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’I hope New York is very near Chicago,’ said Zaphia

’rhen you can come and see me when I am the ly ’You’re too Polish, Jerzy You can’t even speak nice English like Wladek’

’I’ll learn,’ said Jerzy confidently, ’and I’ll start by e Novak Then I’ll have no trouble at all Everyone in the United States will think I’ much you can do with that name, is there?’

Wladek looked at the newly christened George in silent resentment of his own nahtful heir, he hated Koskiewicz and the continual ree,’ he said ’I’ll even help you with your English if you like’

’And I’ll help you find a girl’

Zaphia giggled ’You needn’t bother, he’s found one’

Jerzy, or George, as he now insisted they should call hiht into one of the tarpaulincovered lifeboats with a different girl Wladek longed to knohat he did there, even though soe’s choice were not merely filthy, as they all were, but would clearly have been unattractive even when scrubbed clean

One night after supper, when George had disappeared again, Wladek and Zaphia sat out on deck, she put her arms around hiainst hers until their teeth touched; he felt horribly unfa To his sur - prise and eue parted his lips After a few moments of apprehension, Wladek found her openand was alar He tried to draay from her, ashamed, but she did not seean to press her body gently ’and rhythainst him and drew his hands down to her buttocks His swollen pe hied her mouth and whispered in his ear

’Do you wanthi ’Well,up fro him

He stumbled back to his bunk in a daze, determined that the next day he would finish the job Zaphia had started No sooner had he settled in his berth thinking of hoould go about the task than a large hand grabbed him by the hair and pulled him down from his bunk onto the floor In an in - stant his sexual excitement vanished Twoabove hiainst the wall A large hand was now clamped firmly on Viladek’s mouth while a knife touched his throat

’Don’t breathe,’ whispered the ainst the skin ’All ant is the silver band around your wrist’

The sudden realisation that his treasureto Wladek as had been the thought of losing his hand Before he could think of anything to do, one of the men jerked the band off his wrist He couldn’t see their faces in the dark, and he feared he must have lost the band for ever, when so the knife This action gave Wladek the chance to punch the one as holding hian to wake and take an interest in as happening The two e had ed to stick the’knife in the side of one of the assailants

~Go to the cholera,’ shouted Wladek at his retreating back

’It looks as if I got here just in tie ’I don’t think they’ll be back in a hurry’ He stared down at the silver band, lying in the tranificent,’ he said, almost solemnly ’There will always be men ant to steal such a prize from you’

Wladek picked the band up and slipped it back on to his wrist

’Well, you nearly lost the dae

’Lucky for you I was a little late getting back tonight’

’Why were you a little late getting back?’ asked Waldek

’My reputation,’ said George boastfully, ’now goes before ht, already with his pants down

I soon got rid of hiirl I would have had last week but I couldn’t be sure she hadn’t got the pox I’ve never seen anyone get dressed so quickly’