It proved to be the
owner of the fugitive bird.
"I've brought you all the things that belong to the boat," she said,
"and I'm going to stay and see it launched. My father was coming too but
he had a meeting or something or other. Isn't it perfectly glorious how
you chopped up the stanchions----"
"Great," said Roy. "It shows the good that comes out of breaking the
law. If we hadn't chopped up the stanchions----"
"Oh, crinkums, look at this!" interrupted Pee-wee. He was handling the
colored bow lamp.
"And here's the compass, and here's the whistle, and here's the
fog-bell," said the girl, unloading her burden with a sigh of relief.
"And here's the flag for the stern and here--look--I made this all by
myself and sat up till eleven o'clock to do it--see!"
She unfolded a cheese-cloth pennant with the name _Good Turn_ sewed upon
it. "You have to fly this at the bow in memory of your getting my bird
for me," she said.
"We'll fly it at the bow in memory of what you and your father have done
for _us_," said Tom.
"And here's some fruit, and here's some salmon, and here's some pickled
something or other--I got them all out of the pantry and they weigh a
ton!"
There was no time for talking if the boat was to be got to the river
before dark, and the boys fell to with the men while the girl looked
about the cabin with exclamations of surprise.
"Isn't it perfectly lovely," she called to Tom, who was outside
encircling the hull with a double line of heavy rope, under the men's
direction.
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