ayo!"

He stepped forward. The agent began to shout.

"Hold on, sir!" broke in the captain with quarter-deck air that made for
obedience and attention. "You have had your say! Now I'm going to
have mine. Listen to me, folks! I'm not the man to get my friends into
trouble and then run off and leave 'em. All of you who are kicked out
by the state--all men, women, and children who are ready to go to
work--come over to me on the main at Maquoit with what stuff you can
bring in your dories. I'll be waiting for you there. My name is Boyd
Mayo."

"I'll remember that name, myself," declared the angry agent. "You'll be
shown that you can't interfere in a state matter."

"You have turned these folks loose in the world, and I'm going to give
'em a hand when they come to where I am. If you choose to call that
interference, come on! It will make a fine story in court!"

He did not stop to shake the grimy hands which were thrust out to him.
He pushed his way out of the crowd, and his party followed.

"Meet me yonder on the main, boys," he called back with a sailor
heartiness which they understood. "We'll see what can be done!"

"Well, what in the infernal blazes can be done?" growled Captain
Candage, catching step with the champion.

"I don't know, sir."

"You can't do nothing any more sensible with them critters than you
could with combined cases of the smallpox and the seven years' itch."

"Father!" cried the girl, reproachfully.

"I know what I'm talking about! This is dum foolishness!"

"Captain Mayo is a noble man! You ought to be ashamed of hanging back
when your help is needed."

"I don't blame you for sassing that skewangled old tywhoopus, sir,"
admitted the old skipper. "I wanted to do it myself. But--"

"I'm afraid I don't deserve much praise," said Mayo. "I've been getting
back at that agent. He made me mad. I'm apt to go off half-cocked like
that."

"So am I, sir--and I'm always sorry for it. We'd better dig out before
that tribe of gazaboos lands on our backs."

"Oh, not a bit of it! I have given my word, sir. I must see it through."

"But what are you going to do with 'em?"

"Blessed if I know right now! When I'm good and mad I don't stop to
think."

"Suppose I meet 'em for you and tell 'em you have had a sudden death in
your family and have been called away? They won't know the difference,"
volunteered Captain Candage. "And a real death would be lucky for you
beside of what's in store if you han