berries he had received.

That day Rod picked twenty more boxes, fifteen in the morning, and five
during the afternoon. They were becoming scarcer now, and it would be
necessary for him to let them ripen for a day before he could expect to
fill a third crate. The rest of the afternoon he spent with the
scouts. It was their regular meeting, at which they were to tell how
they were getting along with the raising of money for their suits. The
reports were by no means encouraging from most of the boys, as they had
accomplished nothing. Rod alone told what he had done, and how much he
hoped to make out of his berries.

"I am going to earn every cent myself," he said in conclusion, "and I
am not going to get my suit until I can pay for it."

"Good fer you!" the captain exclaimed. "That's the kind of talk I like
to hear. And look here, you fellows," he continued, turning to the
rest of the scouts, "if ye want to remain in this troop ye've got to
git a hustle on. I've got letters in my pocket from several boys who
want to join. Some are willin' to walk quite a distance, and if ye
don't want to obey orders, out ye go. A troop can't be run right, any
more than a ship, unless orders are obeyed. I'll let yez off this
time, but, remember, a week from to-day ye'll report again, and then
I'll give my decision. That'll do now, so let's go fer a sail."

Every day Rod studied the price of berries in the newspaper, and cut
out the list. He also kept his account in his little note-book. At
the end of the first week he had made the following entries:

"July 17th--20 boxes at 7 cents . . . . $1.40