"'Gal in the buggy!' exclaimed Abner. 'What on earth are you talkin'
about her for?'

"'Why shouldn't I?' asked Sam. 'I tell you, Cap'n Abner, she's the
prettiest and the liveliest young woman you'd be likely to meet if you
cruised for a year, and she's visitin' right in the neighborhood, and
can't be far from Shamrick.'

"'Codwollops!' said Abner, contemptuously.

"In the course of an hour old Joshua Asbury drove up in his farm-wagon,
and changed the five-dollar note, and was glad to do it, for he did not
like to carry so much inconvenient silver and copper in his pocket. The
two friends now made ready to depart.

"'Let's hurry up,' said Sam. 'We've done fust-rate so far, and maybe
we'll sight one or two more afore bedtime.'

"'When you come back,' said the woman, 'I'd be glad to have you stop and
rest, and give your horse a feed if you want to.'

"Sam Twitty assured her most earnestly that they certainly would stop,
whether they wanted rest and a feed or not; and he thanked her warmly as
he paid for the kind entertainment she had given them.

"'Sam,' said Abner, when they were on the road, 'the trouble with you
is, you're too quick. If you was at the tiller you'd run into the fust
port you come to, and there wouldn't be no v'yage at all.'

"'There's no knowin' when a fellow may want to run into port,' replied
Sam, 'and it's a good thing to find out all about them as you're
coastin' along.'

"A few miles from the toll-gate they came to the bottom of a long hill,
and half-way up it they saw, going in the same direction as themselves,
a man walking vigorously.

"'By the general cut of his clothes,' said Sam, 'I'd say he is a
minister.'

"'I expect you're right,' said Abner. 'Most likely fillin' some fishin'
minister's pulpit Sunday, and walkin' home Monday.'

"The pedestrian clergyman walked more slowly as he neared the top of the
hill, and the gray horse gradually overhauled him.

"'Look a' here,' said Sam, nudging his companion, 'let's give him a
lift. He must be dreadfully hot. And then, by George, Cap'n Abner, jes
think what a jolly thing it'll be--goin' after her, and takin' a
minister along, sittin' comfortable on the back seat! That's like
holdin' a landin'-net ready to scoop her up the minute you get her to
the top of the water.'

"They stopped and asked the clergyman if he were going to Thompsontown,
and when he said he was, they invited him to get in and take the
unoccupied seat. He proved to be an agreeable companion; he was young
and very grateful. Sam soon fell into a very friendly conversation with
him, and two or three times, when Abner thought that his friend was on
the point of saying something that bore too directly on the object of
their journey, he pressed his port boot gently upon Sam's starboard
slipper.

"Toward the middle of the afternoon they reached Thompsontown, where the
young clergyman said he was going to stop for the night, and go on by
train the next day. Sam Twitty was glad to hear this, and advised him to
stop at the Spinnaker Boom, where he and Captain Abner intended to stay
until they finished the business which brought them to Thompsontown.

"Thompsontown was a seaside resort, and rather a lively place in the
season. There was a large hotel for summer visitors who could afford to
pay good prices, and several smaller houses of entertainment, such as
the Spinnaker Boom, where people of moderate means were made very
comfortable.

"It was much too early for supper, and Captain Abner and Sam took a long
walk on the beach, and at their invitation the young clergyman joined
them. This gentleman, who did not seem to know any one in Thompsontown,
proved to be a thorough landsman; but as he was chatty and glad to
acquire knowledge, it gave Captain Abner and Sam a great deal of
pleasure to talk to him on nautical points and thereby improve his mind.
On their return, Sam stopped with a start, and almost dropped his pipe.

"'What's the matter?' cried Captain Abner. 'Did you see her spout?'

"Sam made no answer, but stood with his mouth open. He had remarkably
good vision. The clergyman stopped and looked at him inquiringly.

"'They are coming, both of them!' said Sam.

"'Both of who?' asked Abner.

"'The gal in the buggy, and the toll-gate woman.'"

"If I were telling this story," here interrupted the Daughter of the
House, excitedly, "I really do not know which one I would marry to
Captain Abner!"

"Thank you for the compliment, my dear," said her father.

"Well, there they both were: side by side they were walking along the
smooth beach and approaching our three men. Sam's eyes sparkled. The
toll-gate woman appeared much more comely and attractive than when
engaged in her professional duties earlier in the day. She was now
attired in fresh-looking summer clothes, and wore a pretty straw hat. As
for the girl of the buggy, she was quite another person. It would have
been impossible for any one who had merely seen her within the limited
confines of a small vehicle to form any idea of the buoyant air and the
lively step of this handsome young woman.

"'Upon my word!' exclaimed Sam Twitty, advancing toward them. 'Who would
have expected to meet you two here!'

"At this meeting all our characters were variously affected. The
toll-gate woman beamed with pleasure; the young woman of the buggy
looked as if she were about to laugh; the young minister looked very
much interested, although he could have given no good reason why he
should be; the countenance of Captain Abner Budlong betrayed no interest
whatever; and Sam Twitty was in a glow of delight.

"'I suppose you are surprised to meet me here,' said the toll-gate
woman, 'but this is the way of it: a neighbor and his wife came along
soon after you left, and offered to bring me to Thompsontown; and of
course I jumped at the chance, and left the toll-gate in charge of my
brother, who lives hard by. And in the town, at the house of a friend, I
met this young lady, and--' glancing at her companion, she added: 'I
really did not catch the name.'

"'Miss Denby,' stated the young person referred to.

"The three men here bowed to Miss Denby; then, stepping nearer to Sam,
the toll-gate woman asked in a low voice, 'Who is the minister?'

