Thewhole-souledadmirationintheCaptain’svoicemadethehousekeeperblushlikeagirl。”Don’tsayaword，Cap’nEri，”sheprotested。”It’sbeenjestapleasuretome，honest。I’vehadmorecomfortand——well，peace，youmightsay，senceI’vebeeninthishousethanI’vehadaforeforyears。””WhenIthink，”saidtheCaptain，”ofwhatwemighthavegotforthatadvertisement，Iswanitmakesmyhaircurl。Advertisin’thatwayinthatkindofapaper，whywemighthavehada——aplayactress，orIdon’tknowwhat，landedonus。Seems’siftherewasaProvidenceinit:seems’sifyouwaskindofSENT——there！””Idon’tknowwhatyoumustthinkofmeanswerin’anadvertisementforahusbandthatway。Itmakesme’shamedofmyselfwhenIthinkofit，Ideclare。Andinthatkindofapaper，too。””I’vewonderedmoretimesthanafewhowyouevergotaholdofthatpaper。’Tain’toneyou’dseeeverydaynat’rally，youknow。”
Mrs。Snowpausedbeforesheanswered。Thenshesaidslowly，”Well，I’ms’prisedyouain’taskedthatafore。Ihaven’tsaidmuchaboutmyselfsenceI’vebeenhere，fornop’tic’larreasonthatIknowof，exceptthattherewasn’tmuchtotellanditwasn’taveryinterestin’yarntootherfolks。Myhusband’snamewasJubalSnow——””Youdon’tsay！”exclaimedtheCaptain。”Why，Jerryusedtoknowhim。””Ishouldn’twonder。JubalknewalotoffolksontheCapehere。
Hewasagoodhusband——nobetteranywheres——andheandIhadagoodlifetogetherlongashewaswell。I’vesailedagoodmanyv’yageswithhim，andIfeelprettynighasmuchathomeonthewaterasI
doonland。Ourtroublewasthesamethatagoodmanyfolkshave；
wedidn’tcal’latethatfairweatherwouldn’tlastallthetime，that’sall。”Itwasn’thisfaultanymorethan’twasmine。Wesavedalittlemoney，butnotenough，asitturnedout。Well，hewastookdownsickandhadtogiveupgoin’tosea，andwehadalittleplaceoverinNantucket，andsettleddownonit。Fustalong，Jubalwasabletodoalittlefarmin’andsoon，andwegotalongprettywell，butbyandbyhegotsohewa’n’tabletowork，andthen’twasharder。Whatlittlewe’dsavedwentfordoctor’sbillsandthis，that，andt’other。Hedidn’tliketohavemeleavehim，soI
couldn’tearnmuchofanything，andfin’llywecometowheresomethin’hadtobedonerightaway，andwetalkedthethingoveranddecidedtomortgagethehouse。Themoneywegotonthemortgagelasteduntilhedied。”Hehadalittlelifeinsurance，notenough，ofcourse，butalittle。Hewasplannin’totakeonmore，butsomehowitneverseemedasifhecoulddie，hesobigandstrong，andweputitoffuntilhegotsohecouldn’tpasstheexamination。WhentheinsurancemoneycomeItookittoJedgeBriar，amightygoodfriendofJubal’sandmineandtheonethatheldthemortgageonthehouse，andItoldhimIwantedtopayoffthemortgagewithit，so’sI’dhavethehousefreeandclear。ButtheJedgeadvisedmenotto，saidthemortgagewascostin’meonlysixpercent。，andwhydidn’tIputthemoneywhere’twaslikelytobeagoodinvestmentthatwouldpaymeeightortenpercent。？ThenI’dbemakin’money，hesaid。Iaskedhimtoinvestitforme，andheputitintotheBayShoreLandCompany，wheremostofhisownwas。””Sho！Iwanttoknow！”brokeintheCaptain。”Hedid，hey！Well，Ihadsomethere，too，andsodidPerez。Preciousfewfam’liesontheCapethatdidn’t。””Yes，hethought’twasthesafestandbestplaceheknewof。Theofficersbein’sonsofCapepeopleandtheirfatherssuchfinemen，everybodysaid’twasallright。Igotmydividendsreg’larforawhile，andIwentoutnussin’anddidsewin’andgotalongreelwell。Ikeptthinkin’somedayI’dbeabletopayoffthemortgageandIputawaywhatlittleIcouldtowardsit，butthen_I_wastooksickandthatmoneywent，andthentheLandCompanywentupthespout。”
TheCaptainnodded。Thefailureofthecompanyhadbroughtpovertytohundredsofwidows。Mrs。Snow’scasewasbutanotherinstance。”Letmesee，”saidthelady。”WherewasI？Oh，yes！theLandCompany’sfailin’。Well，itfailedandtheinsurancemoneywentwithit。Itwasdiscouragin’，ofcourse，butIhadmyhouse，exceptforthemortgage，andIhadmyhealthagain，and，ifIdosayit，Iain’tafraidofwork，soIjestmadeupmymindtherewasnousecryin’overspiltmilk，andthatImustgitalongandbegintosavealloveragain。ThenJedgeBriardiedandhisnephewuptoBostoncomeintotheproperty。Iwasbehindinmypaymentsalittle，andtheysentmewordtheyshouldforeclosethemortgage，andtheydid。””Well，Iswan！Themeansculpins！Didn’tyouhaveNOBODYyoucouldgoto；norelationsnornothin’？””I’vegotabrotheroutinChicago，buthemarriedrichandhiswifedoesn’tcaremuchforherhusband’srelations。Ineversawherbutonce，andthenoneofthefirstthingssheaskedmewasifitwastruethattherewasmorecrazypeopleinNantucketthaninanyotherplaceofitssizeonearth，andaforeIcouldanswersheaskedmewhatmade’emcrazy。ItoldherIdidn’tknowunlessitwasanswerin’cityfolks’questions。Shedidn’tlikethatverywell，andIhaven’theardfromJob——that’smybrother——foralongtime。Allmyothernearrelationsaredead。”Sotheyforeclosedthemortgage，andgavemenoticetomoveout。
Ipackedmythings，andwateredmyflowers——Ihadquiteaprettyflowergarden——forthelasttime，andthencomeinandsetdownintherockertowaitforthewagonthatwasgoin’tomoveme。Igottothinkin’howproudJubalandmewaswhenweboughtthathouseandhowweplannedaboutfixin’itup，andhowourbabythatdiedwasborninit，andhowJubalhimselfhaddiedthere，andtoldmethathewasgladhewasleavin’meahome，atanyrate；andIgotsolonesomeanddiscouragedthatIjestcried，Icouldn’thelpit。
ButI’veneverfoundthatcryin’didmuchgood，soIwipedmyeyesandlookedforsomethin’toreadtotakeupmymind。AndthatChimepaperwaswhatItookup。”Yousee，there’dbeenabigexcursionfromBostondownthedaybefore，andsomeofthefolkscomedownmywaytohaveasortofpicnic。Twoof’em，factorygirlsfromBrockton，theywas，cometothehouseforadrinkofwater。Theyweregigglin’，foolishenoughcritters，butIasked’emin，andtheyeattheirlunchesonmytable。TheylefttwoorthreestorypapersandthatChimethingwhentheywentaway。”Well，Ilookeditover，andalmostthefirstthingIsawwasthatadvertisementsigned’Skipper。’Itdidn’treadliketheothertrashythingsinthere，anditsoundedhonest。AndallofasuddenitcomeovermethatI’danswerit。Iwaslonesomeandtiredandsortofdidn’tcare，andIanswereditrightoffwithoutwaitin’
anotherminute。That’sallthereistotell。WhenIcomeheretobehousekeeperIwrotethefolksthat’stakin’careofmyfurniture——they’rereelkindpeople；Iwasgoin’toboardthereifIhadstayedinNantucket——tokeepittillIcomeback。There！I
meanttotellyouthislongago，andIdon’tknowwhyIhaven’t。”
