ility was that her errand had been
with him.

He looked hastily through the mail, and was glad to see that it
included a notification from the freight department of the railroad
that a windlass consigned to "T. Grimshaw" had arrived and was awaiting
his orders.

"I'll just drop around to see Peters and set his mind at rest about
that windlass," he said to Winters, reaching for his hat.

"I thought you did that yesterday," replied Winters.

"I told him we expected it," said Drew, flushing a little; "but he may
be worrying about it, being delayed on the way. He's an old customer
of ours and we want to keep on the right side of him."

Winters looked his surprise at this sudden spasm of business anxiety,
but said nothing further, and Drew hastened down to the Jones Lane pier
and boarded the _Normandy_. But again he was doomed to meet with
disappointment.

"Sorry, sir," said the second officer, biting off a chew from a plug of
tobacco, "but the skipper can't be seen just now. Just came aboard a
little while ago and there was a friend on either side of him. You
know how it is," and he winked. "He's below now, sound asleep, and
'twould be as much as my billet's worth to disturb him."

"Well," Drew said thoughtfully, "that windlass he ordered has arrived
and I'll see that it's carted down here to-day. But there was another
matter I wanted to speak to him about."

"Better wait a day or two if it's any favor you want to ask the old
man," advised the seaman. "Let his coppers get cooled first. A better
navigator than Cap'n Peters never stepped, and he don't lush none
'twixt port and port; but he's no mamma's angel child when his coppers
is hot, believe me!"

"Thanks. I'll remember," Drew said. "Of course you did not notice the
young lady who came aboard here yesterday afternoon just after I left?"

"Didn't I, though?" responded the second officer of the _Normandy_.
"My eye!"

"Do you know who she is?" blurted out Drew.

"No, sir. But the skipper does, I reckon."

"All right," Drew said, and turned to descend the plank to the dock.
As he did so he found himself confronting the one-eyed man who had
figured in the incident on the dock the previous afternoon.

The fellow's countenance was raised to his own as Drew came down the
plank, and the latter obtained a good view of the scarred face.

It was almost beardless, and even the brows were so light and scanty
that they lent no character to the remaining sh