第14章

“So？Washehere？AttheRegularparsonage？I’msurprised。“

“HeandIhaveknowneachotherforalongwhile。“

“Well，I’msorryhe’sgone。IthinkIshouldlikehim。“

Keziahturnedfromthedoor。

“Iknowyouwould，“shesaid。

CHAPTERVII

INWHICHCAPTAINNATPICKSUPADERELICT

ItisprobablethatJohnElleryneverfullyrealizedthedebtofgratitudeheowedtothefogandthesquallandtoCaptainNatHammond。Trumet，alwayshungryforasensation，wouldhavethoroughlyenjoyedarguingandquarrelingovertheminister’svisittoCome-Outermeeting，and，duringthefracas，Keziah’sparsonmighthavebeenmoreorlessbattered。ButCaptainNat’sbrilliantpilotingoftheoldpacketwasabitofseamanshipwhicheverymanandwomanonthatfoam-borderedstretchofsandcouldunderstandandappreciate，andtheminister’sindiscretionwasallbutforgotteninconsequence。The“DailyAdvertisers“gloatedoverit，ofcourse，andCaptainElkanahbroughtitupatthemeetingoftheparishcommittee，butthereCaptainZebMayochampionedtheyoungman’scourseandproclaimedthat，fur’shewasconcerned，hewasforMr。Ellerymore’never。“Ayounggreenhornwiththespunktocruisesingle-handedrightintothemiddleoftheCome-OuterschoolandgiveanoldbullwhalelikeEbenthegaffisthemanformymoney，“declaredZebedee。Mostofhisfellow-committeeagreedwithhim。“Notguilty，butdon’tdoitagain，“wasthegeneralverdict。

AsfortheCome-Outers，theyprofessedtobelievethattheirleaderhadmuchthebestoftheencounter，sotheyweresatisfied。Therewasanoteoftriumphandexultationinthe“testimony“givenonthefollowingThursdaynight，andCaptainEbendividedhisowndiscoursebetweenthankfulnessforhisson’ssafereturnandglorificationatthediscomfitureofthefalseprophets。

Practically，then，theresultofEllery’speaceoverturewasanincreasedbitternessinthefeelingbetweenthetwosocietiesandapolishingofweaponsonbothsides。

Keziahwatchedanxiouslyforahintconcerningherparson’swalkintherainwithGrace，butsheheardnothing，socongratulatedherselfthatthesecrethadbeenkept。Ellerydidnotagainmentionittoher，norshetohim。Afortnightlaterhepreachedhisgreatsermonon“TheVoyageofLife，“anditsreferencetogalesandcalmsandleeshoresandbreakersmadeahit。Hispopularitytookabigjump。

HemetNatHammondduringthatfortnight。Thefirstmeetingwasaccompaniedbyunusualcircumstances，whichmighthavebeenserious，butwereactuallyonlyfunny。

ThetideatTrumet，onthebayside，goesoutforalongway，leavinguncoveredamileandahalfofflats，bareandsandy，orcarpetedwithseaweed。Betweentheseflatsarethechannels，varyingatlowwaterfromtwotofourfeetindepth，butdeepeningrapidlyasthetideflows。

Theflatsfascinatedtheyoungminister，astheyhavemanyanothervisitortotheCape，beforeorsince。Oncloudydaystheyloweredwithadull，leadenlusterandtheweed-grownportionswerelikethedarksquaresonacheckerboard，whilethedeepwaterbeyondtheouterbarwassteelygrayandangry。Whenthesunshoneandthewindblewclearfromthenorthwestthewholeexpanseflashedintofireandcolor，sapphireblue，emeraldgreen，topazyellow，dottedwithwhiteshellsandablazewithdiamondsparkleswherethereflectedlightleapedfromtheflintcrystalsofthewet，coarsesand。

Thebesttimetovisittheflats——tideserving，ofcourse——istheearlymorningatsunrise。Thenthereisaninspirationinthewideexpanse，asnapandtangandjoyintheair。Elleryhadmadeuphismindtotakeabefore-breakfasttramptotheouterbarandsoaroseatfive，tuckedaborrowedpairoffisherman’sbootsbeneathhisarm，and，withoutsayinganythingtohishousekeeper，walkeddownthelawnbehindtheparsonage，climbedtherailfence，and“cutacrosslots“tothepinegroveonthebluff。Thereheremovedhisshoes，putontheboots，wallowedthroughthemealyyellowsandformingtheslopeofthebluff，andcameoutonthewhitebeachandtheinneredgeoftheflats。Thenheplashedon，boundouttowherethefishweirsstood，likewebbyfences，inthedistance。

