The Taffy King, seeing what his son was about,
shouted:
"Ford! Ford! Don't dare do that! I forbid you!"
Lawford turned a grim face upon his father. "I earn eighteen a week,
dad. I am my own boss."
A soft palm was placed upon I. Tapp's lips before he could reply.
Louise was weeping frankly, but she urged:
"Don't stop him, Mr. Tapp. Don't say another word to him. My--my
heart is breaking; but I am glad--oh, I am so glad!--that he is a real
man."
Cap'n Trainor's hard gaze swept the circle of strained faces about him.
After all, the men here were mostly "second raters"--weaklings like
Milt Baker and Amiel Perdue, or cripples like Cap'n Joab and Washy
Gallup.
Suddenly the captain's gaze descried a figure well back in the
crowd--one who had not pushed forward during these exciting moments,
but who had been chained to the spot by the fascination of what was
happening.
"Ain't that Cap'n Am'zon Silt back there?" demanded the skipper of the
lifeboat crew. "You pull a strong oar, I know, Cap'n Am'zon.
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