Old Asa Prindle offered his glass to William Rotch without comment. William looked through it at the tall ship as she came about, spilled the wind from her flapping sails, and prepared to anchor where her guns could best command the defenseless town. He could easily see a finelooking officer directing the maneuvers, and borne by the stiff wind across the water, the boatswain’s voice could be heard giving orders to lower away a boat from the ship’s side.

Into this boat presently descended the crew, and then the finelooking officer already noticed by William Rotch. After him followed six men with sidearms. Rowed by powerful strokes of the oars, the boat rapidly approached the wharf.

“No doubt of it now. They come for plunder,” said old Asa.

“Suppose I talk with the commander on behalf of the town?” suggested William. “If I can get him to come to my house it may be well, for with the privations our people have undergone on account of the war someone might speak from his heart and auger our visitors into even worse meas­ures than they contemplate.”

“Our fate is safer in thy hands, William, than in our own. Do as seems best to thee, good neighbor.”

“So say we all,” came in many voices from the crowd surrounding William and old Asa.

The ship’s boat made for the lee side of the wharf. With a boathook she was held to the tall piles while the painter was made fast. Out jumped the officer and his bodyguard of six armed men. William Rotch advanced to meet him with the friendly greeting that a loved and longexpected visitor might receive.

“This is William Rotch who bids thee welcome to Nantucket, friend. What may thy name be?”

“Sir Conway-Etherege, in the King’s service,” replied the officer; stiffly.

“I invite thee to come to my house—and thy friends likewise,” said William, regarding calmly the six men with two pistols apiece in their belts.

“My men will await my orders, here,” replied the officer.

Sir Conway-Etherege evidently thought his way was smoothed before him by this encounter with a friendly Loyalist inhabitant. He moved off beside William along the pleasant street up to a row of substantial looking houses. William led his guest to the middle one of three large dwellings and bade him enter. It was nearly noon.

“I would like thee to take dinner with me.”

“Thank you, with pleasure.”

William then presented his guest to his wife and introduced his children, before they sat down together to a homely, ample meal. The younger Rotch children’s eyes were shining with suppressed excitement, but they heeded their mother’s hasty instructions to ask no questions, given when, to her astonishment, she saw her husband bringing in this unknown and possibly dangerous guest to share their dinner.

William treated the commander kindly and seemed to enjoy his conversation. The islanders had, as the officer knew, been cut off from contact with the outside world by the war. The officer furnished the news of the day, the current jests, and even the idle gossip of the mainland as it had come to him through English channels. From time to time he regarded William quizzically, as if he did not quite know how to approach his errand, although it was foremost in both their minds.

Finally they rose from the table. With the manners of his station in society, Sir Conway-Etherege made Elizabeth Rotch a flowery speech of appreciation, bowed over her hand and kissed it respectfully, at which Thomas had some ado to keep from snickering. The children followed their mother from the room.

“I take it, Mr. Rotch, from your signal courtesies to me, that you are on the King’s side. Can you tell me how and where I had best begin the day’s work? As you must know, I command yonder privateer, which has gone up and down the coast bent on plunder. Very successfully, too. We take pains to see that our guns rake all the important structures and districts of a town before we enter upon negotiations. As you see, your little hamlet is completely at our mercy. I anticipate no unpleasant resistance.”

“There will be none,” said William.

“Then how and where do you advise me to begin? The afternoon is advancing.”

William smiled.

“I don’t know of a better place to begin than here in my house. I am better able to bear the loss than anyone else. We have a store of silver plate, good, serviceable blankets, also linens; and in the cellar, supplies of food of various kinds. Thou art mistaken in supposing me to be on the side of those engaged in warfare.”

Sir Conway-Etherege was greatly taken aback. He gazed at William with unconcealed curiosity. Never had he run across a man of his sort.

“Are there any more men like you on Nantucket?”

“There are many better men,” answered William.

“Do you say so, indeed! I’d have to see them before I could believe it.”

“Then come with me. I shall be glad to introduce some of our islanders to thee.”

The officer followed William down the steps and out into the street again. This was a new experience to the commander of the privateer, and he did not know what to make of it.

Presently they entered a store where merchandise was sold. The Store did not have a prosperous air, for the townspeople had little money for trade these days. Yet it had once done a large business, and was spacious and wellstocked.

William led the officer to the proprietor and introduced them.

“Our visitor wants to know what sort of people we are. I tell him that last winter thou wert the distributor of four hundred barrels of flour among the poor on the island. And yet I doubt if I, or any man, knows the full extent of what thou hast done to help the needy.”

Amazed at this generosity on the part of a man with his living to make, the officer entered into conversation with the proprietor who told him of gifts of money which had found their way from William Rotch’s pockets to households in distress, without anyone’s suspecting him of being the donor. William hurried the officer out of the door at this. Further down toward the wharf they entered a store that sold dry goods.

“Good day, Peter,” said William. “This officer from yonder ship in the harbor wishes to meet the man who gave away blankets, dress goods, and stout shoes last winter when the poor were in dire want.”

“He might better turn around and meet thee, William. None of us has done what thou hast done. We but follow thy lead.”

The face of William was rosier than even the brisk west wind had made it, as he led the officer out again into the Street.

“My friends are modest,” he said. “I can better afford to help others than they can. Dost thou care to cross the Street and meet more of our people?”

“Thank you, no. I find it hard to believe that there are three such men as you in the world. A whole street full of them would be almost too many. Thank you for your courtesy and forbearance. Farewell, my friend. I shall not forget Nantucket.”

With that the officer grasped William’s hand and shook it heartily. He looked once again up the leafy, beautiful street, and out toward the whitecapped harbor where his ship with its deadly guns lay threateningly at anchor.

Groups of men were still watching and talking on the wharf. The sailors and the armed bodyguard were puzzled to know what had delayed their commander so long. Here he was coming at last. Well, the excitement of looting and plundering was worth waiting for. As Sir Conway-Etherege came briskly toward them, they saluted. His orders were quick and short. The sailors took their places at the oars, and rowed the officer back to his ship. The ship weighed anchor, trimmed her sails, and to the surprised relief of all Nantucket, sailed peaceably out of sight.