"When you get through fiddlin' with your--whatever it is you bought--we'll get under way," and Captain Eph spoke sharply, as if he was irritated, whereupon Sidney took his station in front of the motor, ready to start the screw when the word should be given; but before the first assistant could reply, even if he had been intending to do so, the postmaster came down on the wharf, moving at a rapid pace as if his business was urgent. "I reckon you wanted that letter to go in the next mail, eh?" "Sure, an' there mustn't be any mistake about it, for it's my official report, an' nobody knows what might happen to the Light-House Board if it didn't get to the inspector on time." "When you was at the store I forgot to ask if anythin' had gone wrong over on the ledge. It kind'er seemed as if there was somethin' out'er the reg'lar, else you wouldn't be in sich a pinch to send a report," and the postmaster looked inquiringly from one to the other. "Nothin' wrong as I knows of," Captain Eph replied, much as if he was making a great mental effort to recall to mind anything of an alarming nature that had taken place on the ledge. "Let me see," and the postmaster rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It must be quite a spell since any of you folks came ashore, ain't it?" "The first assistant was here a leetle more'n two years ago." "Yes, yes, I knew it was as long ago as that. Let me see, he didn't have that boy with him then, did he?" "I reckon not; leastways, not to my knowledge," and Sidney understood that Captain Eph was growing impatient. "I didn't know but he had jest joined your crew, an' then agin I said to myself, seein's you was in sich a stir about gettin' the report off, it might be there's been a wreck out that way lately, though we haven't been havin' any bad weather since the light-house tender was there last." Captain Eph made no reply, and Mr. Peters began to re-stow his packages, working so industriously that no one could have expected him to join in the conversation. "That must be a new boat you've got?" the postmaster continued in a questioning tone. "Does the Government furnish motor boats nowadays?" "This 'ere ain't a Government craft," Captain Eph said curtly, and then he asked Mr. Peters, "Ain't you ready yet, Sammy?" "Everything is stowed, an' what ain't I can look after while we're runnin'." The keeper cast off the hawser, and took his seat in the stern-sheets, while the postmaster walked slowly along the dock as the boat swung out with the current, when he said inquiringly: "Then there ain't nothin' gone wrong at the ledge? An' I reckon you've taken the boy on to kind'er help you out in the work, eh?" "Carys' Ledge lays jest where it did when I first took charge of the light, an' if anything had gone wrong you wouldn't see us here, 'cause we'd be there tryin' to put it to rights," Captain Eph said more sharply than before, and he nodded to Sidney as if ordering him to start the engine.