Says she, "You lime-juice sailor,
Now see me home you may."
But when we reached her cottage door
She unto me did say--
And a-way, you santee,
My dear Annie!
O you New York girls,
Can't you dance the polka!
--Walking Down the Broadway.
Mayo was promptly informed that Captain Downs and the crew of the
Alden were safe.
"He caught our flare, got his motor to working, and made the inlet by a
lucky stab," explained the coast-station captain. "But he didn't reckon
he'd ever see you folks again. How did it happen he didn't tell me there
was a woman aboard?"
"You'll have to ask him."
"Who is she?"
"You'll have to ask him that, too. I'm only a sailor."
The captain looked him over with considerable suspicion: His shirt was
torn and his white skin was revealed. The drenching by rain and spray
had played havoc with his disguise; most of the coloring had been washed
away.
"Have you got anything special to say about yourself?"
"No, sir."
The captain turned his back on his men and leaned close to Mayo. "They
have had your picture in the paper this week," he said. "You're the
captain they are wanting in that Montana case. They're after you. I've
got to report on this thing, you understand!"
"Very well, captain."
"But I reckon we'll talk it all over after we get to the station,"
said the master, kindly. "There may be something in it that I don't
understand."
"There's considerable in it that I don't understand myself, just now,
but I'm going to find out," declared Captain Mayo.
They placed Ahpa Marston in the care of the station captain's wife as
soon as they were safely on shore in the inlet. Fortunate chance had
sent the woman to the station that day on a visit to her husband.
Captain Downs, fed and warmed, watched the new arrivals eat beside the
kitchen stove and listened to the story Mayo had for him.
The bedraggled cat lapped milk, protected from the resentful jealousy of
the station's regular feline attaché by the one-eyed cook.
And afterward, closeted with Captain Downs and the station captain, Mayo
went over his case.
"I must say you seem to be pretty hard and fast ashore in mighty
sloppy water," commented the coastguard captain. "It isn't my especial
business--but what do you propose to do?"
"Go to New York and take what they're going to hand me, I suppose. I
ought to have stayed there and faced the music. I have put myself in bad
by running away. But I was rattled."