"'I don't know his name,' said Sam, 'but I'll find out in a minute.' And
then he approached the girl of the buggy. 'I am so glad to see you,' he
said.

"She laughed outright. 'It is awfully funny,' answered she, 'that you
care whether you see me or not.'

"'I don't think it's funny at all,' said Sam. 'But jes let me ask you
one thing: what's the name of the toll-gate woman?'

"'Well, I declare!' she exclaimed. 'From the way she talked about you I
thought you were old friends. Her name is Mrs. Sickles.'

"Sam skipped over to the young clergyman and put his question:
'Mr-r-r.?'

"'Rippledean,' said the young man.

"In an instant the quick-slippered Sam had joined the party in the bonds
of conventional acquaintanceship, having added to the rest of his
information the fact that he was Samuel Twitty of Shamrick.

"'You are the funniest people I ever met,' exclaimed the lively Denby
girl. 'None of you seems to know the rest.'

"'It is very pleasant to know each other, I am sure,' remarked the
toll-gate woman; 'and if I had anything to say about what would be
agreeable on such a breezy afternoon as this, now that there's a party
of us, I would say it would be to get a boat and take a sail on this
sparkling water.'

"'A sail!' cried Sam. 'Why, that will be the best thing in the world,
and if you'll wait ten minutes I'll get a boat. Cap'n Silas Peck is a
friend of mine, and has got two boats that ain't likely to be out. I'll
run down and get one, and have it here in no time.'

"In less than a quarter of an hour the party was seated in Captain
Peck's sail-boat, Captain Abner at the tiller, and Sam Twitty in charge
of the sheet. They decided to sail out to an island about three miles
from shore. A stiff breeze was blowing, and Captain Abner was in his
glory. The wind was much too high for ordinary pleasure-boats, and there
were no other sails upon the bay; but summer visitors and seafaring men
stood along the beach and watched the admirable manner in which that
little craft was handled. Word was passed from one to another that it
was Captain Abner Budlong of Shamrick who was at the tiller; many of the
watchers had heard of Captain Abner and what he had done in days gone
by, and they were proud to see what their neighbor of Shamrick was doing
now.

"Mrs. Sickles sat beaming, both hands grasping the rail and her feet
firmly braced, but with an expression of perfect trust, as she gazed
from Captain Abner to Sam Twitty, which would have been edifying to any
one of weak habits of faith. The younger woman's hat was off, and her
hair was flying like a streamer from a masthead. She drank in the salt
breeze with delight, and her eyes sparkled as the boat dipped at the
turn of Captain Abner's tiller until the rail cut under the surface of
the water as if it were skimming a pan of milk. She looked upon the
bright-eyed sailor at the helm as though he were some sort of a
salt-water deity whom it was suitable to worship. It was better than
sparkling wine to her to dash over the sparkling water.

"The island shore drew near; the little boat bore bravely down upon it,
and then with a beautiful sweep fell into the wind; her great wing
dropped and hung listless, and her keel gently grazed the sand."

"Very beautiful! Oh, so fine a turn to words!" exclaimed the Frenchman,
who was very intent upon the story.

"My papa is a sailor," said the Daughter of the House, proudly. "You
should see him bring around a great vessel with a grand sweep, so
quietly and so gracefully!"

"You never saw me do anything of the kind," said her father, in
surprise.

"I have never seen you," she admitted reluctantly, "but I know just how
you would do it."

Her father smiled and laid a hand on her head.

"Well, my dear," he said, "what Sam Twitty told the inmates of the boat
was this: 'If there was an egg-shell 'twixt her bow and the beach, Cap'n
Abner wouldn't have smashed it.'

"The captain stemmed the praises which now poured upon him, with a jerk
of the head. 'That's all very well,' said he, 'but I'm goin' to give Sam
Twitty a chance; he'll sail you back.'

"When the party was on shore and the boat safely moored, Sam Twitty
began to jump about like a collie dog in charge of a flock of sheep. He
had said little in the boat, but his mind had been busily at work with
the contemplation of great possibilities. There was much to be done, and
but little time to do it in, but Sam's soul warmed up to its work.
Casting a rapid glance around, he singled out Captain Abner, and,
dashing into the little party, cut him off from his companions, and
drove him out of ear-shot.

"'Now, Cap'n Abner,' said he, 'your time's come, and the quicker you get
to work the better.'

"'Work!' cried Abner. 'What work have I got to do!'

"'Do!' exclaimed Sam. 'You've got lots to do. Look at that sun. It's
settin' jes as steady as if it was bein' towed into port, and you'll
never get another chance like this. Here's two women to pop your
question to; here is a minister on hand; here's me and the young woman
what don't get chosen, for witnesses; here's all them white caps
skippin' over the water; and here's this clean stretch of sand. There
couldn't be a better place for a sailor to be married in than jes here.'

"'But I tell you, Sam,' said Abner, a little querulously, 'I didn't come
here to marry one of them women. I didn't start on this trip to make
fast to the fust female person I might fall in with. I set out on a
week's cruise, and I want to see a lot of them afore I make a ch'ice.'

"'I tell you, cap'n,' said Sam, very earnestly, 'it won't do. You might
hang round Thompsontown for a year, and you wouldn't find any two such
women as them two. Here they are, two kinds to pick from: one of them as
ripe as a peach, and the other like a cross between a cricket and a
blossom. And you've got no time to fool away. When the sun goes down
you've got to sail back to Thompsontown, and then one will go one way
and the other another, and where the minister will go to, nobody knows.
They'll all be scattered and out of sight, and this glorious chance
you've got might as well be at the bottom of the sea. Now, cap'n, I tell
you, this thing that's right afore you is what you come for. Jes you
listen to what I say to you: you go to that Mrs. Sickles and let her see
how you're standin' and what your course is. She's no fool, and she can
see the sense of gettin' over a sandbar at high tide jes as well as you
can.'

