“Then ye’d best keep erway. Give us a chaw of terbacker, Joe.”
“Why don’t ye buy some terbacker of yer own?” grumbled Joe, as he fished down into a pocket and drew out a plug. “You never hev any.”
“Times is so darn hard I can’t raise money enough fer rum an’ terbacker this year. Ef we warn’t right on ‘the line,’ I wouldn’t git more’n two ur three drinks a day.”
For the moment Frank seemed ignored, but he spoke up sharply:
“I want to hire a man to take me to Blank Island to-morrow afternoon, and I will pay well for it. Who will take the job?”
The men looked doubtfully at each other, and one of them said:
“I don’t know anybody har as keers to kerry yer up to Dugan’s Islan’, young feller.”
“But don’t you know of anybody in the town who will do it?” asked Frank, desperately.
“It’s mighty doubtful if ye kin find anybody,” was the answer.
“I don’t understand it!” exclaimed Merry. “I saw several sailboats down at the landing, and——”