front of him.

"I twisted my ankle last evening as I was leaving the boat."

"You did! And you never said one word! How did you do it?"

"I slipped just as I handed you over the side."

"It was my foolishness that made you do it. Josiah!" she called, as the
Captain came down by the rear stair. "Get me a basin of water and the
cayenne pepper, quick!"

The Captain obeyed with alacrity. Miss Pipkin soon had the ankle in the
water, and the water was a fiery red in color.

"It'll take the swelling out," she affirmed.

"Ain't you got it a mite too hot with pepper, Clemmie?"

"No, I ain't. That's all you men know about such things."

"Well, I didn't know."

The swelling began to disappear according to the prophecy of the
housekeeper, but the skin took on the color of the reddened water in the
basin. An hour later Mr. McGowan was undecided which was the more
undesirable, the pain from the sprain, or the blisters from the
treatment.

"Cal'late I'll run down to the _Jennie P._," announced the Captain after
breakfast. "You can't navigate that far, can you, Mack?"

"Josiah Pott! What on earth do you mean? Of course he can't, and you
know it. I don't see what you want to go traipsing down to that thing
for, anyhow; it ain't going to get loose, though it'd be a good loss if
it did."

"It ain't likely she'll get away, that's sartin sure, but I thought I'd
do a little work on her. I ain't had much time afore now, with all my
cooking and keeping house. The minister said my engine wa'n't clean."

"Well, if you ain't been cooking better than you've been keeping house,
the wonder is you ain't both dead," she said, peering about the room.

Fearing further comment, the Captain hastily left the house. On reaching
the wharf, he was surprised to see Elizabeth walking from the far end to
meet him.

"Morning, Beth. Out purty early for your constitutional, ain't you?"

"Good morning, Uncle Josiah. I've been waiting for you an awful long
time. Are you going out to the _Jennie P._?"

"That's my calculation. Want to go along?"

"If I may."

"Of course you can. Did you leave something aboard last night?"

"No. I just came down here on purpose to see you. I felt certain you
would be going out."

"You come down just to see me? What do you want to see an old feller
like me for? Now, if it was----"

"You, old! Who's been telling you that?"

"Nobody, 'cepting this infernal rheumatism. But I ain't quite as badly
crippled up th