"Oh, I see," said Townsend.

"I just picked up a few odds and ends," Pee-wee explained. "I'm going
to make a couple of more trips to-morrow."

"If you happen to think of it bring a lawnmower," said Townsend; "they
come in handy. And a few life preservers if you happen to have any, in
case the island goes to pieces."

"How can it go to pieces?" Pee-wee demanded. "Islands don't go to
pieces, do they? Australia is an island, isn't it? It's just where it
always was, isn't it? You're crazy! All we need is one more scout and
I know one by the name of Keekie Joe, and I'm going to try to get him
and then we'll be a full patrol and I decided to name it the
Alligators, because they belong on land and water both and we're sea
scouts on the land kind of, so maybe I'll decide to name it the
Turtles, maybe."

"Discoverer," said Townsend, "we're with you whatever you do, but there
is a mystery about this island which I would like to fathom before we
organize----"

"I fathomed lots of mysteries," shouted Pee-wee.

"I don't know whether you know what erosion means----"

"Sure I know what it means," said Pee-wee; "it means getting rusty,
kind of."