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forty and his face was as knotted and seamed as the mooring posts on the jetty。 It was a thin； hatchet face； and the lips were thin too； and bloodless。 His plexion was the colour of tobacco dust； a sort of yellowy…beige。 He looked cruel and cold； like the bad man in a film about poker…players and gold mines。
Bond and Leiter walked past him and on to the pier。 He didn't look up from his rifle as they went past but Bond sensed that his eyes were following them。
'If that isn't The Robber；' said Leiter； Ht's a blood relation。'
A pelican； grey with a pale yellow head； was hunched on one of the mooring posts at the end of the jetty。 He let them get very close； then reluctantly gave a few heavy beats of his wings and planed down towards the water。 The two men stood and watched him flying slowly along just above the surface of the harbour。 Suddenly he crashed clumsily down； his long bill snaking out and down in front of him。 It came up clutching a small fish which he moodily swallowed。 Then the heavy bird got up again and went on fishing； flying mostly into the sun so that its big shadow would give no warning。 When Bond and Leiter turned to walk back down the jetty it gave up fishing and glided back to its post。 It settled with a clatter of wings and resumed its thoughtful consideration of the late afternoon。
The man was still bent over his gun； wiping the mechanism with an oily rag。
'Good afternoon；' said Leiter。 'You the manager of this wharf？'
'Yep；' said the man without looking up。
'Wondered if there was any chance of mooring my boat here。 Basin's pretty crowded。'
'Nope。'
Leiter took out his notecase。 'Would twenty talk？'
'Nope。' The man gave a rattling hawk in his throat and spat directly between Bond and Leiter。
'Hey；' said Leiter。 'You want to watch your manners。'
The man deliberated。 He looked up at Leiter。 He had small； close…set eyes as cruel as a painless dentist's。 x 'What's a name of your boat？'
'The Sybil；' said Leiter。
'Ain't no sich boat in the Basin；' said the man。 He clicked the breech shut on his rifle。 It lay casually on his lap pointing down the approach to the warehouse； away from the sea。
'You're blind；' said Leiter。 'Been there a week。 Sixty…foot twin…screw Diesel。 White with a green awning。 Rigged for fishing。'
The rifle started to move lazilv in a low arc。 The man's left hand was at the trigger； his right just in front of the trigger…guard； pivoting the gun。
They stood still。
The man sat lazily looking down at the breech； his chair still tilted against the small door with the yellow Yale lock。
The gun slowly traversed Leiter's stomach； then Bond's。 The two men stood like statues； not risking a move of the hand。 The gun stopped pivoting。 It was pointing down the wharf。 The Robber looked briefly up； narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger。 The pelican gave a fault squawk and they heard its heavy body crash into the water。 The echo of the shot boomed across the harbour。
'What the hell d'you do that for？' asked Bond furiously。
'Practice；' said the man； pumping another bullet into the breech。
'Guess there's a branch of the ASPCA in this town；' said Leiter。 'Let's get along there and report this guy。'
'Want to be prosecuted for trespass？' asked The Robber； getting slowly up and shifting the gun under his arm。 'This is private property。 Now；' he spat the words out； 'git the hell out of here。' He turned and yanked the chair away from the door； opened the door with a key and turned with one foot on the threshold。 'You both got guns；' he said。 'I kin smell 'em。 You e aroun' here again and you follow the boid 'n I plead self…defence。 I've had a bellyful of you lousy dicks aroun' here lately breathin' down my neck。 Sybil my ass！' He turned contemptuously through the door and slammed it so that the frame rattled。
They looked at each other。 Leiter grinned ruefully and shrugged his shoulders。
'Round One to The Robber；' he said。
They moved off down the dusty sideroad。 The sun was setting and the sea behind them was a pool of blood。 When they got to the main road； Bond looked back。 A big arc light had e on over the door and the approach to the warehouse was stripped of shadows。
'No good trying anything from the front；' said Bond。 'But there's never been a warehouse with only one entrance。'
'Just what I was thinking；' said Leiter。 'We'll save that for the next visit。'
They got into the car and drove slowly home across Central Avenue。
On their way home Leiter asked a string of questions about Solitaire。 Finally he said casually： 'By the way； hope I fixed the rooms like you want them。'
'Couldn't be better；' said Bond cheerfully。
'Fine；' said Leiter。 'Just occurred to me you two might be hyphenating。'
'You read too much Winchell；' said Bond。
'It's just a delicate way of putting it；' said Leiter。 'Don't forget the walls of those cottages are pretty thin。 I use my ears for hearing with … not for collecting lip…stick。'
Bond grabbed for a handkerchief。 'You lousy； goddam sleuth；' he said furiously。
Leiter watched him scrubbing at himself out of the corner of his eye。 'What are you doing？' he asked innocently。 'I wasn't for a moment suggesting the colour of your ears was anything but a natural red。 However。。。' He put a wealth of meaning into the word。
'If you find yourself dead in your bed tonight；' laughed Bond； 'you'll know who did it。'
They were still chaffing each other when they arrived at The Everglades and they were laughing when the grim Mrs。 Stuyvesant greeted them on the lawn。
'Pardon me； Mr。 Leiter；' she said。 'But I'm afraid we can't allow music here。 I can't have the other guests disturbed at all hours。'
They looked at her in astonishment。 'I'm sorry； Mrs。 Stuyvesant；' said Leiter。 'I don't quite get you。'
'That big radiogram you had sent round；' said Mrs。 Stuyvesant。 'The men could hardly get the packing…case through the door。'
CHAPTER XIV
'HE DISAGREED WITH SOMETHING THAT ATE HIM'
THE girl had not put up much of a struggle。 When Leiter and Bond； leaving the manageress gaping on the lawn； raced down to the end cottage； they found her room untouched and the bedclothes barely rumpled。
The lock of her room had been forced with one swift wrench of a jemmy and then the two men must have just stood there with guns in their hands。
'Get going； Lady。 Get your clothes on。 Try any tricks and we'll let the fresh air into you。'
Then they must have gagged her or knocked her out and doubled her into the packing…case and nailed it up。 There were tyre…marks at the back of the cottage where the truck had stood。 Almost blocking the entrance hall was a huge old…fashioned radiogram。 Second…hand it must have cost them under fifty bucks。
Bond could see the expression of blind terror on Solitaire's face as if she was standing before him。 He cursed himself bitterly for leaving her alone。 He couldn't guess how she had been traced so quickly。 It was just another example of The Big Man's machine。
Leiter was talking to the FBI headquarters at Tampa。 'Airports； railroad terminals and the highways；' he was saying。 'You'll get blanket orders from Washington just as soon as I've spoken to them。 I guaran