And go home and turn in they did, but not without protestation from the
pair who had yet to meet the woman from Nantucket.



CHAPTER VI

THE SCHOOLHOUSE BELL RINGS


"All hands on deck! Turn out there! Turnout!"

Captain Eri grunted and rolled over in his bed; for a moment or two he
fancied himself back in the fo'castle of the Sea Mist, the bark in which
he had made his first voyage. Then, as he grew wider awake, he heard,
somewhere in the distance, a bell ringing furiously.

"Turn out, all hands! Turn out!"

Captain Eri sat up. That voice was no part of a dream. It belonged to
Captain Jerry, and the tone of it meant business. The bell continued to
ring.

"Aye, aye, Jerry! What's the matter?" he shouted.

"Fire! There's a big fire up in the village. Look out of the window, and
you can see. They're ringing the schoolhouse bell; don't you hear it?"

The Captain, wide awake enough by this time, jumped out of bed, carrying
the blankets with him, and ran to the window. Opening it, he thrust out