"Captain Abner hesitated a moment. 'She's a mighty fine woman, Sam,'
said he, 'but if I go and set the case afore her, and she agrees to ship
with me, then I can't ask the other one, and there might as well be no
other one; and she's as pert a little clipper as ever I seed, Sam, and
she likes sailin', that she does.'

"'Now don't you worry about that,' said Sam. 'You jes say all you've got
to say to her, and hear all she's got to say, but don't sign no papers
and take her aboard until you talk to that other girl. Now hurry up, and
walk along the beach a little further off.'

"Without waiting for an answer, Sam Twitty galloped away, or that was
what he would have done had he been a sheep-dog. He darted in between
Mrs. Sickles and her companions; he turned her down the beach; he talked
to her in rapid snaps about the sea, the sky, the sand, and before she
knew it he had driven her alongside of Captain Abner. Then, with what
might have been compared to a bark of satisfaction, he bounced away to
join the others, who were looking for shells.

"In about ten minutes Sam Twitty's port eye told him that Captain Abner
and the toll-gate woman were approaching, but in Abner there were signs
of a disposition to fall back. In an instant he had bounded between them
and was showing shells to the widow. Then, letting her go on by herself,
he turned sharply upon Abner.

"'Well,' said he, their heads close together, 'what did she say? Is she
all right?'

"Captain Abner threw a glance over the water as if his soul were
yearning for the fancied possibilities of Thompsontown. 'Oh, it's all
right enough, so far as she counts,' said he. 'I went straight at it,
and put the whole thing afore her. I told her about the house and the
two parts to it and what they was for, and she said that was charmin'.
And I told her about the king conch-shell and the gilded idol, and she
said she thought either one of them would be jes lovely, and nothin',
she thought, could be better on mantelpieces than gilded idols and king
conch-shells. And everything else was jes as slick and smooth as if she
was slidin' off the stocks. She's good-lookin' enough, Sam, but she
ain't got no mind, and I didn't fix up that house, and bother myself
year in and year out a-gettin' it all right, to take it and give it to a
woman what's got no mind. She'd be jes as well satisfied to see me
a-settin' up on the mantelpiece as if the gilded idol or the king
conch-shell was there.'

"'And she don't suit you?' asked Sam, eagerly.

"'No, sir,' replied the other; 'she don't suit.'

"'All right!' exclaimed the ever-ready Sam; 'jes you wait where you are
one minute.' In less than that time the agile Sam had rounded up Miss
Denby and had her walking along the beach by the side of Captain Abner,
and whether she thought that skilful skipper was going to show her some
rare seaweed or the state of his mind, Sam considered not for one
minute. He had brought the two together, and that was all he cared
about.

"The good Mrs. Sickles was standing alone, reflectively gazing upon the
little waves, so Sam had no trouble in carrying off the minister to a
little distance for confidential remarks.

"'I want you to tell me, sir,' said he, 'if there is any law ag'in' your
marryin' a party on the sea-shore, especially when one of them is a
sailor?'

"Mr. Rippledean laughed. 'As I am a regularly ordained minister, I can
perform a marriage anywhere,' said he, 'provided the parties are of
legal age, and there are no objections. But what are you talking about?
Who wants to be married?'

"'I can't say jes now,' answered Sam; 'matters isn't settled yet: but
everything is goin' ahead lively with a stiff breeze, and I guess we'll
get into soundin's pretty soon. I only spoke to you to know if you'd be
all right when the couple's ready.'

"'There is nothing the matter with me,' said the young man; 'but I would
like to know--'

"'Jes you lay to for a while,' said Sam, 'and I'll tell you all about
it.' And then, noticing that Mrs. Sickles was glancing toward the
captain and his companion as if she thought to join them, he dashed out
upon her to cut her off.

"Meanwhile Miss Denby, with glowing eyes, was saying: 'Yes, I do love to
sail, and to sail in a small boat, close to the water, almost as if I
were in it, skimming like a bird with my wings dipping. Oh, it is grand!
And you have a sail-boat?'

"And the captain answered: 'Indeed I have, and there's none better,
either for sailing on the wind, or before the wind, or with next to no
wind at all.'

"'How wonderfully you must sail it! I could not keep my eyes off you as
you brought us over here. It was grand! You made her do anything you
pleased.'

"The captain smiled and nodded. 'But I think of my house as much as I do
of my boat, miss,' said he. 'I've got a mighty nice parlor that's as
good as any ship's cabin. And now let me put this p'int to you: if you
had a big king conch-shell, the prettiest you ever seed, and it was on
the middle of the mantelpiece, and you had a gilded idol in another
place, would you put the idol where the conch-shell was, and the
conch-shell where the idol was, or would you leave 'em both jes where
they was afore?'

"The young woman laughed merrily. 'What kind of an idol would it be?'
she asked. 'A beautiful piece of carving?'

"''Tain't that,' said Captain Abner; 'it's jes a piece of wood whittled
out by a heathen; but it used to be in a temple, and it's gilded all
over.'

"'Oh, dear!' said she, 'I don't think much of that sort of an idol. I
might like to be a gilded idol myself, if I had the right person to
worship me. But as for a wooden idol, I wouldn't put that on the
mantelpiece, and I am of the same opinion as to the conch-shell.'

"'But it's a king conch-shell,' said the captain.

"'I don't care,' said she; 'king or queen, it would be all the same to
me. But if I were you I think I'd be most of the time in the boat. What
is a house, no matter what it has in it, compared to a boat dancing
over the waves and speeding before the wind?'

