Kyan obeyed.  Shortly he reappeared, clothed like a lily of the field, one that had long since gone to seed.  He clambered up beside Noah and they drove off.

“Jerushy!” exclaimed the lightkeeper.  “This is kind of unexpected, ain’t it?  What’s got into her to make her so accommodatin’?”

“Godfreys mighty!” was the dazed reply, “I don’t know.  This as fast as you can drive?  Hurry up, afore she changes her mind.”

So it happened that Mr. Pepper was in Bayport with the rest, awaiting the stage which was bringing Trumet’s latest celebrity from Sandwich.

“Here she comes!” shouted Ezra Simmons, the postmaster.  “Right on time, too.”

Sure enough!  A cloud of dust in the distance, rising on the spring wind, and the rattle of rapidly turning wheels.  The reception committee prepared for action.  Captain Elkanah descended from the carriage and moved in stately dignity to the front of the post-office platform.

“Hum—­ha!” he barked, turning to his followers.  “Be ready now.  Give him a good cheer, when I say the word.  Let it be hearty—­hearty, yes.”

The stage, its four horses at a trot, swung up to the platform.

“Whoa!” roared the driver.

“Now!” ordered Elkanah.  “One—­two—­Hurrah!”

“Hurrah!” shouted the committee, its uninvited guests and the accompanying crowd of Bayport men and boys which had gathered to assist in the welcome.  “Hurrah!”

“Hooray!” yelled Kyan, a little behind, as usual.

A passenger or two peered from the coach window.  The stage driver ironically touched his cap.

“Thank ye,” he said.  “Thank ye very much.  I’ve been hopin’ for this for a long time, though I’d about given up expectin’ it.  I’m very much obliged.  Won’t somebody please ask me to make a speech?”

Captain Elkanah frowned his disapproval.

“We are cheering Cap’n Nathaniel Hammond of Trumet,” he explained haughtily.  “We are here to meet him and escort him home.”

The driver sighed.  “You don’t say,” he said.  “And I thought my merits had been recognized at last.  And ’twas all for Cap’n Hammond?  Dear! dear!”

He winked at Simmons, who wanted to laugh, but did not dare.

“Come! come!” said Captain Elkanah.  “Where is he?  Where’s Cap’n Hammond?”

“Well, now, I’ll tell ye; I don’t know where he is.”

“You don’t?  Isn’t he with you?”

“No, he ain’t.  And he didn’t come on the train, nuther.  He was on it.  The conductor told me he see him and set along with him between stations as fur as Cohasset Narrows.  But after that he never see hide nor hair of him.  Oh, that’s so!  Here’s the mail bag, Ezry.”

Captain Elkanah looked at the reception committee and it looked at him.  Here was a most disconcerting setback for all the plans.  The committee, after asking more, and fruitless questions, went into executive session.