e against Trumet principles to take a bath any other
time. All taut, are you? Good enough! then we'll get under way." He
flapped the reins and added, "G'long, Julius Caesar!"

The horse, a sturdy, sedate beast to whom all names seemed to be alike,
picked up his feet and pounded them down again. Showers of spray flew
about the heads of the pair on the seat.

"I ain't so sure about that duckin'," commented the rescuer. "Hum! I
guess likely we'll be out of soundin's if we tackle that sink hole you
was undertakin' to navigate. Let's try it a little further down."

Ellery looked his companion over.

"Well," he observed with a smile, "from what I've heard of you, Captain
Hammond, I rather guess you could navigate almost any water in this
locality and in all sorts of weather."

The driver turned in surprise.

"So?" he exclaimed. "You know me, do you? That's funny. I was tryin' to
locate you, but I ain't been able to. You ain't a Trumetite I'll bet on
that."

"Yes, I am."

"Tut! tut! tut! you don't tell me. Say, shipmate, you hurt my pride. I
did think there wa'n't a soul that ever trod sand in this village that I
couldn't name on sight, and give the port they hailed from and the names
of their owners. But you've got me on my beam ends. And yet you knew
ME."

"Of course I did. Everybody knows the man that brought the packet home."

Nat Hammond sniffed impatiently.

"Um--hm!" he grunted. "I cal'late everybody does, and knows a lot more
about that foolishness than I do myself. If ever a craft was steered
by guess and by godfrey, 'twas that old hooker of Zach's t'other night.
Well--Humph! here's another piece of pilotin' that bids fair to be a
mighty sight harder. Heave ahead, Hannibal! hope you've got your web
feet with you."

They had moved along the edge of the flat a short distance and now
turned into the channel. The horse was wading above its knees; soon the
water reached its belly and began to flow into the body of the cart.

"Pick up your feet, shipmate," commanded Nat. "You may get rheumatiz if
you don't. This'll be a treat for those sea clams back in that bucket
amidships. They'll think I've repented and have decided to turn 'em
loose again. They don't know how long I've been countin' on a sea-clam
pie. I'll fetch those clams ashore if I have to lug 'em with my teeth.
Steady, all hands! we're off the ways."

The cart was afloat. The horse, finding wading more difficult than
swimming, began to swim.

"