Mr. Ellsworth said he didn't know about that and he looked kind ofsurprised. I should worry, I wasn't scared now. "Suppose he's on hisway to obey Law 8 and keep his word and be loyal to his troop and hisscoutmaster," I said. "That's Law 8, isn't it?"
Mr. Ellsworth looked surprised and said, "yes." And Mr. Bennett wassmiling with and awful funny kind of a smile.
"And suppose while he's on his way he runs plunk into another law.Goodnight! What's he going to do? Maybe you don't know which law I meanby another one. It's number 3, and I can say it without even looking atthe book. Even if they elect--"
I guess Mr. Ellsworth could see my voice was I trembling, because hesaid, "Take your time, Roy, you have us interested."
I have to admit I was feeling bad, but anyway I said the law right offwithout looking at the book.
3. A SCOUT IS HELPFUL.
He must be prepared at any time to save life, help injured persons,and share the home duties. He must do at least one good turn tosomebody everyday.
"Maybe you never noticed that the part about good turns is printed initalics. You know what italics mean--you learn that in the Second Grade.It means that that special thing IS emphasized, see?"
Mr. Ellsworth was smiling a little, but anyway he was listening and sowas Mr. Bennett. Gee, I didn't see anything to smile at.
Now I have to admit that I got kind of excited and I didn't know muchwhat I was saying.
Sometimes I had to stop on account of that lump being in my throat. Butanyway, I kept on and I held on tight to my emblem--the Silver Foxemblem.
"So that's what I mean," I said, "and, this morning Westy was on his wayto help on the house-boat and he met" (oh, jiminies, I guess I didn'tknow how I was talking now, I was so excited) "and he met SkinnyMcCord's mother and she told him about Skinny being sick on account ofa good turn he did for me--keeping Jake Holden from going to myhouse--and she asked him to go up and stay with him and he didn't thinkany more about the house-boat, and I'm glad he didn't, and I told himthat, and I'm his patrol leader yet, anyway. I tell him that, I do! Andhe went home and got his baseball and his catching mitt and it cost adollar and seventy-five cents, and he took them to Skinny just so ashe'd kind of forgot being sick. Westy saved up to get that mitt and Iknow all about it. And he stayed all day with Skinny and the doctorsays, he says Skinny has got to die, but anyway Westy stayed all daywith him--that's what he did. And I'm glad you fellows are going toelect a new leader if you want him to reprimand Westy, be cause you'dnever get me to do it, I can tell you that!"
Oh, crinkums, there wasn't a sound. It had to stop because I wasgulping and all excited, but I started again, you can bet.
"And there's only one thing more I've got to say," I told them. "I goton the trail--I mean Skinny's trail. And it took me to his house inBarrel Alley. I picked up his trail down at Little Landing and it hadthe scout's pathfinder sign printed in the mud. And I--I'm--I'm a scout,I am, I don't care what you say, and I followed it. And maybe, for allyou know, it was put there, for me to follow-maybe. It took me to wherea fellow was sick, it did, and it showed me one of my own--one of theSilver Foxes, doing a good turn to pay Skinny back for the good turnhe did for me. And I stayed there to help and I forgot all about thehouse-boat, and I'm glad I did. And I hope that whoever these fellowselect, he won't let them chip in for the cruise, but I hope he'll havethem chip in to send Skinny up to the country--I don't care what thedoctor says. Once a doctor said that--he said that my father--"
And that's all I had a chance to say. Gee, I couldn't tell you whathappened next. All I know is, I heard my Scout Handbook go kerflop onthe floor and Vic Norris of the Ravens grabbed the Silver Fox emblemright out of my hand and began waving it. All of a sudden I saw Westyand he didn't say anything only put his arm around my shoulder and hestarted to say something and, oh, I don't know, he just couldn't. ThenI heard a fellow asking him what was the matter, because he was husky,kind of, and his eyes shiny-you know. And he said he had a cold. Oh, boy!
"He caught cold from drinking out of a damp glass," Doc Carson shouted.Honest, you couldn't hear yourself think. And Pee-wee--g--o--o--d night!Then Mr. Ellsworth held up his hand and we all quieted down.
