t!" I said.

CHAPTER III

TELLS HOW I MADE A PROMISE

Then he said, "Were you one of the kids who were coming along with my
father when I jumped out of the boat?" And I told him yes. Then he
said, "You don't think he saw me, do you?" I said, "Yes, he saw you,
but I guess he didn't know who you were, he didn't see your face,
that's sure."

"Thank goodness for that," he said, "because I've caused the old gent a
lot of trouble."

"Anyway," I told him, "I don't see why you don't wear your uniform.
Gee, if I had a lieutenant's uniform you bet I'd wear it."

"Would you?" he said, and he began to laugh. Then he said, "Well, now,
let's sit down here on this bench and I'll tell you what _you're_ going
to do, and then I'll tell you what _I'm_ going to do, and we'll have to
be quick about it." Then he looked out over the water and listened and
as soon as he was sure nobody was coming, he put his arm over my
shoulder and made me sit down on the bench beside him. I have to admit
I kind of liked that fellow, even though I kind of thought he was, you
know, wild, sort of. It seemed as if he was the kind of a fellow to
have a lot of adventures and to be reckless and all that.

"Maybe you can tell me what you're going to do," I told him, "but you
can't tell me what _I'm_ going to do--that's one sure thing."

"Oh, yes I can," he said, "because you're a bully kid and you're an A-1
sport, and you and I are going to be pals. What do you say?"

"I can't deny that I like you," I said, "and I bet you've been to a lot
of places."

"France, Russia, South America, Panama and Montclair, New Jersey," he
said, "and Bronx Park." Gee, I didn't know how to take him, he was so
funny.

"Ever been up in an airplane?" he said.

"Cracky, I'd like to," I told him.

"I went from Paris to the Channel in an airplane," he said.

Then he gave me a crack on the back and he put his arm around my
shoulder awful nice and friendly like, and it made me kind of proud
because I knew him.

"Now, you listen here," he said, "I'm in a dickens of a fix. You live
in Bridgeboro; do you know Jake Holden?"

"Sure I know him, he's a fisherman," I said; "the very same night your
father told us we could use this boat I saw him, and the next day I
went to try to find him for a certain reason, and he was gone away down
the bay after fish. He taught me how to fry eels."

"Get out," he said, "really?"

"Honest, he did," I told him.

"Well, some day I'll show