I tried to speak of John. He would have it that I
should keep an eye to things. Your grandfather Lewis left me no
papers, however--I supposed John had them--but he left me the old red
oar. He had fairly been playin' with it for years, always polishin' it
or shapin' it off here or there. I often look at the marks of his
knife on it, and wonder why he seemed fond of it."

"I am sure," said Freda, earnestly, "you have kept your promise, Uncle
Denny. Mother often speaks of how good you were when I was small.
Father never had any papers about grandfather's land; all he had
related to family keepsakes. The strange part of it all is to me that
a man of grandfather's intelligence should be so remiss about his
property claims."

"But, Freddie, you don't understand. There seemed no need for deeds
and mortgage papers then about here. Everybody knew everyone else, and
things seemed to be solid forever. But now them plagued land
fellows--well, they've got a good cheek, is all I can say." And he
emptied an unsmoked pipe of tobacco in his indignation.

"But we are going to get after them," Cora declared. "We want to go
slowly, and, if possible, find out what their intentions are. Find
what sort of company they claim to have, in the first place, and if
they are an honorable set of men they ought to make open claims,
instead of sneaking around, and trying to find out things that might
cause a flaw in the title. I am suspicious, for one," she finished
significantly.

"Well, good luck to your spunk," said Denny, "and I never knew the
like of it to fail. But say, tell me about the boat. What did the lads
think of the fixin's?"

"Oh, it was the greatest fun," Freda replied. "They could not imagine
how we ever thought of using the cylinder water for a dishwater
supply. I never gave it away that you suggested it to Cora's
mechanic."

"And I want to thank you, Mr. Shane----"

"Mr. Shane!" Denny interrupted. "Say, if you call me that I'll think
I'm reading me own death notice in the _Beacon_."

Cora laughed at this, and agreed he should be "Uncle Denny" to her as
well as to the others of the neighborhood.

"But it was splendid of you to have the boat all ready for us when we
came. I did not suppose Freda had a chance to get down to it before we
loomed up."

"You don't know the risin' hour for us folks at the Bay," returned
Denny, with a sly wink. "Freddie couldn't stay abed when the sun is
beckonin' on the waves; could you, Fredd