at Grover man all to once? I always thought
he hated soldierin' worse than a hen hates a swim. . . . Humph! . . .
Well, that's the second queerest thing I've run across to-day."

Jed changed the subject, or tried to change it.

"What's the first one, Sam?" he hastened to ask. His friend looked
at him for an instant before he answered.

"The first one?" he repeated, slowly. "Well, I'll tell you, Jed.
The first one--and the queerest of all--is your findin' that four
hundred dollars."

Jed was a good deal taken aback. He had not expected an answer of
that kind. His embarrassment and confusion returned.

"Why--why," he stammered, "is--is that funny, Sam? I don't--I
don't know's I get what you mean. What's--what is there funny
about my findin' that money?"

The captain stepped across the shop, pulled forward a chair and
seated himself. Jed watched him anxiously.

"I--I don't see anything very funny about my findin' that money,
Sam," he said, again. Captain Sam grunted.

"Don't you?" he asked. "Well, maybe my sense of humor's gettin'
cross-eyed or--or somethin'. I did think I could see somethin'
funny in it, but most likely I was mistaken. Sit down, Jed, and
tell me all about how you found it."

Jed hesitated. His hand moved slowly across his chin.

"Well, now, Sam," he faltered, "there ain't nothin' to tell. I
just--er--found it, that's all. . . . Say, you ain't seen that new
gull vane of mine lately, have you? I got her so she can flop her
wings pretty good now."

"Hang the gull vane! I want to hear how you found that money.
Gracious king, man, you don't expect I'm goin' to take the gettin'
back of four hundred dollars as cool as if 'twas ten cents, do you?
Sit down and tell me about it."

So Jed sat, not with eagerness, but more as if he could think of no
excuse for refusing. His companion tilted back in his chair, lit a
cigar, and bade him heave ahead.

"Well," began Jed, "I--I--you see, Sam, I happened to look behind
that heap of boards there and--"

"What made you think of lookin' behind those boards?"

"Eh? Why, nothin' 'special. I just happened to look. That's
where your coat was, you know. So I looked and--and there 'twas."

"I see. There 'twas, eh? Where?"

"Why--why, behind the boards. I told you that, you know."

"Gracious king, course I know! You've told me that no less than
ten times. But WHERE was it? On the boards? On the floor?"

"Eh? . . . Oh, . . . oh,