w what you can do," she told them, when they had settled
themselves about the room in their usual manner. "You can make wreaths
for the churches in the city. They will need them for Christmas
decorations."

"Make wreaths!" was the surprised exclamation of all.

"Yes. Don't you understand? You have them in the church here every
Christmas, don't you?"

"Certainly," Rod replied. "We make them out of hemlock, and club-moss.
But I didn't know you could sell them."

"You can in the city," Whyn explained, "for mamma told me so. They
will bring from four to five cents a yard. Wouldn't it be great for us
to make up a whole lot, say five hundred yards? Let me see, that would
be twenty or twenty-five dollars. Just think of that!" and the girl's
eyes danced with excitement.

Then followed an animated discussion as to the kind of wreaths they
should make, and the best time to do the work. All this was settled by
the entrance of Captain Josh. He entered heartily into the plan, much
pleased at the interest of the scouts in raising more money.

"Guess we'd better begin upon the club-moss first," was his decision.
"The snow'll be here soon, so while the ground is bare we kin gather as
much as we'll need. We kin git the hemlock any old time. We kin work
at nights, and on Saturday afternoons, and Betsey'll be glad to give a
hand. I'm afraid I don't know much about sich things. If there is any
splicin' to do, or special knots to tie, jist call on me. If it had
anything to do with sailin' vessels I could help considerable. But
riggin' up churches is not in my line. Howsomever, I'll help all I
kin."

The very next Saturday Captain Josh led his scouts into the woods to
gather their first supply of club-moss. He carried his rifle with him.
There was a black fox in the neighbourhood, which had been seen by
several, and the captain longed to get sight on it "jist fer one little
instant," as he had remarked.

Phil had his small dog with him, which annoyed the captain.

"I wish ye'd left that critter home," he growled. "It'll scare away
everything fer miles around. What's the use of bringin' my gun when
that thing's along?"

"Gyp wouldn't stay," Phil explained. "I tied him up, but he chewed
through the rope."

"H'm," the captain grunted, "I guess he'd eat through a chain by the
looks of him. He's about the toughest brute I ever set my eyes on.
Does he ever eat people?"

A hearty laugh from the boys was the on