from his seat, looked at The Starry Flag, which was just
coming to anchor, and then began to walk up the Point; but he expected
to be called back, and he was not disappointed.

"Why don't you tell me on't, so I can know what you're go'n' to do?"
demanded the miser.

"I shall not say anything to you. I don't think I can trust you. The
business isn't all regular; but it isn't stealing," protested Dock.

"You can trust me, Cap'n Vincent, jest as long as you can trust
anybody. You know I never says nothin' to nobody about business. I
allers keeps things to myself," whined Mr. Fairfield.

"Will you keep this to yourself?"

"Sartin, I will."

"'Pon honor?" added Dock, earnestly.

"Yes; 'pon honor. Nobody ever knowed me to say nothin' about business.
I never trust nobody, not even my wife, with business matters."

"Sit down, squire, and we'll talk it over between us," replied Dock,
apparently satisfied with the old man's promise.

Mr. Fairfield, with some difficulty, seated himself on the rock, and
with glaring eyes--so interested was he in a project which was to put
twenty thousand dollars in his pocket--he listened to the rather prolix
explanations of his companion. For twenty thousand dollars he would
have sold his soul; but he was timid.

"I never fail in doing a thing without wanting to try it over again,"
Dock began. "I always put things through when I begin upon them."

The old man was not quite sure of this, but he did not interrupt the
speaker.

"Three years ago twenty thousand dollars slipped through my fingers
just as easy as though the money had been greased," continued Dock.

"I didn't know on't."

"Yes, you did. Watson had his money all ready to pay over to me when I
had the girl before, and if Levi Fairfield hadn't come between me and
him, I should have had the money. Now, Squire Fairfield, I'm going to
try that over again; and I'm not going to fail this time. I've got
things fixed so that I can't fail."

"I donno about that," said the old man.

"I know, and I'm just as certain about it as though the thing was done
already. But I'm not going to tell you anything more about it than I'm
obliged to, and then you won't know anything about it, and can't be
held responsible for it."

"I don't see how I'm go'n' to make any money by it," interposed the
miser, who was more interested in this part of the plan than any other.

"Don't you, squire? How much money do you suppose Watson's worth?"

"I do