hofield and the _May_, and his feeling was corroborated a
moment later when, from behind the trunk of a big pine-tree, Nat Burns
stepped forward and greeted the other. They had apparently met before,
for they shook hands cordially and continued westward along the King's
Road.

A few steps brought them opposite the gate to the Schofield cottage,
and Bijonah, following their motions like a hawk, saw Nat jerk his
thumb in the direction of the house as they walked past.

That was enough for Tanner. He was convinced now that the insurance
man had come to carry out the threat made in St. John's, and that Nat
Burns was more intimately connected with the scheme than he had at
first supposed.

Bijonah set down his package of groceries on the counter inside and
turned away toward the wharf where the _Charming Lass_ was tied up for
a final trimming. She already had her salt aboard and most of her
provisions and was being given her final touches by Pete Ellinwood,
Jimmie Thomas, and the other members of the crew that had signed on to
sail in her.

Tanner hailed Ellinwood from the wharf and beckoned so frantically
that the big man swarmed up the rigging to the dock as though he were
going aloft to reef a topsail in a half a gale.

"Code's in a pile of trouble," said the old man, and went on briefly
to narrate the whole circumstance of the insurance company's possible
move. "That feller came on the steamer this afternoon, an' if he
serves Code with the summons or attachment or whatever it is, it's my
idea that the _Lass_ will never round the Swallowtail for the Banks.
Where is the boy?"

"Went up to Castalia to see a couple of men who he thought he might
get for the crew, but I don't think Burns or any one else knows it. He
wanted to make the trip on the quiet an' get them without anybody's
knowing it if he could. But what do you cal'late to do, Bige?"

"By the Great Snood, I don't know!" declared Tanner helplessly.

"Wal," said Pete reassuringly, "you just let me handle this little
trouble myself. We'll have the skipper safe an' clear if we have to
commit murder to do it. Now, Bige, you just keep your mouth shut and
don't worry no more. I'll do the rest."

Feeling the responsibility to be in capable hands and secretly glad to
escape events that might be too much for his years, Captain Tanner
walked back to the road, secured his package of groceries at the
store, and made his way home to the widow Sprague's house.

For f