"Whose boat is it now?" continued Phil triumphantly.
"It is mine," answered Grit quietly; "for Mr. Brandon had no right to sell it."
"I have nothing to do with that," said Phil. "He is your stepfather—you ought to feel proud of having a jail-bird in the family—and he told me the boat was his."
"I shall not contest your claim at present," said Grit. "As long as it passes out of my hands, you may as well have it as any one."
"I'll sell it back for ten dollars," said Phil, who had a keen scent for a bargain.
"Thank you, I don't care to buy back my own property. Besides, Mr. Brandon would be ready to sell it again to-morrow. As to what you say of him, I shan't undertake to defend him. I am not particularly proud of the relationship."
"What are you going to do for a boat to ferry your passengers?" asked Phil.
"I don't know."
"I'll let you this for fifty cents a day."