“‘Hi!’ I yells, as I hauled up the dory.  ’Hi-i-i!  Billings, where be you?’

“The honkin’ stopped and back comes the answer; there was joy in it.

“‘What?  Is that Cap’n Stitt?’

“‘Yes,’ I sings out.  ‘Where be you?’

“’I’m stuck out here in the middle of the crick.  And there’s a flood on.  Help me, can’t you?’

“Next minute I was aboard the dory, rowin’ her against the tide up the channel.  Pretty quick I got where I could see him through the fog and dark.  The auto was on the flat in the middle of the Cut-through, and the water was hub high already.  Billings was standin’ up on the for’ard thwart, makin’ wet footmarks all over them expensive cushions.

“‘Lord,’ says he, ’I sure am glad to see you, pard!  Can we get to land, do you think?’

“‘Land?’ says I, makin’ the dory fast alongside and hoppin’ out into the drink. ’’Course we can land!  What’s the matter with your old derelict?  Sprung a leak, has it?’

“He went on to explain that the automobile had broke down when he struck the flat, and he couldn’t get no farther.  He’d been honkin’ and howlin’ for ten year at least, so he reckoned.

“‘Why in time,’ says I, ’didn’t you mind me and go up the ocean side?  And why in nation didn’t you go ashore and—­But never mind that now.  Let me think.  Here!  You set where you be.’

“As I shoved off in the dory again he turned loose a distress signal.

“‘Where you goin’?’ he yells.  ‘Say, pard, you ain’t goin’ to leave me here, are you?’

“‘I’ll be back in a shake,’ says I, layin’ to my oars.  ’Don’t holler so!  You’ll have the life-savers down here, and then the joke’ll be on us.  Hush, can’t you?  I’ll be right back!’

“I rowed up channel a little ways, and then I sighted the place I was bound for.  Them gov’ment folks had another shanty farther up the Cut-through.  Moored out in front of it was a couple of big floats, for their stone sloops to tie up to at high water.  The floats were made of empty kerosene barrels and planks, and they’d have held up a house easy.  I run alongside the fust one, cut the anchor cable with my jackknife, and next minute I was navigatin’ that float down channel, steerin’ it with my oar and towin’ the dory astern.

“‘Twas no slouch of a job, pilotin’ that big float, but part by steerin’ and part by polin’ I managed to land her broadside on to the auto.  I made her fast with the cable ends and went back after the other float.  This one was a bigger job than the fust, but by and by that gas wagon, with planks under her and cable lashin’s holdin’ her firm, was restin’ easy as a settin’ hen between them two floats.  I unshipped my mast, fetched it aboard the nighest float, and spread the sail over the biggest part of the brasswork and upholstery.

“‘There,’ says I, ‘if it rains durin’ the night she’ll keep pretty dry.  Now I’ll take the dory and row back to the shanty after some spare anchors there is there.’