think she will," amended Shepperd, from behind the musician, who
was his own strong-lunged daughter Sue.

On a chair atop of a fish-box in one corner was balanced Sue, a native
genius, who puffed most industriously into a musical instrument made of
a sheet of tissue-paper wrapped around a fine-tooth comb.

Tim Lacy, though he never let on, caught the sly remark. Less guileless
than he looked was Lacy, a little man, forever lighting his pipe. He
struck another match now, and between puffs delivered a belated message.
So many years senior was Lacy to his skipper that he used to talk to him
like a father.

"You know, as you said yourself, we was to hurry, Sammie--and do come
now, Sammie"--_puff_--"and hurry on"--_puff_--"to Half-Tide
Beach"--_puff_--"and there we'll take the dory for the vessel. Ah-h,
there she's goin'. No, drat her, she's out again! Hurry on, boy. We
oughtn't be standin' here all night. The crew'll be waitin' for us wi'
the vessel at Caplin Cove. A special word they left for you, Sammie.
They says if you was here"--here Tim stepped close and whispered--"as
how I was to tell you they're feared for trouble."

He peered over the flame of the last-lit match at his skipper.

"'Tell him, Tim,' they says to me, 'that if we're to get the last o' the
herrin' aboard that they're afeard it'll have to be an early start.' I
misdoubt"--_puff_--"they have a notion of how there was goin' to be
trouble. So come on; do, boy."

"One more, Tim; one more dance before we break up. A crime to go out on
a cold night like this and not have a farewell dance. Come on, Bess;
what d'y' say? There's the girl!"

Tim was gone, but back and forth Sam and Bess sidled and stamped, and
many another minute passed with Sam still whirling his able-bodied
partner, pacing her across and back again, lifting her off her feet, and
swinging her--one, two, three full circles off the floor. And Sam was
the boy could do it, a hundred and seventy pounds though she weighed,
and continued to whirl her after the last dance till they were out of
the room and into the shadows of the porch, where he snatched her up and
kissed her fair.

The girl's heart leaped out to him. Did ever such a man make landing in
the bay before? And surely he must think the world of her? Tenderness
for him overwhelmed her; and out under the stars she whispered the words
of warning in his ear.

"What's it, Bess? You're not foolin'? The trader to the head of them?"

"Ay,