“‘In her?’ says I.

“‘Sure,’ he says.

“‘Not by a jugful!’ says I, emphatic.  ’I’ll borrer a boat to get to Orham in, when I’m ready to go.  You won’t ketch me in that man killer again; and you can call me a coward all you want to!’

“‘A coward?’ says he.  ’You a coward?  And—­Why, you was in that car all night!’

“‘Oh!’ I says.  ’Last night was diff’rent.  The thing was on water then, and when I’ve got enough water underneath me I know I’m safe.’

“‘Safe!’ he sings out.  ’Safe!  Well, by—­gosh!  Pard, I hate to say it, but it’s the Lord’s truth—­you had me doin’ my “Now I lay me’s"!’

“For a minute we looked at each other.  Then says I, sort of thinkin’ out loud, ‘I cal’late,’ I says, ’that whether a man’s brave or not depends consider’ble on whether he’s used to his latitude.  It’s all accordin’.  It lays in the bringin’ up, as the duck said when the hen tried to swim.’

“He nodded solemn.  ‘Pard,’ says he, ’I sure reckon you’ve called the turn.  Let’s shake hands on it.’

“So we shook; and . . .”

Captain Bailey stopped short and sprang from his chair.  “There’s my train comin’,” he shouted.  “Good-by, Sol!  So long, Barzilla!  Keep away from fortune tellers and pretty servant girls or you’ll be gettin’ married pretty soon.  Good-by.”

He darted out of the waiting room and his companions followed.  Mr. Wingate, having a few final calls to make, left the station soon afterwards and did not return until evening.  And that evening he heard news which surprised him.

As he and Captain Sol were exchanging a last handshake on the platform, Barzilla said: 

“Well, Sol, I’ve enjoyed loafin’ around here and yarnin’ with you, same as I always do.  I’ll be over again in a month or so and we’ll have some more.”

The Captain shook his head.  “I may not be here then, Barzilla,” he observed.

“May not be here?  What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I don’t know exactly where I shall be.  I shan’t be depot master, anyway.”

“Shan’t be depot master?  You won’t?  Why, what on airth—­”

“I sent in my resignation four days ago.  Nobody knows it, except you, not even Issy, but the new depot master for East Harniss will be here to take my place on the mornin’ of the twelfth, that’s two days off.”

“Why!  Why!  Sol!”

“Yes.  Keep mum about it.  I’ll—­I’ll let you know what I decide to do.  I ain’t settled it myself yet.  Good-by, Barzilla.”

CHAPTER XVII

ISSY’S REVENGE