yo' skiff
half roasted and half drownded when the _Quakeress_ was a-burnin'! By
George, look here! What do you want on this boat, that you ain't already
got? Name it, sir, just name it! Oh, by hokey, sir, I----!"

Smilingly the actor shook his head while his wife beamed delightedly.
"We haven't a want ungratified," he answered.

"Oh, please!" put in Ramsey, "yes, you have--one!"

"Have we, mademoiselle? Surely we have if you have."

The mate interposed. "That's a daughter of Gideon Hayle, sir--as good a
captain, by Joe, as ever took out a boat----"

The wife nodded gayly. "We know him," she said.

"Oh!" laughed Ramsey, scanning the pair up and down.

"What is it we want, worthy daughter of Gideon Hayle?" asked the
player--"you and my wife and I--and your--this is your brother, is he
not?"

Ramsey's mouth and eyes spread wide. She turned to Hugh and at sight of
his heavy face whisked round again with her handkerchief to her lips.
The mate spoke for her:

"That's Captain Courteney's son, sir."

"What Miss Hayle wants--" began Hugh----

"What _we_ want," said Ramsey----

"Yes," said Hugh, "what we want is the recall of----"

"An order," broke in the mate. "I know; my order for them two twins to
go ashore. You can't have that, Hugh."

"We can!" said Ramsey, with tears in her laugh.

"No, sir-ee!" said the mate. "Ashore they go!"

"Ashore they don't!" said Ramsey. "You just told this gentleman you'd do
anything he----"

"I'd do anything he--yes, but"--the speaker looked beyond her--"Why, Mr.
Play-actor, them two young Americans come up here a-smellin' o'
buckwheat cakes and golden syrup, when they and some others--a general
and a senator, wa'n't they?--had had some political tiff with you----"

"Oh, not political at all! There's a proposition--I had no idea it was
theirs--to land our deck passengers on----"

"On Turnbull's or Natchez Island!"

Ramsey breathed an audible amazement.

"Exactly," said the player. "Well, I had the ill luck to call their
scheme a bad name or two."

"Good! Now, sir, up they come here _a-demanding_ o' me to put you
ashore, 'where he'll get himself lynched,' says they."

"Oh, bless my soul!" cried the actor. "If that was all and you want to
please us, just let them alone."

The mate smiled to Hugh and shook his head. "It wa'n't all. _You_ know
it wa'n't. Gad, Mr. Hugh, they got to go!"

"Oh, they must not!" begged both players. A few steps away the bishop
and the judg