' They was always a cheery set--especially _him_--when
they took hold of a job, to put it through.
"We'd seen them sailin' fellows go by a while before; and we knew Rollin
was one of 'em. They wasn't but two, as we could see, managin' the craft;
and they was full sail, clippin' it lively. I calk'late there ain't many
knows this shore better'n me, but I wouldn't 'a' durst skirted along the
adge down thar' at sech a rate, not in the finest day blowin'. First, we
thought it was somebody didn't know what they was about. When we made
out it was Rollin, we knew, if he _was_ drunk, he was tol'able well
acquainted with the rocks along shore, and 'ud probably put further out
when he got through showin' off. We didn't worry about 'em, nor think no
more about 'em, in special. The boys didn't want to talk to rile George
Olver.
"So we kep' to work, and in a minute, cheery ag'in with the hammers
click, clickin'--and every now and then the boys 'ud strike up a singin'
something'. 'Beyond the River,' and 'Homeward Bound.'
"It sounded dredful purty down thar' by the water, with the water and the
wideness all around sorter softenin' of it. It made a man feel curious
and wishful somehow.
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