hick, pushing crowd.

"Yes, they would come to a knifing over a count of fish and yet give
their schooners to a friend in trouble. Too bad they ain't better
fishermen."

"Yeah, ain't it."

Among Canadians and Americans the Frenchmen are held in contempt on
account of their hooks, which are of soft metal and can be rebent and
used again. The fish often get away with them, however, and these
hidden hooks slit many a finger in dressing down.

The two comrades loitered along, watching the changing crowds, gay
with their colored caps and scarfs. Some men were already in liquor,
and all seemed to be headed in that general direction. Suddenly, as
Code was about to urge Pete along, he gave an exclamation and stopped
short.

"What's the matter, skipper?"

"I wonder where he is now?" Code's eyes were searching the crowd. "I
saw him right over there."

He pointed to a certain spot.

"Who? What? Are you crazy, Code?"

"'Arry Duncan, the traitor that ruined our bait. I'd have sworn I saw
him. It came all of a sudden and went away again. But I guess it
couldn't have been anything but a close resemblance." He laughed
nervously. "Gave me the creeps for a minute, though."

"Lor-rd!" shivered Pete, who had all the superstitions of the sea at
his fingers' ends. "Mebbe he's chasin' us around fer wrongly accusin'
him. They do that sometimes, you know. He's probably dead an' that's
his sperrit, ha'ntin' us."

"Oh, rot, Pete!" growled Code in his most forcible manner. "Come along
now or you'll be sidling into one of these doors and the _Lass_ won't
get out of port for a week."

"My soul an' body! Look at that Frenchy. Biggest I ever saw, Code."

They had returned to the sidewalk, and Pete forgot that he himself
rose fully as high above the crowds as this stranger. In fact, nearly
every one turned to take a look at the huge islander, who, in reality,
stood six feet four, barefoot.

They were pushing down-street against the tide and making rather heavy
going of it. Code maneuvered so as to pass well to leeward of the big
man who, he could see plainly, was just tipsy. But somehow the eyes of
the two giants met, and the Frenchman seemed to crush his way through
the crowd in Ellinwood's direction.

"Come on, Pete; get out of here before there's any trouble," commanded
Code. He knew the mate's weakness for fighting.

The big Frenchman, who wore tremendous earrings, a bright scarlet cap
with a blue tuft, and a gay sash, lurched