"That's an apple tree," said Pee-wee, his mouth watering. "I'm going over there to discover it and then it's mine, the whole island's mine because findings is keepings, that's international law."
No doubt he felt that the League of Nations would stand in back of him in the matter of this epoch-making discovery.
CHAPTER VIII
PEE-WEE EXPLORES THE ISLAND
There was no doubt at all of the reality of this extraordinary apparition. Pee-wee, who was always sure of everything, was doubly sure of this. Squint and rub his eyes as he would, there was the desert island in the middle of the river with the tree surmounting it. By all the precedents in history this island was his. He had as much right to it as the king of Spain had to San Salvador, more in fact, for the king of Spain had never seen the island of San Salvador.
If there was any good in history at all (and Pee-wee had his doubts about that) why then this mysterious island belonged to him. Miss Bunting, if she had any sense of fairness at all, would concede this. If the good old rule of findings is keepings applied to monarchs it certainly applied to Boy Scouts. So Pee-wee prepared to set sail and formally take possession of his discovery. He would sail around it as Columbus had sailed around the coast of Cuba.…
Entering the troops' deserted old car he got the oars of the old flat bottom boat belonging to the troop. He also procured a black marking stick used for marking scout signs on rocks, and a pasteboard target on the back of which he printed in ostentatious lettering.
THIS DESERT ISLAND IS DISCOVERED
BY WALTER HARRIS AND ALL PRETAINING
TO IT INCLUDING APPLES AND
EVERYTHING AND OTHER KINDS OF
FOOD AND WILD ANIMALS IF THERE
ARE ANY ALSO PRESIOUS METTLES AND
ALL NATIVES MUST SWEAR TO WALTER
HARRIS I MEAN THEY MUST SWEAR
ALLEAGANCE AND SAID WALTER
HARRIS SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT OF
SETTLEMENT.
P. S. ESPECIALLY APPLES.
Having thus established his rights according to the most historical rule for the acquisition of new territory, Pee-wee set sail in his gallant bark and after an uneventful voyage of seven minutes drew his boat half-way up the rugged shore.