not try to walk to the cable station to-night. You see, there's one
thing they forgot to tell you. The station's on the outer beach, and
there's a ha'f mile of pretty wet water between here and there."

The young man whistled. "You don't mean it!" he exclaimed.

"I sartin do, unless there's been an almighty drought since I left the
house. I tell you what! If you'll jump in here with me, and don't mind
waitin' till I leave these barrels at the house of the man that owns
'em, I'll drive you down to the shore and maybe find somebody to row you
over. That is," with a chuckle, "if you ain't dead set on walkin'."

The stranger laughed heartily. "I'm not so stubborn as all that," he
said. "It's mighty good of you, all the same."

"Don't say a word," said the Captain. "Give us your satchel. Now your
flipper! There you are! Git dap, Dan'l!"

Daniel accepted the Captain's command in a tolerant spirit. He paddled
along at a jog-trot for perhaps a hundred yards, and then, evidently
feeling that he had done all that could be expected, settled back into a
walk. The Captain turned towards his companion on the seat:

"I don't know as I mentioned it," he observed, "but my name is Hedge."

"Glad to meet you, Mr. Hedge," said the stranger. "My name is
Hazeltine."

"I kind of jedged it might be when you said you wanted to git to the
cable station. We heard you was expected."