"Captain Abner looked at her. 'I expect you'd like to learn to steer,
wouldn't you?'

"'Indeed I would,' she answered. 'There is nothing I would like better.'

"Captain Abner put his hands into his pockets and gently whistled, and,
leaving him, Miss Denby ran to join the toll-gate woman. Down swooped
Sam Twitty.

"'Is it all right?' he whispered to Abner.

"'All up,' the other answered, 'and I'm glad of it. She don't want no
gilded idol, and she don't want no king conch-shell. She wants her hand
on the tiller, that's what she wants. She's got too much mind for me.
After I've been workin' year in and year out a-gettin' my affairs the
way I wants them, I don't fancy anybody comin' down on me and takin' the
tiller out of my hands.'

"Sam made two or three steps forward, and then he stood gazing in the
direction of the setting sun. Resting on one slippered foot and
extending the other before him, he folded his arms and remained a few
moments wrapped in thought. Suddenly he turned.

"'Cap'n Abner,' he cried, 'it won't do to sink this chance! It'll never
pop up ag'in. You must have spoke pretty plain to that toll-gate woman,
considerin' the way she's been turnin' it over in her mind.'

"'Yes, I did,' said Captain Abner, 'and that's the way I found out what
she was. But I didn't ask her to ship with me.'

"'And you don't want her to?' said Sam.

"'No, I don't.'

"'And you don't want the other one, nuther?'

"'No, I don't,' replied Captain Abner, doggedly. 'I don't want nuther of
'em. And I say, Sam, the sun's gettin' down and it's about time for us
to be settin' sail.'

"'There's a good stretch of sky under that sun yet,' said Sam, 'and jes
you wait a bit, cap'n.'

"Sam Twitty walked slowly along the sandy beach; he looked as a
sheep-dog might look who was wondering within himself whether or not he
had brought back from the fields as many sheep as he had taken out. He
stopped, and looked about at the party. Captain Abner was walking toward
the boat; the minister and the Denby girl were standing together,
comparing shells; the toll-gate woman was strolling by herself a little
higher up the beach, still in a reflective mood. Sam gazed from his
companions to the sky, the water, the beautiful glistening sands.

"'It's a shame to lose all this,' he said to himself; 'it's a burnin'
shame to sink it all.' Then suddenly, as if his master had whistled, he
sped to the side of Mrs. Sickles. Backward and forward these two walked,
Sam talking earnestly and the toll-gate woman listening with great
interest. Captain Abner now and then gave them an impatient glance, but
the other couple did not regard them at all.

"'But, Mr. Twitty,' said Mrs. Sickles, 'this is so unexpected. I had
an idea of the kind about Cap'n Abner, for I could not help it, but
you--really! I've heard of you often, Mr. Twitty, but I never saw you
until to-day.'

"'Now, Mrs. Sickles,' said Sam, 'you couldn't have had a better day to
see me in, if you'd waited a year; and a-speakin' quick and sharp as
I've got to do, for the sun's keepin' on goin' down, there couldn't be a
better day to marry me in.'

"'Oh, Mr. Twitty!' cried Mrs. Sickles, with flushed face.

"'There couldn't be a better time or a better place,' said Sam, 'and a
minister right here, and two witnesses.'

"'But, Mr. Twitty,' said she, 'I really thought that Cap'n Budlong--and
from what he told me about his house and his things--'

"'Cap'n Abner is one of the finest men in this world,' interrupted Sam,
'and he's got a fust-class house, and I ain't got none, and he's got all
sorts of things from all parts of the world that he's put in it. But I
can get a house and things to put in it, and I can do without gilded
idols and king conch-shells, and, what's still more to the p'int,
Mrs. Sickles, I wants you, and he don't.'

"'There's something in that,' said the toll-gate woman, and then she
added: 'but as to marryin' you here and now, Mr. Twitty, it's not to be
thought of.'

"Sam walked slowly away; one might have thought his head drooped under a
rebuke. He approached the young minister and the girl of the buggy.

"'Look a' here,' said he to the former; 'you don't mean to say, sir,
that you'd back out of marryin' a couple right here and now, that was
growed up and of full age, and nothin' to hinder.'

"'Marry!' cried Miss Denby. 'A wedding right here on this beautiful
island! Oh, that would be glorious! Who wants to be married?'

"'I do,' said Sam.

"They both laughed. 'But the other person?' asked Mr. Rippledean. 'There
must be a bride if you want a wedding.'

"'Oh, the bride'll be Mrs. Sickles,' said Sam. 'But the trouble is she
ain't altogether willin'.'

"'I told you,' said the merry Miss Denby--'you know I told you that you
are the funniest people I ever met, and you truly are. People generally
come to an agreement between themselves before they speak to the
clergyman.'

"'Mr. Twitty,' said the clergyman, 'I strongly advise you to give up
your present notions of immediate matrimony, and wait at least until all
parties agree upon time and place and upon the other circumstances of
this union for which you seem so impatient.'

"'Hello, Sam!' shouted Captain Abner from the water's edge, 'ain't you
comin' along?'

"Sam made no answer to any one. He walked silently down toward the boat.
Everything seemed to be breaking loose from him, and slipping away. His
old friend, who had so long wanted her, and who had prepared his house
for her, and had set out to look for her, had declined to take her when
he saw her; and he, Sam, who had so thoroughly understood the
opportunities which had been spread before the little party that
afternoon, and who knew what would happen if these opportunities were
allowed to slip out of sight, had been set aside by one woman, laughed
at by another, had been advised by a clergyman, and had been scolded by
Captain Abner. His soul resented all this, and he saw that the edge of
the sun was nearly touching the rim of the distant sea. With a great
slap upon his thigh, he sprang to the side of the boat, and turned and
faced the others, all of whom were now approaching him.

