Mayo was wondering at his own obstinacy. He knew that a rather boyish temper, resentment roused by the other man"s arrogance, had considerable to do with his stand in the matter, but underneath there was protest at the world"s injustice. He felt that he had been having personal experience with that injustice. He knew that he had not come out to Hue and Cry to volunteer as the champion of these unfortunates, but now that he was there and had spoken out it was evident that he must allow himself to be forced into the matter to some extent; the agent had declared in the hearing of all that this interference had settled the doom of the islanders. Polly Candage was standing close to the champion, and she looked at him with eyes that flashed with pride in him and spirit of her own. She reached and took one of the frightened children by the hand.
"If I have been a little hasty in my remarks I apologize," pleaded the captain, anxious to repair the fault. "I don"t mean to interfere with your duty. I have no right to do so!"
"You hear what your friend says, after getting you into the mess,"
shouted the agent, so that all might hear. "Now he is getting ready to trot away and leave you in your trouble."
"You are wrong there, my friend. If you are angry with me, go ahead and have your quarrel with me. Don"t bang at me over the shoulders of these poor folks. It isn"t a square deal."
"They go off to-day--and they go because you have b.u.t.ted into the matter. The whole of you have got to be shown that the state doesn"t stand for meddlers after orders have been given." Then he added, with malice: "You folks better ride this chap down to the beach on a rail.
Whatever happens to you is his fault!"
This attempt to shift responsibility as a petty method of retaliation stirred Mayo"s anger in good earnest.
The agent was dealing with men who were scarcely more than children in their estimates of affairs; they muttered among themselves and scowled on this stranger who had brought their troubles to a climax.
"I"m not going to allow you to get away with that kind of talk, Mr.
Agent. You know perfectly well that people on the main will not hire these men, even if they _are_ able-bodied. Everybody is down on them.
You said that to me last evening. They will be kicked from pillar to post--from this town to that! They will be worse than beggars. And they must drag these women and little children about with them. I will expose this thing!"
"That exposure will sound fine!" sneered the commissioner. "Exposing a state officer for doing what the Governor and Council have ordered!"
"Yes, ordered on your advice!"
"Well, it has been ordered! And I"ll be backed up! As soon as I can get to a justice I shall swear out a warrant against you for interfering with a state officer." He flung down the stub of his cigar. "Listen, you people! Get off this island. Anybody who is here at sunset--man, woman, or child--will be arrested and put in jail for trespa.s.sing on state land. Now you"d all better give three cheers for your meddling friend, here!"
"They have allus let us stay, even when they have threated us before now," whimpered a man. "He has poured the fat into the fire for us, that"s what he has done!" He pointed his finger at Mayo.
"It"s wicked!" gasped the girl. "These poor folks don"t know any better, they are not responsible!"
"Say, look here, you folks!" shouted Mr. Speed, who had been holding himself in with great difficulty. "It"s about time for you to wake up!"
The plutocrat of the house-boat had come up from the beach and had been listening. The whimpering man started to speak again, and the magnate of the island cuffed him soundly; it was plain that this man, who had lived in the best house, had been a personage of authority in the tribe.
"I"m ashamed of the whole caboodle of ye," he vociferated. "Here"s a gent that"s been standing up for us. He"s the only man I ever heard say a good word for us or try to help us! n.o.body else in the world ever done it! Take off your hats and thank him!"
"I"m in it!" whispered Mayo to the girl. "For heaven"s sake, what am I going to do?"
"Do all you can--please, Captain Mayo!"
He stepped forward. The agent began to shout.
"Hold on, sir!" broke in the captain with quarter-deck air that made for obedience and attention. "You have had your say! Now I"m going to have mine. Listen to me, folks! I"m not the man to get my friends into trouble and then run off and leave "em. All of you who are kicked out by the state--all men, women, and children who are ready to go to work--come over to me on the main at Maquoit with what stuff you can bring in your dories. I"ll be waiting for you there. My name is Boyd Mayo."
"I"ll remember that name, myself," declared the angry agent. "You"ll be shown that you can"t interfere in a state matter."
"You have turned these folks loose in the world, and I"m going to give "em a hand when they come to where I am. If you choose to call that interference, come on! It will make a fine story in court!"
He did not stop to shake the grimy hands which were thrust out to him.
He pushed his way out of the crowd, and his party followed.
"Meet me yonder on the main, boys," he called back with a sailor heartiness which they understood. "We"ll see what can be done!"
"Well, what in the infernal blazes can be done?" growled Captain Candage, catching step with the champion.
"I don"t know, sir."
"You can"t do nothing any more sensible with them critters than you could with combined cases of the smallpox and the seven years" itch."
"Father!" cried the girl, reproachfully.
"I know what I"m talking about! This is dum foolishness!"
"Captain Mayo is a n.o.ble man! You ought to be ashamed of hanging back when your help is needed."
"I don"t blame you for sa.s.sing that skew.a.n.gled old tywhoopus, sir,"
admitted the old skipper. "I wanted to do it myself. But--"
"I"m afraid I don"t deserve much praise," said Mayo. "I"ve been getting back at that agent. He made me mad. I"m apt to go off half-c.o.c.ked like that."
"So am I, sir--and I"m always sorry for it. We"d better dig out before that tribe of gazaboos lands on our backs."
"Oh, not a bit of it! I have given my word, sir. I must see it through."
"But what are you going to do with "em?"
"Blessed if I know right now! When I"m good and mad I don"t stop to think."
"Suppose I meet "em for you and tell "em you have had a sudden death in your family and have been called away? They won"t know the difference,"
volunteered Captain Candage. "And a real death would be lucky for you beside of what"s in store if you hang around."
"I shall hang around, sir. I can"t afford to be ashamed of myself."
"I think you have said quite enough, father," stated Polly Candage, with vigor.
""I have heard of adopting families before," said the irreconcilable one, "but I never heard of any such wholesale operation as this. I"m thinking I"ll go climb a tree."
They embarked in the dory. Mr. Speed and Dolph splashed their oars and rowed, exchanging looks and not venturing to offer any comment.
"You might auction "em off to farmers for scarecrows," pursued Captain Candage, still worrying the topic as a dog mouths a bone. "They ain"t fit for no more active jobs than that."
"I do hope you"ll forgive my father for talking this way," pleaded Polly Candage. She raised br.i.m.m.i.n.g eyes to the sympathetic gaze of the young man beside her. "He doesn"t understand it the way I do."
"Perhaps I don"t exactly understand it myself," he protested.
"But what you are doing for them?"
"I haven"t done anything as yet except start trouble for them. Now I must do a little something to square myself."
"There"s a reward for good deeds, Captain Mayo, when you help those who cannot help themselves. I believe what the Bible says about casting bread on the waters. It will return to you some day!"