Part 7 (1/2)

”That was before you could walk,” Pee-wee reminded him

”The last home I was in was in New York,” Blythe said ”It wasn't uess you're like we are,” Westy said, noticing perhaps a little embarrassment in their friend's manner, ”our home is outdoors”

”And believe me, the sky has all the tin roofs I ever saw beaten twenty ways,” observed Warde Hollister That was pretty good for a new scout

”Roofs are all right to slide down,” Pee-wee observed ”They're all right as long as you're not under them”

”Believe me, ouldn't have the sky over us if we didn't have to,”

said Roy ”It's a blamed nuisance when it rains The trouble with the solar systes in it

You can't get out into the open”

”What are you talking about?” Pee-wee retorted conteet rid of all the stars, stationary stars, movie stars and all,”

Roy said

”Scouts are supposed to like the stars,” Pee-wee informed Blythe

”Sure, if he had his oay he'd eat hunter's stew out of the Big Dipper,” said Roy ”A lot he knows about the stars; he doesn't even know that Mercury is named after a thermometer”

”This bunch is crazy,” Pee-wee informed Blythe

”That's because we sleep under crazy quilts,” Roy said

Blythe just sat there laughing, the silent, diffident pleasure in his countenance shown by the crackling, cheery blaze

”What would you do if you didn't have the North Star, I'd like to know?”

Pee-wee de around lost in the woods, deadaround dead,” said Roy ”Do you think I've got the North Star?”

With a look of pitying conteenial bowl, now sizzling and bubbling on the fire ”It's ready,” he said

”Be prepared,” said Roy; ”each one arm himself with a tin plate and after that every scout for himself This is called a hunter's stew because you have to hunt for the ot plenty of e-pluribus unions in it The potatoes and duo to the patrol leaders, carrots to first and second hand scouts; tenderfeet get nothing because the stew isn't tender enough”

It was pleasant sitting there in the bright area surrounded by darkness, chatting and planning the work for thehunter's stew, scout style, patent applied for And notwithstanding the slurs which Roy had cast at the sky it was pleasant to see that vast bespangled blackness over head In the sole shacks were divested of their tawdry cheapness, the loose and flapping strips of tar-paper and the broken ere not visible, and the buildings seenity--silent memorials of the boys who hadwith their shouts and laughter Not a sound was there now froone Only the noise of the saw and the ha revelry echoed