"'I am to sail this boat back to Thompsontown,' he cried. 'It's been
agreed I'm to do it, and I'm goin' to do it; but one thing I'll tell
you--the sun can go down, the night can come on, and you can all stay
here till mornin' if you like, but this boat don't leave this island
with me at the helm till I'm a married man!' With this he skipped on
board, sat down in the stern, and clapped his broad hands on the tiller.

"There was a burst of astonishment from the rest of the party as Sam
thus seated himself at bay. Even the girl of the buggy did not laugh.

"'But I must go home,' she cried, 'before it is any later. My friends
will be waiting supper for me.'

"'Don't matter,' said Sam. 'Supper can wait.'

"'Look a' here,' said Captain Abner.

"'I don't want to look a' here,' said Sam. 'I'm a-lookin' a different
way, and it's Mrs. Sickles I'm lookin' at. And you needn't none of you
look cross at me. I'm to steer this boat home, that's settled, and I
don't steer her an inch till I'm a married man.'

"The others gathered together on the beach and gazed with varied
emotions upon the determined figure of Sam as he sat in the stern, his
arm resting upon the tiller and one leg crossed leisurely over the
other, his protruding slipper lighted up by the rays of the setting sun.

"'What is the matter with him?' asked Mr. Rippledean. 'Is he crazy? Does
he really think of forcing us to remain here until he shall be married?
I never heard anything--'

"'So delightfully absurd,' interrupted Miss Denby.

"'There's nothin' crazy about Sam Twitty,' said Captain Abner. 'He's as
sound as a nut, body and soul. But when Sam makes up his mind he sticks
to it. Now sometimes when I make up my mind I don't stick to it. He's a
good man all around, and he's got enough to live on, though he never was
a cap'n; but you couldn't find a better fust mate than him, or a better
sailor, except perhaps somebody what's had a leetle more experience.
Sam made up his mind that we was all comin' out here for a weddin',
everything fallin' together exactly to suit, wind and tide and
everything else. But Sam ain't goin' to force nobody to do nothin'; he
ain't that kind. All he's goin' to do is to stay here till he's
married.'

"The girl of the buggy clapped her hands. 'Oh, that is fine!' she cried.
'It is like lifting you up on a horse and dashing away with you. Oh,
dear Mrs. Sickles, take pity on him and on all of us. If you do not, I
shall have to talk to him myself and see if I--'

"Mrs. Sickles was not inclined to give attention to any such idle words
as these, and she stepped up to Captain Abner.

"'You seem to think very well of Mr. Twitty, sir,' she said.

"'Indeed I do,' he answered. 'There ain't nobody I think more of, on
watch or below, in storm or fine weather, take him as you find him, than
I do of him.'

"Sam Twitty had not heard any of the remarks which had been made on
shore; he had been communing with himself: but now his active mind would
no longer permit him to sit still. Springing to his feet, he stepped
forward and stood up in the bow of the boat, and cast his eye over the
little party in front of him. Then he spoke:

"'Mrs. Sickles, I want to put a p'int to you that's been put to you
afore, but I want to put it a little different. If there was a gilded
idol and a king conch-shell that you knowed of, and you was asked which
of them you would like to have for your own, and you only could have
one--'

"'Oh, dear!' exclaimed Miss Denby, 'here is that delightful gilded idol
and conch-shell again! I wonder what they will do now!'

"The toll-gate woman was paling and flushing, and these changes of
countenance, combined with her becoming summer dress and her straw hat,
made her very attractive to the eye. Without waiting for Sam to finish
his remarks, she spoke:

"'I am very sure, Mr. Twitty, that both the things you mention, from
what I have heard of them, would be very nice and pleasant; but you see,
Mr. Twitty, I don't--'

"Sam suddenly stepped upon the rail, steadying himself by the mast.
'Mrs. Sickles,' he cried, 'I'll put it plainer to you: supposing you
couldn't get the gilded idol?'

"Mrs. Sickles now saw very clearly that there was no more time for
hesitation. She stepped a little forward.

"'In that case,' she said, 'I'd take the conch-shell.'

"With a bound, Sam Twitty sprang from the shore, and the next moment he
had seized the blushing Mrs. Sickles by the hand. For a moment he gazed
proudly around, the sunset light casting a ruddy glow upon his
countenance which made it almost as rosy as that of his companion. Then
he tucked her under his arm and turned toward the minister.

"'Please step this way, Mr. Rippledean,' he said. 'That little bluff
there, with grass on it, is the place I've picked out for the ceremony.
And, Cap'n Abner, I'll ask you and that young woman to follow along
after us and stand up for witnesses.'

"Just as the upper edge of the sun disappeared beneath the glowing sea,
the name of Sickles departed from observation and recognition on that
line of longitude. But in the glow upon the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Twitty
there was nothing to remind one of a sunset sky. It might have been
supposed, rather, that they were gazing eastward, and that the morn was
glorious.

"Having gravely saluted his bride, Sam lifted up his voice. He was used
to that sort of thing, for he had been a boatswain. 'Cap'n Abner
Budlong,' he exclaimed, 'step aft and kiss the bride!'

"When this command had been obeyed with urbane alacrity, Sam called out
again, very much as if he were piping all hands to osculation:
'Rev. Mr. Rippledean, step aft and kiss the bride!'

"When the minister had retired from the performance of his duty, Sam
cast a speaking glance in the direction of Miss Denby. He looked as if
he would say that on this occasion it was a great pity that any one
should be left out. The girl of the buggy understood his glance, and
lifted up her voice in laughter.

