e I have wondered how I could do the most good with his money
here. I would like to _give_ it; but if you won't have that, you can
borrow it on a long-time loan without interest or security. Now I will
go out and you can talk it over freely."

With a companion she walked up the aisle and to the door, but before
she reached it Code Schofield was standing on a chair, his hat in his
hand.

"Three cheers for Mrs. Mallaby!" he yelled, and the very building
shook with the tumultuous response.

It was five minutes before the squire, purple with shouting for order,
could be heard above the noise. Then, with hand upraised, he shouted:

"All in favor of Schofield's plan say ay!"

And the "ay" was the greatest vocal demonstration ever given in
Freekirk Head.

CHAPTER VII

A STRANGER

The ensuing week was one such as the village had never beheld. A
visitor to the island might have thought that war had been declared
and that a privateering expedition was being fitted out.

On the railroad near Flag Point there was always some vessel being
scraped or painted. Supplies brought over from St. John's by the
steamer _Grande Mignon_ were stowed in lazarets and below. Rigging was
overhauled, canvas patched or renewed, and bright, tawny ropes
substituted for the old ones in sheet and tackle.

Every low tide was a signal for great activity among the vessels made
fast alongside the wharfs, for the rise of the water was nearly twenty
feet, and when it receded the ships stood upright on their keels and
exposed their bottoms to scraper, calking mallet, and paint-brush.

In every house where father or son was expecting soon to sail the
women were busy with clothing and general outfit. There was a run on
the store carrying oilskins, sea-boots, oil-lamps, stoves, and
general paraphernalia.

All these things were gotten on credit, for there is no such thing as
a vessel returning empty-handed from the Banks, and Bill Boughton
stood sponsor for most of them.

The owners of vessels divided their time between provisioning and
overhauling their ships and the securing of crews. One rainy
afternoon, when work had been generally suspended, a number of the men
gathered inside Bill Boughton's store to wait for a let-up in the
downpour, and the subject of crews was broached.

"How you comin' with your crew, Bige?" asked a tall, lanky man of
Captain Tanner.

"First rate. Got a dozen men now an' that's about all the _Rosan_ can
take c