"I admire your pluck, boys," he said. "Here's a receipt in full. Thank you for your promptness. If you do all your work in the world as well as you have begun, you will surely succeed. I am glad to have made your acquaintance and I shall always feel under a great indebtedness to you, Master Armstrong."
When they were outside, Jimmy said:
"And I thought he was an old skinflint the first day we saw him about the motor boat!"
"You can't always tell how sweet an orange is by its skin," remarked the Codfish. "Now look at me——"
"Yes, look at you," said Frank.
"Drown him! drown him!" cried the boys, rushing at the Codfish. They were in high fettle this morning.
With the receipt in full in his pocket, it was with a sense of complete ownership that Frank stepped into the Black Duck and took the wheel.
"I want to thank you, fellows, for helping me," he said, turning to the three. "We are part owners in this old craft."
"Thank nothing," said Jimmy, who was as glad as Frank that the debt had been lifted. "Haven't we had all the good rides? She belongs to you. We are only the able-bodied seamen."
"Frank's right," said the Codfish, "we are part owners. I consider that my services entitle me at least to the paint on her."