Cleggett noticed that there was usually someone in the neighborhood of that dubious resort cocking an eye in the direction of the vessel.

Indeed, the interest became so pronounced, and seemed of a quality so different from ordinary frank rustic curiosity, that it looked very like espionage.
It had struck Cleggett that Morris's seemed at all times to have more than its share of idlers and hangers-on; men who appeared to make the place their headquarters and were not to be confused with the occasional off-season parties from the city.
On Sunday morning Cleggett was awakened by Captain Abernethy, who announced: "Strange craft lookin' us over mighty close, sir." "A strange craft?
Where is she ?" Cleggett was instantly alert.
"She's a house boat, if you was to ask me," said the brown old man--in a new brown suit and with his whiskers newly trimmed he gave the impression of having been overhauled and freshly painted.
"Where is she ?" repeated Cleggett, beginning to get into his clothes.
"She must 'a' sneaked up an' anchored mighty early this mornin'," pursued Cap'n Abernethy, true to his conversational principles.
"Is she in the bay or in the canal ?" "She looks like a mighty toney kind o' vessel," said Cap'n Abernethy.
"If I was to make a guess I'd say she was one of them craft that sails herself along when she wants to with one of these newfangled gasoline engines." "She wasn't towed here then ?" Cleggett gave up the attempt to learn from the Captain just where the house boat was.
"She lies in the canal," said the Cap'n.

Having established the point that he could not be FORCED to tell where she lay, he volunteered the information as a personal favor from one gentleman to another.

"She lies ahead of us in the canal, a p'int or so off our port bow, I should say.

And if you was to ask me I'd say she wasn't layin' there for any good purpose." "What do you think she's up to?
What makes you suspicious of her ?" "No, sir, she wasn't towed in," said Cap'n Abernethy, "or I'd 'a' heard a tug towin' her.