Chapter I.

CAPTAIN CAI HAULS ASHORE.

"We ll, that's over!"

Captain Caius Hocken, from the stern-sheets of the boat bearing him shoreward, slewed himself half-about for a look back at his vessel, the

Hannah Hoo barquentine. This was a ticklish operation, because he wore a tall silk hat and had allowed his hair to grow during the passage home—St. Michael's to Liverpool with a cargo of oranges, and from Liverpool around to Troy in charge of a tug.

"I'm wonderin'what'twill feel like when it comes to my turn,"mused his mate Mr Tregaskis, likewise pensively contemplating the Hannah Hoo."Not to be sure, sir, as I'd compare the two cases; me bein'a married man, and you—as they say—with the ship for wife all these years, and children too."

"I never liked the life, notwithstandin',"confessed the Captain.

"And I'll be fifty come Michaelmas. Isn'that enough?"

"Nobody likes it, sir; not at our age. But all the same I reckon there be compensations."Mr Tregaskis, shading his eyes (for the day was sunny), let his gaze travel up the spars and rigging of the Barquentine—up to the truck of her maintopmast, where a gull had perched itself and stood with tail pointing like a vane."If the truth were known, maybe your landsman on an Average don't do as he chooses any more than we mariners."

"Tut, man!"The Captain, who held the tiller, had ceased to look aft. His eyes were on the quay and the small town climbing the hillside above it in tier upon tier of huddled grey houses."Why, damme! Your landsman chooses to live ashore, to begin with. What's more, he can walk where he has a mind to, no matter where the wind sits."

Mr Tregaskis shook his head. Having no hat, he was able to do this, and it gave him some dialectical advantage over his skipper.

"In practice, sir, you'd find it depend on who's left to mind the shop."

"Home's home, all the same,"said Captain Cai positively, thrusting over the tiller to round in for the landing-stairs."I was born and reared in Troy, d'ye see? and as the sayin'goes—Steady on!"

A small schooner, the Pure Gem of Padstow, had warped out from the quay overnight after discharging her ballast with the usual disregard of the Harbour Commissioners'bye-laws; and a number of ponderable stones, now barely covered by the tide, encumbered the foot of the landing. On one of these the boat caught her heel, with a jerk that flung the two oarsmen sprawling and toppled Captain Hocken's tall hat over his nose. Mr Tregaskis thrust out a hand to catch it, but in too great a haste. The impact of his finger-tips on the edge of the crown sent the hat spinning forward over the thwart whereon sprawled Ben Price, the stroke oar, and into the lap of Nathaniel Berry, bowman.

Nathaniel Berry, recovering his balance, rescued the headgear from the grip of his knees, gave it a polite brush the wrong way of the nap, and passed it aft to Ben Price. Ben—a bald-headed but able seaman—eyed it a moment, rubbed it the right way dubiously with his elbow, and handed it on to the mate; who in turn smoothed it with the palm of his hand, which—being an Alert obliging man—he had dexterously wetted overside before the Captain could stop him.

"That's no method to improve a hat,"said Captain Hocken shortly, snatching it and wiping it with his handkerchief. He peered into it and pushed out a dent with his thumb."The way this harbour's allowed to shoal is nothing short of a national disgrace!"

He improved on this condemnation as, having pushed clear and brought his boat safely alongside, he climbed the steps and met the Quaymaster, who advanced to greet him with an ingratiating smile.

"—A scandal to the civilised world! The re's a way to stack ballast, now! Look at it, sproiled about the quay-edge like a skittle-alley in a cyclone! But that has been your fashion, Peter Bussa, ever since I knowed'ee, and'Nigh enough'your motto."

"You've no idea, Cap'n Cai, the hard I work to keep this blessed quay tidy."

"Work? Ay—like a pig's tail, I believe: goin'all day, and still in a twist come night."

"Chide away—chide away, now! But you're welcome home for all that,

Cap'n Cai,—welcome as a man's heart to his body."

Captain Cai relaxed his frown. After all,'twas good to return and find the little town running on just as he left it, even down to Quaymaster Bussa and his dandering ways. Yes, there stood the ancient crane with its broken-cogged winch—his own initials, carved with his first clasp-knife, would be somewhere on the beam; and the heap of sand beside it differed nothing from the heap on which he and his fellows had pelted one another forty years ago. Certainly the two bollards—the one broken, the other leaning aslant—were the same over which he and they had played leap-frog. Yes, and yonder, in the arcade supporting the front of the"King of Prussia,"was Long Mitchell leaning against his usual pillar; and there, on the bench before the Working Men's Institute, sat the trio of septuagenarians—Un'Barnicoat, Roper Vine, Old Cap'n Tom—and sunned themselves; inseparables, who seldom exchanged a remark, and never but in terms and tones of inveterate contempt. Facing them in his doorway lounged the town barber, under his striped pole and sign-board—"Simeon Toy, Hairdresser,"with the s's still twiddling the wrong way; and beyond, outside the corner-shop, Mr Rogers, ship-broker and ship-chandler—half paralytic but cunning yet,—sat hunched in his invalid chair, blinking; for all the world like a wicked old spider on the watch for flies.

