here to amuse my nephew Joe. He's always wanting stories. Comes here
yesterday and says to me, reproachful-like, as I was lifting a
twenty-pound codfish out of my boat, 'Uncle Jim, ain't a codfish a dumb
animal?' I'd been a-telling him, you see, that he must be real kind to
dumb animals, and never hurt 'em in any way. I got out of the scrape
by saying a codfish was dumb enough but it wasn't an animal, but Joe
didn't look satisfied, and I wasn't satisfied myself. You've got to be
mighty careful what you tell them little critters. THEY can see
through you."

While talking, Captain Jim watched Owen Ford from the corner of his eye
as the latter examined the life-book; and presently observing that his
guest was lost in its pages, he turned smilingly to his cupboard and
proceeded to make a pot of tea. Owen Ford separated himself from the
life-book, with as much reluctance as a miser wrenches himself from his
gold, long enough to drink his tea, and then returned to it hungrily.

"Oh, you can take that thing home with you if you want to," said
Captain Jim, as if the "thing" were not his most treasured possession.
"I must go down and pull my boat up a bit on the skids. There's a wind
coming. Did you notice the sky tonight?

Mackerel skies and mares' tails
Make tall ships carry short sails."

Owen Ford accepted the offer of the life-book gladly. On their way
home Anne told him the story of lost Margaret.

"That old captain is a wonderful old fellow," he said. "What a life he
has led! Why, the man had more adventures in one week of his life than
most of us have in a lifetime. Do you really think his tales are all
true?"

"I certainly do. I am sure Captain Jim could not tell a lie; and
besides, all the people about here say that everything happened as he
relates it. There used to be plenty of his old shipmates alive to
corroborate him. He's one of the last of the old type of P.E. Island
sea-captains. They are almost extinct now."

CHAPTER 25

THE WRITING OF THE BOOK

Owen Ford came over to the little house the next morning in a state of
great excitement. "Mrs. Blythe, this is a wonderful book--absolutely
wonderful. If I could take it and use the material for a book I feel
certain I could make the novel of the year out of it. Do you suppose
Captain Jim would let me do it?"

"Let you! I'm sure he would be delighted," cried Anne. "I admit that
it was what was in my head when I took you do