sponsible for them should be.... But there, listen for
yourself."

Warned by the raised Snowden hand, every one, including the captain and
Elizabeth, listened. And, from the yard without so loud that the words
were plainly understandable although the windows were closed and locked,
came the voice of Judah Cahoon, uplifted in song.

"'Whisky is the life of man,
Whisky, Johnny!
Whisky from an old tin can,
Whisky for my Johnny!

"'I drink whisky and my wife drinks gin,
Whisky, Johnny!
The way we drink 'em is a sin,
Whisky for my Johnny!'"

The singer paused, momentarily, and Elvira spoke.

"Of course," she said, "I make no comment upon the lack of common
politeness shown by interrupting our evening sing by such--ah--_noises_
as that. But when one considers the morals of the person who chooses
such low, disgraceful----"

"'I had a girl, her name was Lize,
Whisky, Johnny!
She put whisky in her pies,
Whisky for my Johnny!'"

Captain Sears hobbled, as fast as his weak legs would permit, to the
door. He flung it open.

"'Whisky stole my brains away,
Whisky, Johnny!
Just one more pull and then belay,
Whisky for----'"

"Judah! _Judah!_"

"Eh? Aye, aye, Cap'n Sears. What is it?"

"Shut up!"

"Eh? Oh! Aye, aye, Cap'n."

He swung his former skipper to the seat of the truck-wagon. The captain
spoke but little during the short trip home. What he did say, however,
was to the point.

"Judah," he ordered, "the next time you sing anywhere within
speakin'-trumpet distance of that Fair Harbor place, don't you dare sing
anything but psalms."

"Eh? But which?"

"Never mind. What in everlastin' blazes do you mean by sittin' up aloft
here and bellowin' about--rum and women?"

"Hold on, now, Cap'n Sears! Ho-ld on! That wan't no rum and woman song,
that was the old 'Whisky, Johnny' chantey. Why, I've heard that song
aboard your own vessels mo-ore times, Cap'n Sears. Why----"

"All right. But don't let me ever hear it sung near the Fair Harbor
again. If you must sing, when you're over there sing--oh, sing the
doxology."

Judah did not speak for a minute or two. Then he stirred rebelliously.

"What's that?" asked the captain. "What are you mumblin' about?"

"Eh? I wan't mumblin'. I was just sayin' I didn't have much time to
learn new-fangled songs, that's all.... Whoa, you--you walrus! Don't you
know enough to come up into the wind wh