it at me--good night!

"Anyway, if you were a soldier, maybe you'll understand, that's all.
Uncle Jimmy, that's what we call him, he went away to the Grand Army
Convention--that's where he went. I'm not saying he had a right to go,
but one thing, big boats like yours never come up this way, so the bridge
doesn't have to be opened very often--sometimes not all summer. It's kind
of just bad luck for him, that's all. But, one thing sure, I know how it
is to be away when I ought not to be, I do. And I'm no better than he is,
that's one sure thing. I'm a boy scout," I told him, "and my scoutmaster
says you have no right to make bargains about things that are wrong. But
anyway, maybe you wouldn't think this would be trying to make a bargain
with you and sticking up for somebody that did wrong. So I thought I'd
ask you if you'll please promise not to write to the government people,
and I'll promise you to open the bridge for you in ten minutes. He's
lame, Uncle Jimmy is, and he got that way in some battle, and he has to
use a crutch. And that's the reason they gave him a job. I see your tug
is named General U. S. Grant, and maybe he was fighting with General
Grant, hey? You can't tell.

"We can't find the key-bar, but about a month ago, the old key-bar fell
in the river, and I know where it is. Maybe you think I'm crazy, but I'm
dive and get it for you, if you'll only promise not to tell on Uncle
Jimmy, because he couldn't help going. Maybe you don't understand, but
he just couldn't. I've got the swimming badge and that's for diving
too. All you have to do is to give me some rope, so I can take one end
of it down and then you can haul it up and the key-bar will be tied to
it. You can be dead sure. Because what a fellow has to do, he can do.
Only you have to make me the promise first 'cause that'll help me to
do it."

CHAPTER XXXI

THE CAPTAIN'S ORDERS

Maybe it wasn't a very good speech, but anyway, he was nicer than he was
before and he had an awful funny twinkle in his eye.

Then he said, "So you know how to dive, huh, sonny? Can you keep your
mouth shut?"

"Sure, you have to keep your mouth shut when you dive," Pee-wee yelled
up from the rowboat, and then the old man just had to laugh.

"I mean when you're on land, sonny," he said.

"Sure I can," I told him.

"Well, then" he said, "if any of you scout kids goes about sayin' as how
Uncle Jimmy went away to the convention, and I ever meet you in your old
s