CHAPTERIX
　　ELSIEPRESTON
　　Perhaps，onthewhole，itisnotsurprisingthatCaptainErididn’tgraspthesituation。Neitherhistwopartnersnorhimselfhadgivenmuchthoughttothegranddaughterofthesickmanintheupperroom。TheCaptainknewthattherewasagranddaughter，hencehisletter；buthehadheardJohnBaxterspeakofherasbeinginschoolsomewhereinBoston，andhadallalongconceivedofherasamissofsixteenorthereabouts。Nowonderthatatfirsthelookedatthestylishlygownedyoungwoman，whostoodbeforehimwithoneglovedhandextended，inapuzzled，uncomprehendingway。”Excuseme，ma’am，”hesaidslowly，mechanicallyswallowinguptheprofferedhandinhisownmammothfist，”butIdon’tknow’sIjestcaughtthename。Wouldyoumindsayin’itag’in？””ElizabethPreston，”repeatedthevisitor。”CaptainBaxter’sgranddaughter。Youwrotemethathewasill，youknow，andI——””What！”roaredtheCaptain，delightedamazementlightinguphisfacelikeasunrise。”Youdon’tmeantotellmeyou’re’Liz’bethBaxter’sgalElsie！Well！Well！Iwanttoknow！Ifthisdon’tbeatall！Setdown！Takeyourthingsrightoff。I’mmightygladtoseeyou。”
　　CaptainEri’shand，withMissPreston’shiddeninit，wasmovingupanddownasifitworkedbyaclock-workarrangement。Theyoungladywithdrewherfingersfromthetrapassoonassheconvenientlycould，butitmighthavebeennoticedthatsheglancedatthemwhenshehaddoneso，asiftomakesurethattheoriginalshaperemained。”Thankyou，CaptainHedge，”shesaid。”Andnow，pleasetellmeaboutgrandfather。Howishe？MayIseehim？”
　　TheCaptain’sexpressionchangedtooneofconcern。”Why，now，MissPreston，”hesaid，”yourgrandpaisprettysick。
　　Oh，Idon’tmeanhe’sgoin’todierightofforanythinglikethat，”headdedhastily。”Imeanhe’shadastrokeofpalsy，orsomethin’，andheain’tgotsoyitthathesensesmuchofwhatgoeson。NowIdon’twanttofrightenyou，youknow，butreallythere’sachance——aleetlemiteofachance——thathewon’tknowyou。Don’tfeelbadifhedon’t，nowwillyou？””Iknewhemustbeveryillfromyourletter，”saidthegirlsimply。”IwasafraidthathemightnotbelivingwhenIreachedhere。TheytoldmeatthestationthathewasatyourhouseandsoIcame。HehasbeenverygoodtomeandI——”
　　Hervoicebrokealittleandshehesitated。CaptainEriwasapictureofnervousdistress。”Yes，yes，Iknow，”hesaidhastily。”Don’tyouworrynow。He’sbetter；theDoctorsaidhewasconsid’rablybetterto-day；didn’the，Mr。Hazeltine？Why，whatamIthinkin’of？LetmemakeyouknowntoMr。Hazeltine；next-doorneighborofours；rightacrosttheroad，”andhewavedtowardthebay。
　　RalphandMissPrestonshookhands。Theelectricianmanagedtouttersomesortofformality，buthecouldn’thavetoldwhatitwas。HewasgladwhentheCaptainannouncedthat，ifMr。Hazeltinewouldexcusethem，heguessedMissPrestonandhewouldstepupstairsandseeJohn。Theyoungladytookoffherhatandjacket，andCaptainErilightedalamp，foritwasalmostdarkbythistime。Asitslightshoneuponthevisitor’sfaceandhairthecrimsonflushbeforementionedcircumnavigatedtheelectrician’sheadoncemore，andhisbumpofself-esteemreceivedafinishingblow。ThatanymansupposedtopossesstwofairlygoodeyesandaworkablebraincouldhavemistakenherforanOrhamNeckbookagentbythenameof”’Gusty——’GustyBlack！”Heavens！”I’llbedowninafewminutes，Mr。Hazeltine，”saidtheCaptain。”Setstill，won’tyou？”
　　ButMr。Hazeltinewouldn’tsitstill。Heannouncedthatitwaslateandhemustbegoing。Andgohedid，inspiteofhishost’sprotestations。”Lookoutforthestairs，”cautionedtheCaptain，leadingthewaywiththelamp。”Thefellerthatbuilt’emmusthaveb’lievedthatsavin’distancelengthensoutlife。Cometothinkofit，I
　　wouldn’twonderifthemstairswasthereasonwhymeandJerryandPereztookthishouse。Theyremindedussooftheshroudsonathree-master。”
　　ElsiePrestondidherbesttosmileashercompanionrattledoninthisfashion，butboththesmileandtheCaptain’scheerfulnessweretooplainlyassumedtobeconvincing，andtheypasseddownthehallinsilence。AttheopendoorofthesickroomCaptainEripaused。”He’sasleep，”hewhispered，”and，remember，ifhewakesupanddoesn’tknowyou，youneedn’tfeelbad。”
　　Elsieslippedbyhimandkneltbythebed，lookingintothewhite，oldfaceonthepillow。Somehowtheharshlineshadfadedoutofit，anditlookedonlyoldandpitiful。
　　TheCaptainwatchedthetableauforamomentortwo，andthentiptoedintotheroomandplacedthelamponthebureau。”Now，Ithinklikely，”hesaidinaratherhuskywhisper，”thatyou’dliketostaywithyourgrandpaforalittlewhile，soI’llgodownstairsandseeaboutsupper。No，no，no！”headded，holdinguphishandasthegirlspokesomewordsofprotest，”youain’tgoin’
　　nowherestosupper。You’regoin’tostayrighthere。Ifyouwantme，jestspeak。”
　　Andhehurrieddownstairsandintothekitchen，clearinghisthroatwithvigorandmakingagreatto-dooverthescratchingofamatch。
　　Mrs。Snowreturnedafewminuteslaterandtoherthenewsofthearrivalwastold，asitwasalsotoPerezandJerrywhentheycame。
　　Mrs。Snowtookchargeofthesupperarrangements。Whenthemealwasready，shesaidtoCaptainEri:”Now，I’llgoupstairsandtellhertocomedown。I’llstaywithCap’nBaxtertillyou’rethrough，andthenp’raps，ifoneofyou’lltakemyplace，I’lleatmysupperandwashthedishes。Youneedn’tcomeupnow。I’llintroducemyself。”
　　SomefewminutespassedbeforeMissPrestoncamedown。Whenshedidsohereyeswerewet，buthermannerwascheerful，andtheunaffectedwayinwhichshegreetedCaptainPerezandCaptainJerry，whenthesetworatherbashfulmarinerswereintroducedbyEri，wonthematonce。
　　Thesupperwasagreatsuccess。ItwasSaturdaynight，andaSaturdaynightsuppertotheaverageNewEnglandermeansbakedbeans。Thecaptainshadlongagogivenupthisbeloveddish，because，althougheachhadtriedhishandatpreparingit，nonehadwhollysucceeded，andthecausticcriticismsoftheothertwohadpreventedfurthertrials。ButMrs。Snow’sbakedbeanswereatriumph。So，also，wasthebrownbread。”Isnum，”exclaimedCaptainPerez，”ifIdon’tb’lieveI’dsoonerhavethesebeansthanturkey。Whatdoyousay，Jerry？””Idon’tknowbutIhad，”assentedthesacrifice，uponwhosecountenancesataplaciditythathadnotbeentheresincethenightofthe”matching。””’SpeciallyiftheturkeywasliketheonewetriedtocooklastThanksgivin’。’Memberthat，Eri？”
　　CaptainEri，hismouthfull，gruntedanemphaticassent。”Tellme，”saidMissPreston，whohadeatenbutlittle，butwasapparentlygettingmoresatisfactionfromwatchinghercompanions，”didyouthreementrytokeephouseherealone？””Yes，”answeredEridryly。”Wetried。Firstwethought’twasgoin’tobefine；thenwethoughtwe’dlikeitbetterafterwegotusedtoit；finallywedecidedthatbythetimewegotusedtoitwe’ddie，likethehorsethatwasfedonsawdust。””AndsoyouhiredMrs。Snowtokeephouseforyou？Well，Idon’tseehowyoucouldhavemadeabetterchoice；she’sadear，goodwoman；I’msureofit。AndnowIwanttothankyouallforwhatyou’vedoneforgrandfather。Mrs。Snowtoldmeallaboutit；
