hat, from asking no advice, he had
miscalculated and laid in three times as much as he could use.

"Guess Eph cal'lates to fish with two lines in each hand an' another 'n
his teeth," said Mr. Wing. "He 's plannin' out for a great lay o' fish."

The spring came slowly on, and the first boat that went out that season
was Eph's. That day was one of unmixed delight to him. What a sense of
absolute freedom, when he was fairly out beyond the lightship, with the
fresh swiftness of the wind in his face! What an exquisite consciousness
of power and control, as his boat went beating through the long waves!
Two or three men from another village sailed across his wake. His boat
lay over, almost showing her keel, now high out of water, now settling
between the waves, while Eph stood easily in the stern, in his
shirt-sleeves, backing against the tiller, smoking a pipe, and ranging
the waters with his eyes.

"Takes it natural ag'in, don't he? Stands as easy as ef he was loafin'
on a wharf," said one of the observers. "Expect it 's quite a treat to
be out. But they do say he 's gittin' everybody's good opinion. They
looked for a reg'-lar ruffi'n when he come home,--cuttin' nets, killin'
cats, chasin' hens, gittin' drunk! They say Eliphalet Wood didn't hardly
dare to go ou' doors for a month, 'thout havin' his hired man along. But
he 's turned out as peaceful as a little gal."

*****

One June day, as Eph was slitting blue-fish at the little pier which he
had built on the bay shore, near his rude ice-house, two men came up.

"Hullo, Eph!"

"Hullo!"

"We 've got about sick, tradin' down to the wharf; we can't git no fair
show. About one time in three, they tell us they don't want our fish,
and won't take 'em unless we heave 'em in for next to nothin',--and we
know there ain't no sense in it. So we just thought we 'd slip down and
see 'f you would n't take 'em, seein's you 've got ice, and send 'em up
with yourn."

Eph was taken all aback with this mark of confidence. The offer must be
declined. It evidently sprang from some mere passing vexation.

"I can't buy fish," said he. "I have no scales to weigh 'em."

"Then send ourn in separate berrels," said one of the men.

"But I haven't any money to pay you," he said. "I only get my pay once a
month."

"We'll git tick at William's, and you can settle 'th us when you git
your pay."

"Well," said he, unable to refuse, "I 'll take 'em, if you say so."

Before the season was o