"'Oh, no, Mr. Twitty,' said she, 'it is not the custom to kiss
witnesses.'

"'Oh, no,' answered Mrs. Twitty, in tones of approbation; and these
were the first words she spoke after she had ceased to be Sickles.

"As that boat of blissfulness sped across the bay, speeding along under
a strong breeze from the west, under a sky full of orange-colored
clouds, Sam Twitty's strong hand grasped the tiller with an energy which
would have been sufficient for the guidance of a ship of the line. As
the thin sheets of water curled over the lee scuppers of the boat, the
right hand which held Sam's left never trembled nor tightened its hold;
and when the clergyman, sitting by Miss Denby, asked her if she felt at
all afraid, she cheerily replied:

"'Not with the gilded idol and the king conch-shell both on board--no,
not I!'

                *       *       *       *       *

"The honeymoon of Mr. and Mrs. Twitty was spent in Thompsontown, and
lasted three days; for at the end of that time the bride's brother
demanded to be released from the care of the toll-gate, having other
duties which were incumbent upon him. But when Sam and his wife spoke of
leaving the Spinnaker Boom, Captain Abner was perfectly willing to go
with them. His face bore an expression of contented resignation.

"'I will drive you two back, Sam,' said he. ''Tain't no more use for me
to stay here. I don't believe I'll find her, and I give it up.'

"On the way home the happy Mr. Twitty burst out laughing. 'It do seem
awful comical, Cap'n Abner,' said he, 'that, after all we said about
comin' home, that me and her should be a-settin' on the back seat and
you a-drivin' in front alone.' And when this remark was explained to
Mrs. Twitty she laughed very heartily indeed.

"Sam did not go directly back to Shamrick. His wife had a good house,
and could not, without due notice, give up her public office, and so he
determined to remain, for the present, in the very pleasant quarters
thus afforded him. But he vowed with considerable vehemence that
Mrs. Twitty should keep the toll-gate no more; this duty, so long as it
had to be performed, he would take upon himself, and he found it a most
congenial and interesting occupation.

"'Like it!' he exclaimed to his wife, after his first day's experience.
'It's as interestin' as readin' the weekly paper. Everybody that comes
along seems ready for some different kind of chat. And when that young
woman with the buggy happens to be drivin' this way, she don't pay no
toll. I'll pay for her myself, every time, on account of her services as
witness.'

"'No, you don't, Sam Twitty,' remarked his consort; 'that young woman
pays her own toll, every time. While I'm here I don't want no changes in
the customs of this toll-gate.'

                *       *       *       *       *

"It was about a fortnight after Sam Twitty's wedding that that
well-satisfied individual, being called to the gate by the sound of
wheels, beheld a buggy, and Miss Denby sitting therein. In answer to
Sam's cheerful greeting, she did not laugh, nor even smile.

"'I saw your friend Captain Abner about a week ago,' she said, 'as I
drove through Shamrick, and he looked dreadfully solemn. I think his
disappointment is wearing on him. It is a great pity that a man who can
sail a boat as he can should have a moment's sorrow on this earth. It
almost made me feel sorry he found out I wanted to learn to steer. I
think that was the only barrier between us. And he would have taken me
out sailing every fine day!'

"'Oh, no, no,' said Sam; 'that would never have done. You could never
have kept your hands off the tiller. If he had known what was good for
him he would have married her.' These words he spoke in a confidential
tone, and pointed with his thumb behind him. 'But he had the chance, and
he didn't take it, and now I don't wonder he's doleful.'

"'You ought to go and try to cheer him up,' said Miss Denby, gathering
up the reins. 'Do you expect to go on keeping this toll-gate,
Mr. Twitty?'

"'I'd like to,' said Sam, 'if you're goin' to keep on travellin' this
way.'

"'Oh!' said Miss Denby, with a reproving smile.

"'Yes, indeed,' said Sam; 'for it reminds me of such a happy day.'

"'Oh!' said Miss Denby, as she drove away with her nose in the air.

"A few days after this Sam did go to Shamrick, and walking on the street
he met Captain Abner; but, to his surprise, that individual did not look
at all doleful. There was a half-smile on his lips, and his step was
buoyant. The two old friends clasped hands with much heartiness.

"'You are as gay as a pot of red paint,' said Sam. 'You must be feelin'
well.'

"'I should say so,' said Abner; and then, after a portentous pause, he
added: 'I've got her.'

"'Got her!' exclaimed Sam, in amazement. 'Where did you get her?'

"'Got her here.'

"'And who is it you've got?'

"'Susan Shellbark.'

"'Susan Shellbark!' cried Sam. 'You don't mean to say that!'

"'It's Susan Shellbark, and I do mean to say that.'

"'Why, you've known her all your life,' said Sam.

"'All my life,' was the answer.

"'Then why didn't you take her afore?' asked his friend.

"'Because I hadn't been to Thompsontown to see what I could get there.
Of course I didn't want to take anybody here until I found out what
there was in Thompsontown. Now I know there ain't nothin' for me there.'

"'And so you take Susan Shellbark!' interrupted Sam.

"'And so I take Susan Shellbark.'

"Sam looked at his friend for a moment, and then burst out laughing.
'Give me your hand,' he cried. 'I'm mighty glad you've got Susan
Shellbark, and I'm mighty glad you went to Thompsontown.'

"'So am I,' said Captain Abner. 'If I hadn't gone to Thompsontown I'd
never have got Susan Shellbark.'

"'That's so,' cried Sam. 'And if you hadn't made up your mind to go to
Thompsontown, you and me'd never got stuck at the toll-gate with nothin'
but a five-dollar note. I'm mighty glad we was stuck, Cap'n Abner; I'm
mighty glad we was stuck!'

