stranger. The captain knew most of Bayport's inhabitants
by this time, or thought he did, but he did not know her. She was a
small woman, quietly dressed, and her hair, under a neat black and white
hat, was brown. The hat was now a trifle to one side and the hair was
the least bit disarranged, an effect not at all unbecoming. She was
tucking in the stray wisps as the captain, with Bos'n in his arms, came
up.

"Well, ma'am!" puffed Captain Cy. "WELL, ma'am! I must say that was
the slickest, pluckiest thing ever I saw anywheres. I don't know what
would--I--I declare I don't know how to thank you."

The lady looked at him a moment before replying. Then she began to
laugh, a jolly laugh that was pleasant to hear.

"Don't try, please," she said chokingly. "It wasn't anything. Oh, mercy
me! I'm all out of breath. You see, I had been warned about that cow
when I started to walk this afternoon. So when I saw her chasing your
poor little girl here I knew right away what was the matter. It must
have been foolish enough to look at. I'm used to dogs and cats, but I
haven't had many pet cows. I told her to 'go home' and to 'scat' and
all sorts of things. Wonder I didn't tell her to lie down! And the way I
shook that ridiculous book at her was--"

She laughed again and the captain and Bos'n joined in the laugh, in
spite of the fright they both had experienced.

"That book was dry enough to frighten almost anything," continued the
lady. "It was one I took from the table before I left the place where
I'm staying, and a duller collection of sermons I never saw. Oh, dear!
. . . there! Is my hat any more respectable now?"

"Yes'm. It's about on an even keel, I should say. But I must tell you,
ma'am, you done simply great and--"

"Seems to me the people who own that cow must be a poor set to let her
make such a nuisance of herself. Did your daughter run away from you?"

"Well, you see, ma'am, she ain't really my daughter. Bos'n here--that's
my nickname for her, ma'am--she and I was out walkin'. I set down in the
pines and I guess I must have dozed off. Anyhow, when I woke up she was
gone, and the first thing I knew of this scrape was hearin' her hail."

The little woman's manner changed. Her gray eyes flashed indignantly.

"You dozed off?" she repeated. "With a little girl in your charge, and
in the very next lot to that cow? Didn't you know the creature chased
women and girls?"

"Why, yes; I'd heard of it, but--"

"It wasn't