He found the scouts at Headquarters, for school was out, and this was their regular afternoon of meeting.  They were awaiting his coming with eagerness, as they, too, had seen the notice in the store.  But they knew the captain’s views on the matter, and, therefore, had serious doubts about speaking to him in reference to the drift-logs.

“Hello, boys,” was his cheery greeting, as he seated himself upon a block of wood before the door.  “How’s business?”

“Not very good,” Rod replied.  “But we have a plan for making more money.”

“Yez have, eh?  Well, that’s interestin’.  What is it?”

“But we’re afraid you won’t like it,” Rod declared.

“H’m, is that so?  Must be pretty bad, then.  Not goin’ to steal chickens, are yez?  I can’t agree to that.”

The boys gave a hearty laugh, and the captain smiled grimly.  He was quite certain what the plan was which the scouts had in view.

“Oh, no, we wouldn’t steal anything,” Rod hastened to explain.  “We want only honest money.  This will be honest, but you don’t like the way of earning it.”

“How d’ye know that, young man?  What makes ye wise so mighty sudden?”

“You have often said so yourself, sir.  Haven’t you told us that you didn’t like collecting drift-logs?  You always said it was beneath your dignity, didn’t you?”

“Ho, ho, that’s it,” the captain roared.  “Suppose I did say that, what’s wrong about it?”

“Nothing, sir, nothing, only——­”

“Only what?”

“That you wouldn’t care for us to gather drift-logs, and sell them.”

“Did I ever say anything about you?” the captain demanded.

“No, sir.  But we thought——­”

“Oh, so yez thought, eh?  Well, then stop sich thinking and git to work.  It’s beneath my dignity to be pokin’ around after logs, because I’m a sea-captain.  But that has nothin’ to do with you.  It’s beneath my dignity to go bare-footed, but it’s all right fer you.  It’s beneath my dignity to go to school, but not fer you, see?”

“And you’re quite willing to let us collect the logs?” Rod enquired.  He was all alert now and excited, as were also the rest of the scouts.

“Sure.  Go ahead, and I’ll keep an eye over yez.”

“And may we have the tender?”

“Certainly.  Yez couldn’t do much without that.  But be very careful, and don’t git a duckin’.  I don’t want any accidents.  Yer parents look to me to take care of yez, and I don’t want to have any bad news to carry to yer homes.”

Thus it came about that the boys began to gather logs that very afternoon.  The captain sat upon the shore watching and giving advice.  Four of the scouts manned the tender.  Two rowed, while Rod and Phil herded the logs together, which were then towed to the little cove and fastened to the shore.  The rest of the boys rolled the stranded logs into the water, and then by means of poles floated them also into the cove.  It was very exciting work, and the time came all too soon for them to go home.  But before they left they counted how many they had, and found that there were one hundred and forty-five safely rounded up.  This was most encouraging, and their hearts were filled with joy at the success of their undertaking.