Part 36 (2/2)

The responsibility was heavy, the duty anxious; and Billy could not forget what Archie had said about the fir, Gri for it but t' leave ht ”But 'twill be a job now to save her if they come”

Billy fancied, froht was dark, and although he peered long and listened intently, he could discover no boat in the shadows And when the day caht, he was inclined to think that his fancy had been tricking hiht have been the punts slippin' in froht, suddenly ”I wonder if 'twas”

He spenton a coil of rope on the deck of the cabin--dozing and delighting hiht fell, it fell dark and foggy An easterly wind overcast the sky and blew a thick es ashore, somewhat blurred by the mist; but elsewhere it was dark; the nearer rocks were outlined by their deeper black

”'Twill be now,” Billy thought, ”or 'twill be never Skipper Bill will sure be back with the _Grand Lake_ to-ht, while Billy was pacing the deck to keep himself warm and awake, he was hailed from the shore

”'Tis froht ”Sure, 'tis Skipper Bill co from that point at the narrows

”Billy, b'y! Billy!”

”Aye, sir! Who are you?”

”Skipper Bill, b'y!” caround and leakin'”

”Aye, aye, sir!”

”Quick, lad! I wants t' get aboard”

Billy leaped from the rail to the quarter-boat He was ready to cast off when he heard a splash in the darkness behind hi to decoy hiht to salve an abandoned vessel He clambered aboard, determined, until he had better assurance of the safety of his charge, to let Skipper Bill and his crew, if it were indeed they,”Skipper Bill, sir!”

he called ”Can you swiht for you, sir, if you want t' swim out, but I'll not leave the schooner”

At that there was a laugh--an un whence the boy had heard the splash of an oar It was echoed to right and left Then a splash or two, a creak or two and a whisper After that all was still again

”'Tis lucky, now, I didn't go,” Billy thought ”'Twas a trick, for sure But how did they know h, when he came to think about it When the skipper had warned the first fisherman off, he had ordered Billy forward by naood-hearted folk, believing in their right to what the sea cast up--and now bent on ”salving” what they could, but evidently seeking to avoid a violent seizure of the cargo

Billy appreciated this feeling He had himself no wish to ood-natured fellows as theof the wreck, or in those of a ame of wits; and now the lad sht, ”that I'll keep it safe”

For an hour or more there was no return of the alar softly rattled and sang aloft; the swish of breakers drifted in froht of the deck laun in his hands, that all the eyes, which he felt sure were peering at hiht see that he was alive to duty

As his weariness increased, he began to think that the wreckers had drawn off, discouraged Once he nodded; again he nodded, and aith a start; but he was all alone on the deck, as he had been

Then, to occupy hiht the cabin candle For a ain, he sat on the counter, lost in thought He did not hear the prow of a punt strike the _Spot Cash_ ahter ofover the side by stealth, did not hear the trah voice and a burst of laughter

”Come aboard, skipper, sir!”

The companionway frarin on each, from the first, which was clear to its sht, to those which were vanishi+ng and reappearing in the shadows behind Billy seemed to be incapable of word or action