y.
Pretty smart of old Santa Claus to think of it."

In a short time the change was made, the tools put away; and resting the
improvised jack along one side of the car, across the mudguards, they
returned with it to its owner.

"The job's done, Mr. Slack!" announced Harold, as they flung the beam to
the ground. "I'm very much obliged to you for your help."

He slipped a coin into the old man's hand.

"That's all right!" was the answer. "I'm much obliged to you. I wouldn't
have no use for a real jack," he repeated.

Meanwhile, Ruth was carrying on an earnest conversation in undertones
with Jack. She was directing his attention among the various small boats
which filled the long room, to a particular one in the far corner, which
was noticeable because of its bright green paint, and because it was the
only canoe among many row-boats.

"It certainly looks like Marjorie's," she was saying.

"Where did you get that canoe?" she demanded sharply, turning to the
boat-house keeper.

"I bought it from a young lady," he replied. "She paddled down the
river. I give twenty dollars for it."

"That canoe was stolen!" cried Ruth, indignantly, as if to accuse the
old man.

He thrust out his beard.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I recognize it!" replied the girl.

He looked relieved and smiled.

"They's a good many models of the Oldtown canoe that looks like that
one, young lady."

The graceful craft was lying on its side so that the interior was
exposed more to their view than the sides.

"I'll identify it," said Ruth, undaunted. "There's a long scratch in the
paint, about an inch from the keel, near the middle--we got stuck on a
rock one day."

"You could find that on most any canoe," replied the man.

"Well--let me see--oh, there's candle grease on the inside, at each end!
That's from the Japanese lanterns we had there, the night of the
water-picnic," she told the boys. "And the name was painted on it in red
letters--_The Scout_!"

At this, the old man's eyes opened wide.

"I guess you're right, lady," he said. "She's called _The Scout_, all
right; but I don't know about the scratch and the candle grease--I never
noticed that!"

"Will you sell it back to me, if you're convinced?" asked Jack.

"Gimme what I paid for it, and she's your'n. Never was much good to me,
anyhow; I never hired it onc't--mostly too rough for a canoe in the
river."

"Will it be all right if I pay you five dollars now, and return w