Itwasawonderfulwalkonawonderfulday。Theministerenjoyedeveryminuteofit。Outherehecouldforgetthepettytrialsoflife，theDidamasandElkanahs。Thewindblewhishatoffanddroppeditinashallowchannel，buthesplashedtotherescueandlaughedaloudashefisheditout。Itwasnotmuchwetterthanithadbeenthatnightoftherain，whenhetriedtolendhisumbrellaanddidn’tsucceed。Thisreflectioncausedhimtohaltinhiswalkandlookbackwardtowardtheshore。Thebrownroofoftheoldtavernwasblushingredinthefirstraysofthesun。

Acart，drawnbyaploddinghorseandwithasingleindividualonitshighseat，wasmovingoutfrombehindthebreakwater。Somefishermandrivingouthisweir，probably。

Thesandoftheouterbarwasdimpledandmottledlikewateredsilkbytheactionofthewaves。Itslopedgraduallydowntomeettheminiaturebreakersthatrolledoverandslidinripplesalongitsedge。Ellerywanderedupanddown，pickingupshellsandseaclams，andpeeringthroughthenetsofthenearestweiratthe“horsefootcrabs“andsquidandfloundersimprisonedinthepound。

Therewereafewbluefishthere，also，andasmallschoolofmackerel。

Theministerhadbeenonthebaraconsiderabletimebeforehebegantothinkofreturningtotheshore。Hewashungry，butwasenjoyinghimselftoowelltomind。Theflatswereallhisthatmorning。Onlythecartanditsdriverwereinsightandtheywerehalfamileoff。Helookedathiswatch，sighed，andreluctantlystartedtowalktowardthetown；hemustn’tkeepMrs。Coffin’sbreakfastwaitingTOOlong。

Thefirstchannelhecametowasconsiderablydeeperthanwhenhefordeditonthewayout。Henoticedthis，butonlyvaguely。Thenext，however，wassodeepthatthewatersplashedinatthetopofoneofhisboots。Hedidnoticethat，becausethoughhewasnotwearinghisbestclothes，hewasnotanxioustowethis“otherones。“Theextentofhiswardrobewasinkeepingwiththesizeofhissalary。

Andthethirdchannelwassowideanddeepthathesawatonceitcouldnotbeforded，unlesshewaswillingtoplungeabovehiswaist。Thiswasprovoking。Nowherealizedthathehadwaitedtoolong。Thetidehadbeenflowingforalmostanhour；ithadflowedfastand，asheshouldhaveremembered，havingbeentold，theprincipalchannelswereeightfeetdeepbeforethehighestflatswerecovered。

Hehurriedalongtheedge，lookingforashallowerplace，butfoundnone。Atlasthereachedthepointoftheflathewasonandsaw，tohisdismay，thatherewasthedeepestspotyet，ahole，scouredoutbyacurrentlikeamillrace。Turning，hesaw，creepingrapidlyandsteadilytogetherovertheflatbehindhim，twolinesoffoam，onefromeachchannel。Hisretreatwascutoff。

Hewasinforawetting，thatwassure。However，therewasnohelpforit，sohewadedin。Thewaterfilledhisbootsthere，itgurgledabouthiships，andbeyond，ashecouldsee，itseemedtogrowdeeperanddeeper。Thecurrentwassurprisinglystrong；hefounditdifficulttokeephisfootinginthesoftsand。Itlookedasthoughhemustswimforit，andtoswiminthattidewouldbenojoke。

Then，frombehindhim，cameahail。Heturnedandsawmovingtowardhimthroughtheshallowwaternowcoveringtheflatbeyondthenextchannel，thecarthehadseenleavetheshorebythepacketwharf，and，later，ontheouterbar。Thehorsewasjoggingalong，miniaturegeysersspoutingbeneathitshoofs。Thedriverwavedtohim。

“Holdon，mate，“hecalled。“Belaythere。Staywhereyouare。

I’llbealongsideinashake。Gitdap，January！“

Ellerywadedbacktomeetthiswelcomearrival。Thehorseplungedintothenextchannel，surgedthroughit，andemergeddripping。

Thedriverpulledtheanimalintoawalk。

“Say，“hecried，“I’mcruisin’yourway；bettergetaboard，hadn’tyou？There’skindofaheavydewthismornin’。Whoa，Bill！“

“Bill“or“January“stoppedwithapparentwillingness。Thedriverleaneddownandextendedahand。Theministertookitandwaspulleduptotheseat。

“Whew！“hepanted。“I’mmuchobligedtoyou。Iguessyousavedmefromaducking，ifnothingworse。“

