"And they'll be after me directly," panted Esau. "Said I shouldn't go
till I'd paid a hundred dollars."

"They had better come for them," muttered Gunson between his teeth; and
after that Esau suffered himself to be hurried along, consoling himself
with a few bites at the piece of bread he held, as we ran on to where in
the soft moonlight we could see several good-sized fishing-boats lying,
with men idling near them on the shore.

"Now then," cried Gunson, quickly; "we want to be put aboard the
schooner that sailed this evening. Three dollars. There she is, two
miles out."

No one answered.

"Four dollars!" shouted Gunson. "There's a good light wind, and you can
soon reach her."

Still no one stirred, the men staring at us in a dull, apathetic way.

"Five dollars," cried Gunson, angrily.

"Say, stranger," said one of the men, "what's your hurry? stole
suthin'?"

"No," I shouted; "but it's as if they have. Our chests are aboard, and
we've paid our passage."

"Come on then," said one of the men, rousing himself. "I'll take you
for five dollars. Jump in."

He led the way to a little skiff, two more of his companions following
him, and they rowed us out to one of the fishing-boats, made fast the
one we had come in with the painter, cast off the buoy-rope, and began
to hoist a sail, with the result that a soft pattering sound began under
the boat's bows, and she careened over and began to glide softly away,
the man who had gone to the rudder guiding her safely through the
vessels lying by the buoy near the shore.

"There," cried Gunson, taking off the pea-jacket he wore, and throwing
it to Esau. "Put that on, my lad; and here, eat away if you're hungry.
You shall tell us afterwards where you've been."

"But they've got my money," said Esau, in an ill-used tone.

"Then we must share with you, and set you up. Think we shall catch the
schooner, skipper?"

"Guess we shall if this wind holds. If it changes she'll be off out to
sea, and we shall lose her. Guess you'll pay your five dollars all the
same?"

"Look here," said Gunson, roughly. "You've got an Englishman to deal
with."

"Oh, yes; guess I see that; but you send some ugly customers out here
sometimes, stranger. Not good enough for yew to keep at home."

Gunson made no answer, but sat watching the vessel, which, as it lay far
out in the soft moonlight, looked faint, shadowy, and unreal.

Every now and then a good puff of wind filled ou