"Cap'n George Simmons looked down at the wrecked flying machine and
grunted.

"'Umph!' says he. 'You don't look like a man the girls would run after.
Lady your wife?'

"The little feller bobbed his specs up and down.

"'So?' says George. ''Ow can I bear to leave thee, 'ey? Well, ain't
you ashamed of yourself to be running off and leaving a nice, 'andsome,
able-bodied wife that like? Look at 'er now, over there on 'er knees a
praying for you to come back.'

"There was a little p'int making out from the beach close by the edge of
the channel and the woman was out on the end of it, down on all fours.
Her husband raised up and looked over the rail.

"'She ain't praying,' he pants, ducking down again quick. 'She's
a-picking up stones.'

"And so she was. Julius said he thought sure she'd cave in the Emily's
ribs afore she got through with her broadsides. The rocks flew like
hail. Everybody got their share, but Cap'n George got a big one in the
middle of the back. That took his breath so all the way he could express
his feelings was to reach out and give his new passenger half a dozen
kicks. But just as soon as he could he spoke, all right enough.

"'You mis'rable four-eyed shrimp!' he says. ''Twould serve you right if
I 'ove to and made you swim back to 'er. Blow me if I don't believe I