“So？Washehere？AttheRegularparsonage？I’msurprised。“
“HeandIhaveknowneachotherforalongwhile。“
“Well，I’msorryhe’sgone。IthinkIshouldlikehim。“
Keziahturnedfromthedoor。
“Iknowyouwould，“shesaid。
CHAPTERVII
INWHICHCAPTAINNATPICKSUPADERELICT
ItisprobablethatJohnElleryneverfullyrealizedthedebtofgratitudeheowedtothefogandthesquallandtoCaptainNatHammond。Trumet，alwayshungryforasensation，wouldhavethoroughlyenjoyedarguingandquarrelingovertheminister’svisittoCome-Outermeeting，and，duringthefracas，Keziah’sparsonmighthavebeenmoreorlessbattered。ButCaptainNat’sbrilliantpilotingoftheoldpacketwasabitofseamanshipwhicheverymanandwomanonthatfoam-borderedstretchofsandcouldunderstandandappreciate，andtheminister’sindiscretionwasallbutforgotteninconsequence。The“DailyAdvertisers“gloatedoverit，ofcourse，andCaptainElkanahbroughtitupatthemeetingoftheparishcommittee，butthereCaptainZebMayochampionedtheyoungman’scourseandproclaimedthat，fur’shewasconcerned，hewasforMr。Ellerymore’never。“Ayounggreenhornwiththespunktocruisesingle-handedrightintothemiddleoftheCome-OuterschoolandgiveanoldbullwhalelikeEbenthegaffisthemanformymoney，“declaredZebedee。Mostofhisfellow-committeeagreedwithhim。“Notguilty，butdon’tdoitagain，“wasthegeneralverdict。
AsfortheCome-Outers，theyprofessedtobelievethattheirleaderhadmuchthebestoftheencounter，sotheyweresatisfied。Therewasanoteoftriumphandexultationinthe“testimony“givenonthefollowingThursdaynight，andCaptainEbendividedhisowndiscoursebetweenthankfulnessforhisson’ssafereturnandglorificationatthediscomfitureofthefalseprophets。
Practically，then，theresultofEllery’speaceoverturewasanincreasedbitternessinthefeelingbetweenthetwosocietiesandapolishingofweaponsonbothsides。
Keziahwatchedanxiouslyforahintconcerningherparson’swalkintherainwithGrace，butsheheardnothing，socongratulatedherselfthatthesecrethadbeenkept。Ellerydidnotagainmentionittoher，norshetohim。Afortnightlaterhepreachedhisgreatsermonon“TheVoyageofLife，“anditsreferencetogalesandcalmsandleeshoresandbreakersmadeahit。Hispopularitytookabigjump。
HemetNatHammondduringthatfortnight。Thefirstmeetingwasaccompaniedbyunusualcircumstances，whichmighthavebeenserious，butwereactuallyonlyfunny。
ThetideatTrumet，onthebayside，goesoutforalongway，leavinguncoveredamileandahalfofflats，bareandsandy，orcarpetedwithseaweed。Betweentheseflatsarethechannels，varyingatlowwaterfromtwotofourfeetindepth，butdeepeningrapidlyasthetideflows。
Theflatsfascinatedtheyoungminister，astheyhavemanyanothervisitortotheCape，beforeorsince。Oncloudydaystheyloweredwithadull，leadenlusterandtheweed-grownportionswerelikethedarksquaresonacheckerboard，whilethedeepwaterbeyondtheouterbarwassteelygrayandangry。Whenthesunshoneandthewindblewclearfromthenorthwestthewholeexpanseflashedintofireandcolor，sapphireblue，emeraldgreen，topazyellow，dottedwithwhiteshellsandablazewithdiamondsparkleswherethereflectedlightleapedfromtheflintcrystalsofthewet，coarsesand。
Thebesttimetovisittheflats——tideserving，ofcourse——istheearlymorningatsunrise。Thenthereisaninspirationinthewideexpanse，asnapandtangandjoyintheair。Elleryhadmadeuphismindtotakeabefore-breakfasttramptotheouterbarandsoaroseatfive，tuckedaborrowedpairoffisherman’sbootsbeneathhisarm，and，withoutsayinganythingtohishousekeeper，walkeddownthelawnbehindtheparsonage，climbedtherailfence，and“cutacrosslots“tothepinegroveonthebluff。Thereheremovedhisshoes，putontheboots，wallowedthroughthemealyyellowsandformingtheslopeofthebluff，andcameoutonthewhitebeachandtheinneredgeoftheflats。Thenheplashedon，boundouttowherethefishweirsstood，likewebbyfences，inthedistance。
