and that he had jumped off the _Roaring Bess_ to save her.




CHAPTER IX

WHYN

Next morning Parson Dan and Rod started for the Anchorage. Rod was
more quiet than usual, and walked along the road without any of his
ordinary capers. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes shone with
excitement. His steps, too, were quick, and his companion found it
difficult to keep pace with him. It was quite evident that he was in a
hurry to see the girl who had been rescued from the river the previous
day.

Nearing the house, they heard some one hammering in the workshop.
There they found the captain busily engaged upon something which looked
like a chair.

"Good morning, captain," was the parson's cheery greeting. "You've
turned carpenter, so I see."

"Poof!" and the captain, gave a vigorous rap upon a nail he was driving
into place, "it's necessary to be every dang thing these days, with the
world so full of idiots. It's good there's somebody who kin turn his
hand to anything. It's the fools who make so much work fer honest
folks."