ght
off-shore, I should call it about eight miles out," said Mrs. Todd. "You
never was there, dear; 'tis off the thoroughfares, and a very bad place
to land at best."

"I should think 'twas," agreed Mrs. Fosdick, smoothing down her black
silk apron. "'Tis a place worth visitin' when you once get there. Some
o' the old folks was kind o' fearful about it. 'Twas 'counted a great
place in old Indian times; you can pick up their stone tools 'most any
time if you hunt about. There's a beautiful spring o' water, too. Yes,
I remember when they used to tell queer stories about Shell-heap Island.
Some said 'twas a great bangeing-place for the Indians, and an old chief
resided there once that ruled the winds; and others said they'd always
heard that once the Indians come down from up country an' left a captive
there without any bo't, an' 'twas too far to swim across to Black
Island, so called, an' he lived there till he perished."

"I've heard say he walked the island after that, and sharp-sighted folks
could see him an' lose him like one o' them citizens Cap'n Littlepage
was acquainted with up to the north pole," announced Mrs. Todd grimly.
"Anyway, there was Indians--you can see their shell-heap that named the
island; and I've heard myself that 'twas one o' their cannibal places,
but I never could believe it. There never was no cannibals on the coast
o' Maine. All the Indians o' these regions are tame-looking folks."

"Sakes alive, yes!" exclaimed Mrs. Fosdick. "Ought to see them painted
savages I've seen when I was young out in the South Sea Islands! That
was the time for folks to travel, 'way back in the old whalin' days!"

"Whalin' must have been dull for a lady, hardly ever makin' a lively
port, and not takin' in any mixed cargoes," said Mrs. Todd. "I never
desired to go a whalin' v'y'ge myself."

"I used to return feelin' very slack an' behind the times, 'tis true,"
explained Mrs. Fosdick, "but 'twas excitin', an' we always done extra
well, and felt rich when we did get ashore. I liked the variety. There,
how times have changed; how few seafarin' families there are left! What
a lot o' queer folks there used to be about here, anyway, when we was
young, Almiry. Everybody's just like everybody else, now; nobody to
laugh about, and nobody to cry about."

It seemed to me that there were peculiarities of character in the region
of Dunnet Landing yet, but I did not like to interrupt.

"Yes," said Mrs. Todd after a moment of