TheCaptainknewwhyshehadn’t。Itwaseasytoreadbetweenthelinesthetaleoftheyearsofdisappointmentandanxiety。Suchstoriesarenoteasytotell，andherespectedthewidowmorethaneverforthesimplewayinwhichshehadtoldhers。”ThatLandCompanybus’ness，”hesaid，”carriedoffagoodlotofCapeCodmoney。IneversawbutonemanthatIthoughtwasgladitbusted，andthatwasoldCalebWeeks，overtoHarniss。Theoldmanwasrich，butcloser’nthebarkofatree——he’dskinafleaforthehideandtaller——andusedtobeahardcaseintothebargain。
Onetimetheyhadabigrevivaloverthereandhegotreligion。
TheboysusedtosaywhatcaughtCalebwastheminister’ssayin’
salvationwasfree。Well，anyhow，hegotconvertedandj’inedthechurch。Thatwasallright，onlywhilethefitwasfreshhepledgedhimselftogivefivehundreddollarstohelpbuildthenewchapel。Whenhecooleddownalittlehewassorry，andeverytimethey’dhintathiscomin’downwiththecash，he’dbackandfill，andputitoffforaspell。WhentheLandCompanywentuphewastheonlyhappyoneintown，’causehesaidhe’dlostallhismoney。
Course，underthecircumstances，theycouldn’taskhimtopay，sohedidn’t。FromwhatIhearhelostasmuchasfiftydollars。”
Theybothlaughed，andMrs。Snowwasabouttoanswerwhenshewasinterrupted。”Eri，”saidaweakvoice。”Eri。”
TheCaptainstarted，turnedsharply，andsawthesickmanwatchinghim，hiseyesfixedandunwavering。”Eri，”saidJohnBaxteragain，”comehere。”
Mrs。Snowhurriedtoherpatient，butthelatterimpatientlybadeherlethimalone。”Notyou，”hesaid，”IwantEri。”
CaptainEristoopeddownbesidethebed。”Whatisit，John？”heasked。”Eris’poseGodcalledyoutobreakman’slawandkeephis，whatwouldyoudo？”
TheCaptainglancedanxiouslyatthehouse-keeper。Thenhesaidsoothingly:”Oh，that’sallright，John。Don’tworry’boutthat。Youandmesettledthatlongago。Howareyoufeelin’now？””Iknow，Iknow，”withthemonotonouspersistenceofthosewhosemindsarewandering，——andthencleanlyoncemore，”Eri，I’vebeencalled。””Ssh-h！That’sallright，John；that’sallright。Don’tyouwantMrs。Snowtofixyourpiller？P’rapsyou’dlayalittleeasier，then。Now，Mrs。Snow，ifyou’lljestturnitwhileIlifthim。
So；that’sbetternow，ain’tit，shipmate，hey？”Butthesickmanmutteredanunintelligiblesomething，andrelapsedoncemoreintothehalf-doze，half-stuporthatwashisusualstate。
CaptainErisighedinrelief。”Thatwasqueer，wa’n’tit？”heobserved。”He’shadtwoorthreeofthosespellsinthelastdayortwo，”wastheanswer。
TheCaptainwonderedwhathisfriendmighthavesaidduringthose”spells，”buthewasafraidtoinquire。Instead，heasked，”Whatdidthedoctorsaywhenhewasherethismornin’？””Nothin’veryhopeful。Iaskedhimplainwhathethoughtofthecase，andheansweredjestasplain。HesaidCap’nBaxterhadfaileddreadfulinthelastweek，andthathewouldn’tbes’prisedifhedroppedoffmostanytime。Thenagain，hesaidhemightliveformonths。””Isee，Isee。”
Theyweresilentforawhile，watchingthesickman，whosesleep，orstupor，wasnotastranquilasusual。Twoorthreetimeshiseyesopened，andhemutteredaudibly。”Ineversawhimsorestlessafore，”commentedCaptainErianxiously。”Hewassolastnight。””DidElsieseehim？””No，Iwasalonehere，andshewasasleepinthenextroom。Igotupandshutthedoor。”
TheCaptainglancedkeenlyatthehousekeeper，butherfacewasplacidandinscrutable。Heshifteduneasilyandthensaid，”Elsie’slateto-night，ain’tshe？Iwonderwhat’skeepin’her。””Schoolwork，Is’pose。She’sworkin’harder’nsheoughtto，I
think。””FIRE！”
Thewordwasshouted，andtheroomrangwithit。JohnBaxter，whoseweaknesshadhithertobeensogreatthathecouldnotturnhimselfinbed，wasleaningonhiselbowandpointingwithoutstretchedfingertotheopenstovedoor。”Fire！”heshoutedagain。”It’sblazin’！It’sburnin’！It’swipin’theplaguespotfromtheearth。Ihearyou，Lord！I’mold，butIhearyou，andyourservant’sready。Wherewillitbeto-
morrer？Gone！burntup！andthewaysofthewickedshan’tprevail。”
Theyforcedhimbackonthepillow，buthefoughtthemfiercelyforamomentortwo。Aftertheythoughttheyhadquietedhim，hebrokeoutagain，talkingrapidlyandclearly。”Ihearthecall，Lord，”hesaid。”Ithanktheeforshowin’ittomeinyourBook。’Andtheyburntalltheircitieswhereintheydwelt，andalltheirgoodlycastles，withfire。’Withfire！Withfire！””Ssh-h！There，there，John！Don’ttalkso，”entreatedtheCaptain。”Where’sthekerosene？”continuedtheoldman。”Andthematches？
Nowsoftly，softly。Theshavin’s。It’sdark。Here，inthecorner。Ah，ha！ah，ha！’Andalltheirgoodlycastleswithfire！’
Now，WebSaunders，youwickedman！Now！Burn！I’vedoneit，Lord！I’vedoneit！””Hush！”almostshoutedtheagonizedCaptainEri。”Hush，John！Bestill！””There，there，Cap’nBaxter，”saidMrs。Snowsoothingly，layingherhandonthesickman’sforehead。Somehow，thetouchseemedtoquiethim；hiseyeslosttheirfire，andhemutteredabsentlythathewastired。Thentheeyesclosedandhelaystill，breathingheavily。”Landoflove！”exclaimedtheCaptain。”Thatwasawful！Hadn’tI
bettergoforthedoctor？””Idon’tthinkso，unlesshegitsworse。Hehadjestsuchaturn，asItoldyou，lastnight。””Didhetalklikehedidjestnow？””Jestthesame。””’Boutthesamethings？””Yes。”
TheCaptaingasped。”Thenyouknew！”hesaid。”Thathesetthebilliardroomafire？Yes。I’vealwaysrathersuspicionedthathedid，andlastnight，ofcourse，mademesureofit。””Well，well！Youhaven’tsaidnothin’’boutittoanybody？””Ofcoursenot。””No，’courseyouhaven’t。Youmustexcuseme——I’mkindofupset，I
guess。Dear！dear！Didyouthink_I_knewit？””Isortofguessedthatyoudid。””Well，Idid。I’veknowniteversencethatnighthewasfound。
HehadhiscoatonwhenIfoundhim，and’twasallburnt，andtherewasanemptykerosenebottleinhispocket。Ihidthecoat，andthrewthebottleaway，andturnedhimsohewasfacin’towardsthesaloon’steadoffromit。AndIliedwhenItoldthedoctorthathewasjestashefell。There！themurder’sout！Now，whatdoyouthinkofme？””Think？Ithinkyoudidexactlyright。””YouDO？””Isartinlydo。””Well，Isnum！I’vebeenoverthatthingtimeandtimeagain，andI’vefeltlikeIwassortofafirebugmyselfsometimes。I’veheardfolkslayin’ittofustoneandthentheother，andcal’latin’thatWebdidithimselftogittheinsurance，andallthetimeI’veknownwhoreallydiddoit，andhaven’tsaidanything。Ijestcouldn’t。Yousee，Johnandme’sbeenbrothersalmost。ButIdidn’ts’poseanybodyelsewouldseeitthesameway。””Cap’nEri，doyous’poseIblameyoufortryin’tokeepyourbestfriendoutoftroublethathegotintobybein’——well——outofhishead。Why，landofmercy！Heain’tnomoretobeheldresponsiblethanababy。YoudidwhatI’dhavedoneifI’dbeeninyourplace，andIrespectyouforit。”
TheCaptain’svoiceshookasheanswered:”MarthySnow，”hesaid，”you’rethekindofwomanthatI’dliketohavehadforasister。”
