“Yes, Mr. Bradford; we would like to have him and Fluff stay, if it so be the lad wouldn’t be injurin’ his prospects in life. We’ve come to look upon him as belongin’ to us in a sort of way. Perhaps you can’t understand it; but we who live here alone, tied down to the station day and night, get kind of peculiar, I reckon. You see, we’re mostly by ourselves all winter, and run into whims an’ fancies more than other men. The sea brought the boy to us, so to speak, and, even though he’s where he can hear it, I must say a better lad never lived--leastways, so far as my experience goes. Here’s the whole hitch: we can’t hope to make more than a surfman out of him, and it may be the good Lord has fitted him for something better, though he couldn’t follow a more honest callin’. Now if this uncle of his would send him to college, and start him out into the world as many a boy is started, we’d put aside our own feelin’s, knowin’ No. 8 was to be benefited; but if he’s goin’ ’way up there in the middle of York State to do the drudgery of a farm, or some such kind of work, why, then, unless it’s contrary to law, we’d hold him here in spite of his uncle.” “Have you answered this letter?” “No, sir. You see, it didn’t get here till a few hours ago, an’ we had agreed not to make up our minds before to-morrow mornin’.” “Don’t you think it would be a good idea to find out who Mr. Andrew Foster is, and whether he’s likely to give the boy a good home?” “It would, for a fact, sir; but how might that be done? We are not allowed to leave the station for a longer time than twenty-four hours, and then only one of the crew can have a furlough.” “There are many easier methods of learning all the public may know concerning a man than to send a messenger in search of the knowledge. Suppose you authorize me to make the necessary inquiries--it won’t cost you anything,--and in the course of perhaps a week I shall be able to tell you as much regarding Benny’s uncle as his neighbors can. I suppose, as a matter of fact, that by applying to the courts he may have himself appointed guardian for the lad and take him away; but I question whether an uncle who wasn’t spoken of in terms of affection by the boy’s father and mother would take such trouble.” “It’s no use talkin’, we ain’t fit to settle any kind of a discussion,” Sam Hardy exclaimed emphatically. “Here we’ve been moonin’ ’round tryin’ to make up our minds whether Benny should go or not, an’ never once thinkin’ of what would have come into another man’s mind at the jump. Of course we want to know who Andrew Foster is, and what he’s likely to do for Benny? Then it’s only a question of sayin’ who will give the boy the best start in the world.” “An’ you’ll look after this matter for us, Mr. Bradford?” Tom Downey asked, an expression of relief coming over his face.