“How was you cal'latin' to go to the station?” he asked. “Why, I intended to walk.” “Did you tell them fellers at the depot that you wanted to walk?” “Certainly.” “Well, I swan! And they give you the direction?” “Yes,” a little impatiently; “why shouldn't they? So many blocks till I got to the main street, or road, and so many more, till I got somewhere else, and then straight on.” “Blocks, hey? That's Joe Bartlett. That boy ought to be mastheaded, and I've told Perez so more'n once. Well, Mister, I guess maybe you'd better not try to walk to the cable station to-night. You see, there's one thing they forgot to tell you. The station's on the outer beach, and there's a ha'f mile of pretty wet water between here and there.” The young man whistled. “You don't mean it!” he exclaimed. “I sartin do, unless there's been an almighty drought since I left the house. I tell you what! If you'll jump in here with me, and don't mind waitin' till I leave these barrels at the house of the man that owns 'em, I'll drive you down to the shore and maybe find somebody to row you over. That is,” with a chuckle, “if you ain't dead set on walkin'.” The stranger laughed heartily. “I'm not so stubborn as all that,” he said. “It's mighty good of you, all the same.” “Don't say a word,” said the Captain. “Give us your satchel. Now your flipper! There you are! Git dap, Dan'l!” Daniel accepted the Captain's command in a tolerant spirit. He paddled along at a jog-trot for perhaps a hundred yards, and then, evidently feeling that he had done all that could be expected, settled back into a walk. The Captain turned towards his companion on the seat: “I don't know as I mentioned it,” he observed, “but my name is Hedge.” “Glad to meet you, Mr. Hedge,” said the stranger. “My name is Hazeltine.” “I kind of jedged it might be when you said you wanted to git to the cable station. We heard you was expected.” “Did you? From Mr. Langley, I presume.” “No-o, not d'rectly. Of course, we knew Parker had been let go, and that somebody would have to take his place. I guess likely it was one of the operators that told it fust that you was the man, but anyhow it got as fur as M'lissy Busteed, and after that 'twas plain sailin'. You come from New York, don't you?” “Yes.” “Well, you know how 'tis when a thing gits into the papers. Orham ain't big enough to have a paper of its own, so the Almighty give us M'lissy, I jedge, as a sort of substitute. She can spread a little news over more country than anybody I know. If she spreads butter the same way, she could make money keepin' boarders. Is this your fust visit to the Cape?” “Yes. I hardly know why I'm here now. I have been with the Cable Company at their New York experimental station for some years, and the other day the General Manager called me into his office and told me I was expected to take the position of electrician here. I thought it might add to my experience, so I accepted.”