he day, and to all outward appearance they
seemed like complete strangers. But the captain's mind had been busy
upon more than his boat. He felt it was his duty to speak to Eben and
find out if he did really throw the stone which hit the girl. Several
times he was on the point of mentioning the subject, but always
hesitated. It was a delicate matter, he well knew, and for the first
time in his life he was at a loss for words. At length, however, he
brought his courage to what he thought was the sticking point.

"Say, Eben," he began. Then he paused, and looked helplessly around.

"What is it, dad?"

"D'ye think it's goin' to blow hard to-day?"

"Mebbe it will, an' mebbe it won't."

The captain gave the wheel a slight turn, and ran a little closer to
the island.

"Eben."

The boy looked curiously at his father.

"D'ye s'pose yer mother'll be waitin' fer us?"

"Most likely."

The captain shifted uneasily, and clutched the wheel with a firmer grip.

"Say, Eben, it was too bad that gal got hurt last night, wasn't it?"

The boy started, and gave his father a quick look. Then his eyes
dropped.

"What girl, dad? Ye never told me about it."

"But don't ye know, Eben?"

"Know what?"

"Quit yer nonsense. Didn't ye hear about that gal who came up river
with us gittin' hurt?"

"Naw, never heard a word."

"Ye didn't!" The captain stared at his son. Surely, he thought, the
boy is not adding a lie to his misdeed.

"I ain't seen anybody this mornin' but you, dad," Eben explained. "How
could I hear anything?"

"Sure, sure, I guess yer right. But I did think mebbe ye'd thrown that
stone. I'm mighty glad to learn that ye know nuthin' about it."

"I didn't say I know nuthin'. Ye didn't ask me that."

"Didn't I? Why, I thought I spoke plain enough."

"Oh, shucks! Ye jist asked me if I had heard about it, which I didn't.
Nobody told me, but I know jist the same. I threw that stone."

There was an expression of defiance upon the boy's face, and his eyes
were blazing. He partly expected his father to swing upon him with
strong words of reproof. In this, however, he was mistaken. The
captain remained very quiet for a few minutes, which seemed, to Eben
much longer. At last he turned and looked at his son. His rough,
knotted hands trembled on the wheel, and his eyes were misty. Eben
never saw him look at him in such a way before. Had he stormed and
raged it would have but increased his defi