The Depot Master Part 3

However, there wa'n't nothin' to do but wait and hope for the best, as the feller said when his wife's mother was sick.

"It was gettin' pretty well along toward the edge of the evenin' when I smelt the wind a-comin'. It came in puffs at fust, and every puff was healthier than the one previous. Inside of ten minutes it was blowin'

hard, and the seas were beginnin' to kick up. I got up my jury rig--the oar and the spray shield--and took the helm. There wa'n't nothin' to do but run afore it, and the land knows where we would fetch up. At any rate, if the compa.s.s was right, we was drivin' back into the bay again, for the wind had hauled clear around.

"The Shootin' Star jumped and sloshed. Fatty had on all the ileskins and sweaters, but he was shakin' like a custard pie.

"'Oh, oh, heavens!' he chatters. 'What will we do? Will we drown?'

"'Don't know,' says I, tuggin' at the wheel and tryin' to sight the compa.s.s. 'You've got the best chance of the two of us, if it's true that fat floats.'

"I thought that might cheer him up some, but it didn't. A big wave heeled us over then and a keg or two of salt water poured over the gunwale. He give a yell and jumped up.

"'My Lord!' he screams. 'We're sinkin'. Help! help!'

"'Set down!' I roared. 'Thought you knew how to act in a boat. Set down!

d'you hear me? SET DOWN AND SET STILL!'

"He set. Likewise he shivered and groaned. It got darker all the time and the wind freshened every minute. I expected to see that jury mast go by the board at any time. Lucky for us it held.

"No use tellin' about the next couple of hours. 'Cordin' to my reckonin'

they was years and we'd ought to have sailed plumb through the broadside of the Cape, and be makin' a quick run for Africy. But at last we got into smoother water, and then, right acrost our bows, showed up a white strip. The fog had pretty well blowed clear and I could see it.

"'Land, ho!' I yells. 'Stand by! WE'RE goin' to b.u.mp.'"

Captain Sol stopped short and listened. Mr. Phinney grasped his arm.

"For the dear land sakes, Sol," he exclaimed, "don't leave me hangin' in them breakers no longer'n you can help! Heave ahead! DID you b.u.mp?"

The depot master chuckled.

"DID we?" he repeated. "Well, I'll tell you that by and by. Here comes the train and I better take charge of the ship. Anything so responsible as seein' the cars come in without me to help would give Issy the jumpin' heart disease."

He sprang from the truck and hastened toward the door of the station.

Phinney, rising to follow him, saw, over the dark green of the swamp cedars at the head of the track, an advancing column of smoke. A whistle sounded. The train was coming in.

CHAPTER II

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

And now life in East Harniss became temporarily fevered. Issy McKay dashed out of the station and rushed importantly up and down the platform. Ed Crocker and Cornelius Rowe emerged and draped themselves in statuesque att.i.tudes against the side of the building. Obed Gott came hurrying from his paint and oil shop, which was next to the "general store." Mr. Higgins, proprietor of the latter, sauntered easily across to receive, in his official capacity as postmaster, the mail bag. Ten or more citizens, of both s.e.xes, and of various ages, gathered in groups to inspect and supervise.

The locomotive pulled its string of cars, a "baggage," a "smoker,"

and two "pa.s.sengers," alongside the platform. The sliding door of the baggage car was pushed back and the baggage master appeared in the opening. "Hi! Cap'n!" he shouted. "Hi, Cap'n Sol! Here's some express for you."

But unfortunately the Captain was in conversation with the conductor at the other end of the train. Issy, willing and officious, sprang forward.

"I'll take it, Bill," he volunteered. "Here, give it to me."

The baggage master handed down the package, a good sized one marked "Gla.s.s. With Care." Issy received it, clutched it to his bosom, turned and saw Gertie Higgins, pretty daughter of Beriah Higgins, stepping from the first car to the platform. Gertie had been staying with an aunt in Trumet and was now returning home for a day or two.

Issy stopped short and gazed at her. He saw her meet and kiss her father, and the sight roused turbulent emotions in his bosom. He saw her nod and smile at acquaintances whom she pa.s.sed. She approached, noticed him, and--oh, rapture!--said laughingly, "h.e.l.lo, Is." Before he could recover his senses and remember to do more than grin she had disappeared around the corner of the station. Therefore he did not see the young man who stepped forward to shake her hand and whisper in her ear. This young man was Sam Bartlett, and, as a "city dude," Issy loathed and hated him.

No, Issy did not see the hurried and brief meeting between Bartlett and Gertie Higgins, but he had seen enough to cause forgetfulness of mundane things. For an instant he stared after the vanished vision. Then he stepped blindly forward, tripped over something--"his off hind leg," so Captain Sol afterwards vowed--and fell sprawling, the express package beneath him.

The crash of gla.s.s reached the ears of the depot master. He broke away from the conductor and ran toward his prostrate "a.s.sistant." Pushing aside the delighted and uproarious bystanders, he forcibly helped the young man to rise.

"What in time?" he demanded.

Issy agonizingly held the package to his ear and shook it.

"I--I'm afraid somethin's cracked," he faltered.

The crowd set up a whoop. Ed Crocker appeared to be in danger of strangling.

"Cracked!" repeated Captain Sol. "Cracked!" he smiled, in spite of himself. "Yes, somethin's cracked. It's that head of yours, Issy. Here, let's see!"

He s.n.a.t.c.hed the package from the McKay hands and inspected it.

"Smashed to thunder!" he declared. "Who's the lucky one it belongs to?

Humph!" He read the inscription aloud, "Major Cuthbertson S. Hardee. The Major, hey! . . . Well, Is, you take the remains inside and you and I'll hold services over it later."

"I--I didn't go to do it," protested the frightened Issy.

"Course you didn't. If you had you wouldn't. You're like the feller in Scriptur', you leave undone the things you ought to do and do them that--All right, Jim! Let her go! Cast off!"

The conductor waved his hand, the engine puffed, the bell rang, and the train moved onward. For another twelve hours East Harniss was left marooned by the outside world.

Beriah Higgins and the mail bag were already in the post office. Thither went the crowd to await the sorting and ultimate distribution. A short, fat little man lingered and, walking up to the depot master, extended his hand.

"h.e.l.lo, Sol!" he said, smiling. "Thought I'd stop long enough to say 'Howdy,' anyhow."

"Why, Bailey St.i.tt!" cried the Captain. "How are you? Glad to see you.

Thought you was down to South Orham, takin' out seasick parties for the Ocean House, same kind of a job I used to have in Wellmouth."

"I am," replied Captain St.i.tt. "That is, I was. Just now I've run over here to see about contractin' for a supply of clams and quahaugs for our boarders. You never see such a gang to eat as them summer folks, in your life. Barzilla Wingate, he says the same about his crowd. He's comin' on the mornin' train from Wellmouth."

"You don't tell me. I ain't seen Barzilla for a long spell. Where you stoppin'? Come up to the house, won't you?"

"Can't. I'm goin' to put up over to Obed Gott's. His sister, Polena Ginn, is a relation of mine by marriage. So long! Obed's gone on ahead to tell Polena to put the kettle on. Maybe Obed and I'll be back again after I've had supper."

"Do. I'll be round here for two or three hours yet."

He entered the depot. Except the forlorn Issy, who sat in a corner, holding the express package in his lap, Simeon Phinney was the only person in the waiting room.

"Come on now, Sol!" pleaded Sim. "I want to hear the rest of that about you and Williams. You left off in the most ticklish place possible, out of spite, I do believe. I'm hangin' on to that boat in the breakers until I declare I believe I'm catchin' cold just from imagination."