't scold you this time.
You did what was right in saving that poor girl from such a brutal
father. But why didn't you tell me about it?"

The captain shuffled uneasily, although his eyes twinkled.

"I was really afraid to, Martha," he confessed. "But I was wrong.
I'll never do sich a thing agin. The next gal who flops herself aboard
the 'Eb an' Flo,' I'll bring straight home fer you to look after."

"For pity's sake, Sam'l, I hope you'll never get into such a scrape
again. And you are not out of this one yet, from all appearance. Mr.
Randall is a hard man to deal with, and I feel sure that he intends to
go to law about this affair."

"He kin go to law, or to, or to----" The captain longed to say just
where, but he checked himself in time. "If Randall wants a fight, jist
let him come along. If he gits me into court I'll tell him a few
things I didn't mention to-night."

"But it may take our place, Sam'l," Mrs. Tobin reminded. "Mr. Randall
is a rich man and money will do almost anything these days."

"I don't care a hang, Martha, how much money he's got. I've got right
on my side, an' I guess that's never forsaken a man yit, not under the
Union Jack, at any rate. To save a gal from a brute of a father is
worth a great deal to my way of thinkin'. Hey, Eben, don't ye agree
with me? You had a hand in this."

The captain turned as he spoke, but his son was not in the room.

"Where in time is that boy?" the captain asked in surprise. "He was
here a few minutes ago."

"He followed Mr. Randall out," Flo explained, "and he hasn't come back
yet."

"I s'pose he wants to see that the skunk got away without stealin' any
chickens. It's jist as well to be on guard when a feller like that's
around. Jist hand me my pipe, will ye, Flo? I want a smoke to settle
me nerves. They've been upset a bit to-night."

CHAPTER XXIV

EBEN ATTENDS TO GRIMSBY

During the conversation Eben bad been a silent listener. But his mind
was very busy, and he was doing some serious thinking. Randall
appealed to him. He knew that he was a prominent business man, and he
liked the brusque way he talked. When, however, he learned that the
Hamptons had carried off Jess, his heart filled with anger and
jealousy. He truly surmised where they had gone, for he knew how fond
John was of the cabin in the wilderness, and it would be the most
likely place where he would take the girl for safe keeping. He thought
of his encounter