ner. "I know the whole tribe. Nothing but trash, every one of
them. Queer scouts, I call them. Yes, they'll all have suits, and my,
how they'll strut around."

"I'm afraid Rod will not get his for some time," and Whyn sighed.
"He's patrol leader, too, and I am sure he will feel very badly."

"No doubt he will. But, there, I must be off," and Miss Arabella rose
suddenly to her feet. "Good-bye. I'll be over to see you again soon,"
and with that, she whisked out of the room.

CHAPTER XIV

UNEXPECTED ASSISTANCE

When Miss Arabella left the Anchorage she seemed like a different
person from the one who had entered it but a short time before. Her
step was quick and decisive, as if she had something important on hand.

"It was wonderful," Mrs. Britt told her husband, "the way Miss Arabella
went out of that door. She had hardly time to say 'good-bye.' I
wonder what has come over her."

"H'm," the captain grunted contemptuously, "most likely the hawk has
been worryin' that poor little bird in there, and it was that which
made her so happy. I don't know of anything on earth that would please
that skinny creature as much as naggin' at some poor little innocent
thing like Whyn, fer instance. Her long nose is gettin' more hooked
every day."

"Hush, hush, Joshua," his wife remonstrated, "you mustn't say such
things about a woman. Remember, Miss Arabella was greatly concerned
about you this morning. She thought you had gone out of your mind when
she saw you signalling in front of the house."

"She did, eh? Ho, ho! And I suppose she wished that I was crazy
enough to be sent to the 'sylum. That's a good one, and I must go and
tell Whyn."

Miss Arabella had almost reached her house when she met Rod walking
slowly along, with his eyes fixed upon the ground. He was thinking
deeply, and wondering how he was to earn the money to buy his scout
suit. So far he could see no way out of his difficulty. He knew that
if he spoke to Parson Dan and Mrs. Royal they would gladly give him the
money. But he must earn it himself, for that was the scout rule.

"Well, what are you after now?" was Miss Arabella's sharp greeting.

"Grandmother sent me after the basket," Rod explained. "I couldn't get
into the house, and so I thought maybe you were dead."

"Do I look like a dead person?" the woman asked, while a grim smile
lurked about the corners of her mouth.

"No, not now, Miss Arabella. But yesterday you looked