Itwasperhapsahalf-hourlaterwhenCaptainEristartedfortheschoolhousetobringElsiehome。JohnBaxterhadnotwakened，andMrs。Snowsaidshewasnotafraidtoremainalonewithhim。ThethawhadturnedtoalightrainandtheCaptaincarriedanumbrella。
Itwasdarkbythistime，andwhenhecameinsightoftheschoolhousehesawalightinthewindow。
Oneofthescholars——abynomeansbrilliantone——whoseprincipaleducationalachievementwasthefrequencywithwhichhesucceededinbeing”keptafterschool，”wasseatedonthefence，doinghisbesttowhittleittopieceswithanewjackknife。”Hello，sonny！”saidtheCaptain。”MissPrestongoneyit？””No，sheain’t，”repliedtheboy，continuingtowhittle。”She’supthere。Mr。Saundersisthere，too。””Saunders？WEBSAUNDERS？””Yup。Iseehimgointherealittlewhileago。”CaptainEristartedtowardtheschoolhouseatarapidpace；thenhesuddenlystopped；andthen，assuddenly，walkedonagain。Allatoncehedroppedhisumbrellaandstruckonehandintothepalmoftheotherwithasmack。
Whenhereachedthedoor，heleanedtheumbrellainthecornerandwalkedupthestairsverysoftly，indeed。
CHAPTERXVI
ABUSINESSCALL
Thatenterprisingbusinessman，Mr。”Web”Saunders，openedthedoorofhisrenovatedbilliardroomalittlelaterthanusualthenextmorning。ItwascommonreportaboutthevillagethatMr。Saundersoccasionallysampledthecontentsofsomeofthe”originalpackages”
which，bearingthenameandaddressofaBostonwholesaleliquordealer，cametohimbyexpressatirregularintervals。Itwasalsoreported，probablybyunreliabletotalabstainers，thatduringthese”sampling”seasonshistemperwasnotofthebest。PerhapsMrs。
Saundersmighthavesaidsomethingconcerningthisreportifshehadbeensodisposed，butunlessadiscoloredeyemightbetakenasevidence，sheneverofferedany。Theinjurytohereyesheexplainedbysayingthatsomething”flewupandhither。”Thiswasnodoubttrue。
But，gossipaside，Mr。Saundersdidnotseemingoodhumoronthisparticularmorning。Ayellowcur，ofnondescriptbreed，takensincethefire，inpaymentofadebtfrom”Squealer”Wixon，whohaddescribeditasa”fust-classwatchdog，”rosefromitsbedbehindthecigarcounter，yawned，stretched，andcameslinkingovertogreetitsmaster。”Web”forciblyhoisteditoutofthedooronthetoeofhisboot。Itsyelpofpainedsurpriseseemedtoaffordthebusinessmanconsiderablerelief，forhemovedmorebrisklyafterward，andproceededtosweepthefloorwithsomedegreeofspeed。
Theforenoontradeatthebilliardroomwasneververylively，andthisforenoonwasnoexception。”Bluey”Batcheldordriftedin，steppedintothelittleroomthedoorofwhichwaslettered”IceCreamParlor，”andbusiedhimselfwithaglassandbottleforafewmoments。Thenhehelpedhimselftoacigarfromtheshowcase，andtoldhisfriendto”chalkitup。”ThisMr。Saundersdidn’tseemtocaretodo，andtherewasalivelyargument。Atlength”Bluey’s”
promiseto”squareupinadayorso”wasaccepted，underprotest，andthecustomerdeparted。
Athalf-pasteleventhemanofbusinesswasdozinginachairbythestove，andthe”watchdog，”havingfounditchillyoutsideandventuringin，wasdozingnearhim。Thebellattachedtothedoorrangvigorously，andbothdogandmanawokewithastart。ThevisitorwasCaptainEri。
Now，theCaptainwasperhapsthelastpersonwhomtheproprietorofthebilliardroomexpectedtosee，butastrangerneverwouldhaveguessedit。Infact，thestrangermightreasonablyhavesupposedthatthevisitorwasMr。Saunders’dearestfriend，andthathiscallwasapleasurelonglookedforwardto。”Why，Cap’n！”exclaimed”Web，””howareyou？Putherthere！I’mgladtoseeyoulookin’sowell。Isaidto’Squealer’theotherday，s’I，’Squealer，IneverseeamanholdhisagelikeCap’nHedge。I’llbeblessedifhelooksadayoverforty，’Isays。
Takeoffyourcoat，won’tyou？”
Somehoworother，theCaptainmusthavelostsightof”Web’s”
extendedhand。Certainly，thehandwaslargeenoughtobeseen，buthedidnottakeit。Hedid，however，accepttheinvitationtoremovehiscoat，and，slippingoutofthefadedbrownpeajacket，threwitonasetteeatthesideoftheroom。Hisfacewassternandhismannerquiet，andinspiteOfMr。Saunders’flatteringreferencetohisyouthfulappearance，thismorninghelookedatleastmorethanadaypastforty。
But，ifCaptainEriwasmorethanusuallyquietandreserved，”Web”
wasunchanged，and，ifhenoticedthatthehandshakewasdeclined，saidnothingaboutit。Hissmilewassweetnessitself，asheobserved，”Well，Cap’n，mightymod’rateweatherwe’rehavingforthistimeofyear，ain’tit？What’snewdownyourway？That’sright，haveachair。”
TheCaptainhadnodoubtanticipatedthiscordialinvitation，forheseatedhimselfbeforeitwasgiven，and，crossinghislegs，extendedhisdrippingrubberbootstowardthefire。Therainwasstillfalling，anditbeatagainstthewindowsofthesalooningusts。”Web，”saidCaptainEri，”setdownaminute。Iwanttotalktoyou。””Why，sure！”exclaimedthegenialmanofbusiness，pullingupanotherchair。”Haveacigar，won’tyou？Youdon’tcometoseemeveryoften，andIfeel’sthoughweoughttocelebrate。Ha！ha！ha！””No，Iguessnot，thankyou，”wastheanswer。”I’llsmokemypipe，ifit’sallthesametoyou。”
Mr。Saundersdidn’tmindintheleast，butthoughthewouldhaveacigarhimself。SohelitoneandsmokedinsilenceastheCaptainfilledhispipe。”Web”knewthatthiswassomethingmorethananordinarysocialvisit。CaptainEri’scallsatthebilliardroomwerefewandfarbetween。TheCaptain，forhispart，knewwhathiscompanionwasthinking，andthepairwatchedeachotherthroughthesmoke。
Thepipedrewwell，andtheCaptainsentabluecloudwhirlingtowardtheceiling。Thenheaskedsuddenly，”Web，howmuchmoneyhasElsiePrestonpaidyoualtogether？”
Mr。Saundersstartedtheleastbit，andhissmalleyesnarrowedatrifle。Buttheinnocentsurpriseinhisreplywasatreattohear。”Elsie？PaidME？”heasked。”Yes。Howmuchhasshepaidyou？””Idon’tknowwhatyoumean。””Yes，youdo。She’sbeenpayin’youmoneyreg’larformore’namonth。Iwanttoknowhowmuchitis。””Now，Cap’nHedge，Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkin’about。
Nobody’spaidmeacentexceptthemthat’sowedme。Whodidyousay？ElsiePreston？That’stheschool-teacher，ain’tit？””Web，you’realiar，andalwayswas，butyouneedn’tlietomethismornin’，’causeitwon’tbehealthy；Idon’tfeellikehearin’it。
Youunderstandthat，doyou？”
Mr。Saundersthoughtittimetoblusteralittle。Herosetohisfeetthreateningly。”Cap’nHedge，”hesaid，”noman’llcallmealiar。””There’sapreciousfewthatcallsyouanythingelse。””You’reanoldman，orI’d——””NeveryoumindhowoldIam。AminuteagoyousaidIdidn’tlookmore’nforty；maybeIdon’tfeelanyolder，either。””IfthatPrestongirlhastoldyouany——””Shehasn’ttoldmeanything。Shedoesn’tknowthatIknowanything。ButIdoknow。Iwasintheentryupstairsattheschoolhouseforabouttenminuteslastnight。”