　　you’vebeensokindthatI——””That’sallright！that’sallright！”hastilyinterruptedCaptainEri。”Pityifwecouldn’thelpoutashipmatewe’vesailedwithforyearsandyears。Butyou’doughttohavetriedsomeofOUR
　　cookin’。Tellheraboutthesugarcakeyoumade，Perez。Theonethatkilledtheyallerchicken。”
　　SoCaptainPereztoldit，andthentheirvisitorsetthemalllaughingbyrelatingsomequeerhousekeepingexperiencesthatsheandaschoolfriendhadhadwhilecampingatChautauqua。Somehoweachonefeltathomewithher。AsCaptainErisaidafterwards，”Shedidn’tgiggle，andthenag’inshedidn’ttalkdownatyou。”
　　Astheyrosefromthetabletheyoungladyaskedaquestionconcerningthelocationofthehotel。TheCaptainmadenoansweratthetime，butafterashortconsultationwiththeremainderofthetriumvirate，hecametoherasshestoodbythewindowand，layinghishandonhershoulder，said:”Now，Elsie——Ihopeyoudon’tmindmycallin’youElsie，butI’vebeenchumswithyourgrandpasolongseems’sifyoumustbeasortofrelationofmine——Elsie，youain’tgoin’tonohotel，thatis，unlessyou’rerealsetonit。Yourgrandpa’shereandwe’rehere，andthere’sroomenough。Idon’twanttosaytoomuch，butI’dliketohaveyoub’lievethatmeandPerezandJerrywantyoutostayrightinthishousejestaslong’syoustopinOrham。Nowyouwill，won’tyou？”
　　Andsoitwassettled，andCaptainPerezharnessedDanielandwenttothestationforthetrunk。
　　Thatevening，justbeforegoingtobed，thecaptainsstoodbythedoorofthesickroomwatchingElsieandtheladyfromNantucketastheysatbesideJohnBaxter’sbed。Mrs。Snowwasknitting，andElsiewasreading。Later，asCaptainEripeeredoutofthedining-
　　roomwindowtotakeafinallookattheskyinordertogetalineontheweather，hesaidslowly:”Fellers，doyouknowwhatIwasthinkin’whenIseethemtwowomenintherewithJohn？Iwasthinkin’thatitmustbeamightypleasantthingtoknowthatifyou’retooksicksomebodylikethat’lltakecareofyou。”
　　Pereznodded。”Ithinkso，too，”hesaid。
　　Butifthiswasmeanttoinfluencethebetrothedone，itdidn’tsucceed，apparently，forallCaptainJerrysaidwas:”Humph！’Twouldtakemorethanthattomakemehankerafterastrokeofpalsy。”
　　AndwiththecomingofElsiePrestonandMrs。Snowlifeinthelittlehousebytheshoretookonadecidedchange。TheNantucketladyhavingsatisfiedherselfthatJohnBaxter’sillnesswaslikelytobealongone，wroteseveralletterstopersonsinhernativetown，whichletters，althoughshedidnotsayso，weresupposedbythecaptainstodealwiththecareofherpropertywhileshewasaway。Havingapparentlyrelievedhermindbythismethod，andevidentlyconsideringthemarriagequestionpostponedforthepresent，shesettleddowntonursethesickmanandtokeephouseas，inheropinion，ahouseshouldbekept。Thecaptainsknewnothingofherpasthistorybeyondwhattheyhadgatheredfromstraybitsofherconversation。Sheevidentlydidnotconsideritnecessarytotellanythingfurther，and，ontheotherhand，askednoquestions。
　　InhercareofBaxtershewasmorelikeasisterthanahirednurse。Nowifecouldhavebeenmoretenderinherministrationsormoredevotedlyanxiousforthepatient’swelfare。
　　Inhercareofthehouse，shewasneatnessitself。Shescouredandsweptandwasheduntiltheroomswereliterallyspotless。OrderwasHeaven’sfirstlaw，inheropinion，andsheexpectedeveryoneelsetokeepuptothestandard。CaptainPerezandCaptainErisoongotusedtothechangeandgloriedinit，buttoCaptainJerryitwasnotaltogetherwelcome。”Oh，cat’sfoot！”heexclaimedoneday，afterhuntingeverywhereforhisSundaytie，andatlengthfindingitinhisbureaudrawer。”Ican’tgitusedtothiseverlastin’spruced-upbus’ness。Wayitusedtobe，thisnecktiewaslikelytobe’mostanywheres’round，andifIlookedoutinthekitchenorunderthesofy，Iwasjestaslikelytofindit。Butnoweverything’sgotaplaceandisinit。””Well，that’sthewayitoughttobe，ain’tit？”saidEri。”Thenallyou’vegottodoislookintheplace。””Yes，andthat’sjestit，I’malwaysforgittin’theplace。Myshoesissechaplace；myhankerchersissechaplace；mypipeissechaplace；myterbackerisanotherplace。WhenIwantmypipeI
　　lookwheremyshoesis，andwhenIwantmyshoesIgoandlookwhereIfoundmypipe。Howafeller’sgoin’tokeeprunof’emiswhat_I_can’tsee。””Youwastheonethatdidmostofthegrowlin’whenthingswastheoldway。””Yes，butjest’causeamandon’twanttoliveinapigpenitain’tnosignhewantstobeputunderaglasscase。”
　　Elsie’sinfluenceuponthehouseanditsinmateshadbecomealmostasmarkedasMrs。Snow’s。Theyoungladywasofanartisticbent，andthestiffornamentsintheshut-upparlorandthewonderfuloil-paintingsjarreduponher。Strangetosay，eventhewax-dippedwreaththathunginitscircularblackframeoverthewhatnotdidnotappealtoher。Thecaptainsconsideredthatwreath——ithadbeentheprincipalfloralofferingatthefuneralofCaptainPerez’ssister，andtherewasalockofherhairframedwithit——
　　thegemoftheestablishment。Theycouldunderstand，toacertaindegree，whyMissPrestonobjectedtotheprominencegiventhespatter-work”GodblessourHome”motto，butherfailuretoenthuseoverthewreathwasinexplicable。
　　Butbydegreestheybecameusedtoseeingtheblindsopenattheparlorwindowstheweekthrough，andinnovationslikemuslincurtainsandvasesfilledwithlatewildflowerscametobeatfirsttoleratedandthenliked。”Elsie’snotions，”thecaptainscalledthem。
　　Thereweresomegreatdiscussionsonart，overtheteacupsaftersupper。MissPrestonpaintedveryprettilyinwater-colors，andhersketcheswerereceivedwithenthusiasticpraisebythecaptainsandMrs。Snow。Butonedayshepaintedalittlepictureofafishingboatand，tohersurprise，itcameinforsomerathersharpcriticism。”That’saprettypicture，Elsie，”saidCaptainEri，holdingthesketchatarm’slengthandsquintingatitwithhisheadononeside，”butifthat’sCalebTitcomb’sboat，andIjedge’tis，itseemstomeshe’scarryin’toomuchsail。Whatdoyouthink，Jerry？”
　　CaptainJerrytookthepaintingfromhisfriendandcriticallyexaminedit，alsoatarm’slength。”Caleb’sboatain’tgotnosechsailasthat，”washisdeliberatecomment。”Shecouldn’tcarryitandstandupthatway。Besides，thewayIlookatit，she’sdownbytheheadmore’nshe’doughttobe。””ButIdidn’ttrytogetitEXACTLYright，”saidthebewilderedartist。”Theboat’ssailsweresowhite，andthewaterwassoblue，andthesandsoyellowthatIthoughtitmadeaprettypicture。Ididn’tthinkofthesizeofthesail。””Well，Is’poseyouwouldn’t，nat’rally，”observedCaptainPerez，whowaslookingoverJerry’sshoulder。”Butyouhavetobeawfulcarefulpaintin’vessels。Nowyoujestlookatthatpicture，”
