busy bee a mile astern so far as real hustlin' is concerned."

Jed took a nail from the half dozen held between his lips and
applied its point to the box top. His sentences for the next few
minutes were mumbled between nails and punctuated with blows of the
hammer.

"The busy bee," he mumbled, "can sting other folks. He don't get
stung much himself. Collectin' honey's easier, I cal'late, than
collectin' money."

Captain Sam grunted. "Are you stung again?" he demanded. "Who did
it this time?"

Jed pointed with the hammer to an envelope lying on a pile of
wooden crows. The captain took up the envelope and inspected its
contents.


"'We regret to inform you,' he read aloud, 'that the Funny Novelty
Company of this town went into bankruptcy a month ago.

"'JOHN HOLWAY.'"


"Humph!" he sniffed. "That's short and sweet. Owed you somethin',
I presume likely?"

Jed nodded. "Seventeen dollars and three cents," he admitted,
between the remaining nails.