Mr。Saunders’startwasperceptiblethistime。Hestoodforamomentwithoutspeaking。Thenhejerkedthechairaround，threwhimselfintoit，andsaidcautiously，”Well，whatofit？””IcomeupfromthehousetogitElsiehome’cause’twasrainin’。
Iwastoldyouwaswithher，andIthoughttherewassomethin’
crookedgoin’on；factis，Ihadasuspicionwhat’twas。SowhenI
gotuptothedoorIdidn’tgoinrightaway；Ijeststoodoutside。””Listenin’，hey！Spyin’！””Yup。Idon’tthinkmuchoffolksthatlistens，gin’rallyspeakin’，butthere’stimeswhenIb’lieveinit。WhenI’mfoolin’withasnakeI’djestassoonhithimfrombehindasinfront。Ididn’thearmuch，butIheardenoughtoletmeknowthatyou’dbeentakin’
moneyfromthatgirlrightalong。AndIthinkIknowwhy。””Youdo，hey？””Yup。”
ThenMr。Saundersaskedthequestionthatabiggerrascalthanhehadaskedsomeyearsbefore。Heleanedbackinhischair，tookapullathiscigar，andsaidsneeringly，”Well，whatareyougoin’
todo’boutit？””I’mgoin’tostopit，andI’mgoin’tomakeyougivethemoneyback。Howmuchhasshepaidyou？””Noneofyourd——nbus’ness。”
TheCaptainrosetohisfeet。Mr。Saunderssprangup，also，andreachedforthecoalshovel，evidentlyexpectingtrouble。Butifhefearedaphysicalassault，hisfearwasgroundless。CaptainErimerelytookuphiscoat。”Maybeitain’tnoneofmybus’ness，”hesaid。”Iain’tas’lectmannorsheriff。Butthere’ssuchthingsintown，andp’rapsthey’llbeint’rested。SeemstomethatI’veheardthatblackmailin’hasgotfolksintoState’sprisonaforenow。””Isthatso？Neverheardthatfolksthatsetfiretootherpeople’sprop’tygotthere，didyou？Yes，andfolksthathelps’emgitsthere，too，sometimes。Whowasithidacoataspellago？”
ItwasCaptainEri’sturntostart。Hehesitatedamoment，tossedthepeajacketbackonthesetteeandsatdownoncemore。Mr。
Saunderswatchedhim，grinningtriumphantly。”Well？”hesaidwithasneer。”Acoat，yousay？””Yes，acoat。Maybeyouknowwhohidit；Icanguess，myself。
Thatcoatwasburnedsome。Howdoyous’poseitgotburned？Andsay！whousedtowearabigwhitehatroundthesediggin’s？Ah，ha！Whodid？”
TherewasnodoubtabouttheCaptain’sstartthistime。Hewheeledsharplyinhischair，andlookedatthespeaker。”Humph！”heexclaimed。”Youfoundthathat，didyou？””That’swhatIdone！AndwheredoyouthinkIfoundit？Why，rightatthebackofmyshedwherethefirestarted。Andthere’dbeenapileofshavin’sthere，too，andthere’dbeenkeroseneon’em。Whosmashedthebottleoverinthefield，hey？”
CaptainEriseemedtobethinking。”Web”evidentlysethisowninterpretationonthissilence，forhewenton，raisinghisvoiceashedidso。”DidyouthinkIwasfoolenoughnottoknowwhosetthatfire？I
knewthenightsheburned，andwhenImetDr。Palmerjestcomin’
fromyourhouse，andhetoldmehowoldBaxterwastooksickgoin’
tothefire——oh，yes，GOIN’——Iwentuponthathillrightoff，andIhuntedandIfoundthings，andwhatIfoundIkept。AndwhatI
foundwhenIpulledthatburnedshedtopiecesIkept，too。AndI’vegot’emyit！””Youhave，hey？Dear！dear！””YoubetIhave！Andsomebody’sgoin’topayfor’em。Goin’topay，pay，PAY！Isthatplain？”
TheCaptainmadenoanswer。Hethrusthishandsintohispocketsandlookedatthestovedolefully，soitseemedtothemanofbusiness。”FustoffIthoughtI’dhavetheoldcussjailed，”continuedMr。
Saunders。”Then，thinksI，’No，thatwon’tpaymeformybuildin’
andmybus’nesshurtandallthat。’SoIwaitedforBaxtertogitwell，meanin’tomakehimpayorgotothejug。Buthestayedsicka-purpose，Ib’lieve，themean，white-headed，psalm-singin’——”
CaptainErimoveduneasilyandbrokein，”Yougotyourinsurancemoney，didn’tyou？””Yes，Idid，butwhosefaultisthat？’Twa’n’this，noranyotherdarned’Come-Outer’s。’Itdon’tpaymeformytrouble，noritdon’tmakemesquarewiththegang。Igen’rallygitevensometimeor’nother，andI’llgitsquarenow。Whenthatgirlcomehere，swellin’’roundandputtin’onairs，Iseemychance，andtoldhertopayuporhergranddadwouldbeshovedintoOstablejail。Thatgiveherthejumps，Itellyou！””Youwroteheraletter，didn’tyou？””YoubetIdid！Shecome’roundtoseemeinahurry。Saidshedidn’thavenomoney。Itoldherhergranddaddid，anshecouldgitthatorgotoworkandearnsome。Iguessshethoughtshe’drutherwork。Oh，I’vegotherandherprayin’，house-burnin’
granddadwhereIwant’em，andI’vegotyou，too，EriHedge，stickin’youroarin。Talktome’boutblackmail！FortwocentsI’djailtheoldmanandyou，too！”
ThiswastherealMr。Saunders。Heusuallykeptthissideofhisnatureforhomeuse；hiswifewaswellacquaintedwithit。
CaptainEriwasevidentlyfrightened。Hismannerhadbecomealmostapologetic。”Well，”hesaid，”Iwouldn’tdothatifIwasyou，Web。IheardyoutellElsielastnightshewa’n’tpayin’youenough，andI
thought——””Iknowwhatyouthought。Youthoughtyoucouldscareme。Youdidn’tknowIhadthecoatandhat，didyou？Well，whatIsaidI
standby。ThegirlAIN’Tpayin’meenough。Fourteendollarsaweekshegits，andshe’sonlybeengivin’upten。Iwantmore。I
want——”
ButhereCaptainEriinterruptedhim。”Iguessthat’lldo，”hesaidcalmly。”You’vetoldmewhatI
wantedtoknow。TendollarsaweeksencethemiddleofNovember。
’Boutseventydollars，roughfiggerin’。Now，then，handitover。””What？””Handoverthatseventydollars。””Handoverhell！Whatareyoutalkin’’bout？”
TheCaptainroseand，leaningover，shookhisforefingerinMr。
Saunders’flabbyredface。”Youlow-lived，thievin’rascal，”hesaid，”I’mgivin’youachanceyoudon’tdeserve。Eitheryou’llpaymethatmoneyyou’vestolefromthatgirlorI’llwalkoutofthatdoor，andwhenIcomeinagainthesheriff’llbewithme。Now，which’llitbe？Thinkquick。”
Web’striumphantexpressionwasgone，andrageandmalicehadtakenitsplace。Hesaw，now，thattheCaptainhadtrickedhimintotellingmorethanheought。Butheburstoutagain，trippingoverwordsinhisexcitement。”Think！”heyelled。”Idon’tneedtothink。Bringinyoursheriff。I’llmarchdowntoyourhouseandI’llshowhimthemanthatsetfiretomybuildin’。What’llyouandthatsnivelin’
granddaughterofhisdothen？Youmakeofftothinkaturriblelotoftheoldprayer-machine’causehe’syourchum。How’dyouliketoseehimtookupforafirebug，hey？””Iain’tafraidofthat。””Youain’t？YouAIN’T！Whynot？””’Causehe’sgonewhereyoucan’tgitathim。HediedjestaforeI
leftthehouse。”
Mr。Saunders’brandishedfistfellheavilyonthearmofhischair。
