A Matter of Interest | Page 5

sea, "there are."
He produced a pair of binoculars from his coat-tail pocket, adjusted
them, and raised them to his eyes.
"H'm! What sort of ducks?"
I looked more carefully, holding both hands over my forehead.
"Surf ducks--scoters and widgeon. There is one bufflehead among
them--no, two; the rest are coots," I replied.
"This," cried the professor, "is most astonishing. I have good eyes, but I
can't see a blessed thing without these binoculars!"
"It's not extraordinary," said I; "the surf ducks and coots any novice
might recognise; the widgeon and buffleheads I should not have been
able to name unless they had risen from the water. It is easy to tell any
duck when it is flying, even though it looks no bigger than a black
pin-point."
But the professor insisted that it was marvellous, and he said that I
might render him invaluable service if I would consent to come and
camp at Pine Inlet for a few weeks.
I looked at his daughter, but she turned her back--not exactly in disdain
either. Her back was beautifully moulded. Her gown fitted also.
"Camp out here?" I repeated, pretending to be unpleasantly surprised.
"I do not think he would care to," said Miss Holroyd without turning.
I had not expected that.
"Above all things," said I, in a clear, pleasant voice, "I like to camp
out."
She said nothing.

"It is not exactly camping," said the professor. "Come, you shall see
our conservatory. Daisy, come, dear! you must put on a heavier frock;
it is getting toward sundown."
At that moment, over a near dune, two horses' heads appeared,
followed by two human heads, then a wagon, then a yellow dog.
I turned triumphantly to the professor.
"You are the very man I want," he muttered; "the very man--the very
man."
I looked at Daisy Holroyd. She returned my glance with a defiant little
smile.
"Waal," said Captain McPeek, driving up, "here we be! Git out,
Frisby."
Frisby, fat, nervous, and sentimental, hopped out of the cart.
"Come!" said the professor, impatiently moving across the dunes. I
walked with Daisy Holroyd. McPeek and Frisby followed. The yellow
dog walked by himself.

II.
The sun was dipping into the sea as we trudged across the meadows
toward a high dome-shaped dune covered with cedars and thickets of
sweet bay. I saw no sign of habitation among the sand hills. Far as the
eye could reach, nothing broke the gray line of sea and sky save the
squat dunes crowned with stunted cedars.
Then, as we rounded the base of the dune, we almost walked into the
door of a house. My amazement amused Miss Holroyd, and I noticed
also a touch of malice in her pretty eyes. But she said nothing,
following her father into the house, with the slightest possible gesture
to me. Was it invitation, or was it menace?

The house was merely a light wooden frame, covered with some
waterproof stuff that looked like a mixture of rubber and tar. Over
this--in fact, over the whole roof--was pitched an awning of heavy
sail-cloth. I noticed that the house was anchored to the sand by chains,
already rusted red. But this one-storied house was not the only building
nestling in the south shelter of the big dune. A hundred feet away stood
another structure-long, low, also built of wood. It had rows on rows of
round portholes on every side. The ports were fitted with heavy glass,
hinged to swing open if necessary. A single big double door occupied
the front.
Behind this long, low building was still another, a mere shed. Smoke
rose from the sheet-iron chimney. There was somebody moving about
inside the open door.
As I stood gaping at this mushroom hamlet the professor appeared at
the door and asked me to enter. I stepped in at once.
The house was much larger than I had imagined. A straight hallway ran
through the centre from east to west. On either side of this hallway
were rooms, the doors swinging wide open. I counted three doors on
each side; the three on the south appeared to be bedrooms.
The professor ushered me into a room on the north side, where I found
Captain McPeek and Frisby sitting at a table, upon which were
drawings and sketches of articulated animals and fishes.
"You see, McPeek," said the professor, "we only wanted one more man,
and I think I've got him.--Haven't I?" turning eagerly to me.
"Why, yes," I said, laughing; "this is delightful. Am I invited to stay
here?"
"Your bedroom is the third on the south side; everything is ready.
McPeek, you can bring his trunk to-morrow, can't you?" demanded the
professor.
The red-faced captain nodded, and shifted a quid.

"Then it's all settled," said the professor, and