want only honest money. This will be honest, but you don't like the
way of earning it."

"How d'ye know that, young man? What makes ye wise so mighty sudden?"

"You have often said so yourself, sir. Haven't you told us that you
didn't like collecting drift-logs? You always said it was beneath your
dignity, didn't you?"

"Ho, ho, that's it," the captain roared. "Suppose I did say that,
what's wrong about it?"

"Nothing, sir, nothing, only----"

"Only what?"

"That you wouldn't care for us to gather drift-logs, and sell them."

"Did I ever say anything about you?" the captain demanded.

"No, sir. But we thought----"

"Oh, so yez thought, eh? Well, then stop sich thinking and git to
work. It's beneath my dignity to be pokin' around after logs, because
I'm a sea-captain. But that has nothin' to do with you. It's beneath
my dignity to go bare-footed, but it's all right fer you. It's beneath
my dignity to go to school, but not fer you, see?"

"And you're quite willing to let us collect the logs?" Rod enquired.
He was all alert now and excited, as were also the rest of the scouts.