pretty soon. Here, le's lift out these little things, while they're
unharnessin', and then they can get at the tents."

Mrs. Pike's mind was diverted by the exigencies of labor, and she said
no more; but after the horses had been put up at a neighboring house,
and Sereno, red-faced with exertion, had superintended the
tent-raising, Hattie slipped her arm through her father's, and led him
away.

"Come, pa," she said, in a whisper; "le's you and me climb over on them
rocks."

Eli went; and when they had picked their way over sand and pools to a
headland where the water thundered below, and salt spray dashed up in
mist to their feet, he turned and looked at the sea. He faced it as a
soul might face Almighty Greatness, only to be stricken blind
thereafter; for his eyes filled painfully with slow, hot tears. Hattie
did not look at him, but after a while she shouted in his ear, above
the outcry of the surf,--

"Here, pa, take my handkerchief. I don't know how 'tis about you, but
this spray gets in my eyes."

Eli took it obediently, but he did not speak; he only looked at the
sea. The two sat there, chilled and quite content, until six o'clock,
when Mrs. Pike came calling to them from the beach, with dramatic
shouts, emphasized by the waving of her ample apron,--

"Supper's ready! Sereno's built a bum-fire, an' I've made some tea!"