wners at an excellent
profit.
Formerly, Captain Josh had paid no attention to such posted notices.
The work of gathering drift-logs he considered beneath the dignity of
an old sea-captain. "I'm not a scavenger," he had often told people,
when they had asked him why he didn't collect the logs which always
floated near his shore, and into the little cove just below his house.
"If I can't make a livin' without doin' sich work, then I'll give up."
But this spring the captain studied the notice most carefully, and he
walked back to the Anchorage in a very thoughtful mood. He was
thinking of the scouts. He was anxious that they should make more
money, and here was a fine opportunity. They had already two hundred
dollars in the bank, for the bear and the wreaths had added another
fifty to the account. But the captain was not satisfied. He longed to
have three hundred dollars there, for with that amount there was hardly
a possible chance of the Hillcrest troop being beaten in the struggle
for the prize. He disliked the idea of now turning scavenger after he
had talked so much against the work. But he was not thinking of
himself, so that made a vast difference.
He found the scouts at Headquarters, for school was out, and this was
their regular afternoon of meeting. They were awaiting his coming with
eagerness, as they, too, had seen the notice in the store. But they
knew the captain's views on the matter, and, therefore, had serious
doubts about speaking to him in reference to the drift-logs.
"Hello, boys," was his cheery greeting, as he seated himself upon a
block of wood before the door. "How's business?"
"Not very good," Rod replied. "But we have a plan for making more
money."
"Yez have, eh? Well, that's interestin'. What is it?"
"But we're afraid you won't like it," Rod declared.
"H'm, is that so? Must be pretty bad, then. Not goin' to steal
chickens, are yez? I can't agree to that."
The boys gave a hearty laugh, and the captain smiled grimly. He was
quite certain what the plan was which the scouts had in view.
"Oh, no, we wouldn't steal anything," Rod hastened to explain. "We
want only honest money. This will be honest, but you don't like the
way of earning it."
"How d'ye know that, young man? What makes ye wise so mighty sudden?"
"You have often said so yourself, sir. Haven't you told us that you
didn't like collecting drift-logs? You always said it was beneath your
dignity
|