ill in
the end--I hope to God I won't be alive to see it! There! I've answered
you."

He was walking up and down the room, with the old quarter-deck stride,
his hands jammed deep in his pockets and his face working with emotion.

"It's pretty nigh a single-handed fight for me," he continued, "but I've
fought single-handed before. The other side's got almost all the powder
and the men. Heman and Tad and that Thomas have got seven eighths of
Bayport behind 'em, not to mention the 'Providence' they're so sure of.
My crowd is a mighty forlorn hope: Dimick and Ase Tidditt, and Bailey,
as much as his wife 'll let him. Oh, yes!" and he smiled whimsically,
"there's another one. A new recruit's just joined; Georgianna's
enlisted. That's my army. Sort of rag-jacketed cadets, we are, small
potatoes, and few in a hill."

The teacher rose and laid a hand on his arm. He turned toward her. The
lamplight shone upon her face, and he saw, to his astonishment, that
there were tears in her eyes.

"Cap'n Whittaker," she said, "will you take an other recruit? I should
like to enlist, please."

"You? Oh, pshaw! I'm thick-headed to-night. I didn't see the joke of it
at first."

"There isn't any joke. I want you to know that I admire you for the
fight you're making. Law or no law, to let that dear little girl go away
with that dreadful father of hers is a sin and a crime. I came here to
tell you so. I did want to hear your story, and you made me ask that
question; but I was certain of your answer before you made it. I don't
suppose I can do anything to help, but I'm going to try. So, you see,
your army is bigger than you thought it was--though the new soldier
isn't good for much, I'm afraid," she added, with a little smile.

Captain Cy was greatly disturbed.

"Miss Phoebe," he said, "I--I won't say that it don't please me to
have you talk so, for it does, more'n you can imagine. Sympathy means
somethin' to the under dog, and it gives him spunk to keep on kickin'.
But you mustn't take any part in the row; you simply mustn't. It won't
do."

"Why not? Won't I be ANY help?"

"Help? You'd be more help than all the rest of us put together. You and
me haven't seen a great deal of each other, and my part in the few talks
we have had has been a mean one, but I knew the first time I met
you that you had more brains and common sense than any woman in this
county--though I was too pig-headed to own it. But that ain't it. I got
you the job of