y other man of any age that Louise had met about
Cardhaven--save Cap'n Abe himself--Washy had spent a good share of his
life in deep-bottomed craft. But he had never risen higher than petty
officer.

"Some men's born to serve afore the mast--or how'd we git sailors?"
observed the old fellow, with all the philosophy of the unambitious man.
"Others get into the afterguard with one, two, three, and a jump!" His
trembling fingers knotted the twine dexterously. "Now, there's your
uncle."

"Uncle Amazon?" asked Louise.

"No, miss. Cap'n Abe, I mean. This here Am'zon Silt, 'tis plain to be
seen, has got more salt water than blood in _his_ veins. Cap'n Abe's a
nice feller--not much again him here where he's lived and kep' store for
twenty-odd year. 'Ceptin' his yarnin' 'bout his brother all the time.
But from the look of Cap'n Am'zon I wouldn't put past him anything that
Cap'n Abe says he's done--and more.

"But Abe himself, now, I'd never believed would trust himself on open
water."

"Yet," cried Louise, "he's shipped on a sailing vessel, Uncle Amazon
says. He's gone for a voyage."

"Ye-as. But _has_ he?" Washy retorted, his head on one side and his
rheumy old eyes looking up at her as sly as a ferret's.

"What do you mean?"

"We none of us--none of the neighbors, I mean--seen him go. As fur's we
know he didn't go away at all. We're only taking his brother's word for
it."

"Why, Mr. Gallup! You're quite as bad as Betty. One would think to hear
you and her talk that Cap'n Amazon was a fratricide."

"Huh?"

"That he had murdered his brother," explained the girl.

"That's fratter side, is it? Well, I don't take no stock in such
foolishness. Them's Bet Gallup's notions, Cap'n Am'zon's all right, to
_my_ way o' thinkin'. I was talkin' about Cap'n Abe."

"I do not understand you at all, then," said the puzzled girl.

"I see you don't just foller me," he replied patiently. "I ain't casting
no alligators at your Uncle Am'zon. It's Cap'n Abe. I doubt his goin'
to sea at all. I bet he never shipped aboard that craft his brother
tells about."

"Goodness! Why not?"

"'Cause he ain't a sea-goin' man. There's a few o' such amongst Cape
Codders. Us'ally they go away from the sea before they git found out,
though."

"'Found out?'" the girl repeated with exasperation. "Found out in
_what_?"

"That they're _scare't_ o' blue water," Washy said decidedly. "Nobody
'round here ever seen Cap'n Abe o