　　pointingtotheglaringlikenessoftheFlyingDuck，thathungonthewall。”Jestlookatthemsails，everyoneof’emdrawin’fine；
　　andthemropes，everyoneinJESTtherightplace。That’swhatI
　　callpaintin’。””Butdon’tyouthink，CaptainPerez，thatthewavesinthatpicturewouldbebetteriftheyweren’tsoallinarow，likeapicketfence？””Well，now，thatain’tit。That’sapictureoftheA1two-mastedschoonerFlyin’Duck，andthewavesisonlythrownin，asyoumightsay。Thereelthingistheschooner，riggedjestright，trimmedjestright，andcoloredjestthewaytheFlyin’Duckwascolored。
　　Youunderstandthemwaveswasputtherejest’causetherehadtobesometosettheschoonerin，that’sall。””Butyouneedn’tfeelbad，Elsie，”saidCaptainJerrysoothingly。”’Tain’ttobeexpectedthatyoucouldpaintvesselslikeEbenLothropcan。EbenheusedtoworkinashipyarduptoEastBostononce，andwhenhewastherehehadtopaintschoonersandthings，reelyputthepaintonto’emImean，so，ofcourse，whenitcometopaintin’picturesof’em，why——”
　　AndCaptainJerrywavedhishand。
　　So，astherewasnoanswertoanargumentlikethis，MissPrestongaveupmarinepaintingforthetimeandbeganawater-colorofthehouseanditsinmates。Thiswasanelaborateaffair，andasthecaptainsinsistedthateachmemberofthefamily，DanielandLorenzoincluded，shouldpose，itseemedunlikelytobefinishedforsomemonths，atleast。
　　RalphHazeltinecalledontheafternoonfollowingElsie’sarrival，andCaptainEriinsistedonhisstayingtotea。ItmighthavebeennoticedthattheelectricianseemedatrifleembarrassedwhenMissPrestoncameintotheroom，butastheyoungladywasnotembarrassedintheleast，andhadapparentlyforgottenthemistaken-identityincident，hisnervousnesssoonworeoff。
　　ButitcamebackagainwhenCaptainErisaid:”Oh，Isay，Mr。Hazeltine，Iforgottoaskyou，did’Gustycomeyesterday？”
　　Ralphanswered，ratherhurriedly，thatshedidnot。Heendeavoredtochangethesubject，buttheCaptainwouldn’tlethim。”Well，there！”heexclaimedamazedly；”if’Gustyain’tbrokeherrecord！FusttimesencePerezwastookwiththe’NavalCommander’
　　diseasethatsheain’tbeenonhandwhenthemonthwasup，togithertwodollars。Gotsowesortofreckonedbyherlikeanalmanac。Kindofthoughtshewassure，likedeathandtaxes。Andnowshehasgonebackonus。BlessedifIain’tdisapp’intedin’Gusty！””Whoisshe？”inquiredMrs。Snow。”Oneofthosebook-agentcritters？””Well，ifyoucalledherthattoherface，Iexpectthere’dbesqualls，butIcal’lateshecouldn’tproveaalibiincourt。”
　　NowitmayhavebeenMr。Hazeltine’sfancy，buthecouldhaveswornthattherewasjustthesuspicionofatwinkleinMissPreston’seyeassheasked，innocentlyenough:”Issheayounglady，CaptainEri？””Well，shehopessheis，”wasthedeliberateanswer。”Why？””Doesshelooklikeme？””LikeYOU？Oh，mysoulandbody！Waittillyouseeher。Whatmadeyouaskthat？””Oh，nothing！Iwasalittlecurious，that’sall。Haveyouseenher，Mr。Hazeltine？”
　　Ralphstammered，somewhatconfusedly，thathehadn’thadthepleasure。TheCaptainglancedfromtheelectriciantoMissPrestonandbackagain。Thenhesuddenlyrealizedthesituation。”Ho！ho！”heroared，slappinghiskneeandrockingbackandforthinhischair。”Don’tfortheland’ssaketellmeyoutookElsieherefor’GustyBlack！Don’tnow！Don’t！””HeaskedmeifIhadtakenmanyorders，”remarkedtheyoungladydemurely。
　　WhenthegeneralhilarityhadabatedalittleRalphpenitentlyexplainedthatitwasdark，thatCaptainErihadsaidMissBlackwasyoung，andthatshecarriedabag。”SoIdid，soIdid，”chuckledtheCaptain。”Is’pose’twasnat’ralenough，but，ohdear，it’sawfulfunny！Now，Elsie，you’doughttofeelflattered。Waittillyousee’Gusty’shat，theoneshegotuptoBoston。””AmIforgiven，MissPreston？”askedHazeltine，ashesaidgood-
　　night。”Well，Idon’tknow，”wastherathernon-committalanswer。”I
　　thinkIshallhavetowaituntilIsee’Gusty。”
　　ButMr。Hazeltineapparentlytookhisforgivenessforgranted，forhiscallsbecamemoreandmorefrequent，untilhisdroppinginaftersuppercametobearegularoccurrence。YoungpeopleofthebetterclassarescarceinOrhamduringthefallandwintermonths，andRalphfoundfewcongenialcompanions。HelikedthecaptainsandMrs。Snow，andElsie’ssocietywasareliefafteradaywiththeoperatorsatthestation。Mr。Langleywasentirelyabsorbedinhisbusiness，andspenthiseveningsinhisroom，readingandsmoking。
　　SoSeptemberandOctoberpassedandNovembercame。SchoolopenedinOctoberandthecaptainshadanotherboarder，forJosiahBartlett，againsthiswishes，gaveuphispositionasstage-driver，andwassenttoschoolagain。Astheboywasnolongeremployedattheliverystable，CaptainPerezfeltthenecessityofhavinghimunderhiseye，andsoJosiahlivedatthehousebytheshore，acotbeingsetupintheparlorforhisuse。HiscomingmademoreworkforMrs。Snow，butthatenergeticladydidnotseemtomind，andevensucceededingettingtheyoungstertodoafew”chores”abouttheplace，anachievementthatwontheeverlastingadmirationofCaptainPerez，whohadnogoverningpowerwhateverovertheboy，andcondonedthemostofhisfaultsorscoldedhimfeeblyfortheothers。
　　JohnBaxtercontinuedtowaverbetweenthisworldandthenext。HehadintervalsofconsciousnessinwhichherecognizedthecaptainsandElsie，buttheserationalmomentswerefewand，althoughhetalkedalittle，henevermentionedrecenteventsnoralludedtothefire。
　　Thefireitselfbecameanoldstoryandgossiptookupothersubjects。The”Come-Outers”heldajubileeservicebecauseofthedestructionofthesaloon，but，as”Web”soonbegantorebuildandrepair，theirjollificationwasshort-lived。AsforMr。Saunders，hewasthesameunctuous，smilingpersonagethathehadformerlybeen。Itwasacuriousfact，andonethatCaptainErinoted，thatheneverceasedtoinquireafterJohnBaxter’shealth，andseemedhonestlygladtohearoftheoldman’simprovement。HeaskedagoodmanyquestionsaboutElsie，too，butreceivedlittlesatisfactionfromtheCaptainonthissubject。
　　CHAPTERX
　　MATCHMAKINGANDLIFE-SAVING
　　CaptainJerrysatbehindthewoodshed，inthesunshine，smokingandthinking。Hehaddoneagooddealofthefirsteversincehewassixteenyearsold；thesecondwas，inameasure，amorerecentacquirement。TheCaptainhadthingsonhismind。
　　Itwasoneofthoseperfect，springlikemorningsthatsometimescomeinearlyNovember。Theskywasclearblue，andtheairwassofreefromhazethatthehousesatCranberryPointcouldbeseenineverydetail。Theflagonthecablestationacrossthebaystoodoutstiffinthesteadybreeze，andonemightalmostcountthestripes。ThepinesonSignalHillwereabrightgreenpatchagainsttheyellowgrass。Theseawasadarksapphire，withslashesofsilvertomarktheshoals，andthehorizonwasnotchedwithsails。Theboatsatanchorinfrontoftheshantiesswungwiththeoutgoingtide。
