"I like to have folks at the table when things are ready," Uncle Zenas replied tartly, and Captain Eph said with a wink at Sidney:
"Then you ought'er give us a little warnin'. Sing out when you begin to put things on the table, an' you'll find us here an' waitin', the same as Sammy is now."
Uncle Zenas made no reply to this remark, and it surely seemed as if the incident was closed when Captain Eph asked that the food might be blessed to them.
"I'm lookin' for clear weather to-morrow," Mr. Peters said as if he expected to be contradicted, and much to his surprise the keeper said promptly:
"So am I. 'Cordin' to the way I figger it out, the wind'll haul to the west'ard when the tide turns, an' this smother will be well out to sea by sunrise."
"An' s'posin' it all turns out as you predict, what about our goin' ashore?" Mr. Peters asked.
"I'll agree to it if it so be Uncle Zenas is willin' to keep ship alone," the keeper replied. "If the wind does haul 'round, it won't be any great hardship if you an' the cook turn out an hour earlier than usual, so's we can get the lantern put to rights early."
"You can call all hands at three o'clock, so far as I'm concerned," Uncle Zenas interrupted, "an' then I'll be so far along with my end of the work that I can give you a lift in the lantern."
"I don't reckon there's any great need of turnin' out quite so early as that; but Sammy might wake me an hour sooner than usual, so's he could get somethin' of a nap, an' we'll make it all hands 'bout four o'clock."
And thus it was arranged when Sidney went to bed, hoping most fervently that he might waken in time to share the watch with Captain Eph; but it so chanced that he did not open his eyes until nearly three o'clock next morning, much to the disappointment.