was dry ground.

"There!" he grumbled, breathlessly. "Now I cal'late you can't miss the
rest of it. There's the bungalow right in front of you."

"You--you--" she gasped, chokingly.

"Ugh!" grunted her husband, and stalked off into the dark.

CHAPTER XI

BEHIND THE SAND DUNE

"A fog last night, wasn't there?" inquired Brown. Breakfast was over,
and Seth was preparing for his day's sleep.

"Yes, some consider'ble," was the gruff answer; then, more sharply,
"How'd you know? 'Twas all gone this mornin'."

"Oh, I guessed, that's all."

"Humph! Guessed, hey? You wa'n't up in the night, was you?"

"No. Slept like a top all through."

"Humph! . . . Well, that's good; sleep's a good thing. Cal'late I'll
turn in and get a little myself."

He moved toward the living room. At the door he paused and asked another
question.

"How'd you--er--guess there was fog last night?" he inquired.

"Oh, that was easy; everything--grass and bushes--were so wet this
morning. Those boots of yours, for example," pointing to the pair the
lightkeeper had just taken off, "they look as if you had worn them
wading."

His back was toward his superior as he spoke, therefore he did not see
the start which the latter gave at this innocent observation, nor the
horrified glare at the soaked boots. But he could not help noticing the
change in Seth's voice.

"Wa--wadin'?" repeated Atkins faintly. "What's that you say?"

"I said the boots were as wet as if you had been wading. Why?"

"Wha--what made you say a fool thing like that? How could I go wadin' on
top of a lighthouse?"

"I don't know. . . . There, there!" impatiently, "don't ask any more
questions. I didn't say you had been wading, and I didn't suppose you
really had. I was only joking. What IS the matter with you?"

"Nothin' . . . nothin'. So you was just jokin', hey? Ha, ha! Yes, yes,
wadin' up in a lighthouse would be a pretty good joke. I--I didn't see
it at first, you know. Ha, ha! I thought you must be off your head.
Thought you'd been swimmin' too much or somethin'. So long, I'm goin' to
bed."

But now it was the helper's turn to start and stammer.

"Wait!" he cried. "What--what did you say about my--er--swimming, was
it?"

"Oh, nothin', nothin'. I was just jokin', same as you was about the
wadin'. Ha, ha!"

"Ha, ha!"

Both laughed with great heartiness. The door shut between them, and each
stared doubtfully at his side of it for several moments before tur