TheyharnessedDanieltothecarryall，andstowedthelivingfreightaboardsomehow，althoughCaptainPerezprotestedthathehadeatensomuchdinnerhedidn’tknow’she’dbeabletohangonthewayhedidcomingdown。ThentheysaidfarewelltoCaptainDavisandhissisterandstartedforhome。Themembersofthecrew，suchofthemaswereaboutthestation，wavedgood-bytothemastheypassed。”Thingskindofaverageupinthisworld，don’tthey？”saidCaptainErireflectively，ashesteeredDanielalongthesoftbeachtowardtheford。”We’reallthetimereadin’’boutfellersthatworkfortheGov’mentgittin’highsal’riesanddoin’nexttonothin’。Nowthere’sagang——thelife-savin’crew，Imean——thatdoeswhatyouandmewouldcallalmightyhardworkandgitnexttonothin’forit。UncleSamgitssquarethere，itseemstome。Afewdollarsamonthandfindyourselfain’tgilt-edgedwagesforbein’frozeanddrowndedandblowntopiecestenmonthsoutoftheyear，isit？”
Thetidewashigherwhentheycametothecrossingthanithadbeenwhentheydroveoverbefore，buttheymadethepassageallright，althoughtherewassomenervousnessdisplayedbythefeminineportionoftheparty。WhentheyreachedhometheyfoundCaptainJerrycontentedlysmokinghispipe，thesickmanwasasleep，andeverythingwasserene。Josiahappearedfrombehindthebarn，wherehehadbeensmokingacigarette。
TheypressedMr。Hazeltinetostaytosupper，buthedeclined，allegingthathehadbeenawayfrombusinesstoolongalready。Hehadbeenremarkablysilentduringthehomewardride，andElsie，too，hadseemedbusywithherthoughts。Shewasfulloffunatthesuppertable，however，andthemealwasajollyone。JustasitwasfinishedCaptainJerrystruckthetableabangwithhispalmthatmadetheknivesandforksjump，andsostartledCaptainPerezastocausehimtospillhalfacupofteaoverhisshirtbosom。”Landoflove！”ejaculatedthevictim，moppinghischinandhistiewithhisnapkin。”It’sbadenoughtoscareafellertodeath，letalonedrowndin’andscaldin’himatthesametime。Whatdidyoudothatfor？””Ijestthoughtofsomethin’，”exclaimedCaptainJerry，goingthroughonepocketaftertheother。”Well，Iwishyou’dhaveyourthinkin’fitsinthebarnorsomewhereselsenexttime。Iputthisshirtoncleanthismornin’
andnowlookatit！”
Hisfriendwastoobusytopayanyattentiontothisadvice。Thepocketsearchapparentlybeingunsatisfactory，herosefromthetableandhurriedlymadearoundoftheroom，lookingonthemantelpieceandunderchairs。”IhaditwhenIcomein，”hesoliloquized。”IknowIdid，’causeIwaswearin’itwhenIwentouttoseetothehens。Idon’tseewhere——””Ifit’syourhatyou’relookingfor，”observedJosiah，”IsawMrs。