hough she was a Southern
woman, and the MacEwans had come from Kentucky and owned slaves. Of
course, he, Zephas, whose ancestors were Cape Cod Quakers and had always
been sailors, couldn't understand. She did not know what he meant by
saying "what a long tail our cat's got," but if he meant to call her
a cat, and was going to use such language to her, he had better have
stayed in San Francisco with his Vigilance friends. And perhaps it would
have been better if he had stayed there before he took her away from her
parents at Martinez. Then she wouldn't have been left on a desert rock
without any chance of seeing the world, or ever making any friends or
acquaintances!

It was their first quarrel. Discreetly made up by Mrs. Bunker in some
alarm at betraying herself; honestly forgiven by Zephas in a rude,
remorseful consciousness of her limited life. One or two nights later,
when he returned, it was with a mingled air of mystery and satisfaction.
"Well, Mollie," he said cheerfully, "it looks as if your pets were not
as bad as I thought them."

"My pets!" repeated Mrs. Bunker, with a faint rising of color.

"Well, I call these Southern Chivs your pets, Mollie, because you stuck
up for them so the other night. But never mind that now. What do you
suppose has happened? Jim Rider, you know, the Southern banker and
speculator, who's a regular big Injin among the 'Chivs,' he sent Cap
Simmons down to the wharf while I was unloadin' to come up and see him.
Well, I went, and what do y'u think? He told me he was gettin' up an
American Fishin' Company, and wanted me to take charge of a first-class
schooner on shares. Said he heard of me afore, and knew I was an
American and a white man, and just the chap ez could knock them
Eytalians outer the market."

"Yes," interrupted Mrs. Bunker quickly, but emphatically, "the fishing
interest ought to be American and protected by the State, with regular
charters and treaties."

"I say, Mollie," said her astonished but admiring husband, "you've been
readin' the papers or listenin' to stump speakin' sure."

"Go on," returned Mrs. Bunker impatiently, "and say what happened next."

"Well," returned Zephas, "I first thought, you see, that it had suthin'
to do with that Marion business, particklerly ez folks allowed he was
hidin' somewhere yet, and they wanted me to run him off. So I thought
Rider might as well know that I wasn't to be bribed, so I ups and tells
him how I'd been lyin' off Sauc