The man had some education, and he did not mangle his h’s very badly unless he became very much excited. It was easy enough to see that he was one of those men of no force of character that are often met in the world, but are at the same time filled with good intentions. The plot to leave Louis and the captain on the shore to the westward of the creek, the cook insisted, had not been mentioned in his hearing. He had made out the last part of the conversation, and that certainly was very important as a guide to future movements. During this narration the trio had been walking at a tolerably rapid pace towards the town, finding a footbridge over the creek, and had accomplished a good part of the distance. It was midnight, and most of the lights in the houses had been extinguished. Another quarter of an hour brought them to the few wharves in the place, for the party had kept near the shore of the bay all the way from the creek. With the most intense interest on the part of Louis, they passed from one pier to another, till they had gone beyond the water front of the town. Not a steamer of any kind was there; no tug-boat had taken shelter from the storm within the bay, so far as they could discover. There was not a light to be seen on the waters of the bay, and the few vessels in port were all made fast to the wharves, where they were partially sheltered from the violence of the gale. With the midnight hour came a change in the aspect of the weather, which Captain Ringgold was the first to observe. The wind was hauling to the westward, and it had been what he called a “dry storm.” He was confident that the sun would rise clear in the morning, for the wind had already measurably abated. “That will be favorable to Scoble in getting away,” suggested Louis. “Yes, it will help him to get clear of the coast. Though the Maud is a very bad sailer on the wind, she seemed to be a weatherly vessel, and I have no doubt, by this time, she is pounding against the seas outside of this bay. It is an awful pity that there is not a tug within hail of us; but there is not, and I don’t see that we can help ourselves.” “At this moment I wish I owned that steam-yacht you were telling me about yesterday,” said Louis, who was musing sadly over the present hopeless situation. “I wish you did! If you did, there would be music very soon at the heels of the Maud!” exclaimed Captain Ringgold. “But we must do something, and not stand here all night.” “I feel just as though all our hands were tied behind us, and I don’t see that we can do anything,” added Louis. “We must do something! I used to know a certain Captain Boulong who lived in this town. He was the master of a coaster formerly, but I have not seen him for two or three years.” “Do you know his first name, captain?” “I do; for he owed me a note, which he paid on time, and is an honest man. Captain Drench Boulong was his name, and is still if he is in the land of the living.”