"Ahoy, there!"Captain Cai hailed, and made across at once for the invalid chair: for Mr Rogers was his man of business."Lost no time in reportin'myself, you see."

Mr Rogers managed to lift his hand a little way to meet Captain Cai's grasp."Eh? Eh? I've been moored here since breakfast on the look-out for'ee."He spoke indistinctly by reason of his paralysis."They brought word early that the Hannah Hoo was in, and I gave orders straight away for a biled leg o'mutton— with capers— an'spring cabbage. Twelve-thirty we sit down to it, it that suits?"

"Thank'ee, I should just say it did suit!... You got my last letter, posted from the Azores?"

"To be sure I did. I've taken the two houses for'ee, what's more, an'the leases be drawn ready to sign.... But where's your friend? He'll be welcome too—that is, if you don't hold three too many for a leg o'mutton?"

"'Bias Hunken?... You didn't reckon I was bringing him along with me, did you?"

"I reckoned nothin'at all, not knowin'the man."

"We ll, he's at We st Indy Docks, London,—or was, a week ago. I saw it on'The Shipping Gazette'two days before we left the Mersey: the I'll Away, from New Orleans; barquentine, and for shape in tonnage might be own sister to the Hannah Hoo; but soft wood and Salcombe built. I was half fearing'Bias might get down to Troy ahead of me."

"He hasn't reported himself to me, anyway.... But we'll talk about him and other things later on."

Mr Rogers dismissed the subject as the Quaymaster came sidling up to join them. Mild gossip was a passion with the Quaymaster, and eavesdropping his infirmity.

"We ll, Cap'n Cai, and so you've hauled ashore—and for good, if I hear true?"

"For good it is, please God,"answered Captain Cai, lifting his hat at the word. He was a simple man and a pious.

"And a householder you've become already, by all accounts. I don't set much store by Town Quay talk as a rule—"

"That's right,"interrupted Mr Rogers."The re's no man ought to know its worth better than you, that sets most of it goin'."

"They do say as you've started by leasin'the two cottages in Harbour

Terrace."

"Do they?"Captain Cai glanced at the ship-chandler for confirmation.

"We ll, then, I hope it is true."

"'Tis nothing of the sort,"snapped Mr Rogers. Seeing how Captain Cai's face fell, he added,"I may be wrong, o'course, but I reckon there was

two tenants, and they wanted a cottage apiece."

"Ah, to be sure!"agreed the honest captain, visibly relieved.

But the Quaymaster persisted."Yes, yes; there was talk of a friend o'yours, an'that you two were for settin'up house alongside one another. Hunken was the name, if I remember?"

Again Captain Cai glanced at the ship-chandler. He was plainly puzzled, as the ship-chandler was plainly nettled. But he answered simply—

"That's it—'Bias Hunken."

"Have I met the man, by any chance?"

"No,"said Captain Cai firmly,"you haven't, or you wouldn't ask the question. He's the best man ever wore shoe-leather, and you can trust him to the end o'the earth."

"I can't say as I know a Hunken answerin'that description,"Mr Bussa confessed dubiously.

"You've heard the description, anyway,"suggested Mr Rogers, losing patience."And now, Peter Bussa, what d'ye say to running off and annoying somebody else?"

The Quaymaster fawned, and was backing away. But at this point up came

Barber Toy, who for some minutes had been fretting to attract Captain

Cai's notice, and could wait no longer.

"Hulloa, there! Is it Cap'n Cai?—an'still carryin'his gaff-tops'l, I see"(this in pleasant allusion to the tall hat)."We ll, home you be, it seems, an'welcome as flowers in May!"

"Thank'ee, Toy."Captain Cai shook hands.

"We was talkin'business,"said the ship-chandler pointedly.

"Then you might ha'waited for a better occasion,"Mr Toy retorted.

"Twasn'mannerly of ye, to say the least."

"Better be unmannerly than troublesome, I've heard."

"Better be both than unfeelin'. What! Leave Cap'n Cai, here, pass my door, an'never a home-comin'word?"

"I was meanin'to pay you a visit straight away; indeed I was,"said Captain Cai contritely."Troy streets be narrow and full o'friends; and when a man's accustomed to sea-room—"He broke off and drew a long breath."But O, friends, if you knew the good it is!"

"Ay, Cap'n: East or We st, home is best."

"And too far East is We st, as every sailor man knows.... The re, now, take me along and think'that out while you're giving me a clip; for the longer you stand scratching your head the longer my hair's growing."He turned to Mr Rogers."So long, soce! I'll be punctual at twelve-thirty—what's left of me."