rooms!"

CHAPTER VI

THE BOYS

Amy remained standing beside the old lobsterman. Mollie and Grace had
followed Mrs. Nelson and Betty into the cottage. Mr. Nelson was paying
the carriage driver, and arranging to have some things brought over from
the station.

"Tin-backs," repeated Amy. "What sort of crabs are they?"

"Soft crabs, just turnin' hard, miss," explained the old man. "If you
punch in their backs they spring up and down like the bottom of a tin
dish pan. That's why they call 'em that. Tin-backs is tough to eat. I
never sell 'em, though some folks do. That's why they call me that, I
guess."

"Oh!" remarked Amy. "Then that means you are--honest!"

"Wa'al, miss, I don't lay no special claims to virtue," he protested.

"But if you don't sell tinny crabs--ugh, how funny that sounds--then you
_must_ be honest!" Amy insisted. "I'm so glad to know you. Tell me, is
there any pirate's treasure buried around here?"

Old Tin-Back looked at her, startled. Then he edged away slightly.

"Exactly," laughingly said Amy afterward, "as though I had announced
that I was a militant suffragist, and intended burning his boats."

"Pirate's treasure, miss?" repeated the old lobsterman. "I--er--I never
found any."

"But Mr. Nelson said there might be some."

"Oh, there _might_--yes. And I _might_ find a dead whale with a lump of
ambergris in him, as big as a barrel," spoke Tin-Back, "but I never
_have_."

"What's ambergris?" asked Amy, who rather enjoyed his talk.

"I don't rightly know, miss, but it's something like a lump of suet in a
dead whale, and it's worth its weight in gold. It makes perfume!"

"The idea," murmured Amy, with a little shudder. "I don't believe I
shall like perfume after that."

"Oh, I don't s'pose they use none of it around Ocean View," spoke Old
Tin-Back, with a frank air. "Anyhow, we never see a dead whale in these
parts. There was one once, but folks was glad when the high tide carried
him out to sea. I guess they're callin' you," he added.

Amy was aware of Betty summoning her within the cottage. She smiled at
Tin-Back and entered the house.

"Where were you?" demanded Betty. "I want you to see which room you like
best. There are several to choose from."

"I was talking with the lobsterman," explained Amy. "He is called
Tin-Back because he never sells that sort of crab, and he hopes he can
find a lump of ambergris in a dead whale some day."

"Well, if that isn't a combinati