"What d'ye mean?" drawled Milt Baker, who always bobbed up serenely. "Ye
don't say Cap'n Am'zon's likely to show up here at Cardhaven after all
these years?"

There was barely a second's hesitation on Mr. Silt's part. Then he said:
"That's exactly what I mean. I got a--ahem!--a letter from Cap'n Am'zon
only lately."

"And he's comin' to see ye?" gasped Cap'n Joab, turning from the door to
stare like the others at the storekeeper.

"Yes," the latter confessed. "And he's likely to stay quite a spell when
he does come. Says suthin' 'bout settlin' down. He's gettin' along in
years like the rest of us. Mebbe I'll let him keep store for me this
summer whilst I take a vacation," added Cap'n Abe more briskly, "like I
been wantin' to do for a long spell back."

"You took a vacation of a week or more about--was it ten year ago?"
demanded Cap'n Joab. "I looked after the place for ye then."

"Ahem! I mean a real vacation," Cap'n Abe declared, still staring at the
fishfly now feebly butting its head against the pane. "That week was
when I went to the--'hem--buryin' of my a'nt, Joab. I'll go this time
mebbe for two-three months. Take a v'y'ge somewhere, I've always wanted
to."

"Land sakes!" exploded Cap'n Joab. "I know ye been talkin' 'bout
cruisin' around--to see your folks, or the like--for the longest spell.
But I didn't s'pose ye re'lly meant it. And your brother comin', too!
Well!"