"Here's the leetle gal and the dog," said Captain Littlefield jovially. "How fare ye?" "Oh, I am very well, I thank you, Mr. Cap'n Littlefield," she said. "I hope you are well--and your Cousin Oly?" "I'm purt' pert," said the other wooden-legged man very graciously for him. "Thank ye." Prince went and snuffed at the cockatoo man's wooden leg, and he made no objection to the dog's familiarity. Carolyn May thought he must be quite changed from what he used to be! Perhaps his having been buried in the sand had served a good purpose. The remainder of the fish were soon split and salted and stacked. The vicinity was redolent enough of fishy odours; but Carolyn May had become pretty well used to such smells since she had begun her sojourn on Block Island. The cousins dragged the skids of offal down to the outgoing tide and dumped it into the water. Then they washed out the tubs and cleaned up about the cabin, making all "shipshape," as Captain Ozias said. "Sailors make purt' good housekeepers, they tell me," said the captain. "Of course, Oly don't count. He never was no sailor. Most sailin' he ever done was goin' out in that _Snatch It_ of Barzilla's. 'Twas Enos Ball, Barzilla's father, sailed the _Snatch It_ in them days. Oly was by way of bein' a swordfisher till his accident." "What accident?" asked Carolyn eagerly. "When he lost his leg?" "Yep. When he lost one of 'em," returned Captain Littlefield placidly. "Oh, Mister Cap'n Littlefield! he hasn't got _two_ wooden legs." "Who said he had? Oh, I see! This here accident wasn't the cause of Oly wearing that timber-toe of his'n. Nossir!" chuckled the captain. "'Twarn't no accident that cost Oly his left laig." "Oh!" murmured Carolyn, in much disappointment. She had thought she was on the verge of learning just how Cousin Oly, at least, came to be a cripple. But Captain Littlefield's reminiscence seemed to take him right away from that subject. "Ye see, Oly had an accident, and he ain't never been swordfishin' since." The cockatoo man had stubbed off with a pail to a neighbour's for milk, while the captain peeled onions and potatoes for the chowder. "Fact is, he ain't no gre't love for salt water noways. One of the few Littlefields that ain't got more salt water than blood in their veins, I do assure ye! Wal, he was lucky to have a leetle prop'ty left him, Oly was, an' Sue-Betsey that he married had some cash-in-bank. So he's purt' well fixed. "Some folks is that way," said the philosophical captain; "while some is like me--hafter work right along, fair weather or foul. Reckon if I'd lost both laigs an' my arms inter the bargain, I'd had to work for my pollock an' p'taters, jest the same." Captain Littlefield said it cheerfully and went on before Carolyn could interpose a single question. "Yep. Oly used to go out in the _Snatch It_. He never was no good in the pulpit--natcherly--'cause of his wooden laig."