"'I'm thinkin' you'll not be havin' the thing I wants,' said he.
"That touched me on a tender spot. 'I'm thinking,' said I, 'that we've a little of all that you ever thought of.'
"'I don't think you has,' said he, 'but 'twould be best for you if you had.'
"There was a hidden meaning in that. Why should it be best for me?
"''Tis a spool o' silk thread,' said he, soberly, 't' bind the fairies with--the wicked fairies that tells me t' do the things I don't want t'. If you've any o' _that_, sir, I'll take all you got aboard, for I wants it bad.'
"'Come, now, my man,' said I sharply, 'stop your joking. I'm tired, and in no humour for it. What is it you want?'
"'I'm not jokin', sir,' said he. 'I wants a spool o' green silk thread t' lash the wicked fairies t' the spruce trees.'
"I could not doubt him longer; there was too much longing, too much hopelessness, in his voice for that. He was demented; but there are many men of that coast whom lonely toil has driven mad, but yet who live their lives through to the natural end, peaceable folk and good fishermen, and I thought that this poor fellow had as good a right to trade with me as the sanest man in Shelter Harbour.
"'We've no green silk thread, sir,' said I, 'that will securely lash fairies to spruce trees. But if you want anything else, and have fish to trade, I'll take them.'
"''Twould be best for you,' said he with a sigh. 'If I could tie the wicked fairies up, I wouldn't have t'--have t'--do it. But,' he went on, 'as you haven't any thread, I'll take some calico t' make a new dress for my brother's little maid.'
"A certain look of cunning, which overspread his face at that moment, alarmed me. I thought I had better find out what the wicked fairies had to do with me.
"'Did you meet the fairies to-night?' said I.
"'Ay,' said he. 'I met the crew o' wicked ones on my way through the bush.'
"He signed to me to be silent; then he closed the cabin door and came close to the counter, behind which I stood, with no way of escape open.
"'Has you got a loaded gun?' he whispered hoarsely.
"His face was close to mine. In his eyes, which were now steady, two live, red coals were glowing. I fell back from him, frightened; for I now knew what work the wicked fairies had assigned to him for that night. Poor fellow! Frightened though I was, I pitied him. I saw his distress, and pitied him! He was fighting manfully against the impulse; but it mastered him, at last, and I realized that my life was in grave danger. I was penned in, you know, and--they call me 'little Cook'--I was no match for him.
