hey left my place and went over to their own bungalow. Soon they
reappeared with large sun-hats on their heads, for the sun was
beautifully bright and exceedingly warm. They went down to the beach
together. The elderly lady got into the rowing boat, while my late
antagonist pushed it into the water and sprang into it with a most
astounding agility. In a few moments, they were out on the Bay.

Miss Grant,--as I remembered her name was,--handled the oars like an
Oxford stroke and with that amazing ease, attained only after long
practice, which makes the onlooker, viewing the finished article in
operation, imagine that he can do it as well himself, if not a shade or
so better,--yes! and standing on his head at that.

For an hour, I worked in the store righting the wrongs that were
visible everywhere, vowing to myself that never again would it be found
in such a disgraceful condition; not even if the three Camps should
come down together and insist on immediate service.

At high noon, I went over to Jake's shack and found him preparing his
usual clammy concoction.

I broached the subject of the piano to him, putting it in such a way
that I left him open to refuse to do the job if he felt so inclined.

He did not speak for a minute or two, but I knew he was thinking hard.

"Well,--I'll be gol-darned," he said at last. "They'll be transporting
skating rinks and picture shows up here next. It'll be me for the tall
timbers then, you bet."

A little later, he went on,

"Guess, George,--we got to do it, though. Young ladies is young ladies
these days, and we might as well be civil and give in right at the
start, for we got to do it in the finish."

I agreed.

As we were in a hurry, I helped Jake to eat his clam chowder. We went
down to the beach to review the situation and inspect the apparatus we
had to work with.

I told Jake the piano would probably weigh about five hundred pounds
and that we would require to bolster up the raft sufficiently to carry
some three hundred pounds more in order to be safe.

As it stood, the raft was capable of carrying some four hundred pounds,
so we had just to double its capacity.

Jake knew his business. He rowed along the beach, and picked out short
logs to suit his needs. He lashed them together and completed a raft
that looked formidable enough to carry the good ship _Siwash_ herself
across the Bay to the shore.

We put off with a rowing boat fore and aft, long befo