"Thereupon the two friends shook hands again.

"'But there is one thing I want to ask,' said Sam. 'What about the
gilded idol and the king conch-shell?'

"'Oh, that's all right,' said Captain Abner; 'they're both to go on to
the mantelpiece, one on one end, and t'other on the other. That's to be
the way with everything we've got. You've knowed Susan Shellbark as long
as I have, Sam, and you know she'll stick to that bargain.'

"'That's so,' said Sam; 'she'll stick to that bargain. Both of you'll be
on the mantelpiece, one on one end, and the other on t'other.'"

"And what became of the girl in the buggy?" asked the Mistress of the
House.

"Her later history is unknown to me," said the Master of the House.

"I have not made up my mind about that story, papa," said the Daughter
of the House. "It is not altogether satisfactory."

"But very much what usually happens," said John Gayther, in an
undertone.




                       THIS STORY IS TOLD BY

                           THE FRENCHMAN

                           AND IS CALLED

                          MY BALLOON HUNT




VI

MY BALLOON HUNT


The next morning, after breakfast, the Mistress of the House and John
Gayther were walking through the garden together, for her quick eye had
detected much that needed attention. Some things she had already decided
upon, but there were others in which she thought it best to ask John's
advice. They did not always agree; in fact, they were seldom in exact
accord: but both were sensible, and he reasoned that, as mistress, she
ought to do as she pleased; and she reasoned that, as he had learned the
business and she had not, it was just to him and to herself that he
should, on many points, be allowed his own way.

The orchard was really a continuation of the lower terrace of the
garden, but the Mistress had not been there for some time. "A great many
pears, John," she commented as they strolled under the trees; "a fair
show of apples: but there are no plums at all."

"Plums have their seasons," said John, sententiously. "They are not
always falling in one's way; and these are choice plums and don't come
promiscuous--sorter scattered like."

"I wonder if John means that for philosophy," thought the Mistress.
Then aloud: "My daughter brought me a luscious one yesterday, and,
really, it looks as if she had gathered the only one."

"Bless her heart!" said John, fervently, "I hope she's goin' to pick
them up all along the way she goes."

"That is too much to hope for any one, John," said the Mistress, as they
turned to go up into the garden; but in her heart she had the very same
hope.

They walked through two terraces filled with luxuriant vegetables and
bordered by small fruits, now out of season; then on to the third
terrace, bordered by currant-bushes, beautiful now to look upon, hung as
they were with a profusion of red tassels. And here there came to them
an almost overpowering fragrance; for on the terrace above were great
beds of lilies, now in their glory--lilies from many climes, lilies of
many hues: great white spikes, small pink clusters, spotted, striped,
variegated, white with borders of all colors, even black (or purple so
dark it looked black), all standing proudly in the sunshine, and sending
to heaven their incense of gratitude.

It was a gorgeous sight, and the two looked at it with delight and a
good deal of pride, for it was the design and the handiwork of both.

Then they saw, behind all this glory, a group of people disposed in
various comfortable positions about the little summer-house on the upper
terrace, where the view was finest.

There was the Master of the House in the big garden-chair; there was the
Frenchman, seated on a low grassy knoll; there was the Daughter of the
House on the bench she liked; and beside her was the Next Neighbor, who
was an intimate friend of the Daughter of the House, and, therefore, a
frequent visitor. The nearest house was not in sight, but it could be
reached in a moderate walk. Its mistress was a young married woman, very
pretty to look at and of a lively turn of mind. She waved her hand to
the Mistress, while the Master called out: "Come up here, you two! We
are waiting for you." When the two complied with the command, the Master
continued: "Now make yourselves comfortable and listen to a story our
guest has promised us."

The Mistress of the House willingly took the rustic chair the Frenchman
brought forward, but John Gayther had no wish to hear the Frenchman's
story. He had no fancy for the man, and he did not believe he would
fancy his story. "Excuse me," he said to the Master of the House, "but I
see that boy Jacob coming through the gate, and I must go with him to
weed the melon-bed."

"You will do nothing of the kind," said the Master of the House; "let
the boy weed it alone."

"Never!" cried John, in horror. "He will trample on all the vines!"

"Then tell him to do something else." And, without waiting for John to
give the order, he called out: "Ahoy, there, boy! Clear out of this
garden!"

The boy vanished with celerity, and John Gayther sank upon his stool
with an air of resignation. But no sooner had the Frenchman uttered a
few sentences than he brightened up, and not only listened attentively
but put aside the disagreeable feeling he had had for him. The beginning
of the narrative lifted a load from his mind.

The Frenchman, having again betaken himself to the grassy mound, began
in an easy, airy way:

"I am a sportsman as well as a Frenchman. It seems hardly necessary to
mention both of these things at once, for in my mind they naturally go
together. I am expert in many kinds of sports, and it pleases me much,
when engaged in such recreations, to employ my mind as well as my body,
and in so doing I frequently devise methods of pursuing my favorite
sports which are never made use of by ordinary and unimaginative
persons.

"My Irene--she is my wife--is also addicted to sport. It was partly for
this reason that I married her. It is not always by sharing my dangers
and my glories that my dear Irene shows her passion for the outdoor
sports which are so fascinating to me; it is often that she does this
merely by sympathy. She can remain at home and think of me in the field
or on the stream, and be happy. When I return she welcomes, she
appreciates. If I overstay my time I do not give myself worry--I know
that she will understand that there are contingencies. When she greets
me there are no reproaches. She is the wife for a sportsman!

