O'Donnell said he was foolish to worry over a thing like that. "I know Sam Hollis," he said--"'twas a trap he laid for Maurice. He's got a smart vessel in the Withrow, but he can't run away from Maurice. No, nor beat him I doubt--with both in trim. But wait a while--let the day of the race get near and Maurice to thinking it over, and you'll see him flyin' home." We hoped so. For ourselves we went home on the Colleen. There was nothing else for us to do. We had quite a time of it that trip with O'Donnell. He sailed about five hundred miles out of his way--away to the eastward and s'uth'ard. There might be cruisers and cutters galore after him, he said--they might put out from Halifax, or telegraph ahead--you couldn't tell what they might do, he said, and so he sailed the Colleen out to sea. But we came across the Bay one dark night without side-lights, and reached Boston all right. O'Donnell had a suit of sails stowed away in an East Boston wharf that he wanted to get out for the race. And also he didn't like his new foremast and was going to have a new one put in if there was time. XXVI THE GOSSIP IN GLOUCESTER Clancy and I went home by train, reaching Gloucester as the first of an easterly gale set in. There we found it was nothing but talk of the race. We had not reached Main Street at all before Clancy was held up. Clancy, of course, would know. Where was Maurice Blake? What were we doing in Gloucester and the Johnnie not in? The Duncans--especially the elder Mr. Duncan--Miss Foster, my cousin Nell, and Will Somers were boiling over. Where was Maurice Blake? Where was the Johnnie Duncan? Everybody in town seemed to know that Sam Hollis had given us a bad beating down Cape shore way, and the news had a mighty discouraging effect on all Maurice's friends, even on those of them who knew enough of Sam Hollis not to take his talk just as he wanted them to take it. Withrow's vessel had beaten the Johnnie Duncan with Maurice Blake sailing her--they had to believe that part of it, and that in itself was bad enough. Sam Hollis's stock was booming, you may be sure--and the race right close to hand, too. "That little beating the Johnnie got didn't lose any in the telling by Sam Hollis and his gang, did it, Joe?" said Clancy to me, and then he went around borrowing all the money he could to bet the Johnnie Duncan would beat the Withrow in the race. But would Maurice now enter at all? I asked Clancy about that part--if there was not a chance that Maurice might not stay down the Cape shore way and let the race go. But he only laughed and said, "Lord--Joey-boy, you've a lot to learn yet about Maurice in spite of your season's seining along with him."