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Boat. Those MTBs are fast and are still used by the Costal Patrol.”
    â€œWhat makes you think we hadn’t considered that already?” said Harris.
    Robert folded his arms. “Very well then, what’s the plan?”
    â€œThe plan is all right here,” Harris said, pointing to his great dome of a head. “We desperately need sail canvas. You tell us when those tents come down, and we’ll send you more help than you ever dreamed of. This is our only chance. I’ll tell you as much as you need to know.” He repeated to Robert what I knew of the Bonnie Clyde , and why he and Bowman had the only chance of making this rescue happen successfully. He brought out the flask and passed it round.
    Robert stood giving the Bonnie a good looking-over. “Sound is she?”
    â€œSound!” Harris replied.
    Robert was still puzzled. “I don’t understand how you’re going to sail this off without notice. You’ll have all the luck of a waxed cat running through Hell chased by an asbestos dog.”
    Harris stood pulling on his pipe for a while, blowing smoke into the fog. “There will be some onlookers, even some of those government officials, but no one will figure it out till it’s too late to do anything to stop us.”
    With this last statement, Harris suddenly became deadly serious, and his soft voice exuded even more than its usual degree of veiled potential mayhem to any who dared cross him.
    â€œWhat I am proposing to you now is something that you either take or leave. If you leave it, you’d best be aware of the consequences if you repeat the story to anyone . On the other hand,” he laughed, “if you take it, then we’ll have another badly needed friend.”
    All this was very solemn, and I knew that the rescue of the Bonnie had become something of a sacred duty. I became acutely aware of the situation now created for Robert. This had gone from looking for canvas to something I had not anticipated. Now I was concerned that I’d landed Robert in an awkward position, one from which he could not easily retreat. I had to say something.
    After a moment I cleared my throat, “I do hope you’ll agree with what we have planned Robert, because I simply cannot bear to think what these unfeeling civil servants have in store for the Bonnie. We can do nothing to save the other ship, the one without a name. Bowman calls her the Auld Lass . She’s too far gone already, and the “coal barge” died long ago. But by God we can save this one. I’m not asking you to sign aboard. We just need the canvas, even if that’s all you can help with.”
    Harris went on without further ado, “What we propose is that the tents from the circus never reach their storage place. That is, we will requisition them for the best of reasons. I don’t think the owners of the circus would happily agree to this, so we must act as thieves for the moment. Time is of the essence. Already the men in suits have scheduled the Auld Lass for scuttling, and the Bonnie is soon to follow.”
    There was silence for quite a while as we went aboard and walked her deck. Harris took Robert below to show him around. Still there was silence. I could tell Robert was weighing the pros and cons. I knew the expression he wore very well.
    He looked at me, then Harris, and began to laugh. “Perhaps I’ve gone daft, but I’m in! I believe there’s a pint with my name on it back at the pub. I have quite a few questions though, quite a few, but they can wait.”
    Harris seized Robert’s hand in a strong silent shake of gratitude. Once it was released, Robert looked over his hand, pretending to assess the damage. Harris then handed his flask around as we took another look about the ship. We made small talk of the work ahead, and short work of the flask. At last we piled into the car and rumbled back up the road.
    â€œI don’t see how