Captain Ozias Littlefield's lack of curiosity regarding his cousin's wooden leg might have impressed a more mature mind than Carolyn May's as being rather suspicious. The little girl had suffered so many disappointments in this very matter that she merely sighed and hoped for a better occasion. For here came Mr. Oly Littlefield himself with the pail of milk, and the matter could not be further discussed. While the captain had been relating the swordfish story he had put the chowder kettle on the pot-stove in which a brisk fire of driftwood was burning, and was trying out the pork. Into the hot fat went the sliced onions to be browned to a golden hue; then the clam liquor into which when it was boiling the captain dumped the potatoes cut into cubes. When these were almost tender the chopped clams were put in, the mess was seasoned, and the scalded milk added carefully that it might not curdle in the chowder. When this was simmering several ship's biscuits were thrown in and the covered pot set upon the stove shelf until the seasoning should be well worked through the chowder. "This here's a re'l fisherman's chowder," Mr. Oly Littlefield said. "I can make it myself but it never turns out same's Ozy's does. I'm like either to scorch mine or curdle it. There's a knack about gittin' it jest right, I don't dispute." "There's a knack about doin' most things," said the captain dryly. "And it's practice gives ye the knack. Ye never did have the patience to l'arn a thing right, Oly." The cousins wrangled in an apathetic way all through the meal. But Carolyn May knew that was their habit, and perhaps they would not have been happy had they lived together in perfect peace. Altogether the little girl spent a very pleasant day with the Double O's, and Captain Littlefield "set her a piece on the way" when she started homeward along the patrol path. They met Surfman Number Two, who was the captain's nephew, walking his beat to the key-box at the breach, having set forth from the life-saving station at four o'clock. It was foggy off at sea, and he said it would be thick inshore in an hour or so. "This leetle gal will get to Barzilla's long before that," said Captain Littlefield. "So I'll stub back along o' you, Cephas. Good-bye, Car'lyn." "Good-bye, sir," said Carolyn May. "And I had a _naw_ful nice time with you and Mr. Oly. Come on, Princey! We must run home now." "Guess 'twill be safe 'nough to let the child go home alone?" said the captain to Cephas. "Ain't nobody but Island folks along yon', 'cept two fellers 't took supper with us at the station," said Cephas. "Nice 'nough men, fur off folks. Give us all _see_-gars. I notice they set off after me an' Alec Rose started out on our beats at eight bells. Yon's them, now."