　　ThencameCaptainEri，alsosmoking。”Hello！”saidCaptainJerry。”Howisityouain’tofffishin’amornin’likethis？””Somethin’elseonthedocket，”wastheanswer。”How’smatchmakin’
　　thesedays？”
　　NowthisquestiontouchedvitallythesubjectofCaptainJerry’sthoughts。Fromaplacid，easygoingretiredmariner，recenteventshadtransformedtheCaptainintoaplotter，amanwitha”deep-laidscheme，”asthegentlemanly，cigarette-smokingvillainofthemelodramausedtolovetocallit。Totellthetruth，petticoatgovernmentwaswearingonhim。Themarriageagreement，towhichhispartnersconsideredhimbound，andwhichhesawnowaytoevade，hungoverhimalways，buthehadputthisthreatofthefuturefromhismindsofaraspossible。Hehadnotfoundorderlyhousekeepingthejoythatheoncethoughtitwouldbe，buteventhishecouldbear。ElsiePrestonwasthedroptoomuch。
　　HelikedMrs。Snow，exceptinamarryingsense。HelikedElsiebetterthananyyoungladyhehadeverseen。Thetroublewas，thatbetweenthetwo，he，ashewouldhaveexpressedit，”didn’thavethepeaceofadog。”
　　BeforeElsiecame，agameofcheckersbetweenPerezandhimselfhadbeentheregularafter-supperamusement。Nowtheyplayedwhist，CaptainEriandElsieagainsthimandhisformeropponent。AsElsieandherpartneralmostinvariablywon，andasPerezusuallyfoundfaultwithhimbecausetheylost，thiswasnotanagreeablechange。Butitwasbutone。Hedidn’tlikemuslincurtainsinhisbedroom，becausetheywereanuisancewhenhewantedtositupinbedandlookoutofthewindow；butthecurtainswereputthere，andeverybodyelseseemedtothinkthembeautiful，sohecouldnotprotest。CaptainPerezandCaptainErihadtakento”dressingup”
　　forsupper，totheextentofputtingonnecktiesandcleancollars。
　　Alsotheyshavedeveryday。Hestucktotheold”twice-a-week”
　　planforawhile，butlookedsoscrubbybycontrastthatoutofmereself-respecthehadtofollowsuit。Obviouslytwofemalesinthehousewereonetoomany。Somethinghadtobedone。
　　RalphHazeltine’sfrequentcallsgavehimtheinspirationhewaslookingfor。ThiswastobringaboutamarriagebetweenRalphandMissPreston。Afterdeliberationhedecidedthatifthiscouldbedonethepairwouldlivesomewhereelse，eventhoughJohnBaxterwasstilltooilltobemoved。Elsiecouldcomeineveryday，butshewouldbetoobusywithherownestablishmenttobotherwiththe”improvement”oftheirs。Itwasn’taverybrilliantplanandhadsomevitalobjections，butCaptainJerryconsidereditawonder。
　　Hebroachedittohispartners，keepinghisrealobjectstrictlyinthebackgroundandenlarginguponhisgreatregardforRalphandElsie，andtheirobviousfitnessforeachother。CaptainPerezlikedtheschemewellenough，provideditcouldbecarriedout。
　　CaptainEriseemedtothinkitbettertoleteventstaketheirowncourse。However，theybothagreedtohelpifthechanceoffered。
　　So，whenMr。Hazeltinecalledtospendtheevening，CaptainJerrywouldrisefromhischairand，withanelaboratecoughandseveralsurreptitiouswinkstohismessmates，wouldannouncethatheguessedhewould”takealittlewalk，”or”goouttothebarn，”orsomethingsimilar。CaptainPerezwould，morethanlikely，goalso。
　　AsforCaptainEri，heusually”cal’lated”hewouldstepupstairs，andseehowJohnwasgettingalong。
　　Butinspiteofthisloyalsupport，theresultsobtainedfromCaptainJerry’swonderfulplanhadnotbeensostartlinglysuccessfulastowarranthisfeelingmuchelated。RalphandElsieweregoodfriendsandseemedtoenjoyeachother’ssociety，butthatwasallthatmightbetruthfullysaid，sofar。
　　CaptainJerry，therefore，wasalittlediscouragedashesatinthesunshineandsmokedandpondered。Hehidhisdiscouragement，however，andinresponsetoCaptainEri’squestionconcerningtheprogressofthematchmaking，saidcheerfully:”Oh，it’scomin’along，comin’along。Kindofslow，ofcourse，butyoucan’texpectnothin’diff’rent。Is’poseyounoticedhewasherefourtimeslastweek？””Why，no，”saidCaptainEri，”Idon’tknow’sIdid。””Well，hewas，andweekaforethat’twasonlythree。Sothat’sagain，ain’tit？””Sartin。””Ididn’tcountthetimehestoppedafteradrinkofwaterneither。
　　Thatwasn’tarealcall，but——””Oh，itoughttocountforsomethin’！Callitaha’fatime。Thatwouldmakefourtimesandaha’fhewashere。”
　　CaptainJerrylookedsuspiciouslyathisfriend’sface，butitssobernesswasirreproachable，sohesaid:”Well，it’skindofslowwork，but，asIsaidafore，it’scomin’
　　along，andIhavethesatisfactionofknowin’it’sallfortheirgood。””Yes，likethefellerthatatealltheapple-dumplin’sso’shischildrenwouldn’thavethestomach-ache。Butsay，Jerry，Icomeouttoaskifyou’dmindbein’housekeeperto-day。LutherDavishasbeenaftermesenceIdon’tknowwhentocomedowntothelife-
　　savin’stationandstaytodinner。HissisterPashy——theoldmaidone——isdownthere，andit’ssuchafinedayIthoughtI’dtakePerezandElsieandMrs。Snowand，maybe，Hazeltinealong。
　　Somebody’sgottostaywithJohn，andIthoughtp’rapsyouwould。
　　I’dstaymyselfonlyLutheraskedmesoparticular，andyouwasdowntheretwoorthreemonthsago。WhenJosiahcomesbackfromschoolhe’llhelpyousome，ifyouneedhim。”
　　CaptainJerrydidn’tmindstayingathome，andsoEriwentintothehousetomakearrangementsfortheproposedexcursion。HehadsomedifficultyinpersuadingMrs。SnowandElsietoleavethesickman，butbothweretiredandneededarest，andtherewasatelephoneatthestation，sothatnewsofachangeinthepatient’sconditioncouldbesentalmostimmediately。Undertheseconditions，andasCaptainJerrywascertaintotakegoodcareoftheircharge，thetwowerepersuadedtogo。PereztookthedoryandrowedovertothecablestationtoseeifMr。Hazeltinecaredtomakeoneoftheparty。Whenhereturned，bringingtheelectricianwithhim，Daniel，harnessedtothecarryall，wasstandingatthesidedoor，andCaptainEri，Mrs。Snow，andElsiewerewaiting。
　　Ralphglancedatthecarryall，andthenatthosewhowereexpectedtooccupyit。”IthinkI’dbetterrowdown，Captain，”hesaid。”Idon’tseehowfiveofusaregoingtofindroominthere。””What，inacarryall？”exclaimedtheCaptain。”Why，that’swhatacarryall’sfor。I’vecarriedsixinacarryall’forenow。’Twasagoodwhileago，though，”headdedwithachuckle，”whenIwasconsid’rableyounger’nIamnow。Squeezin’didn’tcountinthemdays，’speciallyifthegirlswantedtogotocamp-meetin’。I
　　cal’latewecanfixit。Youandme’llsetonthefrontseat，andtherestinback。Elsieain’taverybigpackage，andPerez，he’ssortofinjy-rubber；he’llfitin’mostanywheres。Let’stryitanyhow。”
