been a race that. As near as I c'n make it out the
Johnnie sailed most of that race keel up."

"Oh, don't go away mad," Andie called after him. "Come back and have a
little touch of carte blanche--it's on the old man."

"I'll take it for him," came a voice. It was old Peter of Crow's Nest,
who took his drink and asked for Clancy. Clancy was in the back part
of the room, and I ran and got him. Peter led the way to the
sidewalk.

"Tommie, go and get Maurice, if it ain't too late."

"What is it?"

"It's Minnie Arkell. Coming up the dock after the race she ran up and
grabbed him and threw her arms about his neck. 'You're the man to sail
a race in heavy weather,' she hollers, and a hundred people looking
on. And there's half a dozen of those friends of hers and they're up
to her house and now making ready for a wine celebration. Go and get
him before it is too late."

XXXV

CLANCY LAYS DOWN THE LAW

Clancy started on the run and I after him. "We'll go to his
boarding-house first, Joe, and if he's not there, to Minnie
Arkell's."

He wasn't in his boarding-house, and we hurried out. On the sidewalk
we almost ran into little Johnnie Duncan.

"Oh, Captain Clancy--or you, Joe Buckley--won't you tell me about the
race? Grandpa was too busy to tell me, but went down the wharf with a
lot of people to show them the Johnnie Duncan. They all left the
office and told me to mind it. And my cousin Alice came in with Joe's
cousin Nell. And I saw Captain Blake with some people and ran after
him and I just caught up with him and they went off and left me. And
then a little while ago he came back by himself and ran toward the
dock and didn't even see me. And Captain Blake used to be so good to
me!" Poor Johnnie was all but crying.

"Toward the dock? That's good," breathed Clancy. "Stay here, Johnnie,
and we'll tell you about the race when we get back," and led the way
to Mr. Duncan's office.

We found the skipper in the outer office, standing beside the
bookkeeper's desk and looking out of the window next the slip. Hearing
us coming he turned and then we saw that he held in his hands an open
box with a string of beautiful pearls. Noticing us gaze at the pearls
in surprise, he said, "Mr. Duncan gave me these for winning the race.
And I took them, thinking that somebody or other might like them."

"And don't she?" asked Clancy--it seemed to slip out of Tommie without
his knowing it.

"I guess not," said Maurice. Onl