Hisfaceturnedwhiteinpatches，andthenflamedredagain。”Died！”hegasped。”Died。””You——you’realiar！””No，Iain’t。JohnBaxter’sdead。Hewasachumofmine——you’rerightthere——andifI’dknownasneaklikeyouwasafterhimI’dhavebeenherelongaforethis。Why，you——”
TheCaptain’svoiceshook，butherestrainedhimselfandwenton。”Now，youseewhereyoustand，don’tyou？Long’sJohnlivedyouhadtheprooftoconvicthim；I’llownuptothatmuch。Ihidthecoat；Ismashedthebottle。ThehatIdidn’tknow’bout。Imighthavetoldyouatfustthatallthatdidn’tamounttoanything，butIthoughtI’dwaitandletyoutellmewhatmoreIwantedtoknow。
JohnBaxter’sgone，poorfeller，andallyourproofain’tworthacent。Notoneredcent。Understand？”
ItwasquiteevidentthatMr。Saundersdidunderstand，forhiscountenanceshowedit。Buttheblusterwasnotoutofhimyet。”Allright，”hesaid。”Anyhow，thegirl’sleft，andifshedon’tpayI’llshowhergranddadupforwhathewas。AndI’llshowyouup，too。Yes，Iwill！”heshouted，asthispossibilitybegantodawnonhim。”I’llletfolksknowhowyouhidthatcoatand——andalltherestofit。””No，youwon’t。””Whywon’tI？””’Causeyouwon’tdareto。You’vebeenhittin’atasickmanthroughagirl；neitherof’emcouldhitback。Butnowyou’redoin’bus’nesswithme，andIain’tsick。Ifyouopenyourmouthtoanybody，——ifyouletasoulknowwhosetthatfire，——I’llwalkstraighttoJedgeBaker，andI’lltellhimthewholestory。I’lltellhimwhatIdidandwhyIdidit。AndTHENI’lltellhimwhatyoudid——howyoubulliedmoneyoutofthatgirlthathadn’tnomoretodowiththefirethanababy。Ifitcomestofacin’ajuryI’lltakemychances，buthow’boutyou？You，runnin’atownnuisancethatthes’lectmenaretalkin’ofstoppin’already；sellin’rumbythedrinkwhenyourlicensesaysitshan’tbesold’ceptbythebottle。Where’llYOURcharacterlandyouonachargeofblackmail？”Andanotherthing。ThefolksinthistownknewJohnBaxteraforehewaslikewhathe’sbeenlately。Agoodmanyof’emsworebyhim——yes，sir，bymighty，someof’emlovedhim！Thisisalaw-
abidin’town，buts’pose——jests’poseIshouldgotosomeofthefellersthatusedtosailwithhim，andtell’emwhatyou’vebeenupto。Thinkyou’dstayherelong？_I_thinkyou’dmoveout——onarail。”
CaptainEripausedandsatonthearmofhischair，grimlywatchinghisopponent，whoseturnforthinkinghadcome。ThefaceofthebilliardmagnatewasaninterestingstudyinexpressionduringtheCaptain’sspeech。Fromexcitedtriumphithadfallentofearanddejection；andnow，outofthewreck，wasappearingoncemoretheoilysmile，thesugaredsweetnessoftheevery-dayMr。Saunders。”Now，Cap’nHedge，”purredthereconstructedone，”youandmehasalwaysbeengoodfriends。Wehadn’toughttofightlikethis。I
don’tthinkeitherofuswantstogotocourt。Let’sseeifwecan’tfixthethingupsomeway。””We’llfixitupwhenyoupaymetheseventydollars。””Now，Cap’nHedge，’tain’tlikelyI’vegotseventydollarsinmypocket。Seemstomeyou’reprettyhardonapoorfellerthat’sjestbeenburntout。Ithinkwe’doughtto——””HowmuchHAVEyougot？”
AfteragooddealoftalkandprotestationMr。Saundersacknowledgedbeingthepossessoroftwenty-sixdollars，dividedbetweenthecashdrawerandhispocket。ThishereluctantlyhandedtotheCaptain。
ThentheCaptaindemandedpen，ink，andpaper；andwhentheywerebroughthelaboriouslywroteoutascreedtotheeffectthatWebsterSaundershadreceivedofElsiePrestonforty-fourdollars，whichsumhepromisedtopayondemand。”There，”hesaid，pushingthewritingmaterialsacrossthetable。”Signthat。”
AtfirstMr。Saunderspositivelyrefusedtosign。Thenheintimatedthathehadratherwaitandthinkitoveralittlewhile。
Finallyheaffixedhissignatureandspitefullythrewthepenacrosstheroom。
CaptainErifoldedupthepaperandputitinhispocket。Thenheroseandputonhispeajacket。”Now，there’sjestonethingmore，”hesaid。”Trotoutthatcoatandhat。””Whatdoyoumean？””TrotoutthatcoatandhatofJohn’s。Iwant’em。””Ishan’tdoit。””Allright，then。It’salloff。I’llstepoverandseetheJedge。
You’llhearfromhimandmelater。””Holdonaminute，Cap’n。You’reinsuchaeverlastin’hurry。I
don’tcareanything’bouttheoldduds，butIdon’tknow’sIknowwheretheyare。Seemstomethey’reuptothehousesomewheres。
I’llgive’emtoyouto-morrer。””You’llgive’emtomerightnow。I’lltendshopwhileyougoafter’em。”
Foramomentitlookedasthoughthemanofbusinesswouldrebeloutright。ButtheCaptainwassocalm，andevidentlysodeterminedtodoexactlywhathepromised，that”Web”gaveupindespair。
Mutteringthatmaybetheywere”’roundtheplace，afterall，”hewentintothebackroomandreappearedwiththeburnedcoatandthescorchedwhitefelthat。Slammingthemdownonthecounter，hesaidsulkily，”Theretheybe。Anymoreofmyprop’tyyou’dliketohave？”
CaptainErididn’tanswer。Coollytearingoffseveralsheetsofwrappingpaperfromtherollatthebackofthecounter，hemadeabundleofthehatandcoat，andtuckeditunderhisarm。Thenheputonhisownhatandstartedforthedoor。”Good-mornin’，”hesaid。
ThetemperoftheexasperatedMr。Saundersflaredupinafinaloutburst。”Youthinkyou’realmightysmart，don’tyou？”hegrowledbetweenhisteeth。”I’llsquareupwithyoubyandby。”
TheCaptainturnedsharply，hishandonthelatch。”Iwishyou’dtry，”hesaid。”IjestwishtoGodyou’dtry。I’veheldinmore’nIthoughtIcouldwhenIcomeuphere，butifyouwanttostartareelfust-classrumpus，onethat’lllandyouwhereyoub’longandridthistownofyouforkeeps，jesttrysomeofyourtricksonme。AndifIhearofonewordthatyou’vesaid’boutthiswholebus’ness，I’llknowit’stimetostartin。Now，youcankeepstillorfight，jestasyouplease。Itellyouhonest，I’mostwishyou’dfight。”
Thedoorslammed。Mr。Saundersopeneditagainandgazedvindictivelyafterthebulkyfiguresplashingthroughtheslush。
Thedogcamesneakingupandrubbedhisnoseagainsthismaster’shand；itwasanimpoliticmoveonhispart。”Gitout！”roared”Web，”delightedattheopportunity。”Yougood-
for-nothin’pup！How’sthatset？””That”wasakickthatdoubledthecurupagainstthesettee。Asitscrambledtoitsfeet，Mr。Saunderskickeditagain。Andthenthe”watchdog”exhibitedthefirstevidenceofspiritthatithadeverbeenknowntoshow。Withasnarl，asthemanturnedaway，itsettleditsteethintothecalfofhisleg，andthenshotoutofthedoorand，withitstailbetweenitslegs，wentdowntheroadlikeayellowcannonball。
CHAPTERXVII
THROUGHFIREANDWATER
Itwastrue——JohnBaxterwasdead。Hisviolentoutbreakofthepreviousafternoonhadhastenedtheendthatthedoctorhadprophesied。Therewasnoharrowingdeathscene。Theweather-
beatenoldfacegrewcalmer，and，thesleepsounder，untilthetidewentout——thatwasall。Itwaslikeapeacefulcomingintoportafteraroughvoyage。Nooneofthewatchersaboutthebedcouldwishhimback，notevenElsie，whowascalmandbravethroughitall。Whenitwasover，shewenttoherroomandMrs。Snowwentwithher。CaptainEriwentouttomakehiscalluponMr。Saunders。
