That little piece of paper looked far too tiny to mean what it said!
“It’s a pile of money, isn’t it?” muttered Toby thoughtfully. “But he seemed awfully glad to get his launch back.”
“He’d have paid more than this, I guess,” responded Arnold. “I dare say he’d have given us five hundred if we’d said we had to have it!”
“Why, you’re a regular Shylock, Arnold!” exclaimed Phebe.
“I’m not either,” answered the accused indignantly. “But we had a right to ask more if we’d wanted to. That’s business.”
“I don’t think it’s business,” said Toby quietly, “to make money from people’s misfortunes. I sort of wish we’d just let him have his boat and not said anything about the reward.”
“That’s nonsense,” replied Arnold vigorously. “Mr. Townsend has lots of money and it was worth three hundred dollars to him to have his launch back. And if it hadn’t been for us he wouldn’t have got it again. He’s satisfied, Toby. Don’t you worry.”
“What’ll we do with this?” asked Toby. “We have to put it into a bank or something, eh?”
“Of course. I’ll get father to cash it, if you like. Then we’ll each take half. We have to sign our names on the back, though. Let’s do it now. You sign first, because he put you first.”