An officer, with several of his men, came ashore, when the two robbers were at once hand-cuffed, and hustled on board the boat.  Rod now brought down their clothes, which were thoroughly searched, and everything taken from the pockets.

“It took yez a mighty long time to come from the city,” Captain Josh at length blurted out.

“It was the fog which delayed us,” the officer explained.  “We couldn’t see a foot ahead of us.”

“H’m, so that was the trouble,” and the captain gave a grunt of disgust.  “Why didn’t ye bring some one along who knows the river?  I’ve been holdin’ them chaps down fer three solid hours.  I guess the lad here and me have earned our money this time all right.”

“What money?” the officer sharply asked.

“The reward, of course; the hundred dollars offered fer the capture of them chaps.”

“Oh, we’ll look after that,” was the nettled reply.

“Ye will, will ye?  I guess ye’ll git up earlier than ye did this mornin’ if ye do.  I’ll stand by my scouts, and don’t let me catch ye tryin’ any tricks on me.  There, ye’d better git off now, fer I want to go home.  Take good care that them chaps don’t git away.  Come, Rod, let’s be off.”

CHAPTER XXII

A NEW ADVENTURE

There was considerable excitement in Hillcrest over the capture of the two robbers.  Never before had such a thing happened in their quiet community, and it formed a choice subject of conversation for many weeks.  The city papers made much of it, and commended Captain Josh and the scouts upon what they had done.  One morning paper which was very favourable to the Scout movement, had a special editorial on the subject, under the heading of “The Lone Patrol.”  It pointed out how much good a few boys in outlying districts could accomplish when properly organised and trained.  It told also of the visit of Anna Royanna to this patrol, and how she had sung at their entertainment.

All this was very pleasant reading to the people of Hillcrest, and the ones who had looked with disfavour upon the movement were now anxious to assist.  A number of parents who had formerly refused to allow their boys to join came to the captain, and asked him to undertake the training of their sons.

“Not jist now,” the captain told them.  “I have all that I kin handle at present.  I must git the ones I have licked into shape before tryin’ my hand upon any more.”

These requests were most gratifying to Captain Josh, and he smiled grimly at the thought of the change which had come over the people.  It was sweet revenge, as well, to be able to refuse the very ones who had talked most against the scouts when they were first organised.  But this had nothing to do with his not taking the boys, for the captain was too big a man for that.  He really desired first of all to train the few scouts he had to the best of his ability.  It was not quantity he wanted, but quality, and he was determined that his one patrol should be looked upon with pride by all in Hillcrest, and to belong to it would be considered a great honour by any boy.