"Before we go any further," he said, "and while our lungs are workingovertime I want every member of the Raven Patrol and every member ofthe Elk Patrol to give three cheers for the Silver Foxes, scouts, realscouts, everyone of them, and for their leader, Roy Blakeley. Afterthat you can hold your election."
CHAPTER XIX
THE END OF THE MEETING
Oh, boy, some excitement! "Excuse me while I blush," I said. For theywere all shouting and Pee-wee was on top of the table dancing andyelling, "Hurrah for the Solid Silver Foxes! Three cheers for theSterling Silver Foxes!" Believe me, that kid is self-starting, buthe isn't self stopping.
Then I told them that I had something more to say, and they shouted itwas their turn to do the saying, and believe me, they did--with somethingleft over. At last Mr. Ellsworth got us throttled down and he told me tosay what I had to say, because Mr. Bennett had a word or two for us.
So I told them my idea that I'd had in my head all the time, and youjust wait and see how many adventures it led to. That's one good thingabout good turns; they most always start something. Already Pee-weewas started.
I told them I thought instead of keeping Tom Slade's place open, kind ofin memory of him, it would be better to put Skinny McCord in that vacantplace and take him up to Temple Camp and help him to get well. Then Itold them how he read the Handbook, and how he was crazy about scouting,only he was scared of the fellows because he was so poor. And then I saidthat findings is keepings and that Skinny belonged to the Silver Foxes,and they would make a present of him to the Elks on account of TomSlade.
"Anyway," I said, "when Tom gets back he'll be old enough forassistant scoutmaster, so it's all right."
Then Mr. Ellsworth said, "Very good," and that Councilman Bennett hadsomething to say. This is what he said, because Mr. Ellsworth wrote itout for me, and he remembered almost just how it was. Oh, but he's onefine man--Mr. Bennett--he's on some kind of a board and he helped buildthe hospital and he likes the scouts and he wishes he could shin up atree--he said so. So this is what he said.
"My young friends, I have listened with a good deal of something orother (it's too much bother to spell it out) to our young leader of theSilver Foxes, and I must say that the Silver Foxes are solid fourteenkarat gold. I am a lawyer myself and I wish to express my professionaladmiration of the way Leader Blakeley presented his case."
"The pleasure is mine," I said under my breath, because I just couldn'thelp it.
Then he said like this--he said, "If Skinny McCord wishes to cast hislot with such boys as these, he shall not find the means lacking. Iwill furnish his suit and such sundries as he needs. I agree withLeader Blakeley that doctors are sometimes mistaken. Let us hope itmay be the case in this instance. The cruise to camp must be made;let nothing interfere with that. If some of you boys wish to go intothe city in the morning you may have the pleasure of purchasingSkinny's outfit. I would suggest that the Silver Foxes do this inorder that their gift may go complete to their comrades of the Elks.I think I have your scoutmaster's permission to do this."
"Sure you have!" Pee-wee shouted.
"We'll go in on the 9 A. M. train," Westy said.
"What time does the 9 A. M. train leave?", Pee-wee shouted. "Oh, butit's great!" He was half crazy.
"The nine o'clock train leave at 8.60," I told him, "and you have toget a transfer--"
"To what line?" he shouted.
"To the clothesline," I said.
"You make me sick!" he yelled, "You haven't got anywhat--do--you--call--it--hero--something or other--"
"That talk will have to be strained through a sieve," I said. "Don'tmind him, Mr. Bennett, somebody's been feeding him meat. He goes tothe movies too much. He's known as the human megaphone. All step upand listen to the Raving Raven rave--only a dime, ten cents, ladiesand gentleme
n!"
Even Mr. Bennett had to laugh.
"Now all we've got to have is a girl," Pee-wee shouted, "because we'vegot a poor lad--I mean--you know what I mean--noble poverty and a boatand heroes doing good turns--"
"And Ravens turning somersaults," I said.
"And all that," he kept up, "and Roy foiled his prosecuters--I meanpersecuters--"
"You mean executers," Doc said.
"And all we need now is a heroine," Pee-wee said, while he danced upand down. "A poor girl--I mean a maiden--with gold hair--if we couldonly rescue one--oh, wouldn't it be great."
