He went slowly back to the road and found the car waiting on the bridge.
The other boys were loud in their demands as to what he had been doing,
and Frenchy and Ikey did their best to pump information out of him.

"What for did you go up there to the dam yet?" demanded Ikey.

"Cat's fur, to make kittens' breeches," declared Whistler. "Because
I couldn't get any dog fur. Now do you know?"

And this was all the satisfaction there was to be got out of their
leader at this particular time.




CHAPTER IV

S. P. 888


The result of the boys' campaign for recruits to the Navy was very
encouraging. They had been to places besides Elmvale; and several of
their old friends in Seacove were getting into one branch or another of
the service.

Many of the young men in the neighborhood, of course, were of draft age;
but, being longshore bred, they naturally preferred salt water service.
So they enlisted before the time came for them to answer the call of
their several draft boards.