by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER XII THE LITTLE MAN OF WITCHES COVE
That day, after Ruth had delivered her fear-inspiring cargo, which haddoubtless been stolen from Fort Georges, to the proper authorities, shewent uptown to shop. There she selected with care a figured taffetadress, a bright new hat and new shoes.
"I won't show them to anyone until Sunday," she told herself. When anuneasy feeling took possession of her she stilled it by whispering, "Lifeis a joke." Had she been asked quite suddenly what that had to do with afigured taffeta dress, she might not, perhaps, have been able to tell.
That same day, Pearl took her new dory and rowed away to her favoritefishing ground, Witches Cove.
She had not been fishing long when she caught sight of the mysteriouslittle man who, with his two great black cats, had come to live in theabandoned cottage above the cove.
At first he was seated on a tall rock, studying the sea with a greatbrass telescope. Presently, however, she saw that he had left the rockand was making his way down the fern grown rocks near her. As he came,she studied him out of one corner of her eye. She lost two perfectly goodcunners doing this, but it was worth the price. This man was peculiar, a"new type," one of Pearl's learned friends would have called him. He wasshort almost to deformity. He was bow-legged and very broad shouldered.He wore dark glasses which completely hid his eyes. Pearl thought nothingof this last. Many persons living by the ocean wear such glasses toprotect their eyes from the dazzling reflection that comes from themirror-like surface of the sea.
"Hello, little girl," he said quietly as he settled himself on a rockoverhanging the sea. "How's the fishing?"
Pearl resented being called little, though indeed she was small forsixteen. She was a little frightened too. Witches Cove is a lonely spot,and as we have said before, quite spooky with all its black and greenreflections and its constant murmuring that seems to come from nowhere.
But she had come to fish. Between the man and her boat were twenty feetof deep water. Besides, the man intrigued her. So she stayed.
"The fishing is fine," she said.
"Often think I'll try it."
"Why don't you?"
"Too busy."
For a moment there was silence. Pearl had caught sight of a great cunnerdown there among the waving kelp. She was tempting him with a deliciousbit of soft clam.
Up went her line, down again, away to one side.
"O-o! He got it!" she murmured, drawing in her line. With a deft hand shereplaced her bait with a bit of tougher clam meat. Thirty seconds later athree-pounder was beating a tattoo in the bottom of her boat.
"That is a good one," said the stranger. "Can you now afford a moment fortalk?"
"Why?"
"It may be worth your while."
"Well." The girl settled back.
The man began to speak. In the twenty minutes that followed, this mysteryman of the rocky isle told the girl things she had never dreamed of. Hehad opened up for her a new and quite terrible world. He ended bystartling her with his knowledge of recent events.
"Someone stole your cousin's punt," he said quite suddenly, tilting onhis tiptoes above the black waters.
Pearl looked at him in surprise. "Last night."
"It was loaded with explosives when you got it back."
Again the girl stared.
"Look out for those men. They're dangerous. We've nearly got them threetimes. They escaped us. Can't find out where they stay."
Pearl thought of the face-in-the-fire, and old Fort Skammel. Her heartgave a great bounce, but she said nothing.
"How do you know such things?" she asked after a moment.
He leaned far forward. "I'll tell you something, but you must not repeatit."
"I won't."
"Well, then, I'm a Secret Service man." Her heart bounced again. She hadread books about such men, and they were thrilling and scarey.
"Thanks," she said. "I won't tell. And I--I'll help if I can. It's mycountry."
"That's the spirit. Come to me anytime you have a thing to tell."
A fish took her bait. She pulled him in. When she looked up, the man wasgone.
Late that evening Betty returned from her yachting party. She had had aglorious time, had traveled aboard the most marvelous yacht, all shiningbrass and mahogany, satin cushions and lace curtains. She had had as hertraveling companions such notable people as she had never hoped to know.A senator, a great yachtsman, a wonderful actress and a real poet hadbeen in the party. For all this she found herself over and over longingto be back at the island where she might confide her marvelous secret tothose who had a right to know.
They ran over to Monhegan. When she found that Ruth and Pearl were gone,her desire to be back increased tenfold.
Hardly had she raced up to the big cottage on the hill to change frommiddy and short blue skirt to blouse and knickers than she went tearingat a perilous rate down the hill toward Ruth's house.
By great good fortune both Ruth and Pearl were there.
"Oh, girls!" she exclaimed in an excited whisper. "I have a mostbeautiful secret! There's a hole in the floor and it's all full of themost marvelous silk things!"
"A hole in the floor!" said Ruth, quite mystified by the girl's wildrambling.
"Come down to the beach." Betty dragged at their arms. "No one will hearus there. I--I'll tell you all about it. Oh, girls! We must do somethingabout it! We truly must!"
Away to the beach they went. There on the golden sand with the darkwaters murmuring at their feet, with the lights of Portland Harborwinking and blinking at them, and the moon looking down upon them likesome benevolent old grandfather, the two girls listened while Bettyunfolded the story of her two visits to old Fort Skammel.
"A warm room," she said at the end in a voice that was husky withexcitement, "a warm room, all glowing with a weird yellow light, and fullof silk things, dresses and dresses, all pink and gold, and blue andgreen. You never saw any like them."
"We'll go over there," said Ruth, "but not at night."
"No, not at night." Betty shuddered.
"When we have all seen it, we'll tell someone, perhaps Captain O'Connor.Can't go to-morrow morning," Ruth said thoughtfully. "I promised to goover and lift Don's lobster traps. Might get back in time to go over inthe afternoon."
So they left the beach with the Portland lights still winking andblinking at them, to return home and to their beds.
As Ruth lay once more in her own bed looking out on the harbor, shecaught the slow movement of some great dark bulk, and knew it was theancient sailing ship, _Black Gull_. Never before had this ship spoken soclearly of the glorious past of dear old Maine, of ships and the sea, ofsettlement and glorious conquest, and of her brave sons who in everygeneration had given their lives for freedom.
Never before had she so longed to see the old ship, with every patchedand time-browned sail set, go gliding out into the free and open sea.Perhaps this longing was prophetic of that which was shortly to come.
