as to spend half the night gittin' to the landin',
an' take a chance of straddlin' a ledge. I got inter the harbor all
right, an' kinder thought I'd try ter root out a few clams on Bold
Island beach. My old boat laid nearer to the back of Devil Island than
it did to Bold Island. I rowed off to Bold Island in my dory, but the
tide was comin' in, an' I didn't git no clams to speak of. It was plum
dark when I pulled back to the pinkey. Jest as I run alongside, I heered
a sound that riz my hair, by huck! It was kinder like a groan and a
smothered screech, an' I swan to man if it didn't seem to come right out
of my pinkey! Scart! Waal, it did give me something of a jump, an' that
I won't deny. If Sile had a-bin there he'd kerwollopsed. I riz right up
with an oar in my hand, ready to slam it over ther head uf any dad-bum
thing that wiggled round the pinkey. Jest then I heard that sound ag'in,
an' I made out it come from the point of rocks that makes off inter ther
harber. I looked that way, an' jest then ther consarnedest varmint I
ever sot eyes onto riz right up from behind some rocks----"

"There ye go!" cried Sile, triumphantly. "Why, you was jest tellin' it
was so dark ye could scarst see to the island! How was you able to see
this critter jump up from behind the rocks?"

"If you'll wait till I tell the story, mebbe you'll find out."

"Humph! Go ahead with yer yarn."

"Ez I said, up jumped this critter. His face was all burnin', like fire,
and his eyes was just like two black holes. Fellers what have told how
his eyes shined and flashed ain't never seen him, for I'll swan his eyes
was jest two black holes in his head. He waved his hands in the air, an'
them hands shone fiery same as his face. Then he let out a screech that
might have been heard down to ther Spoon Islands, an' away he went up
over the rocks and inter the woods. Say, I ain't easy skeered, but I
will admit I was a bit shaky then. I jest got inter the pinkey, pulled
ther anchor, then tumbled back inter ther dory an' took ther old pinkey
in tow. I wasn't very long gittin' out of Bold Island harbor, neether. I
wouldn't 'a' stayed there that night fer a hundred billion dollars! I
towed the pinkey clean to the Landin', an' you don't git me round Devil
Island ag'in arter dark, by huck!"

"What do you think of that yarn, Browning?" asked Frank, speaking softly
into the big fellow's ear.

"Huah!" grunted Bruce. "I think Sile was all right in calling Jeb a
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