“Yes，“wastheanswer，“Iwouldn’twonderifIdid。Thisain’tSaturdaynightand’twouldbeagainstTrumetprinciplestotakeabathanyothertime。Alltaut，areyou？Goodenough！thenwe’llgetunderway。“Heflappedthereinsandadded，“G’long，JuliusCaesar！“

Thehorse，asturdy，sedatebeasttowhomallnamesseemedtobealike，pickeduphisfeetandpoundedthemdownagain。Showersofsprayflewabouttheheadsofthepairontheseat。

“Iain’tsosureaboutthatduckin’，“commentedtherescuer。“Hum！

Iguesslikelywe’llbeoutofsoundin’sifwetacklethatsinkholeyouwasundertakin’tonavigate。Let’stryitalittlefurtherdown。“

Ellerylookedhiscompanionover。

“Well，“heobservedwithasmile，“fromwhatI’veheardofyou，CaptainHammond，Iratherguessyoucouldnavigatealmostanywaterinthislocalityandinallsortsofweather。“

Thedriverturnedinsurprise。

“So？“heexclaimed。“Youknowme，doyou？That’sfunny。Iwastryin’tolocateyou，butIain’tbeenableto。Youain’taTrumetiteI’llbetonthat。“

“Yes，Iam。“

“Tut！tut！tut！youdon’ttellme。Say，shipmate，youhurtmypride。Ididthinktherewa’n’tasoulthatevertrodsandinthisvillagethatIcouldn’tnameonsight，andgivetheporttheyhailedfromandthenamesoftheirowners。Butyou’vegotmeonmybeamends。AndyetyouknewME。“

“OfcourseIdid。Everybodyknowsthemanthatbroughtthepackethome。“

NatHammondsniffedimpatiently。

“Um——hm！“hegrunted。“Ical’lateeverybodydoes，andknowsalotmoreaboutthatfoolishnessthanIdomyself。Ifeveracraftwassteeredbyguessandbygodfrey，’twasthatoldhookerofZach’st’othernight。Well——Humph！here’sanotherpieceofpilotin’

thatbidsfairtobeamightysightharder。Heaveahead，Hannibal！

hopeyou’vegotyourwebfeetwithyou。“

Theyhadmovedalongtheedgeoftheflatashortdistanceandnowturnedintothechannel。Thehorsewaswadingaboveitsknees；

soonthewaterreacheditsbellyandbegantoflowintothebodyofthecart。

“Pickupyourfeet，shipmate，“commandedNat。“Youmaygetrheumatizifyoudon’t。This’llbeatreatforthoseseaclamsbackinthatbucketamidships。They’llthinkI’verepentedandhavedecidedtoturn’emlooseagain。Theydon’tknowhowlongI’vebeencountin’onasea-clampie。I’llfetchthoseclamsashoreifIhavetolug’emwithmyteeth。Steady，allhands！

we’reofftheways。“

Thecartwasafloat。Thehorse，findingwadingmoredifficultthanswimming，begantoswim。

“NowI’mskipperagain，sureenough，“remarkedHammond。“Ain’tgettin’seasick，areyou？“

Theministerlaughed。

“No，“hesaid。

“Good！shekeepsonafairlyevenkeel，considerin’herbuild。

THEREshestrikes！That’lldo，January；youneedn’ttryforarecordvoyage。Walkin’smoreinyourlinethanplayin’steamboat。

We’reovertheworstofitnow。Say！youandIdidn’theadforportanytoosoon，didwe？“

“No，Ishouldsaynot。Ioughttohaveknownbetterthantowaitouttheresolong。I’vebeenwarnedaboutthistide。I——“

“S-sh-sh！YOUoughttohaveknownbetter！Whatdoyouthinkofme？Bornandbroughtupwithinsightandsmellofthissaltpuddleandletmyselfinforascrapelikethis！ButitwassomightyfineoffthereonthebarIcouldn’tbeartoleaveit。Ialwayssaidthatgoin’toseaonlandwouldbetheidealway，andnowI’vetriedit。ButyoutookbiggerchancesthanIdid。Areyouagoodswimmer？“

“Nottoogood。Ihardlyknowwhatmighthavehappenedifyouhadn’t——“

“S-sh-sh！that’sallright。Alwaysgladtopickupaderelict，maybeachanceforsalvage，youknow。Here’sthelastchannelandit’saneasyone。There！nowit’splainsailin’fordryground。“

Theoldhorse，breathingheavilyfromhisexertions，trottedoverthestretchofyetuncoveredflatsandsoonmountedtheslopeofthebeach。Theministerpreparedtoalight。