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Updated: May 20, 2025
The mate came up at the moment and stood eyeing her curiously. "This is Miss Gething," said the skipper slowly. "Any news?" "None," said the mate solemnly; "they've vanished like smoke." "Is it certain," asked Annis, addressing, him, "that it was my father?" The mate looked at the skipper and pushed his cap back. "We had no reason to think otherwise," he said shortly.
He stood watching attentively as the skipper tore up form after form, meditatively sucking the chained lead pencil with a view to inspiration between whiles. Captain Gething, as an illiterate, had every sympathy with one involved in the throes of writing, and for some time watched his efforts in respectful silence.
It seemed that he was running for some purpose and Gething thought of Willet's often repeated remark, "Look at 'im old Cuddy, he's thinking." Two miles had been covered and the gait had become business-like. Gething, guiding always to the left, was turning him in a huge circle. The horse reeked with sweat.
"Heh, heh!" he blew through his nostrils. "Six steps nearer, Cuddy." Geth struck him lightly with his spurs. The horse paused by the bank and began rocking slightly. "Sist! be quiet," for they were on the spot Gething wished. The horse gathered himself, started to rear, then sprang into the air, cleared earth-mound and trench and bounded down the hill.
Taught by experience, he put some of his new stock in his pocket, and with a couple of pairs in his hand, entered the next tavern on his beat. The bar was pretty full, but he pushed his way in, and offering his wares in a perfunctory fashion, looked round carefully for any signs of Captain Gething. "Outside!" said a smart barmaid with a toss of her head as she caught sight of him.
They had come to the conclusion in their deliberations that the only possible place in which a retired mariner would spend his evenings was a public-house, and they resolved to do them thoroughly. "The worst of it," said Sam, as they walked slowly together to the town, "is the drinkin'. Arter I've 'ad five or six pints, everybody looks to me like Cap'n Gething."
The one gleam of light in his present condition was the regular habits of schools, and as he went along he blessed the strong sense of punctuality which possessed the teaching body at four o'clock. To-day, however, his congratulations were somewhat premature, for long after the children had come and gone there was no sign of Annis Gething. He walked up and down the road wondering.
"Drat it!" he said, with a worried look, "I've lost it again; but it'll come back." The cook waited ten minutes for the prodigal. "It ain't Gething, I s'pose?" he said at length. "No," said the old man; "don't you be in a hurry; it'll come back." "When?" asked the cook rebelliously. "It might be in five minutes' time, and it might be in a month," said the old man firmly, "but it'll come back."
Gething liked this day of wind and sunshine. In the city there had been the smell of oiled streets to show that spring had come, here was the smell of damp earth, pollen, and burnt brush. Suddenly he realized that Cuddy, too, was pleased and contented for he was going quietly now, occasionally he threw up his head and blew "Heh, heh!" through his nostrils.
"Where's your clothes?" inquired Henry. "How the devil should I know?" snapped the other. "I left 'em on the beach while I went for a swim, and when I comeback they'd gone. I've been sittin' on that damned cold shingle since three o'clock this arternoon, and not a soul come near me! It's the first time I've been lookin' for Cap'n Gething, and it'll be the last."
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