"Yes. Um ... yes, I know. Isaac Berry was my friend and his daughter is a fine girl. We'll remember that when we talk about the family, Kendrick.... Whew! Well, I feel better. With you and Elizabeth to handle matters over there, Lobelia's trust will be in good hands. Now I can go to the cemetery in comfort." He chuckled as if the prospect was humorous. Captain Sears spoke quickly and without considering exactly how the words sounded. "Indeed you can't," he protested. "Judge Knowles, I'm goin' to need you about every minute of every day from now on." "Nonsense! You won't need me but a little while, fortunately. And--for that little while, probably--I shall be here and at your disposal. Come in whenever you want to talk matters over. If the doctor or that damned housekeeper try to stop you, hit 'em over the head. Much obliged to you, Cap'n Kendrick. He, he! We'll give friend Egbert a shock when he comes to town.... Oh, he'll come. Some of these days he'll come. Be ready for him, Kendrick, be ready for him." That evening the captain told Judah of his new position and Judah's reception of the news was not encouraging. Somehow Sears felt that, with the voice of Judah Cahoon was, in this case, speaking the opinion of Bayport. Judah had been scrubbing the frying-pan. He dropped it in the sink with a tremendous clatter. "_No!_" he shouted. "You're jokin', ain't you, Cap'n Sears?" "It's no joke, Judah." "My creepin' Henry! You can't mean it. You ain't really, honest to godfreys, cal'latin' to pilot that--that Fair Harbor craft, be you?" "I am, Judah. Wish me luck." "Wish you _luck_! Jumpin', creepin', crawlin', hoppin'---- Why, there ain't no luck _in_ it. That ain't no man's job, Cap'n Sears. That's a woman's job, and even a woman'd have her hands full. Why, Cap'n, they'll--that crew of--of old hens in there they'll pick your eyes out." "Oh, I guess not, Judah. I've handled crews before." "Yes--yes, you have--men crews aboard ship. But this ain't no men crew, this is a woman crew. You can't lam _this_ crew over the head with no handspike. When one of those fo'mast hands gives you back talk you can't knock _her_ into the scuppers. All you can do is just stand and take it and wait for your chance to say somethin'. And you won't _git_ no chance. What chance'll you have along with Elviry Snowden and Desire Peasley and them? Talk! Why, jumpin' Henry, Cap'n Sears, any one of them Shanghais in there can talk more in a minute than the average man could in a hour. Any one of 'em! Take that Susanna Brackett now. Oh, I've heard about _her_! She had a half-brother one time. Where is he now? Ah ha! Where is he? Nobody knows, that's where he is. Him and her used to live together. Folks that lived next door used to hear her tongue a-goin' at him all hours day or night. Wan't no 'watch and watch' in that house--no sir-ee! She stood _all_ the watches. She----"