“Boys,” he at last began, after they had thoroughly discussed the entertainment and the singer, “we’ve had a great success, more than we ever expected, I feel now like doin’ something desperate jist to relieve my feelings.  Suppose we make a trip to the island, and camp there all night.  We’ve been talkin’ about this fer some time, and as I have to go over to look after some nets I left there, it might as well be now as at any time.  You boys have never spent a night in the open, and it’ll do yez good to learn how to camp and cook.  All scouts must know something about sich things.”

“Shall we go to-day?” Rod eagerly enquired.  The big island had always been a fascinating place to him, and he longed to go there.  He had heard many stories about it, and how much treasure had been buried there long ago by Captain Kidd.

“Yes, this afternoon,” the captain replied.  “We’ll go in the Roarin’ Bess, and tow the tender to take us ashore.  You boys had better hustle away home now, and find out if yer parents will let yez go.  Ye must bring along a blanket or two each, and enough grub to last yez fer supper and breakfast.  I’ll look out fer the tea, milk, and the cookin’ utensils.  The ones who are goin’ must be here by three o’clock sharp.”

Rod hurried home and found Parson Dan reading the morning paper which had just arrived.

“Look here, Rodney,” and the clergyman pointed to the headlines of an article a column long.  “See what the newspaper says about Miss Royanna, and how she came all the way to Hillcrest to sing for the scouts.”

“What, is it all there, grandad?” and the boy eagerly scanned the page.  “Read it, please,” and he perched himself upon a chair nearby.

To him it was wonderful that the paper should make so much of what the singer had done.  It told about the scouts, their entertainment, and how two of the boys had gone all the way to the city to ask Miss Royanna to go to Hillcrest.

“Isn’t it great!” and Rod gave a deep sigh when the clergyman had finished.  “How I wish Miss Royanna could live here all the time.”

“She took a great fancy to you, Rodney,” and the parson smiled upon the boy.

“I like her,” was the brief comment.

During dinner Rod asked permission to go to the island with Captain Josh and the rest of the scouts.  After some discussion he was told that he could go, and when the meal was over Mrs. Royal began to prepare some food for him to take with him.

“It will do the boy good,” the parson told her.  “The captain is most trustworthy, and camping out in the open for one night will do the boy no harm.”

Parson Dan had thought much about Anna Royanna’s visit to Hillcrest.  He and Mrs. Royal had talked long and earnestly about the whole affair the night before.  They tried to discover some reason why she should come all the way from the city to sing for a few country people, when she was in such great demand elsewhere.  That it was for Whyn’s sake did not altogether satisfy them.  They recalled the special interest she had taken in Rod, and they felt proud that their boy should have received so much attention from such a woman.