Itwasawonderfulwalkonawonderfulday。Theministerenjoyedeveryminuteofit。Outherehecouldforgetthepettytrialsoflife，theDidamasandElkanahs。Thewindblewhishatoffanddroppeditinashallowchannel，buthesplashedtotherescueandlaughedaloudashefisheditout。Itwasnotmuchwetterthanithadbeenthatnightoftherain，whenhetriedtolendhisumbrellaanddidn’tsucceed。Thisreflectioncausedhimtohaltinhiswalkandlookbackwardtowardtheshore。Thebrownroofoftheoldtavernwasblushingredinthefirstraysofthesun。
Acart，drawnbyaploddinghorseandwithasingleindividualonitshighseat，wasmovingoutfrombehindthebreakwater。Somefishermandrivingouthisweir，probably。
Thesandoftheouterbarwasdimpledandmottledlikewateredsilkbytheactionofthewaves。Itslopedgraduallydowntomeettheminiaturebreakersthatrolledoverandslidinripplesalongitsedge。Ellerywanderedupanddown，pickingupshellsandseaclams，andpeeringthroughthenetsofthenearestweiratthe“horsefootcrabs“andsquidandfloundersimprisonedinthepound。
Therewereafewbluefishthere，also，andasmallschoolofmackerel。
Theministerhadbeenonthebaraconsiderabletimebeforehebegantothinkofreturningtotheshore。Hewashungry，butwasenjoyinghimselftoowelltomind。Theflatswereallhisthatmorning。Onlythecartanditsdriverwereinsightandtheywerehalfamileoff。Helookedathiswatch，sighed，andreluctantlystartedtowalktowardthetown；hemustn’tkeepMrs。Coffin’sbreakfastwaitingTOOlong。
Thefirstchannelhecametowasconsiderablydeeperthanwhenhefordeditonthewayout。Henoticedthis，butonlyvaguely。Thenext，however，wassodeepthatthewatersplashedinatthetopofoneofhisboots。Hedidnoticethat，becausethoughhewasnotwearinghisbestclothes，hewasnotanxioustowethis“otherones。“Theextentofhiswardrobewasinkeepingwiththesizeofhissalary。
Andthethirdchannelwassowideanddeepthathesawatonceitcouldnotbeforded，unlesshewaswillingtoplungeabovehiswaist。Thiswasprovoking。Nowherealizedthathehadwaitedtoolong。Thetidehadbeenflowingforalmostanhour；ithadflowedfastand，asheshouldhaveremembered，havingbeentold，theprincipalchannelswereeightfeetdeepbeforethehighestflatswerecovered。
Hehurriedalongtheedge，lookingforashallowerplace，butfoundnone。Atlasthereachedthepointoftheflathewasonandsaw，tohisdismay，thatherewasthedeepestspotyet，ahole，scouredoutbyacurrentlikeamillrace。Turning，hesaw，creepingrapidlyandsteadilytogetherovertheflatbehindhim，twolinesoffoam，onefromeachchannel。Hisretreatwascutoff。
Hewasinforawetting，thatwassure。However，therewasnohelpforit，sohewadedin。Thewaterfilledhisbootsthere，itgurgledabouthiships，andbeyond，ashecouldsee，itseemedtogrowdeeperanddeeper。Thecurrentwassurprisinglystrong；hefounditdifficulttokeephisfootinginthesoftsand。Itlookedasthoughhemustswimforit，andtoswiminthattidewouldbenojoke。
Then，frombehindhim，cameahail。Heturnedandsawmovingtowardhimthroughtheshallowwaternowcoveringtheflatbeyondthenextchannel，thecarthehadseenleavetheshorebythepacketwharf，and，later，ontheouterbar。Thehorsewasjoggingalong，miniaturegeysersspoutingbeneathitshoofs。Thedriverwavedtohim。
“Holdon，mate，“hecalled。“Belaythere。Staywhereyouare。
I’llbealongsideinashake。Gitdap，January！“
Ellerywadedbacktomeetthiswelcomearrival。Thehorseplungedintothenextchannel，surgedthroughit，andemergeddripping。
Thedriverpulledtheanimalintoawalk。
“Say，“hecried，“I’mcruisin’yourway；bettergetaboard，hadn’tyou？There’skindofaheavydewthismornin’。Whoa，Bill！“
