"Go up town this minute and buy a copy and read one ballad entitled
'Tommy,'" Cappy barked. "For the good of your immortal soul," he added.

"Well, Comrade Peck doesn't make a hit with me, Mr. Ricks. He applied to
me for a job and I gave him his answer. Then he went to Captain Matt and
was refused, so, just to demonstrate his bad taste, he went over our
heads and induced you to pitchfork him into a job. He'll curse the day
he was inspired to do that."

"Skinner! Skinner! Look me in the eye! Do you know why I asked you to
take on Bill Peck?"

"I do. Because you're too tender-hearted for your own good."

"You unimaginative dunderhead! You jibbering jackdaw! How could I reject
a boy who simply would not be rejected? Why, I'll bet a ripe peach that
Bill Peck was one of the doggondest finest soldiers you ever saw. He
carries his objective. He sized you up just like that, Skinner. He
declined to permit you to block him. Skinner, that Peck person has been
opposed by experts. Yes, sir--experts! What kind of a job are you going
to give him, Skinner, my dear boy?"

"Andrews' job, of course."

"Oh, yes, I forgot. Skinner, dear boy, haven't we got about half a
million feet of skunk spruce to saw off on somebody?" Mr. Skinner nodded
and Cappy continued with all the naïve eagerness of one who has just
made a marvelous discovery, which he is confident will revolutionize
science. "Give him that stinking stuff to peddle, Skinner, and if you