Casco Bay Yarns

inside the gate, looked at him askance. The Cap'n turned his back squarely on them, but, though his eyes roved over the familiar cluster of neighboring islands whose grey rocks and dark pines stood out so boldly in the spring sunlight against the blue waters of Casco Bay, he could picture their glances in his direction, their sly nudges, their knowing nods. It had been a splendid burying. Although for twenty years they had been bitter enemies, even Cap'n Harlow could not but acknowledge that Norman Skillings had beenlaid to rest in proper style. Every Skillings and every Skillings supporter on the Island was at the funeral of their leader, and the Cap'n was there all alone in the midst of the enemy. He had not a friend or a follower, except Ma and Joanna, and the way they were hobnobbing with the Skillingses, he began to doubt their loyalty. His wife's mother's mother, he rememberd, had been Eunice Skillings, and Joanna?well, since Joanna had fallen in love with young Norman Skillings he had good reason to know that her loyalty was not to be counted on. Yet it was partly because of his daughter's Skillings lover that he had come to the funeral. Someone in the group inside the gate snickered, and the Cap'n thought suddenly that his motives might be misunderstood? that the Island would think his women folks had brought him against his will. The Island would think nothing of the kind, for the old sea captain had a reputation as a tight- fisted, hard-headed martinet ... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.