ThefuneralwasoneofthelargesteverheldinOrham。Thelittlehousewascrowded。Oldfriends，whohaddriftedawayfromthefanaticinhislatterdays，camebacktopaytributetothestrongmanwhomtheyhadknownandloved。Therewassomediscussionamongthecaptainsastowhoshouldpreachthefuneralsermon。ElsiehadleftthisquestiontoCaptainEriforsettlement，andthetrioandMrs。Snowwentintoexecutivesessionimmediately。”IfJohnhadhadthesettlin’ofithimself，”observedEri，”he’dhavepickedPerley，thereain’tnodoubt’boutthat。””Iknowit，”saidCaptainPerez，”butyoumustrememberthatJohnwa’n’thimselfforyears，andwhathe’dhavedonenowain’twhathe’dhavedone’forehebrokedown。IhatetothinkofPerley’sdoin’it，somehow。””Isn’tMr。Perleyagoodman？”askedthehousekeeper。”He’sgoodenough，fur’sIknow，”repliedCaptainJerry，”butI
knowwhatPerezmeans。Afuneral，seemstome，oughttobeaquiet，soothin’sortofathing，andthereain’tnothin’soothin’
’boutCome-Outer’preachin’。He’llbellerandrave’round，I’m’fraid，andstiruppoorElsiesoshewon’tnevergitoverit。””Iknowit，”agreedCaptainEri。”That’swhatI’vebeenafraidof。
Andyit，”headded，”Ishouldfeelwewasdoin’somethin’jestoppositefromwhatJohnwouldlike，ifwehadanybodyelse。””Couldn’tyouseeMr。Perleybeforehand，”suggestedMrs。Snow，”andtellhimjestthekindofsermonhemustpreach。Tellhimitmustbequietandcomfortin’and——””Andshort。”CaptainErifinishedthesentenceforher。”Iguessthat’sthewaywe’llhavetosettleit。I’llmakehimunderstandonething，though——hemustn’tdraginrumsellin’andalltherestofitbytheheels。IfhedoesI’ll——Idon’tknowwhatI’lldotohim。”
TheinterviewwiththeReverendPerleythatfollowedthisconversationmusthavebeeneffective，forthesermonwassurprisinglybriefandassurprisinglycalm。Infact，sorationalwasitthatafewofthemoreextremeamongthepreacher’sfollowingwereabitdisappointedandinquiredanxiouslyastotheirleader’shealth，aftertheceremonywasover。
Theprocessionofcarryallsandbuggiesfollowedthehearsetothecemeteryamongthepines，and，asthemournersstoodaboutthegrave，thewinterwindsangthroughtheevergreenbranchesasongsoliketheroarofthesurfthatitseemedlikeadirgeoftheseaforthemarinerwhowouldsailnomore。AstheywereclearingawaythesupperdishesthatnightCaptainErisaidtoMrs。Snow，”Well，John’sgone。Iwonderifhe’shappiernowthanhehasbeenforthelasttenyearsorso。””Ithinkheis，”wastheanswer。”Well，sodoI，butifhehadn’tbeena’ComeOuter’Idon’ts’poseBrotherPerleyandhiscrowdwouldhavefiggeredthathehadmuchshow。Seemssometimesasiffolkslikethat——reelgood-heartedfolks，too，thatwouldn’thurtafly——gitsolidcomfortoutofthefeelin’thateverybodythatdon’tagreewith’emisboundtoeverlastin’torment。Idon’tknowbutit’swickedtosayit，buthonest，itseemsasifthemkindwould’boutassoongiveupthehopesofHeavenforthemselvesastheywouldthesatisfactionofknowin’’twast’otherplacefortheotherfeller。”
Towhichremarkthesomewhatshockedhousekeepermadenoreply。
ThefollowingdayElsiewentbacktoherschool。CaptainEriwalkedupwithher，and，ontheway，toldherofhisdiscoveryofhersecret，andofhisinterviewwith”Web”Saunders。ItwasexactlyastheCaptainhadsurmised。Thenoteshehadreceivedontheeveningofthereturnfromthelife-savingstationwasfromtheproprietorofthebilliardsaloon，andinithehintedatsomedirecalamitythatovershadowedhergrandfather，anddemandedanimmediateinterview。Shehadseenhimthatnightand，underthreatofinstantexposure，hadpromisedtopaythesumrequiredforsilence。Shehadnotwishedtousehergrandfather’smoneyforthispurpose，andsohadtakenthepositionasteacher。”Well，”saidtheCaptain，”Iwishyou’dhavecometomerightaway，andtoldmethewholebus’ness。’Twouldhavesavedapileoftrouble。”
Theyoungladystoppedshortandfacedhim。”CaptainEri，”shesaid，”howcouldI？Iwassuregrandfatherhadsetthefire。Iknewhowillhewas，andIknewthatanyshockmightkillhim。Besides，howcouldIdragyouintoit，whenyouhaddonesomuchalready？Itwouldhavebeendreadful。No，I
thoughtitallout，anddecidedImustfaceitalone。””Well，Itellyouthis，Elsie；prettygin’rallyameandog’llbiteifheseesyou’reafraidofhim。Theonlywaytohandlethatkindistorunstraightathimandkickthemeannessoutofhim。Themorehebarkstheharderyououghttokick。Ifyourunawayonceit’llbemightyuncomf’tableeverytimeyougopastthathouse。
Butnevermind；Ical’latethisp’tic’larpupwon’tbite；I’vepulledhisteeth，Iguess。What’syourplans，now？Goin’tokeeponwiththeschool，orgobacktoBoston？”
MissPrestondidn’tknow；shesaidshehadnotyetdecided，and，astheschoolhousewasreachedbythistime，theCaptainsaidnomore。
Therewas，however，anotherquestionthattroubledhim，andthatseemedtocallforalmostimmediatesettlement。Itwas:WhatshouldbedonewithMrs。Snow？ThehousekeeperhadbeenhiredtoactassuchwhileJohnBaxterwasinthehouse。Nowhewasgone，andthereremainedtheoriginalmarriageagreementbetweenCaptainJerryandthewidow，andhonorcalledforadecisiononewayortheother。Mrs。Snow，ofcourse，saidnothingaboutit，neitherdidCaptainJerry，andCaptainErifeltthathemusttaketheinitiativeasusual。But，somehow，hewasnotaspromptaswashiswont，andsateveningafterevening，whittlingattheclipperandsmokingthoughtfully。Andanotherweekwentby。
CaptainPerezmight，andprobablywould，havesuggestedactionuponthisimportantmatter，hadnothismindbeentakenupwithwhat，tohim，wasthemostimportantofall。HehadmadeuphismindtoaskPatienceDavistomarryhim。
Loveislikethemeasles；itgoeshardwithamanpastfifty，andCaptainPerezwasseverelysmitten。Thedecisionjustmentionedwasnotexactlyabrand-newone，hismindhadbeenmadeupforsometime，buthelackedthecouragetoaskthemomentousquestion。
SomethingtheladyhadsaidduringthefirststagesoftheiracquaintancemadeagreatimpressionontheCaptain。Shegaveitasheropinionthatamanwholovedawomanshouldbewillingtogothroughfireandwatertowinher。CaptainPerezwenthomethatnightponderingdeeply。”Fireandwater！”hemused。”That’saturribletest。Butshe’sawonderfulwoman，andwouldexpectitofafeller。IwonderifI
coulddoit；seems’sifIwouldnow，butfleshisweak，andI
mightflunk，andthatwouldsettleit。Fireandwater！My！my！
that’sawful！”
SotheCaptaindelayedandMissPatience，whohadcherishedhopes，foundneedofagoodshareofthevirtueforwhichshewasnamed。
