“A very bad joke, my boy.”
“Perhaps, but they thought that if you’d drop it they would make the church a contribution of this.”
Fred drew out the money—six new crisp one-dollar bills.
“Hum! Six dollars, eh? Well—er—the church needs money that is sure.”
“It will pay for the cut rope and more, sir. It was only a joke. If you’ll drop it, it will save some cadets a lot of trouble,” went on Fred earnestly. “All you’ve got to do is to send word to Captain Putnam that the matter has been adjusted. You’ll do that for me, won’t you Mr. Pelham?”
At first the deacon was obdurate, but in the end he weakened. The church was in a poor way and needed every dollar it could get. As head of the committee he promised to drop the matter, and wrote a note to that effect and signed it. Then Fred gave him the money.
“But, mind you, no more jokes,” said the deacon, as the cadets departed.
“Not that kind anyway,” answered Fred, and off he sped on his bicycle, with Dale beside him.
“It was easier than I thought,” said Dale. “Now to get that note to Captain Putnam in secret before he starts his investigation.”