"
For a moment the boys hardly realized the meaning of his words. Then Tom
spoke.
"We have a rule, Mr. Stanton, that a scout cannot accept anything for a
service. If he does, it spoils it all. It's great, your offering us the
boat and it seems silly not to take it, but----"
"Very well," said Mr. Stanton, proceeding to open his letters, "if you
prefer to go to jail for destroying my stanchions, very well. Remember
you are dealing with a lawyer." Roy fancied he was chuckling a little
inwardly.
"That's right," said Pee-wee in Tom's ear. "There's no use trying to get
the best of a lawyer--a scout ought to be--to be modest; we better take
it, Tom."
"There's a difference between payment for a service and a token of
gratitude," said Mr. Stanton, looking at Tom. "But we will waive all
that. I cannot allow the Boy Scouts to be laying down the law for me. By
your own confession you have destroyed my stanchions and as a citizen it
is my duty to take action. But if I were to give you a paper dated
yesterday, assigning the boat to you, then it would appear that you had
simply trespassed and burglariously entered your own property and
destroyed your own stanchions and I would not have a leg to stand upon.
My advice to you as a lawyer is to accept such a transfer of title and
avoid trouble."
He began ostentatiously to read one of his letters.
"He's right, Tom," whispered Pee-wee, "It's what you call a teckinality.
Gee, we better take the boat.
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