"Even if her hair was only gold-filled it would be something," ConnieBennett said.
"You're crazy!", Pee-wee shouted, "it shows none of you know anythingabout stories."
Oh, jiminy, I can't tell all the stuff we shouted. You see, it was justbecause we were feeling so good. And Mr. Ellsworth didn't try to stopus. The next chapter is about two dollars. I don't mean it's worth thatmuch. I don't know what I'll name it yet.
Olive oil*--that's the French way to say, "So long." Anyway, it'ssomething like that. I should worry.
[*Au revoir is probably what he meant.]
CHAPTER XX
MOSTLY ABOUT SKINNY
This chapter I am going to fill with some stuff about a two dollar bill.
That isn't so bad for poetry, is it? I got that idea out of a story bySir Walter Scott--putting poetry at the top of the chapters. Mr.Ellsworth says sometimes a fellow might get killed for writing poetry.I should worry--a scout is brave.
You can bet that if Pee-wee had his way we'd have all gone into the citythat very night and broken into a store to get Skinny's outfit. But nixon that hurry up business when it comes to Mr. Ellsworth. "Scouts are notmade in a day," he said to Pee-wee, "and the outfit doesn't make thescout anyway, remember that."
"Any more than a merry-go-round makes a good turn," I said.
So Mr. Ellsworth went to see Skinny and his mother, and then he went tosee the doctor, and he found out that Skinny wasn't going to die rightthen, but that something was the matter with his lungs, and that he'dkeep getting sick all the time probably and wouldn't grow up. Oh, boy,when Mr. Ellsworth once gets on your trail, good night! That's justthe way he hauled Tom Slade into the troop, head over heels. And look atConnie Bennett, too. Mr. Ellsworth had to hypnotize Connie's motherand now Connie's a first class scout. After two or three nights hebrought Skinny to meeting, and oh, cracky, but that kid looked bad.He just sat and watched us do our stunts and he was scared whenanybody spoke to him, except Mr. Ellsworth. And he was coughinga lot, too.
After the meeting Westy and I and Mr. Ellsworth took him home, and justwhen we left him he asked us if maybe he'd live long enough to get thepathfinder's badge. And oh, gee, it made me feel good the way Mr.Ellsworth answered him.
He said, "Well, I can't exactly promise that because I don't know howlong it will take you to win that badge, but if you think you can winit inside of forty or fifty years, I think you'll be there to grab itwhen it comes." Oh, jingoes, but we've got one dandy scoutmaster. Idon't care what you say, he's the best one in America. And when he saidthat, Skinny kind of smiled and then you could see how thin he was,because the wrinkles came all around his mouth.
Well, on Saturday Westy and Dorry Benton and Ralph Warner (they're allin my patrol) went into the city to get Skinny's outfit, so we couldgive him a surprise at the meeting on Monday night. I didn't go becauseI wanted Westy to have the say, and I didn't want him to think I wasbutting in, because Skinny belonged to him, as you might say. BesidesI had to cut the grass to my sisters could play tennis with JohnnyWade--honest, that fellow is there all the time. He's got a machine,but I never saw it. I guess maybe it's a sewing machine, hey?
Now I didn't know how much money Mr. Bennett gave Mr. Ellsworth. All Iknow is that when the fellows came back they had everything for Skinny,or most everything. Because they came up to Camp Solitaire (that's thetent I have on our lawn) and we opened the whole business. Pee-wee wasthere and the first thing we knew he Was shouting that there wasn't anybeltaxe.
"We used all the money we had," Westy said "and it isn't worth whileasking Mr. Bennett for any more, even if there's one or two thingsmissing."
Oh, jiminy, Pee-wee went up in the air. "Why didn't you get a belt-axe,"he shouted; "don't you know a belt-axe is the most important thing ofall? It's the sign of the scout! It's more important than the uniform."
"He'd look nice going down Main Street with a belt-axe and no uniform,"I said; "you're crazy on the subject of belt-axes. What's the matter,are you afraid Hindenberg is going to invade Bridgeboro? You shouldworry about a belt-axe. Wait till he's a tenderfoot."
"That shows how much you know about scouting," he yelled; "the belt-axeis the emblem of the woods."
