"
XXXIV.
THE CENTRAL HOTEL.
Captain Jabez did not return until late that Saturday evening; but as
soon as he set foot on shore I went to him and asked him if he could, in
any way, get us to Sanpritchit that night, offering to pay him liberally
for the service.
"I've got a sailboat," said he, "and ye'd be right welcome to it if it
was here; but it ain't here. I lent it to Captain Neal, of Brimley,
having no present use for it, and he won't bring it back till next week
some time. There's a dory here, to be sure; but Sanpritchit's
twenty-five miles away, and that's too far to go in a dory, especially
at night. What's your hurry?"
"I have very important business in Sanpritchit," I answered, "and if it
is possible I must go there to-night."
"Sanpritchit's a queer place to have business in," said Captain Jabe;
"and it's a pity ye didn't think of it this mornin', when ye might have
gone with me and took the train to Barley, and there's a stage from
there to Sanpritchit."
"Captain Jabez," said I, "as there seems to be no other way for me to do
this thing, I will pay you whatever you may think the service worth, if
you will take me to Sanpritchit in your grocery boat, and start
immediately. It will be slow work traveling, I know, but I think we can
surely get there before morning.
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