No, sir, not once." The lightkeeper stopped.

John Brown said nothing, but he laid a hand sympathetically on the older man's shoulder.

Seth shuddered, straightened, and went on.
"I cleared out of that town that very night," he said.

"Walked clear into Gloucester, put up at a tavern there till mornin', and then took the cars to Boston.

I cal'lated fust that I'd ship as mate or somethin' on a foreign voyage, but I couldn't; somehow I couldn't bring myself to do it.