Butoneafternoonattheendoftheweekfollowingthatofthefuneral，Perezsetoutforacalluponhisintendedwhichhemeantshouldbeadecisiveone。Hehadscrewedhiscourageuptothetopnotch，andashetoldCaptainEriafterwards，hemeantto”hailherandgithisbearin’s，ifhefounderedthenextminute。”
Hefoundtheladyalone，foroldMrs。Mayohadgonewithherson，whosenamewasAbner，tovisitacousininHarniss，andwouldnotbebackuntillateintheevening。MissPatiencewasverygladtohavecompany，anditrequirednogreatamountofurgingtopersuadetheinfatuatedswaintostaytotea。Whenthemealwasover——theywashedthedishestogether，andtheCaptainwassonervousthatitisawondertherewasawholeplateleft——thepairwereseatedintheparlor。ThensaidCaptainPerez，turningredandhesitating，”Pashy，doyouknowwhatafellertoldme’boutyou？”
Now，thisremarkwaspurelyapleasantfiction，fortheCaptainwasabouttoundertakeacompliment，andwasratherafraidtoshouldertheentireresponsibility。”No；I’msureIdon’t，Perez，”repliedMissDavis，smilingsweetly。”Well，afellertoldmeyouwasthebesthousekeeperinOrham。Hesaidthatthemanthatgotyouwouldbelucky。”
Thiswasencouraging。MissPatiencecoloredandsimperedalittle。”Landsake！”sheexclaimed。”Whoevertoldyousuchrubbishasthat？Besides，”withdowncasteyes，”Iguessnomanwouldeverwantme。””Oh，Idon’tknow。”TheCaptainmoveduneasilyinhischair，asifhecontemplatedhitchingitnearertothatoccupiedbyhiscompanion。”Iguessthere’splentywouldbemightygladtogityou。Anyhow，there’s——there’sonethat——that——Ical’latethefog’sthickasever，don’tyou？”
ButMissPatiencedidn’tmeantogiveupinthisway。”Whatwasityouwasgoin’tosay？”sheasked，bywayofgivingthebashfuloneanotherchance。”Iwasgoin’tosay，Pashy，that——that——Iaskedifyouthoughtthefogwasasthickasever。””Oh，dearme！Yes，Is’poselikely’tis，”wasthediscouragedanswer。”SeemstomeIneverseesuchweatherforthistimeofyear。Theiceisalloutofthebay，andthereain’tabitofwind，andit’swarmassummer，prettynigh。Kindofastorm-breeder，I’mafraid。””Well，I’mgladyou’reheretokeepmecomp’ny。I’veneverbeensolealoneinthishouseafore，andIshouldbedreadfullonesomeifyouhadn’tcome。”Thiswasofferedasafreshbait。”Pashy，I’vegotsomethin’Iwantedtoaskyou。Doyouthinkyoucould——er——er——””What，Perez？””Iwantedtoaskyou”——theCaptainswallowedseveraltimes——”toaskyou——Whatinthenationisthat？””Oh，that’snothin’onlythehenssquawkin’。Goon！””Yes，buthensdon’tsquawkthistimeofnight’thouttheyhavesomereasonto。It’sthatfoxcomeback；that’swhat’tis。”
MissPatience，earlierintheevening，hadrelatedaharrowingtaleofthelossoftwoofMrs。Mayo’sbestLeghornsthathadgonetofurnishaSundaymealforamaraudingfox。AsthesaidLeghornsweretheprideoftheoldlady’sheart，eventheimpendingproposalwasdrivenfromMissDavis’mind。”Oh，Perez！youdon’ts’pose’tisthefox，doyou？””Yes，MA’AM，Ido！Where’sthegun？””There’tis，behindthedoor，butthereain’tamiteofshotinthehouse。Abner’sbeengoin’tofetchsomefromthestoreforIdon’tknowhowlong，buthe’salwaysforgotit。””Nevermind。I’llpoundthecritterwiththebutt。Comequick，andbringalamp。”
Thenoiseinthehenyardcontinued，andwhentheyopenedthedooritwaslouderthanever。”He’sinthehenhouse，”whisperedMissPatience。”Hemusthavegoneinthatholeatthesidethathadthelooseboardoverit。””Allright，”murmuredtheCaptain。”Yougo’roundwiththelampandopenthedoor。That’llscarehim，andI’llstandattheholeandthumphimwhenhecomesout。”
So，shieldingthelampwithherapron，theguardianofMrs。Mayo’soutragedLeghornstiptoedaroundtothehenhousedoor，whileCaptainPerez，brandishingthegunlikeaclub，tookuphisstandbytheholeattheside。
Withoutthelampthedarknesswaspitchy。TheCaptain，stoopingdowntowatch，sawsomethingcomingoutofthehole——somethingthatwasaliveandmoved。Heswungthegunabovehishead，and，bringingitdownwithallhismight，knockedintoeternaloblivionthelittleliferemaininginthefinestLeghornrooster。”Consarnit！”yelledtheexecutioner，stoopingandlayinghishandonthevictim，”I’vekilledahen！”
Justthentherecameascreamfromtheothersideofthehenhouse，followedbyacrashandthesoundofafall。RunningaroundthecornerthealarmedPerezsawhislady-lovestretchedupontheground，groaningdismally。”GreatlandofGoshen！”hecried。”Pashy，areyouhurt？””Oh，Perez！”gaspedthefallenone。”Oh，Perez！”
ThispitifulappealhadsuchaneffectupontheCaptainthathedroppeduponhiskneesand，raisingMissDavis’headinhishands，beggedhertosayshewasn’tkilled。Aftersomelittletimesheobliginglycomplied，andthen，havingregainedherbreath，explainedthesituation。
Whathadhappenedwasthis:Thefox，havingselectedhisvictimtherooster，hadrenderedithelpless，andwaspushingitoutoftheholeaheadofhim。TheCaptainhadstrucktheroosterjustasMissPatienceopenedthedoor，andthefox，seizingthischanceofescape，haddodgedbythelady，upsettingherashewent。”Well，”shesaid，laughing，”there’snogreatharmdone。I’msorryfortherooster，butIguessthefoxhadfixedhimanyway。Oh，mysoulandbody！lookthere！”
Perezturned，lookedasdirected，andsawthehenhouseinflames。
Thelightedlamp，whichMissPatiencehaddroppedasshefell，laybrokenonthefloor，andtheblazingoilhadrunineverydirection。
Theflamesweremakingsuchheadwaythattheybothsawtherewaspracticallynochanceofsavingthebuilding。Thefrightenedhenswerehuddledinthefurthestcorner，gazingstupidlyatthefire。”Oh，thosepoorLeghorns！”wailedMissPatience。”ThosehensMrs。
Mayothoughttheworldof，andleftmetolookoutfor。Lastthingsheaskedmewastobesuretheywasfed。Andnowthey’llbeallburnedup！WhatSHALLIdo？”
Heretheladybegantocry。”Pashy！”roaredtheCaptain，whomthesightofhischarmer’stearshaddrivenalmostwild，”don’tsayanotherword。I’llsavethemhensorgitcookedalongwith’em！”
Andturninguphiscoatcollar，asthoughhewasgoingintoarefrigeratorinsteadofaburningbuilding，CaptainPerezsprangthroughthedoor。
MissDavisscreamedwildlytohimtocomeback，anddancedabout，wringingherhands。Theinteriorofthehenhousewasnowamassofblacksmoke，fromwhichthevoicesoftheCaptainandtheLeghornsfloatedinadiscordantmedley，somethinglikethis:”Holdstill，youlunatics！”Squawk！squawk！”Drutherberoastedthanhavemecatchyou，hadn’tyou？”Squawk！squawk！”A——
kershew！Land！I’msmothered！NOWI’vegotyou！Thunderation！
HoldSTILL！HOLDSTILL，Itellyou！”
