“I’m puzzled over two things,” stated Jack at length.

“What are they?” queried Arnold.  “Ask me, I can tell you.”

“First, I’m puzzled over the sudden turn of front in Doright.”

“That’s a fact,” was Tom’s rejoinder.  “He has turned his coat mighty sudden.  I wonder what caused him to do it.  Let’s ask him.”

This was no sooner proposed than it met with instant favor.  Doright was called from his labor to join the meeting.

“Doright,” Jack began in a kindly tone.  “We have had reason to believe that you were opposed to us in times past.  We knew that you were working against us and that you helped make prisoners of these lads here.  Now what we want to know is, why should you turn about and tell us when they were just being put out of the way?”

Breathlessly the boys all leaned forward to catch the story.

“Well, sir, Boss, hit’s jess like this here,” began Doright.  “Mah name’s Doright Abraham Jefferson Davis Canaan.  Ah fergit the rest.  Ever sense Ah was little Ah been told by mah mammy to do right—­Doright!  Dat’s mah name and Ah tries to do right.”

“Thanks,” smiled Jack.  “Now tell me why you changed so.”

“Well, sir, Boss, Ah jest seen that these yere boys wuzn’t no men.  Ah wuz willin’ to let Lopez take the boys and shet ’em up an’ all that.  But when hit come to puttin’ of ’em aboard a bucko schooner, Ah says to mahse’f, Ah says:  ‘Doright, dat haint right.’”

“Yes, and what then?  Why didn’t you take them off the ship?”

“She done gone.  So Ah jest says to Mister Pete—­dat’s Lopez—­Ah says, ‘Mr. Pete,’ Ah says, ‘youall better git them boys back,’ an’ Mr. Pete he done fotch me a clip over the haid with his’n gun an’ Ah specs Ah got a bump right there now.  ’Course Ah done hit Mr. Pete then and so Ah come on down to see youall.  Mr. Pete he won’t come to for a long time.  Don’t no-body come to for for a long time when Ah hits ’em.  Ah don’t know mah own strength dey tells me.”

“So, that was it, eh?” observed Frank.  “Conscience got to hurting a little and we owe the presence of this united band of Boy Scouts to our friend Doright.  Boys, I move three cheers for Doright!  Give them real heartily now, as if you meant it.”

The ringing cheers went echoing across the waters of the Gulf, bringing a grin to Doright’s black face.  He scarcely caught the entire meaning of this tribute, but he sensed the import of it.

“I think we’d better give Doright a little souvenir,” Frank suggested.  “Doright, what would you like to have best of all?”

Doright considered deeply, scratching his head meanwhile.  At length he looked up with a smile spreading across his face.

“Ah reckon I’d like best to jes’ cook an’ clean upon this here boat.  She sure am a fine boat and Ah wouldn’t be in the way a littlest bit.  Ah could sleep down in here by the engines or on deck.”

“All right, Doright,” answered Jack.  “We’ll have to consider the matter a while.  We’ll let you know later.  You may go now.”