“No.  Not one cent less than what’s comin’ to the boy.  That or nothin’.  I’ll give ye five minutes to think it over,” and the captain, coming back into the store, seated himself upon a barrel of flour.

McDuff was angry, there was no doubt about that.  Customers who came into the store, and were waited upon by the clerk, were astonished at the conversation which was going on between the two men.  But McDuff paid no heed to them.  He wanted to get clear of this troublesome countryman.  He little realised that a few boxes of berries less would cause such a fuss.  He had done the same thing before, and had bluffed out of paying.  But now it was different.  He stood in the centre of the floor for a few seconds, frowning, and longing to express himself in violent words.  Presently he turned and went again into his office.  When he came out he handed the captain a new account.

“There, will that suit you?” he demanded.  “Rather than have you say that I cheated the boy, I am willing to pay him for more berries than he ever sent me, and to give a higher price than they were bringing at the time.”

Captain Josh took the account and studied it carefully.

“That looks better,” he remarked.  “Eight dollars in all, and with the freight deducted leaves just seven dollars.  Yes, that will do, I guess.  Now fer the money.”

When several crisp bills had been handed over, and the account receipted, Captain Josh turned to the storekeeper.

“Jist a word before we go, Peter McDuff,” he began.  “It is well fer you that ye’ve settled up this business at once.  I advise ye not to try any more of yer tricks upon people after this, especially upon a boy scout.  If ye’d held out, and had not paid that money, I’d a fixed ye so ye’d been no longer in a position to cheat any one.  I have enough evidence to knock ye sky-high.  Ye may thank yer stars that ye have a little sense left, even if ye haven’t any honour.”

The storekeeper made no reply, but turning on his heel, left them.

After Captain Josh and Rod had eaten their dinner at a restaurant, they started off to buy the scout suit.  The boy was greatly excited over this, and his eyes bulged with astonishment when he saw so many suits and other supplies for the scouts.

“Ye must do a big business here,” the captain remarked to the clerk.

“We certainly do,” was the reply.  “There are over six hundred scouts in the city, and most of them get their outfits here.  I suppose you’ll be at the big parade this evening?”

“What parade?”

“The scouts are to turn out in a body, when they will be inspected by the Lieutenant-Governor.  He is to give them an address, so I understand, on the Y. M. C. A. grounds.  It will be a big affair, and well worth attending.”

This was too good an opportunity to miss, so the captain and Rod went early to the place of meeting.  The former wished to see what other scouts did, and he had planned to come to the city on purpose to visit several of the troops in their own rooms.  But now he could view them all together, which would be far better.