"Where's Cap'n Billy?" she asked. The two men, preparing food at the table, raised their eyes with no surprise, and Captain Jared Brown replied:
"Isterin'." Then with a huge clasp knife he opened a can of tomatoes, raised it to his lips and drained the contents. Tomatoes were Jared's only dissipation.
"Has he been gone all day?" Janet waited until the empty can was set down.
"The better part of it." The man wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
"Does he have a patrol to-night?"
"No! no!" Jared began to show an interest.
"I'm going to surprise him. Don't let on, Jared, if you see him. Who is in the lookout?"
"John Thomas."
Janet went to the stairway.
"John Thomas!" she called up, "don't let on to Cap'n Billy that I'm here."