　　Andtryittheydid。WhileitwastruethatElsiewasrathersmall，Mrs。Snowwasdistinctlylarge，andhowCaptainPerez，inspiteofhisallegedelasticity，managedtofindroombetweenthemisamystery。He，however，announcedthathewasallright，adding，asacaution:”Don’tjoltnone，Eri，’causeI’mkindofhangin’onthelittleaidgeofnothin’。””I’lllookoutforyou，”answeredhisfriend，pickingupthereins。”Allashorethat’sgoin’ashore。Solong，Jerry。Gitdap，ThousandDollars！”
　　Danielcomplacentlyacceptedthistestimonytohismonetaryworthandjoggedoutoftheyard。FortunatelyappearancesdonotcountformuchinOrham，exceptinthesummer，andthespectacleoffiveinacarryallisnothingoutoftheordinary。Theyturnedintothe”cliffroad，”thefinestthoroughfareintown，keptingoodconditionforthebenefitofthecottagersandtheboardersatthebighotel。Theoceanwasontheleft，andfromthehillbytheBarryestate——CaptainPerez’charge——theysawtwentymilesofhorizonlinewithcraftofalldescriptionsscatteredalongit。
　　Schoonerstherewereofallsizes，fromlittlemackerelseinerstobigfour-andfive-masters。Atugwithastringofcoalbargesbehinditwassocloseinthattheycouldmakeouttheconnectinghawsers。Ablackfreightsteamerwaspushingalong，leavingathicklineofsmokelikeacharcoalmarkonthesky。Onesquare-
　　riggerwasinsight，butfarout。”Whatdoyoumakeofthatbark，Perez？”inquiredCaptainEri，pointingtothedistantvessel。British，ain’tshe？”
　　CaptainPerezleanedforwardandpeeredfromunderhishand。”French，lookstome，”hesaid。”Don’tthinkso。Wayshe’sriggedfor’ardlookslikeJohnnyBull。
　　Lookatthatfo’tops’l。””Guessyou’reright，Eri，nowIcometonoticeit。Canyoumakeoutherflag？WishI’dbroughtmyglass。””GreatScott，man！”exclaimedRalph。”Whatsortofeyeshaveyougot？Icouldn’ttellwhethershehadaflagornotatthisdistance。Howdoyoudoit？””’Cordin’tohowyou’rebroughtup，asthegoatsaid’bouteatin’
　　shingle-nails，”repliedCaptainEri。”Whenyou’reatseayou’vejestgottogitusedtoseein’thingsagoodwaysoffandknowin’
　　’emwhenyousee’em，too。””Iremember，onetime，”remarkedMrs。Snow，”thatmybrotherNathan——he’sdeadnow——wasboundhomefromHongKongfustmateonthebarkDi’mondKing。’TwasthetimeofthewarandtheAlabamawascruisin’’round，lookin’outforourships。Nateandtheskipper——aBangormanhewas——wasondeck，andtheysightedasteameragoodwaysoff。Theskipperspiedherandseeshewasflyin’theUnitedStatesflag。ButwhenNategottheglasshetookonelookandsays，’ThatYankeebuntin’don’tb’longoverthatEnglishhull，’hesays。YouseeheknewshewasEnglishbuildrightaway。Sotheskipperpulleddownhisownflagandh’istedBritishcolors，but’twa’n’tnouse；thesteamerwastheAlabamasureenough，andtheDi’mondKingwasburned，andallhandstookpris’ners。Natedidn’tgithomeforeversolong，andeverybodythoughthewaslost。”
　　Thissetthecaptainsgoing，andtheytoldsea-storiesuntiltheycametotheroadthatleddowntothebeachbeneaththelighthousebluff。Thelifesavingstationwasinplainsightnow，butontheouterbeach，andthatwasseparatedfromthembyatwo-hundred-yardstretchofwater。”Well，”observedCaptainEri，”here’swherewetakeAdam’sbridge。””Adam’sbridge？”queriedElsie，puzzled。”Yes；theonlykindhehad，Ical’late。Gitdap，Daniel！Whatareyouwaitin’for？Leftyourbathin’suittohome？”
　　Then，asDanielsteppedrathergingerlyintotheclearwater，heexplainedthat，atatimerangingfromthreehoursbeforelowtidetothreehoursafter，onemayreachtheouterbeachatthispointbydrivingoverinanordinaryvehicle。Thelife-saversaddtothistime-limitbyusingaspeciallybuiltwagon，withlargewheelsandabodyconsiderablyelevated。”Well，therenow！”exclaimedtheladyfromNantucket，asDanielsplashinglyemergedontheotherside。”IthoughtI’ddoneabouteverythingabodycoulddowithsaltwater，butIneverwentridin’
　　initafore。”
　　TheremainderofthewaytothestationwascoveredbyDanielatawalk，forthewheelsoftheheavycarryallsanktwoinchesormoreinthecoarsesandastheyturned。Theroadwoundbetweensanddunes，rivenandheapedinallsortsofqueershapesbythewind，andwithclumpsoftheperseveringbeachgrassclingingtotheirtopslikethelasttreasuredtuftsofhaironpartiallybaldheads。
　　Hereandthere，halfburied，sand-scouredplanksandfragmentsofsparsshowed，relicsofwrecksthathadcomeashoreinpastwinters。”Fiveyearsago，”remarkedCaptainEri，”therewassixfootofwaterwherewearenow。Thisbeachchangeseverywinter。Onegoodno’theasterjestripsthingslooseoverhere；tearsoutabigchunkofbeachandmakesacut-throughoneseason，andfillsinadeepholeandbuildsanewshoalthenext。I’veheardmyfathertell’boutpickin’huckleberrieswhenhewasaboyoffwherethembreakersarenow。Gooddrylanditwasthen。Hey！there’sLuther。
　　Shipahoy，Lute！”
　　Thelittlebrownlife-savingstationwashuddledbetweentwosand-
　　hills。Therewasasmallstableandahenhouseandyardjustbehindit。CaptainDavis，rawbonedandbrown-faced，wavedawelcometothemfromthesidedoor。”Spiedyoucomin’，Eri，”hesaidinacuriouslymildvoice，thatsoundedoddcomingfromsuchadeepchest。”I’mmightygladtoseeyou，too？Jumpdownandcomerightin。Pashy’llbeoutinaminute。Heresheisnow。”
　　MissPatienceDaviswasasplumpasherbrotherwastall。Sheimpressedoneasacomfortablesortofperson。CaptainErididthehonorsandeveryoneshookhands。Thentheywentintothelivingroomofthestation。
　　WhatparticularlystruckMrs。Snowwastheneatnessofeverything。
　　Thebrassonthepumpinthesinkshonelikefireasthesunlightfromthewindowstruckit。Thefloorwaswhitefromscouring。
　　Therewereshelvesonthewallsandonthese，arrangedinorderlypiles，werecannedgoodsofalldescriptions。Thetablewascoveredwithafiguredoilcloth。
　　Twoorthreemen，membersofthecrew，wereseatedinthewoodenchairsalongthewall，butroseasthepartycamein。CaptainDavisintroducedthem，oneaftertheother。Perhapsthemoststrikingcharacteristicofthesemenwasthequiet，almostbashful，wayinwhichtheyspoke；theyseemedlikebigboys，asmuchasanything，andyettheoldestwasnearlyfifty。”Everbeeninalife-savingstationafore？”askedCaptainEri。
　　Elsiehadnot。RalphhadandsohadMrs。Snow，butnotforyears。”Thisiswherewekeeptheboatandtherestofthegear，”saidCaptainDavis，openingadoorandleadingthewayintoalarge，low-studdedroom。”Them’sthespareoarsonthewall。Thereg’laronesareintheboat。”
　　Theboatitselfwasonitscarriageinthemiddleoftheroom。
