“The same sentiment puts me on record,” chuckled David Pollard: 

“Then let us forget the low comedy, the melodrama, or whatever it was,” proposed the boatbuilder.  “Let us get down to the regular business of the day.  We want more money here, if we can get it on a fair and square basis.  If we can’t, we’ll do our best to go along as we’ve been going.  And now, Jack, and the rest of you, Pollard and I have a few little things to whisper over.”

CHAPTER V

DON MELVILLE TAKES A HAND

“Are we at liberty to go up into the village, sir?” asked Jack Benson, pausing at the door.

“Fun?” demanded the boatbuilder, regard them with a dry smile.

“Yes, sir,” Jack nodded.  “That is, the kind of fun we find in our work.  We want to get some metal, a few tools and other things, to rig up something that we think may serve well aboard the ‘Pollard.’”

“Run right along then,” rejoined Mr. Farnum.  “Get a bill for whatever you spend at the toolshop and turn the bill in as expense account.”

“Thank you.  Good morning, sir.”

“Say, did you ever see that beat?” demanded Eph, all aglow with enthusiasm, as the boys stepped across the yard.  “My, but didn’t Mr. Farnum call the trick with those fellows?”

“We’ve been doing a heap of useless worrying over what Don Melville let drop the other day, haven’t we?” asked Hal, quietly.

“Fellows,” stated Captain Jack, earnestly, “as long as we work for this pair of men I’m never going to be uneasy again over anything but displeasing them.  They’re bricks!  They can count on us, every time!”

Up the street, a little way past the gate of the boatyard, the Melville party had halted to light cigars.

“I’m afraid, Melville,” said one of the capitalist’s associates, “you didn’t go at the matter with quite your usual tact.  You showed your hand too soon.  You came out a little to hard, just a little, too early in the proceedings.

“Pooh!” retorted the capitalist.  “We’ll go to the hotel.  Farnum will cool down soon enough, and realize what we represent to him.  Inside of two hours he’ll have people out to find out whether we’ve left town.  Gentlemen, I don’t know but it might be a good idea for us actually to leave Dunhaven.”

“An excellent idea,” replied Lawyer Demarest, dryly, “for we shall only waste our time by remaining here.”

“What do you mean?” questioned the capitalist, quickly.

“Farnum won’t send for us.”

“He surely will, when he cools down.”

“I’m positive that he won’t,” asserted the lawyer.  “If I know anything about men Farnum will get along without us from now on.”

“But he needs the money.”

“He can get it, Melville, I am inclined to think,” returned the man of the law.

“And we need the investment,” continued George Melville.  “Why, with my influential connections at Washington, and some other connections that I have, I can see a return of millions on our investment.”