and
formidable Bennie D. He forgot all this and was again the able seaman,
the Tartar skipper who, in former days, made his crews fear, respect,
and swear by him.

And he reveled in his authority. Once Mrs. Bascom rose to peer over the
rail.

"Emeline," he snapped, "didn't I tell you to set down and set still?
Must I give orders twice? SET DOWN!"

Emeline "set."

The wind died to fitful gusts. The schooner barely moved. The fog was
as thick as ever. Still Seth did not lose courage. When the housekeeper
ventured to murmur that she was certain they would drown, he reassured
her.

"Keep your pennant mast-high, Emeline," he said cheerfully. "We ain't
out at sea, that's sure and sartin. And, until we get in the breakers,
we're safe enough. The old gal leaks some; she ain't as dry as a
Good-Templar prayer meetin', but she's afloat. And when I'm afloat I
ain't afraid, and you needn't be."

Some time after that he asked a question in his turn.

"Emeline," he said, "what in the world are you doin' here, on my
schooner?"

"Your schooner, Seth? Yours? Is this dreadful--is this boat yours?"

"Yup. She's mine. I bought her just for fun a long spell ago, and I've
been fussin' with her ever since. But I did it FOR fun; I never s'posed
she'd take a cruise--like this. And what are you and--him--doin' on
her?"

Mrs. Bascom hesitated. "It was all an accident, Seth," she explained.
"This has been an awful night--and day. Bennie and I was out ridin'
together, and we took the wrong road. We got lost, and the rain was
awful. We got out of the buggy to stand under some trees where 'twas
drier. The horse got scared at some limbs fallin' and run off. Then it
was most dark, and we got down to the shore and saw this boat. There
wa'n't any water round her then. Bennie, he climbed aboard and said the
cabin was dry, so we went into it to wait for the storm to let up. But
it kept gettin' worse. When we came out of the cabin it was all fog like
this and water everywhere. Bennie was afraid to wade, for we couldn't
see the shore, so we went back into the cabin again. And then, all at
once, there was a bump that knocked us both sprawlin'. The lantern
went out, and when we come on deck we were afloat. It was terrible. And
then--and then you came, Seth, and saved our lives."

"Humph! Maybe they ain't saved yet. . . . Emeline, where was you drivin'
to?"

"Why, we was drivin' home, or thought we was."

"Home?"

"Yes, home--back to the bu