　　Alongthewallsonhookshungthemen’ssuitsofoilskinsandtheirsou’westers。TheCaptainpointedoutonethingafteranother，thecorkjacketsandlife-preservers，thegunforshootingthelifelineacrossastrandedvessel，thelifecarhangingfromtheroof，andthe”breechesbuoy。””Idon’tb’lieveyou’devergitmeintothatthing，”saidtheNantucketladydecidedly，referringtothebuoy。”Idon’tknowbutI’d’boutasliefsbedrowndedasmakesechashowofmyself。””Tookoffabiggerwomanthanyouonetime，”saidCaptainDavis。”WifeofaPortlandskipper，shewas，andhewasonhisfustv’yageinabrand-newschoonerjestoffthestocks。StruckontheHog’sBackoffhereandthendriftedcloseinandstruckagain。Wegot’emall，thewomanfust。Thatwastheonlytimewe’veusedthebuoysenceI’vebeenatthestation。Mostofthewrecksaretoofuroffshoreandwehavetogitouttheboat。”
　　Hetookthemupstairstothemen’ssleepingroomsandthenuptothelittlecupolaontheroof。”Whydoyouhaveground-glasswindowsonthissideofthehouse？”
　　askedElsie，astheypassedthewindowonthelanding。
　　CaptainDavislaughed。”Well，itisprettynighground-glassnow，”heanswered，”butitwa’n’twhenitwasputin。Thesanddidthat。Itblowslikeallpossessedwhenthere’sagaleon。””Doyoumeanthatthosewindowsweregroundthatwaybythebeachsandblowingagainstthem？”askedRalph，astonished。”Sartin。Gitagoodno’therlywindcomin’upthebeachanditfetchesthesandwithit。Mightymeanstufftoface，sandblowin’
　　likethatis；makesyouthinkyou’refightin’anestofyaller-
　　jackets。”
　　Withthetelescopeinthecupolatheycouldseeformilesupanddownthebeachandouttosea。AnoceantugboundtowardBostonwaspassing，andElsie，lookingthroughtheglass，sawthecookcomeoutofthegalley，emptyapanovertheside，andgobackagain。”Letmelookthroughthataminute，”saidCaptainEri，whentheresthadhadtheirturn。Heswungtheglassarounduntilitpointedtowardtheirhomeawayuptheshore。”Perez，”hecalledanxiously，”lookherequick！”
　　CaptainPerezhastilyputhiseyetotheglass，andhisfriendwenton:”Youseeourhouse？”hesaid。”Yes；well，youseethedinin’-roomdoor。Noticethatchairbythesideofit？””Yes，whatofit？””Well，that’stherockerthatElsiemadethevelvetcushionfor。I
　　wantyoutolookattheuppersoutheastcornerofthatcushion，andseeifthereain’tacat’shairthere。Lorenzo’spossessedtosleepinthatchair，and——””Oh，yougitout！”indignantlyexclaimedCaptainPerez，straighteningup。”Well，itwasaprettyimportantthing，andIwantedtomakesure。
　　Ileftthatchairoutthere，andIknewwhatI’dcatchifanycat’shairsgotonthatcushionwhileIwasgone。Ain’tthatso，Mrs。
　　Snow？”
　　ThehousekeeperexpressedheropinionthatCaptainEriwasa”case，”whateverthatmaybe。
　　Theyhadclamchowderfordinner——aNewEnglandclamchowder，madewithmilkandcrackers，andclamswithshellsaswhiteassnow。
　　TheywerewhattheNewYorkercalls”soft-shell”clams，foraFultonMarketchowderisa”quahaugsoup”tothenativeoftheCape。
　　Nowthatchowderwasgood；everybodysaidso，andiftheproofofthechowder，likethatofthepudding，isintheeatingofit，thisonehadaclearcase。Also，therewereboiledstripedbass，whichisgoodenoughforanybody，hotbiscuits，pumpkinpie，andbeach-
　　plumpreserves。TherewasarunningfireofapologiesfromMissPatienceandansweringvolleysofcomplimentsfromMrs。Snow。”Idon’tseehowyoumakesechbeach-plumpreserves，MissDavis，”
　　exclaimedtheladyfromNantucket。”Ideclare！I’mgoin’toaskyouforanothersasserful。Ib’lievethey’rethebestIeverate。””Well，now！Doyouthinkso？Ikindofsuspectedthattheplumswasalittlemitetooripe。Youknowhow’tiswithbeach-plums，they’vegottobeputupwhenthey’rejestso，elsetheyain’tgoodformuch。IwasatLutherforIdon’tknowhowlong’foreIcouldgithimtogoovertotheP’intandpick’em，andIwas’fraidhe’dletitgotoolong。Ionlyputuptwenty-twojarsof’emonthataccount。Howmuchsugardoyouuse？”
　　Therewasmaterialhereforthediscussionthatcountryhousewiveslove，andthetwoladiestookadvantageofit。Whenitwasoverthefemaleportionofthecompanywashedthedishes，whilethemenwalkedupanddownthebeachandsmoked。Heretheywerejoinedafterawhilebytheladies，forevenbytheoceanitwasasmildasearlyMay，andthewindwasmerelybracingandhadnostinginit。
　　Thebigbluewavesshoulderedthemselvesupfromthebosomofthesea，marchedtowardthebeach，andtumbledtopiecesinaroaringtumultofwhiteandgreen。Thegullsskimmedalongtheirtopsordroppedlikefallingstonesintothewateraftersandeels，emergingagain，screaming，torepeattheperformance。
　　Theconversationnaturallyturnedtowrecks，andCaptainDavis，hisreservevanishingbeforethetactfulinquiriesofthecaptainsandRalph，talkedshopandtalkeditwell。
　　CHAPTERXI
　　HEROESANDAMYSTERY
　　LutherDavishadbeencommandantatthelife-savingstationforyearsand”NumberOneMan”beforethat，sohisexperiencewithwrecksanddisabledcraftofallkindshadbeenlongandvaried。
　　Hetoldthemofdisastersthedetailsofwhichhadbeentelegraphedalloverthecountry，andofrescuesofhalf-frozencrewsfromice-
　　crestedschoonerswhosesignalsofdistresshadbeenseenfromtheobservatoryontheroofofthestation。Hetoldoflongrowsinmidwinterthroughseasthesprayofwhichturnedtoiceastheystruck，andfrozethemen’smittenstotheoar-handles。Hetoldofpickingupdraggledcorpsesinthesurfatmidnight，when，ashesaid，”Youcouldn’ttellwhether’twasamanorarollofseaweed，andtheonlywaytomakesurewastoreachdownandfeel。”
　　CaptainErileftthemafterawhile，ashehadsomeacquaintancesamongthemenatthestation，andwishedtotalkwiththem。MissDavisrememberedthatshehadnotfedthechickens，andhurriedawaytoperformthathumaneduty，gallantlyescortedbyCaptainPerez。TheCaptain，bytheway，wasapparentlymuchtakenwiththeplumpspinsterand，althoughusuallyratherbashfulwhereladieswereconcerned，hadmanagedtokeepupasortofsideconversationwithMissPatiencewhilethestorytellingwasgoingon。ButRalphandElsieandMrs。Snowwerehungryformoretales，andCaptainDavisobliginglytoldthem。”Oneofthewustwrecksweeverhadoffhere，”hesaid，”wastheBluebell，Britishship，shewas:fromSingapore，boundtoBoston，andloadedwithhemp。Weseeheraboutoffthatp’intthere，jestatdusk，andshewasmakin’heavyweatherthen。Itcomeontosnowsoonasitgotdark，andblow——don’ttalk！Seemstome’twasoneofthemeanestnightsIeversaw。’Tweenthesnowflyin’andthedarkyoucouldn’tseetwofeetaheadofyou。Wewaskindofworriedaboutthevesselallevenin’——foronethingshewastoocloseinshorewhenweseeherlast——buttherewa’n’tnothin’tobedoneexcepttokeepaweathereyeoutforsignsoftrouble。”Fustthingweknewofthewreckwaswhenthemanonpatrolupthebeach——PhilanderVose’twas——telephonedfromtheshantythataship’slong-boathadcomeashoreatKnowles’Cove，twomileabovethestation。Thatwasaboutoneo’clockinthemornin’。’Bouth’af-pasttwoSimGould——hewasdrowndedthenextsummer，fishin’
