om.

Walking steadily, but with a face set as the figurehead on one of his
own ships, the captain went to answer the knock. They heard the door
open, and then a man's voice asked:

"Is this Cap'n Whittaker?"

"Yes," was the short answer.

"Well, Cap, I guess you don't know me, though maybe you know some of my
family. Ha, ha! Don't understand that, hey? Well, you let me in and I'll
explain the joke."

The captain's reply was calm and deliberate.

"I shouldn't wonder if I understood it," he said. "Come in. Don't--" The
remainder of the sentence was whispered and the listeners on the sofa
could not hear it. A moment later Captain Cy entered the sitting room,
followed by his caller.

The latter was a stranger. He was a broad-shouldered man of medium
height, with a yellowish mustache and brown hair. He was dressed in
rather shabby clothes, without an overcoat, and he had a soft felt hat
in his hand. The most noticeable thing about him was a slight hesitancy
in his walk. He was not lame, he did not limp, yet his left foot seemed
to halt for an instant as he brought it forward in the step. They
learned afterwards that it had been hurt in a mine cave-in. He carried
himself with a swagger, and, after his entrance, there was a perceptible
aroma of alcohol in the room.

He stared at the Board of Strategy and the stare was returned in
full measure. Bailey and Asaph were wildly curious. They, of course,
connected the stranger's arrival with the mysterious letter and the
captain's perturbation of the day.

But their curiosity was not to be satisfied, at least not then.

"How are you, gents?" hailed the newcomer cheerfully. "Like the looks of
me, do you?"

Captain Cy cut off further conversation.

"Ase," he said, "this--er--gentleman and I have got some business to
talk over. I know you're good enough friends of mine not to mind if
I ask you to clear out. You'll understand. You WILL understand, boys,
won't you?" he added, almost entreatingly.

"Sartin sure!" replied Mr. Tidditt, rising hurriedly. "Don't say another
word, Whit." And the mystified Bangs concurred with a "Yes, yes! Why, of
course! Didn't have nothin' that amounts to nothin' to stay for anyhow.
See you to-morrer, Cy."

Outside and at the gate they stopped and looked at each other.

"Well!" exclaimed Asaph. "If that ain't the strangest thing! Who was
that feller? Where'd he come from? Did you notice how Cy acted? Seemed
to be holdin' himself in by main