litely rejoined the corporal; "besides, I'm afraid I'd
get fat."

Dodging the stout youth's blow, the corporal went on:

"Heard the news?"

"No--what news?" eagerly demanded the other, finishing his light repast.

"Why, the Dolphin--you know, that fishing boat--picked up Sam's
hydroplane at sea and towed it in. It's in pretty good shape, I hear,
although the engine is out of commission and it was half full of water."

"He's a lucky fellow to get it back."

"I should say so," replied Merritt; "but it will cost him a whole lot
to reclaim it. The captain of the Dolphin says he wants fifty dollars
for it as salvage."

"Gee! Do you think Sam's father will give him that much?" said Tubby,
with round eyes.

"I don't know. He can afford it all right. He's made a lot of money
out of that boat-building shop, my father says; but he's so stingy that
I doubt very much if he will give Sam such a sum."

"Why, here's Sam coming down the street now," exclaimed the
good-natured Tubby. "I wonder if he's heard about it. Hullo, Sam!
Get all the water out of your system?"

"I'm all right this morning, if that is what you mean," rejoined the
other, with dignity.

"Heard the news about your boat?" asked Merritt suddenly.

"No; what about her? Is she safe? Who picked her up?"

"Wait a minute. One question at a time," laughed Merritt. "She's safe,
all right. The Dolphin picked her up at sea. But it will cost you
fifty dollars to get her."

"Fifty dollars!" gasped Sam, turning pale.

"That's what the skipper of the Dolphin says. He had a lot of trouble
getting a line fast to her, he says, and he means to have the money or
keep the boat."

"Oh, well, I'll get it from my father easily enough," said Sam
confidently, preparing to swagger off down the street. "I've got to
get my boat back and beat Rob's Flying Fish, and that hydroplane can do
it."

"Can you match that?" exclaimed Merritt to the fat youth, as Sam
strolled away. "Here he was saved from drowning by the Flying Fish
only yesterday, and all he can think of this morning is to promise to
beat her. What makes him so mean, I wonder?"

"Just born that way, I guess," rejoined the stout youth; "and as for
the Flying Fish saving him, if it hadn't been for a certain Corporal
Crawford, he--"

"Here, stow that," protested Merritt, coloring up. "I heard enough of
that yesterday afternoon."

As the boys had surmised, Sam's father was not at all pleased when he