mbled Mr. Blades; 'that's
the way to lose customers; and people pass things like that from one to
another.'

'Look here, Slynn,' said Larry Blades, wheeling sharply round, 'you've
got to put yourself square with the guv'nor, or he'll have a fit every
time you start on a round. Now, drop on your bended knees, raise your
right hand, roll your eyes up, and say, "Mr. Blades, I'll never, never
be such a flat again"'; and Larry laughed loudly, and pressed Chippy's
shoulder to force him down and carry out the joke.

But Chippy did not go down: he only looked with anxious eyes from
father to son.

'Come on, speak up!' cried Larry. 'What made you do such a soft trick,
Slynn?'

'She said her daughter 'ad been ill,' mumbled Chippy.

'What of that?' laughed Larry. 'That salmon wouldn't hurt her then.'

'Yer see, I'm a boy scout,' burst out Chippy suddenly, his husky voice
hoarser than ever from excitement and uneasiness.

'Boy scout?' said Larry wonderingly. 'What's that? And what's it got
to do with Mrs. Marten's cutlets?'

Chippy began eagerly to explain, and the two men listened for a few
moments in puzzled wonder.

'Oh, well,' burst in Larry, 'that may be all very well in its way, but
it's clean outside business.'

'It ain't outside anything,' murmured Chippy.

'What!' said young Blades. 'You don't mean to say you'd do the same if
it happened again, do you? Do you want to lose your job?' Chippy
stood aghast. Lose his precious four-and-six a week!

'No, no,' cried Chippy; 'I'll do anything. I'll work as long as yer
like--I'll come at six if yer like, an' stop till any time at night.
Don't tek' me job off o' me.'

'Well, if you want to keep it, you must do as you're told,' began
Larry, but his father out in.

'There's a lot of talk,' he cried, 'but I want you to notice, Larry,
that that boy is dodging the question all the time. He's given no
promise to do his best by us, and he ain't going to give any promise,
either.'

'All right,' said Larry. 'I'll come bang straight to the point. If we
send you out, Slynn, with a bit o' salmon that looks sweet and smells
sweet, will you swear to a customer as it's dead fresh, and can't be
bettered?'

Chippy was cornered. On one side his job--his precious job--how
precious none could know unless they knew his starved and narrow home;
on the other his oath as a boy scout to run straight and play fair to
all men.

'Now, speak out,' cried Larry impatiently. B