Martin and Hegan exchanged glances.
“But surely we ain’t going to let the poor lads drown!” Hegan protested.
“Well, maybe they won’t drown,” the watchman replied. “I guess if it got much worse the old skinflint would send the tug off, but it’s rough enough out there now. ’Twouldn’t surprise me to hear they’d capsized the sloop.”
Hegan was biting his thumb reflectively.
“What does Barker charge to fetch a schooner in when there ain’t enough wind for her?” he asked at length.
“Oh, about twenty-five dollars,” answered the watchman.
“Well, couldn’t we raise twenty-five dollars somehow?” Hegan asked. “I’ll chip in, and glad to. Martin will, too, huh?”
“Sure!” replied Martin.
Just as Cap’n Crumbie stuffed his hand into a breast pocket and fetched out one or two small bills, Tony Santo appeared on the wharf.