"It can't be much worse than sending them to a butcher," remarked Mr. Gilroy.
"Oh, mercy! We never could sell them for meat!" cried Joan.
"I shall never eat another mouthful of veal or pork," added Betty, fervently.
"None of us will ever eat meat again!" declared the others.
"But that doesn't answer this letter," the Captain reminded them.
"The man offers a good price, girls, and having so much capital invested, he will surely take care of the investment," said Mr. Gilroy.
"Y-e-s, that's so! Well, I'll tell you what, girls," said Julie. "Let's make him double his offer, and that will make him still more appreciative of Julia and Anty. If he takes it, all right. If he doesn't, we can write to some other Zoo trainer, now that we know we have two fine trained pets."
But the animal trainer expected a "come-back," and was only too glad to secure Julia and Anty at the price the scouts mentioned. And that added materially to the fund for the next summer's outing—wherever it was to be.
The day the trainer came to take possession of his newly acquired pets, the girls felt blue over saying good-by to them. Anty had been so thoroughly scrubbed that she glistened, and Julia had been brushed and currycombed until she looked like satin.
"Oh, Anty! Shake hands just once more," wailed Judith, as she held out her hand to the pig.