JustastheagonizedMissPatiencewasonthepointoffainting，thelittlewindowatthebackoftheshantywasthrownopenandtwohens，likefeatheredcomets，shotthroughit。ThentheredfaceoftheCaptainappearedforaninstantashecaughthisbreathwitha”Woosh！”anddivedbackagain。Thisperformancewasrepeatedsixtimes，theCaptain’slanguageandthecomplimentshepaidthehensbecomingmorepicturesqueeverymoment。
Atlengthheannounced，”That’sall，thankgoodness！”andbegantoclimbthroughthewindow。Thiswasadifficulttask；forthewindowwasnarrowand，inspiteofwhatCaptainErihadcalledhis”ingy-rubber”makeup，CaptainPerezstuckfast。”Catchholdofmyhandsandhaul，willyou，Pashy？”hepleaded。”That’sit；pullhard！It’sgittin’sortofmuggyinbehindhere。
I’llnevercomplainathavin’coldfeetag’inifIgitoutofthis。
Now，then！Ugh！Herewebe！”
Hecameoutwithajerk，likeacorkoutofabottle，androlledonthegroundathislady’sfeet。”Oh，Perez！”sheexclaimed，”areyouhurt？””Nothin’butmyfeelin’s，”growledtherescuer，scramblingupright。”IreadabookoncebyafellernamedJoshuaBillin’s，orsomethin’
likeit。Hewasaignorantchap——couldn’tspelltwowordsright——
buthehadconsider’blesense。Hesaidahenwasadarnfool，andhewasright；she’sallthat。”
TheCaptain’sfacewasblackened，andhisclotheswerescorched，buthisspiritwasundaunted。”Pashy，”hesaid，”doyourealizethatifwedon’tgithelp，thiswholeshebang，houseandall，willburndown？””Perez，youdon’tmeanit！””Iwouldn’tswearthatIdidn’t。Lookhowthatthing’sblazin’！
There’sthebarnt’othersideofit，andthehouset’othersideofthat。””Butcan’tyouandmeputitout？””Idon’tdarereskit。No，sir！We’vegottogithelp，andgititinahurry，too！””Won’tsomebodyfromthestationseethelightandcomeover？””Notinthisfog。Youcan’tseeahundredfoot。No，I’vegottogorightoff。Goodland！Ineverthought！Isthehorsegone？””No；thehorseishere。AbnertookoneofthestorehorsestogotoHarnisswith。Buthedidtakethebuggy，andthere’snoothercarriagebuttheoldcarryall，andthat’salmosttumblin’topieces。””Iwascal’latin’togohorseback。””What！andleavemeherealonewiththehouseafire？No，indeed！
Ifyougo，I’mgoin’，too。””Well，then，thecarryll’sgottodo，whetherorno。Gitonashawlorsomethin’，whileIharnessup。”
Itwasafranticharnessing，butitwasdoneinahurry，andtheramshackleoldcarryall，dustyandcobwebbed，wasdraggedoutofthebarn，andHoraceGreeley，thehorse，wasbackedintotheshafts。Astheydroveoutoftheyardtheflameswereroaringthroughtheroofofthehenhouse，andthelathfencesurroundingitwasbeginningtoblaze。”Everything’ssowetfromthefogandthemeltedsnow，”observedtheCaptain，”thatit’lltakesometimeforthefiretogittothebarn。Ifwecangitagangherewecansavethehouseeasy，andmaybemore。Bymighty！”heejaculated，”Itellyouwhatwe’lldo。
I’lldriveacrossthefordandgitLutherandsomeofthestationmentocomerightacross。ThenI’llgoontothevillagetofetchmore。ItwassevenwhenIlookedattheclockaswecomeinfromwashin’dishes，sothetidemustbestillgoin’out，andthefordjestright。Gitdap！””Hurryallyoucan，forgoodness’sake！Isthisasfastaswecango？””Fastaswecangowiththiseverlastin’Noah’sArk。Heavens！howthemwheelssqueal！””Theaxlesain’tbeengreasedforIdon’tknowwhen。Abnerwasgoingtohavetheoldcarriagechoppedupforkindlin’wood。””Luckyforhimandus’tain’tchoppedupnow。Gitdap，slow-poke！
Betterchopthehorseup，too，whilehe’s’boutit。”
ThelastremarktheCaptainmadeunderhisbreath。”Mygracious，howdarkitis！Thinkyoucanfindthecrossin’？””GOTtofindit；that’sall。’Tisdark，that’safact。”
Itwas。Theyhadgonebutafewhundredyards；yetthefirewasalreadymerelyashapeless，redsmudgeonthefoggyblacknessbehindthem。HoraceGreeleypoundedalongatajog，andwhentheCaptainslappedhimwiththeendofthereins，brokeintoajerkygallopthatwasslowerthanthetrot。”Stopyourhoppin’upanddown！”commandedPerez，whosetemperwasbecomingsomewhatfrayed。”Youmakemethinkofthewalkin’beamonasteamboat。Ifyou’dstoptryin’toflyandgostraightaheadwe’ddobetter。”
Theyprogressedinthisfashionforsomedistance。ThenMissDavis，fromthecurtaineddepthsofthebackseat，spokeagain。”Oh，dearme！”sheexclaimed。”Areyousureyou’reontherighttrack？Seems’sifweMUSTbeabreastthestation，andthisroad’sawfulrough。”
CaptainPerezhadremarkedtheroughnessoftheroad。Thecarryallwaspitchingfromonehummocktoanother，andHoraceGreeleystumbledonceortwice。”Whoa！”commandedtheCaptain。Thenhegotdown，litamatch，and，shieldingitwithhishands，scrutinizedtheground。”I’mkindof’fraid，”hesaidpresently，”thatwe’vegotofftheroadsomehow。
Butwemustbe’boutoppositethecrossin’。I’mgoin’todrivedownandseeifIcanfindit。”
Heturnedthehorse’sheadatrightanglesfromthewaytheyweregoing，andtheypitchedonwardforanotherhundredyards。Thentheycameoutuponthehard，smoothsand，andheardthewaterlappingontheshore。CaptainPerezgotoutoncemoreandwalkedalongthestrand，bendingforwardashewalked。SoonMissPatienceheardhimcalling。”I’vefoundit，Iguess，”hesaid，comingbacktothevehicle。”Anyhow，itlookslikeit。We’llbeoverinafewminutesnow。
Gitdap，you！”
HoraceGreeleyshiveredasthecoldwatersplashedhislegs，butwadedbravelyin。Theymovedfurtherfromtheshoreandthewaterseemedtogrownodeeper。”Guessthisisthecrossin’allright，”saidtheCaptain，whohadcherishedsomesecretdoubts。”Here’sthedeeppartcomin’。We’llbeacrossinajiffy。”
Thewatermountedtothehubs，thentothebottomofthecarryall。
MissDavis’feetgrewdampandshedrewthemup。”Oh，Perez！”shefaltered，”areyousurethisistheford？””Don’tgitscared，Pashy！Iguessmaybewe’vegotalittletoonesideofthetrack。I’llturn’roundandtryagain。”
ButHoraceGreeleywasofadifferentmind。Fromlongexperienceheknewthatthewaytocrossafordwastogostraightahead。Thebottomofthecarryallwasawash。”Portyourhellum，youlubber！”shoutedthedriver，pullingwithallhismightononerein。”Heaveto！Come’bout！Gybe！consarnyou！gybe！”
ThenHoraceGreeleytriedtoobeyorders，butitwastoolate。Heendeavoredtotouchbottomwithhisforelegs，butcouldnot；triedtoswimwithhishindones，butfoundthatimpossible；thenwallowedwildlytoonesideandsnappedashaftandtherottenwhiffletreeshortoff。ThecarryalltippedalarminglyandMissPatiencescreamed。”Whoa！”yelledtheagitatedPerez。”’Vastheavin’！belay！”
Theanimal，asmuchfrightenedbyhisdriver’sshoutsasbythewater，shotaheadandtriedtotearhimselfloose。Theothersun-
warpedandrottenshaftbroke。Thecarryallwasnowfloating，withthewatercoveringthefloor。”Nouse；I’llhavetocutawaythewreck，orwe’llbeonourbeamends！”shoutedtheCaptain。
Hetookouthisjackknife，andreachingover，severedthetraces。