measly carcass. I guess him and that boy Sammie of his will learn to
leave decent people alone after this."

"Why, what about Sammie?" the Royals asked.

"What! haven't ye heard?"

"No, not a word."

"Well, if that doesn't beat all! And Rod never told ye?"

"He said nothing to us about Sammie."

Captain Josh looked first at the clergyman and then at Mrs. Royal with
an expression of doubt in his eyes.

"And so ye say he didn't tell ye anything?" he finally blurted out,
while his stick came down with a bang upon the carpet. "If any one
else had said that I wouldn't believe him. To think of a boy doin'
what he did and not rushin' home all excited, and blattin' out his
yarn. But, then, I always knew there was extra stuff in that lad. I
have had my eyes on him ever since the mornin' I gave him a cow, ho,
ho!" and the captain leaned back and laughed heartily as the
recollection of the "cow incident" came back to him. "That was my
first present," he continued, "but it isn't my last, not by a long
jugful, no, sir-ree."

"But what did Rodney do, captain?" the parson enquired. "We are very
anxious to hear."