Did you notice the sky tonight？
Mackerel skies and mares' tails Make tall ships carry short sails."Owen Ford accepted the offer of the life-book gladly.
On their way home Anne told him the story of lost Margaret.
"That old captain is a wonderful old fellow，" he said.
"What a life he has led！ Why， the man had more adventures in one week of his life than most of us have in a lifetime. Do you really think his tales are all true？""I certainly do. I am sure Captain Jim could not tell a lie； and besides， all the people about here say that everything happened as he relates it. There used to be plenty of his old shipmates alive to corroborate him.
He's one of the last of the old type of P.E. Island sea-captains. They are almost extinct now."第一章
THE WRITING OF THE BOOK
Owen Ford came over to the little house the next morning in a state of great excitement. "Mrs. Blythe， this is a wonderful book--absolutely wonderful. If Icould take it and use the material for a book I feel certain I could make the novel of the year out of it.
Do you suppose Captain Jim would let me do it？""Let you！ I'm sure he would be delighted，" cried Anne. "I admit that it was what was in my head when Itook you down last night. Captain Jim has always been wishing he could get somebody to write his life-book properly for him.""Will you go down to the Point with me this evening， Mrs. Blythe？ I'll ask him about that life-book myself， but I want you to tell him that you told me the story of lost Margaret and ask him if he will let me use it as a thread of romance with which to weave the stories of the life-book into a harmonious whole."Captain Jim was more excited than ever when Owen Ford told him of his plan. At last his cherished dream was to be realized and his "life-book" given to the world.
He was also pleased that the story of lost Margaret should be woven into it.
"It will keep her name from being forgotten，" he said wistfully.
"That's why I want it put in."
"We'll collaborate，" cried Owen delightedly. "You will give the soul and I the body. Oh， we'll write a famous book between us， Captain Jim. And we'll get right to work.""And to think my book is to be writ by the schoolmaster's grandson！" exclaimed Captain Jim.
"Lad， your grandfather was my dearest friend. Ithought there was nobody like him. I see now why I had to wait so long. It couldn't be writ till the right man come. You BELONG here--you've got the soul of this old north shore in you-- you're the only one who COULDwrite it."
It was arranged that the tiny room off the living room at the lighthouse should be given over to Owen for a workshop. It was necessary that Captain Jim should be near him as he wrote， for consultation upon many matters of sea-faring and gulf lore of which Owen was quite ignorant.
He began work on the book the very next morning， and flung himself into it heart and soul. As for Captain Jim， he was a happy man that summer. He looked upon the little room where Owen worked as a sacred shrine.
Owen talked everything over with Captain Jim， but he would not let him see the manuscript.