"The which?', Westy said.
"The emblem of the woods," he hollered at the top of his voice. "You haveto have a belt-axe first of all. It's more important than the Handbook.It means woodcraft and--and--and all that sort of stuff!"
Well, first I just laughed at him and jollied him along, because I knowhow crazy he is about things like that--he'd wear every badge in the Hand.book on his chest if he had the chance. And he's always getting new suitsand things, because his father is rich. Pee-wee's all right only he'sdaffy about all the scout stuff that you see in the pictures and healways has his belt-axe dragging on his belt, even when he's home, asif he expected to chop down all the telegraph poles on Main Street.
"You have belt-axes on the brain," Westy told him.
"He's got them on the belt anyway," I said.
"You ask Mr. Ellsworth about it and see what he says," Ralph Warnersaid. "He'll tell you it's better for Skinny to wait till he can earna little money and then buy a belt-axe. There's time enough."
"Sure he would," I said, because I know just how Mr. Ellsworth feelsabout things like that. And for all I know, maybe he didn't wantSkinny to have everything at the start, just so as he would be ableto get some things all by himself later. Because Mr. Ellsworth thinksthat's the best way. Of course, we always jollied Pee-wee about hisbelt-axe and about wearing his scout-knife and his drinking cuphanging from his belt right home in Bridgeboro, as if he was in SouthAfrica, and Mr. Ellsworth always said he was the typical scout--that'sthe word he used--typical.
But now I began to think maybe it would cause some trouble and I hopedhe wouldn't be giving Skinny any of that kind of talk. But he did justthe same, and it made a lot of trouble. Pee-wee's all right, but Idon't care if he knows what I said, because it's true.
On Monday we had it fixed for Skinny to come up to Camp Solitaire,and Westy and I would teach him some stuff out of the Handbook. Thenwe were going to give him the new stuff so he could put it on,because we wanted him to feel good--you know what I mean--when he wentto meeting. We didn't want him to feel different from the otherfellows. But usually we don't do that until a fellow takes theoath first.
Oh, boy, but wasn't he proud when we put the khaki suit on him, andfixed the hat on his head. He smiled in that funny way he had thatalways made me feel kind of bad, because it made his face look allthin. And he was awful bashful and scared, but anyway, he was proud,I could see that.
So then I opened the Handbook to page 59, where there's a picture ofa scout standing straight, making the full salute, and I told him heshould stand straight and try to look just like that. He said, "I ain'tfat enough," but I told him not to mind, but just to look at that pictureand he'd know how he looked as a boy scout.
"How soon will I be one?" he said. And I told him pretty soon.
Now I thought about that picture early in the morning and I made up mymind I would show it to him when he got dressed up. You can bet hedidn't look very much like it but a lot I cared about that, as longas it made him feel good. So early in the morning before he came, Itook my two dollar bill (that's my allowance my father always givesme Monday morning) and put it in the Handbook at page 59, so that Icould find the place all right.
; After I showed the picture to Skinny I shut the Handbook because Iwouldn't need it any more and I laid the two dollar bill down on thetable in a hurry, because I wanted to straighten Skinny's belt and fixhis collar right and make him look as good as I could. Anyway I laidan oar-lock on the bill so it wouldn't blow away. I've got twonickel-plated oar-locks that my patrol gave me on troop birthday, andI keep them in my tent except when I go to camp.
Westy was telling Skinny how fine he looked and, oh, gee, Skinny washappy, you could see that. Of course, he didn't look very good, I haveto admit it, but he had a smile a mile long.
"You're all right," I told him, "all you have to do is to stand upstraight and think about scouting and the oath and the laws, and thenyou'll look like one."
Then he said, "I have to have one of those axes, don't I?"
"You should worry about an axe," I said! "You didn't see one in thepicture did you?"
"Wasn't it because the boy in the picture was facing me, and you wearthe axe in back, don't you?"
"Don't you worry," I told him, "I know that fellow in the picture andhe hasn't got one on."
"One of your scout fellows says you have to have one," he said, kindof timid.
"Good night!" I said to Westy, "Pee-wee's been at it."
"He knows, too," Skinny said.