　　ontheBanks——telephonedfromtheshantyBELOWthestation——theoneamileorso’tothersideofthecablehouse，Mr。Hazeltine——thatwreckagewaswashin’upabreastofwherehewas；thatwassixmilesfromwherethelongboatcomeashore。Sotherewewas。Therewa’n’tanywayoftellin’whereaboutsshewaslayin’；shemighthavebeenanywheresalongthemsixmiles，andyoucouldn’thearnothin’norseenothin’。Butanyhow，thewreckagekeptcomin’inbelowthecablestation，soIjedgedshewassomewheresinthatneighborhoodandwegottheboatout——onthecart，ofcourse——andhauleditdownthere。”’Twasatremendousjob，too，thathaulin’was。Wehadthehorseandthewholeofushelpin’him，butIswan！Ibeguntothinkwe’dnevergitanywheres。’TweenthewindandthesandandthesnowI
　　thoughtwe’dflaptopieces，likeapasselofshirtsonaclothesline。Butwegotthereafteraspell，andthentherewasnothin’
　　todobutwaitfordaylight。”’Boutseveno’clockthesnowletupalittlebit，andthenweseeher。Therewasabarjestaboutoppositethecablestation——it’sbeenwashedawaysence——andshe’dstruckonthat，andtheseawasmakin’acleanbreachoverher。Therewasaha’fadozenofhercrewlashedintheriggin’，butIdidn’tsee’emmove，soIpresumelikelytheywasfrozestiffthen，for’twasperishin’cold。Butwewrastledtheboatdowntothewaterandwasjestgoin’tolaunchherwhenthewholethreemastswentbythe’board，menandall。Weputofftoher，butshewasinareg’larsoapsudsofaseaandawashfromstemtostern，soweknewtherewasnothin’livin’
　　aboard。”Yes，siree，”continuedtheCaptainmeditatively，”thatwasameannight。Ihadthisearfrost-bit，andit’sbeentendereversence。
　　Oneofthefellershadaribbroke；hewasalittlelightchap，andthewindjestslammedhimupagainstthecartlikeasifhewasachip。Andjesttoshowyou，”headded，”howthetiderunsaroundthisplace，thebodiesofthatcrewwaspickedupfromWellmouthtoSetuckitP’int——twenty-milestretchthatis。Theskipper’sbodynevercomeashore。Hehadason，niceyoungfeller，thatwasgoin’
　　tomeethiminBoston，andthatboyspentamonthdownhere，waitin’forhisfather’sbodytobewashedup。He’dwalkupanddownthisbeach，andwalkupanddown。PitifulsightaseverI
　　see。””Andtheywerealllost？”askedElsiewithashiver。”EverymanJack。But’twascu’rusaboutthathemp。TheBluebellwasloadedwithit，asItoldyou，andwhenshewenttopiecesthetidetookthathempandstrungitfromheretoglory。Theypickeditupall’longshore，andformuchasamonthafterwardsyou’dgoalongthe’mainroad’overinthevillage，andseeithungoverfencesorspreadoutinthesuntodry。Lookedlikealltheblondegirlsincreationhadhadahair-cut。””CaptainDavis，”saidRalph，”youmusthaveseensomepluckythingsinyourlife。Whatwasthebravestthingyoueversawdone？”
　　ThelifesavertookthecigarthatHazeltinehadgivenhimfromhismouth，andblewthesmokeintotheairoverhishead。”Well，”hesaidslowly，”Idon’tknowexactly。I’veseensomeprettygrittythingsdone’long-shorehere，intheservice。Whenthere’ssomebodydrowndin’，andyouknowthere’sachancetosave’em，you’lltakechances，andthinknothin’of’em，thatyouwouldn’ttakeifyouhadtimetosetdownandcal’latealittle。I
　　seesomethin’doneoncethatmaynotstrikeyouasbein’anythingoutoftheusualrun，butthathasalwaysseemedtomecleargritandnothin’else。’Twa’n’tsavin’lifeneither；’twasjestamatterofbus’ness。”IthappenedupoffthecoastofMaine’longintheseventies。I
　　wasactin’assortofsecondmateonalumberschooner。’Twasapitch-blacknight，ormornin’rather，’boutsixo’clock，blowin’
　　likeallpossessedandcolder’nGreenland。Westruckarockthatwa’n’tevendownonanEldredgechartandpunchedaholeintheschooner’sside，jestabovewhatoughttohavebeenthewaterline，onlyshewasheeledoversothat’twasconsider’blebelowitmostofthetime。Wehadameancrewaboard，Portugeesmainly，andpooronesatthat。Theskipperwasbelow，asleep，andwhenhecomeondeckthingswasinabadway。We’dgotthecanvasoffher，butshewastakin’inwatereverytimesherolled，andtherewasaseagoin’thatwastearin’thingslooseingreatshape。Weshippedoneoldgraybackthatrippedoffastripoftheleerailjestthesameasyou’driptheedgeoffthecoverofapasteboardbox——nevermadenomorefussaboutit，either。”Ididn’tseenothin’todobutgetouttheboats，buttheskipperhewa’n’tthatkind。Hesizedthingsupinahurry，Itellyou。
　　Hedrovethecrew——ha’fof’emwasprayin’totheVirginandt’otherha’fswearin’abluestreak——tothepumps，andsetmeover’emwitharevolvertokeep’emworkin’。Thenhimandthefustmateandoneortwoofthebesthandsroustedoutasparesail，weightedoneedgeofittokeepitdown，andgotitovertheside，madefast，ofcourse。”Thenhimandthematestrippedtotheirunderclothes，riggedasortofbos’n’schairoverwheretheholeinthesidewas，tookhammersandapocketfulofnailsapiece，andstartedintonailthatcanvasoverthehole。”’Twasfreezin’cold，andtheoldschoonerwasrollin’likeawashtub。OneminuteI’dseetheskipperandthemateh’istedupintheair，hammerin’fordearlife，andthen，swash！underthey’dgo，clearunder，andstaythere，seemedtome，forever。EverydipI
　　thoughtwouldbetheend，andI’dshetmyeyes，expectin’tosee’emgonewhenshelifted；butno，upthey’dcome，fetchabreath，shakethesaltwateroutoftheireyes，andgotoworkagain。”Fourhoursandaquartertheywasatit，fourhours，mindyou，andunderwateragoodha’fofthetime；buttheygotthatsailnailedfastfin’lly。Wegot’emondeckwhen’twasdone，andwehadtocarrythefustmatetothecabin。Buttheskipperjestsentthecookforapailofbilin’hotcoffee，drunkthewholeofit，putondryclothesoverhiswetflannels，andstayedondeckandworkedthatschoonerintoPortlandharbor，themenpumpin’cleargreenwateroutoftheholdeveryminuteoftheway。”Now，thatalwaysseemedtometobethereelthing。’Twa’n’taquestionofsavin’life——wecouldhavetooktotheboatsand，ninechancesoutoften，gotashoreallright，for’twa’n’tveryfur。
　　Butno，theskippersaidhe’dneverlostavesselforanowneryitandhewa’n’tgoin’tolosethisone。Andhedidn’teither，byJudas！No，sir！””Thatwassplendid！”exclaimedElsie。”Ishouldliketohaveknownthatcaptain。Whowashe，CaptainDavis？””Well，thefustmatewasObedSimmons——he’sdeadnow——butheusedtoliveoverontheroadtowardsEastHarniss。Theskipper——well，hewasafelleryouknow。””’TwasCap’nEri，”saidMrs。Snowwithconviction。”That’sright，ma’am。Pereztoldyou，Is’pose。””No，nobodytoldme。Ijestguessedit。I’veseenagoodmanyfolksinmytime，andIcal’lateI’vegotsoIcantellwhatkindamanisafterI’veknownhimalittlewhile。IjedgedCap’nEriwasthatkind，and，whenyousaidweknewthatskipper，Iwasalmostsartin’twashim。””Well！”exclaimedRalph，”Idon’tbelieveIshouldhaveguessedit。