"But it is not always that I rely simply upon the sympathy of my Irene.
It was not so when I went in a balloon to hunt tigers. She was then at
my side, for there was no other place where she would have been
satisfied, or where I would have had her. There are vicissitudes which
should be faced together by those who love.

"I had long wished to hunt tigers, and it had come into my head that
it would be a grand and novel idea, and also extremely practicable,
to shoot at these savage creatures from a balloon. This would be an
exhilarating sensation, and it would be safe. In no other way would I
take my Irene with me when tiger-hunting; and in no other way, I freely
admit, would I be very desirous of going myself.

"I have heard that one of my countrymen had himself shut up in a stout
cage and conveyed to a region infested by tigers. There, with his rifle,
he sat comfortably in a chair, with a lantern on a table near by. When,
at night, the tigers crowded round his cage, he shot them. But this
would not have suited me. Suppose a bar of the cage should have been
broken!

"But in a balloon it would be different. Poised in the air a moderate
distance above the ground, I could shoot at tigers beneath me and laugh
at their efforts to reach my height. Therefore it was that I determined
to hunt my tigers in a balloon. Irene screamed when I mentioned this
plan, but she did not refuse to go with me. She had been in balloons,
but she had never seen an unrestricted tiger. Now she could enjoy these
two pleasures at once, and be with me.

"This happened in French Tonkin. We were in a little outlying town where
there was a garrison, and some engineers who made military observations
in a balloon. This was a captive balloon not employed for independent
ascensions, and from some of the officers, who were my friends, I
procured it for my projected tiger hunt. They were all much interested
in my expedition, for if it succeeded there would be a new variety of
sport in this monotonous region.

"The balloon was supplied with gas sufficient to carry myself and my
Irene, with rifles, provisions, and various necessities, and its lifting
power was so proportioned to the weight it carried as to keep it at the
height of an ordinary church steeple above the earth.

"About ten miles from the town there was a long stretch of desert and
barren land, extending for about a quarter of a mile from a jungle and
forest to a river; and here, I was told, tigers were often to be found,
sometimes crossing the open country to slake their thirst at the stream,
but more frequently to prevent antelopes and other tender animals from
slaking their thirst. There could be no better spot than this for my
experiment.

"Our journey to the hunting-ground was most delightful. Seating
ourselves in the commodious car which hung beneath the balloon, we rose
to the height of the rope which restrained its ascent. The lower end of
this rope was then seized by natives, active and strong, who ran along,
pulling the balloon above them. It was the most comfortable method of
progression that I had ever known. There were no jars, scarcely any
sense of motion. The great overhanging balloon sheltered us from the
sun; we leaned over the side of the car, surveyed the landscape, and
breathed the fresh morning air. Then we breakfasted and smoked our
cigarettes. I was happy; my Irene was happy. We could have journeyed
thus for days.

"But when we came to the appointed place we prepared for business. We
had with us a machine for anchoring the balloon, and the natives
immediately went to work to drive this deeply into the soil, about
half-way between the water and the jungle, so that we might be moored
at a proper distance above the ground. There was no wind; the balloon
hung almost motionless. It had been arranged that when it should be
properly attached the natives should leave us, and return in the evening
to pull us back to the town, and to carry away the skins of the tigers
we had killed.

"It was truly luxurious hunting! The rifle of my Irene was light and
suitable for a lady; mine was of the most improved pattern. We had
another one in case of emergencies. We sat and looked down upon the men,
urging them to hasten their work and be gone; we were longing for our
sport.

"Suddenly there was a cry from one of the natives. Gazing toward the
jungle, he yelled: 'A tiger! a tiger!' Instantly our hearts stopped
beating and our eyes were turned toward the jungle. There, against the
matted leaves and stalks, was a mass of yellow and black--half a tiger.
In the bright sunlight we could see it plainly. It had been roused by
the noise of the pounding, and was gazing out to see what was the
matter. With one united scream, the natives shot away. They scattered;
they disappeared utterly and at once. Where they went I know not. We
never saw them again. We did not even think of them. Our eyes were set
fast upon the black and yellow stripes and the great head. Without
volition I grasped my rifle. Irene put her hand upon her weapon, but I
whispered to her not to move.

"The tiger came slowly out of the jungle so that we could see him
clearly; then he walked toward us. I clutched my rifle still more
tightly.

"Suddenly Irene whispered to me: 'We are not fastened; those men did
not attach the rope; and we may drift away from him, perhaps across the
river, and so lose him. Is it too far for a shot?'

"'Entirely, entirely,' I answered; 'we must wait: and if we do drift
across the river we may find some other game there. Be quiet!'

"So we both were quiet; but the balloon did not drift: there was no
wind.

"The tiger moved gently toward us; it was dreadful to remain thus
motionless and see him come on. He had paid no attention to the escaping
natives: he was giving his mind entirely to our balloon. He looked up at
us, and he looked down at the end of the rope, a yard or two of which
was moving about like a snake as the balloon veered a little this way
and that.

"This seemed to interest the tiger. He stopped for a few moments and
looked at it. He was now near enough for us to observe him closely. We
did so with breathless interest. He was a long tiger, and very thin; his
flabby flanks seemed to indicate that he was hungry. Suddenly he gave a
quick bound; he ceased to regard the balloon; his eyes were fixed upon
the end of the rope. With great leaps he reached it. He arched his back
and looked at it as it moved, then he put one paw upon it. We leaned
over the edge of the car and watched him.

"The rope was so attached that by putting out her arm Irene could reach
it. She seized it and made the lower end of it move more quickly on the
ground. The tiger gave a jump, with his eyes on the rope. Then he leaped
forward, and over and over again he put his foot upon it and quickly
jerked it away.