The Lady May, still at half speed, kept on through the mist. Time passed. The twilight, made darker still by the fog, deepened.
They lit the lantern in order to see the compass card. Issy had the wheel now. Sam was forward, keeping a lookout and fretting at the delay.
"It's seven o'clock already," he cried. "For Heaven's sake, how late will you be? I've got to be there by quarter of eight. D'you hear? I've GOT to."
"Well, we're gittin' there. Can't expect to travel so fast with part of the power off. You'll be where you're goin' full as soon as you want to be, I cal'late."
And he chuckled.
Another half hour and, through the wet dimness, a light flashed, vanished, and flashed again. Issy saw it and smiled grimly.
Bartlett saw it and shouted.
"'What's that light?" he cried. "Did you see it? There it is, off there."
"I see it. There's a light at Trumet Neck, ain't there?"
"Humph! It's been years since I was there, but I thought Trumet light was steady. However--"
"Ain't that the wharf ahead?"
Sure enough, out of the dark loomed the bulk of a small wharf, with catboats at anchor near it. Higher up, somewhere on the shore, were the lighted windows of a building.
"By thunder, we're here!" exclaimed Sam, and drew a long breath.
Issy shut off the power altogether, and the Lady May slid easily up to the wharf. Feverishly her skipper made her fast.
"Yes, sir!" he cried exultantly. "We're here. And no Black Rover nor anybody else ever done a better piece of steerin' than that, nuther."
He clambered over the stringpiece, right at the heels of his impatient but grateful passenger. Sam's thanks were profuse and sincere.
"I'll never forget it, Is," he declared. "I'll never forget it.
And you'll have to let me pay you the-- What makes you shake so?"
Issy pulled his arm away and stepped back.
"I'll never forget it, Is," continued Sam. "I-- Why! What--?"
He was standing at the shore end of the wharf, gazing up at the lighted windows. They were those of a dwelling house--an old-fashioned house with a back yard sloping down to the landing.
And then Issy McKay leaned forward and spoke in his ear.
"You bet you won't forgit it, Sam Bartlett!" he crowed, in trembling but delicious triumph. "You bet you won't! I've fixed you just the same as the Black Rover fixed the mutineers. Run off with my girl, will ye? And marry her, will ye? I--"
Sam interrupted him. "Why! WHY!" he cried. "That's--that's Gertie's house! This isn't Trumet! IT'S EAST HARNISS!
The next moment he was seized from behind. The skipper's arms were around his waist and the skipper's thin legs twisted about his own.
They fell together upon the sand and, as they rolled and struggled, Issy's yells rose loud and high.
"Mr. Higgins!" he shrieked. "Mr. Higgins! Come on! I've got him!
I've got the feller that's tryin' to steal your daughter! Come on!
I've got him! I'm hangin' to him!"
A door banged open. Some one rushed down the walk. And then a girl's voice cried in alarm:
"What is it? Who is it? What IS the matter?"
And from the bundle of legs and arms on the ground two voices exclaimed: "GERTIE!"
"But where IS your father?" asked Sam. Issy asked nothing. He merely sat still and listened.
"Why, he's at Trumet. At least I suppose he is. Mrs. Jones--she's gone to telephone to him now--says that he came home this morning with one of those dreadful 'attacks' of his. And after dinner he seemed so sick that, when she went for the doctor, she wired me at Auntie's to come home. I didn't want to come--you know why--but I COULDN'T let him die alone. And so I caught the three o'clock train and came. I knew you'd forgive me. But it seems that when Mrs. Jones came back with the doctor they found father up and dressed and storming like a crazy man. He had received some sort of a letter; he wouldn't say what. And, in spite of all they could do, he insisted on going out. And Cap'n Berry--the depot master--says he went to Trumet on the afternoon freight. We must have passed each other on the way. And I'm so-- But why are you HERE?
And what were you and Issy doing? And--"
Her lover broke in eagerly. "Then you're alone now?" he asked.
"Yes, but--"
"Good! Your father can't get a train back from Trumet before to-morrow morning. I don't know what this letter was--but never mind.
Perhaps friend McKay knows more about it. It may be that Mr. Higgins is waiting now outside the Baptist church. Gertie, now's our chance. You come with me right up to the minister's. He's a friend of mine. He understands. He'll marry us, I know. Come!
We mustn't lose a minute. Your dad may take a notion to drive back."
He led her off up the lane, she protesting, he urging. At the corner of the house he turned.
"I say, Is!" he called. "Don't you want to come to the wedding?
Seems to me we owe you that, considering all you've done to help it along. Or perhaps you want to stay and fix that compass of yours."
Issy didn't answer. Some time after they had gone he arose from the ground and stumbled home. That night he put a paper novel into the stove. Next morning, before going to the depot, he removed an iron spike from the Lady May's compass box. The needle swung back to its proper position.
