The stranger laughed heartily. “I'm not so stubborn as all that,” he said. “It's mighty good of you, all the same.”
“Don't say a word,” said the Captain. “Give us your satchel. Now your flipper! There you are! Git dap, Dan'l!”
Daniel accepted the Captain's command in a tolerant spirit. He paddled along at a jog-trot for perhaps a hundred yards, and then, evidently feeling that he had done all that could be expected, settled back into a walk. The Captain turned towards his companion on the seat:
“I don't know as I mentioned it,” he observed, “but my name is Hedge.”
“Glad to meet you, Mr. Hedge,” said the stranger. “My name is Hazeltine.”
“I kind of jedged it might be when you said you wanted to git to the cable station. We heard you was expected.”
“Did you? From Mr. Langley, I presume.”
“No-o, not d'rectly. Of course, we knew Parker had been let go, and that somebody would have to take his place. I guess likely it was one of the operators that told it fust that you was the man, but anyhow it got as fur as M'lissy Busteed, and after that 'twas plain sailin'. You come from New York, don't you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you know how 'tis when a thing gits into the papers. Orham ain't big enough to have a paper of its own, so the Almighty give us M'lissy, I jedge, as a sort of substitute. She can spread a little news over more country than anybody I know. If she spreads butter the same way, she could make money keepin' boarders. Is this your fust visit to the Cape?”