“Hope there’s nothing wrong, Cap’n?” he repeated.

“Right as a trivet here, Dad,” replied the young man, dropping the cold hand that still persisted in clinging to his own.  “But I guess you’ve got the wrong party.  Who’s expecting me?”

The old man’s face wrinkled itself in a grimace and one gleaming eye opened and closed in an understanding wink.

“Ho, ho, ho!—­of course you’re not expected.  Anyway, you’re not expected to be expected!  Cautious—­a born general—­mighty clever thing to do.  Strang should appreciate it.”  The old man gave vent to his own approbation in a series of inimitable chuckles.  “Is that your sloop out there?” he inquired interestedly.

Something in the strangeness of the situation began to interest Captain Plum.  He had planned a little adventure of his own, but here was one that promised to develop into something more exciting.  He nodded his head.

“That’s her.”

“Splendid cargo,” went on the old man.  “Splendid cargo, eh?”

“Pretty fair.”

“Powder in good shape, eh?”

“Dry as tinder.”

“And balls—­lots of balls, and a few guns, eh?”

“Yes, we have a few guns,” said Captain Plum.  The old man noted the emphasis, but the darkness that had fast settled about them hid the added meaning that passed in a curious look over the other’s face.

“Odd way to come in, though—­very odd!” continued the old man, gurgling and shaking as if the thought of it occasioned him great merriment.  “Very cautious.  Level business head.  Want to know that things are on the square, eh?”

“That’s it!” exclaimed Captain Plum, catching at the proffered straw.  Inwardly he was wondering when his feet would touch bottom.  Thus far he had succeeded in getting but a single grip on the situation.  Somebody was expected at Beaver Island with powder and balls and guns.  Well, he had a certain quantity of these materials aboard his sloop, and if he could make an agreeable bargain—­

The old man interrupted the plan that was slowly forming itself in Captain Plum’s puzzled brain.

“It’s the price, eh?” He laughed shrewdly.  “You want to see the color of the gold before you land the goods.  I’ll show it to you.  I’ll pay you the whole sum to-night.  Then you’ll take the stuff where I tell you to.  Eh?  Isn’t that so?” He darted ahead of Captain Plum with a quick alert movement.  “Will you please follow me, sir?”

For an instant Captain Plum’s impulse was to hold back.  In that instant it suddenly occurred to him that he was lending himself to a rank imposition.  At the same time he was filled with a desire to go deeper into the adventure, and his blood thrilled with the thought of what it might hold for him.

“Are you coming, sir?”

The little old man had stopped a dozen paces away and turned expectantly.

“I tell you again that you’ve got the wrong man, Dad!”