　　I’vealwayslikedtheCaptain，buthehasseemedsofulloffunandsoeasy-goingthatIneverthoughtofhisdoinganythingquitesostrenuous。”
　　CaptainDavislaughed。”I’veseenfo’masthandstrytotakeadvantageofthateasy-goin’way’forenow，”hesaid，”buttheyneverdiditbutonce。Cap’nEriisoneofthefinestfellersthateverstepped，butyoucan’tstomponhistoesmuch，andhe’scleargritinside。Andsay，”headded，”don’tyoutellanybodyItoldthatstory，forhe’dskinmealiveifheknewit。”
　　AstheywalkedbacktowardthestationRalphandElsielingeredalittlebehindtheothers，andthenstoppedtowatchabigfour-
　　masterthat，underfullsail，wasspinningalongamileortwofromthebeach。Theywatcheditforamomentortwowithoutspeaking。
　　Elsie’scheekswerebrownfromthesun，straywispsofherhairflutteredinthewind，andhertrim，healthyfigurestoodoutagainstthewhitesandhillbehindthemasifcutfromcardboard。
　　Theelectricianlookedather，andagainthethoughtofthatdisgraceful”’Gusty”Blackepisodewasforcedintohismind。Theyhadhadmanyagoodlaughoveritsince，andElsiehadapparentlyforgottenit，buthehadnot，byagooddeal。
　　Shewasthefirsttospeak，andthenasmuchtoherselfastohim。”IthinktheyarethebestpeopleIeverknew，”shesaid。”Who？”heasked。”Oh，allofthem！ThecaptainsandMrs。Snow，andCaptainDavisandhissister。Theyaresosimpleandkindandgenerous。Andthebestofitis，theydon’tseemtoknowit，andwouldn’tbelieveitifyoutoldthem。”
　　Ralphnoddedemphatically。”IimagineitwouldtakeagooddealtoconvinceDavisoranyofthesestationmenthattherewasanythingheroicintheirlives，”
　　hesaid。”AsforCaptainEri，Ihaveknownhimonlyamonthortwo，butIdon’tknowofanyonetowhomIwouldrathergoifIwereintrouble。””Hehasbeensokindtograndfatherandme，”saidElsie，”thatI
　　feelasthoughwewereunderanobligationwenevercouldrepay。
　　WhenIcamedownhereIknewnooneinOrham，andheandCaptainJerryandCaptainPerezhavemademefeelmoreathomethanIhaveeverfeltbefore。Youknow，”sheadded，”grandfatheristheonlyrelativeIhave。””Isupposeyouwillgobacktoyourstudieswhenyourgrandfatherrecovers。””Idon’tknow。IfgrandfatheriswellenoughIthinkIshalltrytopersuadehimtocomeuptoBostonandlivewithme。ThenI
　　mightperhapsteach。ThiswastohavebeenmylastyearatRadcliffe，somygivingitupwillnotmakesomuchdifference。Doyouintendtostayherelong？Isupposeyoudo。Yourprofession，Iknow，meanssomuchtoyou，andyourworkatthestationmustbeveryinteresting。””ItwouldbemoresoifIhadsomeonewhowasinterestedwithme。
　　Mr。Langleyiskind，butheissowrappedupinhisownworkthatI
　　seeverylittleofhim。ItooktheplacebecauseIthoughtitwouldgivemeagooddealofsparetimethatImightuseinfurtheringsomeexperimentsofmyown。Electricityismyhobby，andIhaveoneortwoideasthatIamfoolishenoughtohopemaybeworthdeveloping。Ihavehadtimeenough，goodnessknows，butit’salonesomesortoflife。Ifithadnotbeenforthecaptains——andyou——IthinkIshouldhavegivenitupbeforethis。””Oh，Ihopeyouwon’t。””Why？””Why——why，becauseitseemslikerunningaway，almost，doesn’tit？
　　Ifathingishardtodo，butisworthdoing，IthinkthesatisfactionINdoingitiseversomuchgreater，don’tyou？I
　　knowitmustbelonelyforyou；but，then，itislonelyforMr。
　　Langleyandtheothermen，too。””IdoubtifMr。Langleywouldbehappyanywhereelse，andtheothermenaremarried，mostofthem，andliveoverinthevillage。”
　　Now，thereisn’tanyrealreasonwhythissimpleremarkshouldhavecausedahaltintheconversation，butitdid。MissPrestonsaid，”Oh，indeed！”ratherhurriedly，andhernextspeechwasconcerningtheheightofaparticularlybigwave。Mr。Hazeltineansweredthiscommonplacesomewhatabsent-mindedly。Heactedlikeamantowhomastartlingideahadsuddenlyoccurred。JustthentheyheardCaptainEricallingthem。
　　TheCaptainwasstandingonasanddunenearthestation，shoutingtheirnamesthroughaspeakingtrumpetformedbyplacinghishandsabouthismouth。Asthepaircamestrollingtowardhim，heshiftedhishandstohistrouserspocketsandstoodwatchingtheyoungcouplewithasortofhalfsmile。”Is’poseifJerrywasherenow，”hemused，”he’dthinkhisschemewasworkin’。Well，maybe’tis，maybe’tis。Youcan’tnevertell。
　　Well，Iswan！”
　　TheexclamationwascalledforthbythesightofCaptainPerezandMissPatience，whosuddenlycameintoviewaroundthecornerofthestation。TheCaptainwasgallantlyassistinghiscompanionovertheroughplacesinthepath，andshewasleaninguponhisarminamannerthatimpliedimplicitconfidence。CaptainEriglancedfromonecoupletotheother，andthengrinnedbroadly。ThegrinhadnotentirelydisappearedwhenCaptainPerezcameup，andthelatterrathercrisplyaskedwhatthejokewas。”Oh，nothin’！”wasthereply。”Iwasjestthinkin’wemustbeplayin’somekindofagame，andIwasIt。””It？”queriedMissPatience，puzzled。”Why，yes。I’mkinderlike’RastusBaileyusedtobeatthedanceswhenyouandmewasyounger，Perez。OldmanAlexander——hewasthefiddler——usedtosingout’ChoosepartnersforHull’sVict’ry，’orsomethin’likethat，anditalwaystook’Rassolongtomakeuphismindwhatgirltochoosethathegin’rallygotleftaltogether。
　　Thenhe’dsetonthesetteeallthroughthedanceandsayhenevercaredmuchforHull’sVict’ry，anyway。Seemstome，I’mtheonlyonethatain’tchoosedpartners。How’boutit，Perez？””Morefoolyou，that’sallI’vegottosay，”repliedCaptainPerezstoutly。
　　MissPatiencelaughedsoheartilyatthisrejoinderthatPerezbegantothinkhehadsaidaverygoodthingindeed，andsorepeateditforgreatereffect。”Youwanttolookoutforhim，MissDavis，”saidCaptainEri。”He’sthemostfascinatin’youngsterofhisageIeversee。MeandJerry’sbeenthinkin’we’dhavetobuildafence’roundthehousetokeepthegirlsawaywhenhe’shome。Why，M’lissyBusteedfairly——””Oh，giveusarest，Eri！”exclaimedPerez，withevenmoreindignationthanwasnecessary。”M’lissyBusteed！”
　　JustthenRalphandElsiecameup，andCaptainEriexplainedthathehadhailedthembecauseitwastimetobegoingiftheywantedtogetacrosstothemainlandwithoutswimming。TheywalkedaroundtothebackdoorofthestationandtherefoundMrs。SnowandCaptainDavisbythehen-yard。TheladyfromNantuckethaddiscoveredasickchickeninthecollection，andshewasholdingitinherlapandatthesametimediscoursinglearnedlyontherelativevalueofPlymouthRocksandRhodeIslandReds，aslayers。”Seethere！”exclaimedCaptainEridelightedly，pointingtothesufferingpullet，”whatdidItellyou？D’youwonderwepickedheroutfornussforJohn，Luther？Evenasickhenknowsenoughtogotoher。”