ept it for three whole months, just sixty-nine days
longer than any previous attack within the memory of man had lasted.

"And finally, just as mornin' was breakin,' the bows of the floats slid
easy and slick up on a hard, sandy beach. Then the sun riz and the fog
lifted, and there we was within sight of the South Ostable
meetin'-house. We'd sailed eighteen miles in that ark and made a better
landin' blindfold than we ever could have made on purpose.

"I hauled down the sail, unshipped the mast, and jumped ashore to find a
rock big enough to use for a makeshift anchor. It wan't more'n three
minutes after we fust struck afore my boots hit dry ground, but Billings
beat me one hundred and seventy seconds, at that. When I had time to
look at that shover man he was a cable's-length from high-tide mark,
settin' down and grippin' a bunch of beach-grass as if he was afeard the
sand was goin' to slide from under him; and you never seen a yallerer,
more upset critter in your born days.

"Well, I got the ark anchored, after a fashion, and then we walked up to
the South Ostable tavern. Sim Small, who runs the place, he knows me, so
he let me have a room and I turned in for a nap. I slept about three
hours. When I woke up I started out to hunt the automobile and Billings.
Both of 'em looked consider'ble better than they had when I see 'em
last. The shover had got a gang of men and they'd got the gas-cart
ashore, and Billings and a blacksmith was workin' over--or rather
under--the clockwork.

"'Hello!' I hails, comin' alongside.

"Billings sticks his head out from under the tinware.

"'Hi, pard!' says he. I noticed he hadn't called me 'Grace' nor 'Dewey'
for a long spell. 'Hi, pard,' he says, gettin' to his feet, 'the old gal
ain't hurt a hair. She'll be good as ever in a couple of hours. Then you
and me can start for Orham.'

"'In her?' says I.

"'Sure,' he says.

"'Not by a jugful!' says I, emphatic. 'I'll borrer a boat to get to
Orham in, when I'm ready to go. You won't ketch me in that man-killer
again; and you can call me a coward all you want to!'

"'A coward?' says he. 'You a coward? And--Why, you was in that car all
night!'

"'Oh!' I says. 'Last night was diff'rent. The thing was on the water
then, and when I've got enough water underneath me I know I'm safe.'

"'Safe!' he sings out. '_Safe!_ Well, by--gosh! Pard, I hate to say it,
but it's the Lord's truth--you had me doin' my "Now I lay me's!"'

"For a minut