"'Tain't a bad night as nights go," stated the caller.
"It's a beautiful night," said Polly Candage.
"I reckon it seems so to you, after what you went through. I've been
harking to your father telling the yarn down to the store."
They did not reply, having their own ideas as to Captain Candage's
loquacity.
The caller hauled a plug of tobacco from his pocket, gnawed off a chew,
and began slow wagging of his jaws. "This world is full of trouble," he
observed, "It seems to be," agreed Captain Mayo.
"Them what's down get kicked further down."
"Also true, in many cases."
"Take your case! It's bad. But our'n is worse!" The caller pointed to
the dim bulk of a small island which the cove held between the bold jaws
of its headland. "The old sir who named that Hue and Cry Island must
have smelt into the future so as to know what was going to happen there
some day--and this is the day!" He chewed on, and his silence became
irritating.
"Well, what has happened?" demanded the captain.
"It hasn't happened just yet--it's going to."
Further silence.
"Tell us what's going to happen, can't you?"
"Of course I can, now that you have asked me. I ain't no hand to butt
in. I ain't no hand to do things unless I'm asked. There's seventeen
fam'lies of us on Hue and Cry and they've told us to get off."
"Who told you?"
"The state! Some big bugs come along and said the Governor sent 'em, and
they showed papers and we've got to go."
"But I know about Hue and Cry!" protested Mayo. "You people have lived
there for years!"
"Sure have! My grandfather was one of the first settlers. Most all of us
who live there had grandfathers who settled the place. But according to
what is told us, some heirs have found papers what say that they own
the island. The state bought out the heirs. Now the state says get off.
We're only squatters, state says."
"But, good Caesar, man, you have squatter rights after all these years.
Hire a lawyer. Fight the case!"
"We ain't fighters. 'Ain't got no money--'ain't got no friends. Might
have fit plain heirs, but you can't fight the state--leastways, poor
cusses like us can't."
"Where are you going?"
"Well, there's the problem! That's what made me say that this world is
full of trouble. You see, we have taken town help in years past--had to
do it or starve winters. And we have had state aid, too. They say that
makes paupers of us. Every town round about has served notice that we
can't settle there and gain pauper residence. Hue and Cry 'ain't ever
been admitted to any town. Towns say, seeing that the state has ordered
us off, now let the state take care of us."