“You were in a more comfortable place, I hope,” observed Galusha.
“Um—we-ell, that's accordin' to what you call comf'table. I was aboard the Hog's Back lightship, that's where I was.”
“Dear, dear! Is it possible?”
“Um-hm. Possible enough that I was there, and one spell it looked impossible that I'd ever be anywheres else. Godfreys, what a night that was! Whew! Godfreys domino!”
Primmie, who had also come in from the kitchen, was listening, open-mouthed.
“I bet you that lightship pitched up and down somethin' terrible, didn't it, Zach?” she asked.
Zacheus looked at her solemnly. “Pitched?” he repeated, after a moment's contemplation. “No, no, she didn't pitch none.”
“Didn't? Didn't pitch up and down in such a gale's that? And with waves a hundred foot high? What kind of talk's that, Zach Bloomer! How could that lightship help pitchin', I'd like to know?”
Mr. Bloomer adjusted the tin cover on the can in which Martha had put the coffee, then he put the can in the pocket of his slicker.
“We-ll, I tell you, Primmie,” he drawled. “You see, we had pretty toler'ble long anchor chains on that craft and when the captain see how 'twas blowin' he let them chains out full length. The wind blowed so strong it lifted the lightship right out of the water up to the ends of them chains and kept her there. Course there was a dreadful sea runnin' underneath us, but we never felt it a mite; that gale was holdin' us up twenty foot clear of it!”