ped up that made me late. I had to wait for
the old cashier to get back from his dinner."

"You and your money'll be in the bottom of the bay, that's where you'll
be," said Conboy.

"If I'd taken in sail for every little bit o' wind I'd encountered in my
life," said Mark Hammar, "I'd not be where I am now. So I just thought
I'd come and run in on Deolda before I left, seeing as I'm going to
marry her when I get back."

Johnny Deutra undid his long length from the chair. He was a tall, heavy
boy, making up in looks for what he lacked in head. He came and stood
over Mark Hammar. He said:

"I've had enough of this. I've had just enough of you two hanging around
Deolda. She's my woman--I'm going to marry Deolda myself. Nobody else is
going to touch her; so just as soon as you two want to clear out you
can."

There was silence so that you could hear a pin drop. And then the wind
that had been making hit the house like the blow of a fist and went
screaming down the road. Deolda didn't see or hear; she was just looking
at Johnny. He went to her.

"Don't you listen to 'em, Deolda. I'll make money for you; I'll make
more than any of 'em. It's right you should want it. Tell 'em that
you're going to marry me, Deolda. Clear 'em out."

That was where he made his mistake. _He_ should have cleared them out.
Now Captain Hammar spoke:

"You're quite a little man, ain't you, Johnny? Here's where you got a
chance to prove it. You can make a hundred dollars tonight by taking the
_Anita_ across to Gloucester with me. We'll start right off."

Everyone was quiet. Then old Conboy cried out:

"Don't go, Mark. Don't go! Why, it's _murder_ to tempt that boy out
there."

At the word "murder" Deolda drew her breath in and clapped her hand over
her mouth, her eyes staring at Johnny Deutra. "Nick" Hammar pretended he
hadn't noticed. He sat smiling at Johnny.

"We-ll," he drawled. "How about it, Johnny? Goin'?"

Johnny had been studying, his eyes on the floor.

"I'll go with you," he said.

Then again for a half minute nobody spoke. Captain Hammar glared,
letting us see what was in his dark mind. Old Conboy shrunk into himself
and Deolda sat with her wild eyes going from one to the other, but not
moving. We were all thinking of what old Conboy had said just before
Captain Hammar had flung open the door. A sudden impulse seized me; I
wanted to cry out: "Don't go, Johnny. He'll shove you overboard." For I
knew that was what was in "N