第10章

Emily said--well, the first thing she said was, "Oh, Aunt Thankful!" Then she added that she couldn't believe it.

"It's so," declared Mrs.Barnes, "whether we believe it or not.

When you come to think it over there's nothin' so wonderful about it, after all.I had a sneakin' suspicion when I was sittin' here by you, after you'd gone to sleep.What I saw afterwards made me almost sure.I--Hum! I guess likely that'll keep till we get to the hotel, if we ever do get there.Perhaps Mr.--Mr.--""Bangs is my name, ma'am," said the big man with the lantern.

"Obed Bangs."

"Thank you, Mr.Bangs.Or it's 'Cap'n Bangs,' ain't it?""They generally call me Cap'n, ma'am, though I ain't been doin' any active seafarin' for some time.""I thought as much.Down here on Cape Cod, and givin' orders the way I heard you afore you come into this room, 'twas nine chances to one you was a cap'n, or you had been one.Bangs--Bangs--Obed Bangs? Why, that name sounds kind of familiar.Seems as if--Cap'n Bangs, you didn't use to know Eben Barnes of Provincetown, did you?""Eben Barnes? Cap'n Eben of the White Foam, lost off Cape Hatteras in a gale?""Yes, that's the one.I thought I heard him speak of you.He was my husband."Captain Obed Bangs uttered an exclamation.Then he stepped forward and seized Mrs.Barnes' hand.The lady's hand was not a very small one but the Captain's was so large that, as Thankful remarked afterward, it might have shaken hers twice at the same time.

"Eben Barnes' wife!" exclaimed Captain Obed."Why, Eben and I was messmates on I don't know how many v'yages! Well, well, well, ma'am, I'm real glad to see you.""You ain't so glad as we are to see you--and your friend," observed Thankful, drily."Is he a captain, too?"He didn't look like one, certainly.He had removed his sou'wester, uncovering a round head, with reddish-gray hair surrounding a bald spot at the crown.He had a double chin and a smile which was apologetic but ingratiating.He seemed less frightened than when he first entered the room, but still glanced about him with evident apprehension.

"No--no, ma'am," he stammered, in answer to the question."No, ma'am, I--I--my name's Parker.I--I ain't a cap'n; no, ma'am.""Kenelm ain't been promoted yet," observed Captain Obed gravely.

"He's waitin' until he get's old enough to go to sea.Ain't that it, Kenelm?"Kenelm smiled and shifted his sou'wester from his right hand to his left.

"I--I cal'late so," he answered.

"Well, it don't make any difference," declared Thankful."My cousin and I are just as glad to see him as if he was an admiral.

We've been waitin' so long to see any human bein' that we'd begun to think they was all drowned.But you haven't met my cousin yet.

Her name's Howes."

Emily, who had stood by, patient but chilly, during the introductions and reminiscences, shook hands with Captain Bangs and Mr.Parker.

Both gentlemen said they were pleased to meet her; no, Captain Obed said that--Kenelm said that he was "glad to be acquaintanced.""I don't know as we hadn't ought to beg your pardon for creepin' in on you this way," said the captain."We thought the house was empty.We didn't know you was visitin' your--your property.""Well, so far as that goes, neither did we.I don't wonder you expected to find burglars or tramps or whatever you did expect.

We've had an awful time this night, ain't we, Emily?""We certainly have," declared Miss Howes, with emphasis.

"Yes, you see--"

She gave a brief history of the cruise and wreck of the depot-wagon.Also of their burglarious entry of the house.

"And now, Cap'n," she said, in conclusion, "if you could think up any way of our gettin' to that hotel, we'd be ever so much obliged....Hello! There's that driver, I do believe! And about time, I should say!"From without came the sound of wheels and the voice of Winnie S., hailing his missing passengers.

"Hi! Hi-i! Where be ye?"

"He'll wear his lungs out, screamin' that way," snapped Thankful.

"Can't he see the light, for goodness sakes?"Captain Obed answered."He couldn't see nothin' unless 'twas hung on the end of his nose," he said."That boy's eyes and brains ain't connected.Here, Kenelm," turning to Mr.Parker, "you go out and tell Win to shut down on his fog whistle; he's wastin' steam.

Tell him the women-folks are in here.Look alive, now!"Kenelm looked alive, but not much more than that.

"All right, Cap'n," he stammered."A--a--all right.What--what--shall I say--what shall I--had I better--""Thunderation! Do you need a chart and compass? Stay where you are.I'll say it myself."He strode to the window, threw it open, and shouted in a voice which had been trained to carry above worse gales than the present one:

"Ahoy! Ahoy! Win! Fetch her around aft here.Lay alongside the kitchen door! D'you hear? Ahoy! Win! d'you hear?"Silence.Then, after a moment, came the reply."Yup, I hear ye.

Be right there."

The captain turned from the window.

"Took some time for him to let us know he heard, didn't it," he observed."Cal'late he had to say 'Judas priest' four or five times afore he answered.If you cut all the 'Judas priests' out of that boy's talk he'd be next door to tongue-tied."Thankful turned to her relative.

"There, Emily," she said, with a sigh of relief."I guess likely we'll make the hotel this tack.I begun to think we never would."Captain Bangs shook his head.

"You won't go to no hotel this night," he said, decidedly."It's a long ways off and pretty poor harbor after you make it.You'll come right along with me and Kenelm to his sister's house.It's only a little ways and Hannah's got a spare room and she'll be glad to have you.I'm boardin' there myself just now.Yes, you will,"he added."Of course you will.Suppose I'm goin' to let relations of Eben Barnes put up at the East Wellmouth tavern? By the everlastin', I guess not! I wouldn't send a--a Democrat there.

Come right along! Don't say another word."Both of the ladies said other words, a good many of them, but they might as well have been orders to the wind to stop blowing.