self against it.

We took the goat and put him back in the wood-shed and came back to
the kitchen by way of the window. Dave, who was still braced against
the door, did not know but what we had been in the kitchen all the
time, and that gave Clancy a fine chance to take up his lecture on
intemperance just where he had left it off,--at the very beginning.
"Intemperance, Dave, is an awful thing. You'll have to be doing
something for it soon, I think. Yes, when the devil himself gives you
a call it's time to do something. You'd better come with me and take
the pledge. Come up now to Father Haley."

"I'm a Pres--a Pres--a Pres--by--ter--ian, Tommie."

"Well, come with me to your church then--any church at all. What's the
odds, so long's you reform. Here, we'll do it right here now. Come,
hold up your hand," and then and there Clancy was about to get Dave to
promise not to look a glass of liquor or punch in the face for a year
again, when who comes bouncing in but Eddie Parsons.

"Hurroo!" said Clancy, forgetting Dave and grabbing Eddie by the
shoulder, "and the Duncan's home?"

"She is," said Eddie, "and four hundred and fifty barrels of mackerel
coming out of her hold. A dozen lumpers getting 'em out from both
holds and two at a lick they're coming onto Duncan's Dock. And what
d'y'think, Tommie----"

"But what kept you so long, man? We've all been getting heart disease
waiting for you."

"I know. We ought to've been in yesterday mornin', or in the
afternoon at the latest, for we swung her off Tuesday night
midnight--plenty of time with a fair wind. But on Wednesday afternoon,
coming like a race-horse--wung out--we sighted a dory and two men in
it signalizing. Astray they were, and we took 'em aboard, and all
that night we stood by. And warn't it chafing? Oh, no! Daylight came
thick and we waited for it to clear, keeping the horn goin'. It
lifted and we got another dory, but it was late afternoon then.
Then their vessel came along with all the others accounted for, and we
turned over our two and went on our way. And maybe she didn't come!
Oh, no! Blowing? A living gale all the time, but the skipper kept her
going. You'd hardly b'lieve if I told you where we was yesterday
afternoon and we here now. A no'the-easter and a howler all the way.
At four o'clock we passed in by the bell-buoy. Man, such a blow!
Are we in the race, you say? Are we! And oh, the skipper says for you
and Joe to be down after breakfast. We all k