“Bill“or“January“stoppedwithapparentwillingness。Thedriverleaneddownandextendedahand。Theministertookitandwaspulleduptotheseat。
“Whew！“hepanted。“I’mmuchobligedtoyou。Iguessyousavedmefromaducking，ifnothingworse。“
“Yes，“wastheanswer，“Iwouldn’twonderifIdid。Thisain’tSaturdaynightand’twouldbeagainstTrumetprinciplestotakeabathanyothertime。Alltaut，areyou？Goodenough！thenwe’llgetunderway。“Heflappedthereinsandadded，“G’long，JuliusCaesar！“
Thehorse，asturdy，sedatebeasttowhomallnamesseemedtobealike，pickeduphisfeetandpoundedthemdownagain。Showersofsprayflewabouttheheadsofthepairontheseat。
“Iain’tsosureaboutthatduckin’，“commentedtherescuer。“Hum！
Iguesslikelywe’llbeoutofsoundin’sifwetacklethatsinkholeyouwasundertakin’tonavigate。Let’stryitalittlefurtherdown。“
Ellerylookedhiscompanionover。
“Well，“heobservedwithasmile，“fromwhatI’veheardofyou，CaptainHammond，Iratherguessyoucouldnavigatealmostanywaterinthislocalityandinallsortsofweather。“
Thedriverturnedinsurprise。
“So？“heexclaimed。“Youknowme，doyou？That’sfunny。Iwastryin’tolocateyou，butIain’tbeenableto。Youain’taTrumetiteI’llbetonthat。“
“Yes，Iam。“
“Tut！tut！tut！youdon’ttellme。Say，shipmate，youhurtmypride。Ididthinktherewa’n’tasoulthatevertrodsandinthisvillagethatIcouldn’tnameonsight，andgivetheporttheyhailedfromandthenamesoftheirowners。Butyou’vegotmeonmybeamends。AndyetyouknewME。“
“OfcourseIdid。Everybodyknowsthemanthatbroughtthepackethome。“
NatHammondsniffedimpatiently。
“Um——hm！“hegrunted。“Ical’lateeverybodydoes，andknowsalotmoreaboutthatfoolishnessthanIdomyself。Ifeveracraftwassteeredbyguessandbygodfrey，’twasthatoldhookerofZach’st’othernight。Well——Humph！here’sanotherpieceofpilotin’
thatbidsfairtobeamightysightharder。Heaveahead，Hannibal！
hopeyou’vegotyourwebfeetwithyou。“
Theyhadmovedalongtheedgeoftheflatashortdistanceandnowturnedintothechannel。Thehorsewaswadingaboveitsknees；
soonthewaterreacheditsbellyandbegantoflowintothebodyofthecart。
“Pickupyourfeet，shipmate，“commandedNat。“Youmaygetrheumatizifyoudon’t。This’llbeatreatforthoseseaclamsbackinthatbucketamidships。They’llthinkI’verepentedandhavedecidedtoturn’emlooseagain。Theydon’tknowhowlongI’vebeencountin’onasea-clampie。I’llfetchthoseclamsashoreifIhavetolug’emwithmyteeth。Steady，allhands！
we’reofftheways。“
Thecartwasafloat。Thehorse，findingwadingmoredifficultthanswimming，begantoswim。
“NowI’mskipperagain，sureenough，“remarkedHammond。“Ain’tgettin’seasick，areyou？“
Theministerlaughed。
“No，“hesaid。
“Good！shekeepsonafairlyevenkeel，considerin’herbuild。
THEREshestrikes！That’lldo，January；youneedn’ttryforarecordvoyage。Walkin’smoreinyourlinethanplayin’steamboat。
We’reovertheworstofitnow。Say！youandIdidn’theadforportanytoosoon，didwe？“
“No，Ishouldsaynot。Ioughttohaveknownbetterthantowaitouttheresolong。I’vebeenwarnedaboutthistide。I——“
“S-sh-sh！YOUoughttohaveknownbetter！Whatdoyouthinkofme？Bornandbroughtupwithinsightandsmellofthissaltpuddleandletmyselfinforascrapelikethis！ButitwassomightyfineoffthereonthebarIcouldn’tbeartoleaveit。Ialwayssaidthatgoin’toseaonlandwouldbetheidealway，andnowI’vetriedit。ButyoutookbiggerchancesthanIdid。Areyouagoodswimmer？“
“Nottoogood。Ihardlyknowwhatmighthavehappenedifyouhadn’t——“
“S-sh-sh！that’sallright。Alwaysgladtopickupaderelict，maybeachanceforsalvage，youknow。Here’sthelastchannelandit’saneasyone。There！nowit’splainsailin’fordryground。“
Theoldhorse，breathingheavilyfromhisexertions，trottedoverthestretchofyetuncoveredflatsandsoonmountedtheslopeofthebeach。Theministerpreparedtoalight。