up a purse for you, Dan," said Dick, kindly. "Those
folks who owned the yacht gave us ten thousand dollars for bringing
her in safely. I have had a talk with our crowd, and we are going to
stake you for a fresh start."

So speaking, Dick handed out a new pocketbook. But Dan Baxter put
his hands behind him.

"Thank you very, very much," he said, huskily, "but I don't want you
to--to give me a cent--not a cent, understand? If you want to make
me a loan, well and good. But I shan't take it if it's a gift."

"Well, we'll call it a loan then," said Tom, who stood by.

"And you can pay up whenever you please," added Sam.

Dan Baxter took the pocketbook and opened it.

"Why, ifs full of bills!" he gasped.

"Yes, a thousand dollars, Dan. We want you to make a good start while
you are at it," explained Dick.

The face of the former bully became a study. His eyes grew moist and
his lips quivered. He had to turn away for a moment, for he could
not control himself.

"You're the best fellows in the world--the very best," he murmured,
presently. "A thousand dollars! And you were going to give it to
me--not loan it to me! I'll never forget that, never, if I live to
be a hundred. But I am not going to take all that money--it's too
much of a temptation. Let me have a hundred as a loan, and that's all."

This he stuck to, and in the end the hundred dollars was counted out
and Baxter placed it in his pocket.

"This will take me to Philadelphia," he said. "There I can get hold
of some money that is rightfully mine, and then I'll return the loan.
After that--well, after that I am going far away, to try to make a
man of myself."

"We wish you luck, Dan," answered Dick, gravely.

"Indeed we do," added Sam and Tom.

There was an awkward silence. Then Dan Baxter pulled himself up,
hesitated, and held out his hand.

"I don't know when we'll meet again," he said. "Good-by."

"Good-by," said each of the others and shook hands warmly.

The former bully walked to the doorway and there hesitated again.

"Please do me one favor," he said, his face growing red. "When you
meet the Stanhopes and the Lanings tell them I am very sorry for what
I did, and that I wouldn't do it again for the whole world. And tell
Captain Putnam that, too." And then he went out, closing the door
softly behind him. They listened to his footsteps, and as they died
away each heaved a deep sigh.

"I am sorry for him," said Dick.

"I pity him from the bo