"Thank ye; much obleeged;" and Seth "wound her up" with extraordinary parade. Then he shook it, and held it to his ear. Then he said, "All right! she's a puttin' in again, lickety-switch! Good watch, that." Then he set it "by guess." Then he was returning it to his pocket, when a new thought seemed to strike him. "What do ye do for a watch-pocket, Frank? Gov'ment don't provide watch-pockets, seems." "I made one for myself," said Frank. "Sho now! ye didn't, though--did ye? What with?" "With a needle and thread I brought from home, and with another old pocket," said Frank. "Well, you air the cutest! Say, what'll ye tax to make me one? I don't care to hev it very large; a small watch, so." A dry proposal, that. It was not enough to furnish watch and watch-key; but Frank was required also to provide a watch-pocket. "What do ye say?" asked Seth, with a shrewd squint. "I'll make you one for nothing," said Frank. "Come, by darn!" exclaimed Seth; "none o' that, now!" "None of what?" "You're a-trying my disposition!"--And, indeed, Tucket was visibly moved; there was a tear in his eye--a bona fide tear. "I've a good disposition, nat'rally; but I shall git riled ef you say much more. I've got your watch, and that's all right. I've got the key, and that's all right, too. But when you talk of makin' a watch-pocket for nothin', I tell ye a saint couldn't stand that." Frank, who thought he had learned to know pretty well the man's oddities, was puzzled this time. "I didn't mean to offend you, Tucket." "No, you didn't. And now see here, Manly. We'll jest compromise this matter, ef you've no 'bjection. I've no watch-pocket, and you've no watch. So, s'posin' you carry the watch for me, and tell me what time it is when I ax ye? That won't be too much trouble--will it?" "Are you in earnest?" asked Frank. "Yes, I be, clean up to the hub. The truth is, I can't carry that watch with any kind o' comfort, and I'm bent on gitt'n' it off my hands, ef I hef to throw it overboard. Here! It's yours; take it, and be darned!" said Seth. "I was going to propose to you,"--stammered Frank from his too full heart,--"to take the watch, and pay you for it when I can." "Ez for that the pay's no consequence. I was more to blame than you; and the loss ought to be mine." "But----" insisted Frank. "No buts! Besides, I never make bargains Sundays." And Seth turned away, abruptly, leaving the watch in Frank's hand. The boy would have called him back, but a rush of emotions--joy, gratitude, contrition--choked his voice. A dash of tears fell upon the watch as he gazed on it, and pressed it, and would have kissed it, had he been alone. It was his again; and that, after all, was an unalloyed satisfaction. He could lie awake nights and study days to devise means to reward Seth's generosity. And he would do it, he resolved. And Mr. Sinjin should know that he had recovered the prize, and that he held it all the more precious since he had found out the giver.