Samuel!”
“Hullo, Peters!”
“We were expecting you back a week ago.”
“Oh, I had something to see to before I came to
town,” said Sam carelessly.
“So you got back safe!” said John Peters.
“Safe! Why, of course.”
Peters shook his head.
“I confess that, when there was this delay in your
coming here, I sometimes feared something might have
happened to you. I recall mentioning it to the young
P. G. Wodehouse
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lady who recently did me the honour to promise to
become my wife.”
“Ocean liners aren’t often wrecked nowadays.”
“I was thinking more of the brawls on shore.
America’s a dangerous country. But perhaps you were
not in touch with the underworld?”
“I don’t think I was.”
“Ah!” said John Peters significantly.
He took up the revolver, gave it a fond and almost
paternal look, and replaced it on the desk.
“What on earth are you doing with that thing?” asked
Sam.
Mr. Peters lowered his voice.
“I’m going to America myself in a few days’ time,
Mr. Samuel. It’s my annual holiday, and the guv’nor’s
sending me over with papers in connection with <strong>The</strong>
People v. Schultz and Bowen. It’s a big case over there.
A client of ours is mixed up in it, an American gentleman.
I am to take these important papers to his legal
representative in New York. So I thought it best to be
prepared.”