Once over the sloop's side, Sanford laid his bag on the deck and turned to the men.
"Who saw the concrete at dead low water during that low tide we had after the last northwest blow?" he inquired.
"I did, sir," answered Captain Brandt. "I told Mr. Carleton he was wrong. The water jes' tetched the outer iron band all round when I see it. It was dead calm an' dead low water."
"What do you say to that, Mr. Carleton?" asked Sanford, laughing.
"I'm not here to take no back talk from nobody," replied Carleton in a surly tone.
"Lonny," said Sanford,--he saw that further discussion with the superintendent was useless,--"go ashore and get my transit and target rod; you'll find them in my bedroom at the captain's; and please put them here in the skipper's bunk, so they won't get broken. I'll run a level on the concrete myself, Mr. Carleton, when we get to the Ledge."
"There ain't no use of your transit," retorted Carleton, with a sneer. "It's six inches too low, I tell you. You'll fix it as I want it, or I'll stop the work."
Sanford looked at him, but held his peace. It had not been his first experience with men of Carleton's class. He proposed, all the same, to know for himself who was right. He had seen Carleton use a transit, and had had a dim suspicion at the time that the superintendent was looking through the eyepiece while it was closed.
"Get ready for the Ledge, Captain Brandt, as soon as Lonny returns," said Sanford. "Where's Caleb, Captain Joe? We may want him."
The captain touched Sanford on the shoulder and moved down the deck with him, where he stood behind one of the big stones, out of hearing of the other men.
"He's all broke up, sir. He ain't been to work since the little gal left. I want to thank ye, Mr. Sanford, for what ye did for 'er; and that friend o' yourn couldn't 'a' been no better to her if she'd been her sister."
"Oh, that's all right, captain," said Sanford, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Betty is at your house, I hear. How does she bear it?"
"Gritty as she kin be, but she ain't braced up much; Aunty Bell's got 'er arms round 'er most of the time. I wish you'd send for Caleb; nothin' else'll bring him out. He won't come for me. I'll go for him myself, if ye say so."