rafts. Remarks which they exchanged
with one another were framed to indicate a sort of lofty scorn for these
frolickers of the sea. The coasting skippers, most of whom wore hard
hats, as if they did not want to be confounded with those foppish yacht
captains, patrolled their quarter-decks and spat disdainfully over their
rails.

Everlastingly there was the clank of pumps on board the Apple-treers,
and the pumps were tackling the everlasting leaks. Water reddened
by contact with bricks, water made turbid by percolation through
paving-blocks, splashed continuously from hiccuping scuppers.

Captain Ranse Lougee of the topsail schooner _Belvedere_, laden with
fish scraps for a Boston glue-factory, dropped over the counter into his
dory and came rowing to the _Polly_, standing up and facing forward and
swaying with the fisherman's stroke.

He straddled easily over the schooner's scant freeboard and came aft,
and was greeted cordially by Captain Candage.

"Thought I'd show them frosted-cakers that there's a little sociability
amongst the gents in the coasting trade, too," he informed his
host. "Furthermore, I want to borry the ex-act time o' day. _And_,
furthermore, I'm glad to get away from that cussed aromy on board the
_Belvedere_ and sort of air out my nose once in a while. What's the good
word, Cap?"

Captain Candage replied to the commonplaces of the other skipper in
abstracted fashion. He had viewed Lougee's approach with interest, and
now he was plainly pondering in regard to something wholly outside this
chatter.

"Captain Lougee," he broke in, suddenly, in low tones, "I want you
should come forward with me out of hearing of anybody below. I've got a
little taakul I want you to help me overhaul."

The two walked forward over the deckload and sat on the fore-gaff, which
sprawled carelessly where it had fallen when the halyards were let run.

"My daughter is below, there," explained Captain Candage.

"Vacation trip, eh?"

"I don't think it can be called that, Captain Lougee," stated the host,
dryly. "She is having about as good a time as a canary-bird would have
in a corn-popper over a hot fire."

"What did she come for, then?"

"I made her come. I shanghaied her."

"That's no way to treat wimmen folks," declared Captain Lougee. "I've
raised five daughters and I know what I'm talking about."

"I know you have raised five girls, and they're smart as tophet and
right as a trivet--and that's why I have g