Part 10 (1/2)

”No joking,” said Warde ”I was--”

”I never joke,” said Roy, ”except fro, afternoon and evening”

Warde tried again, ”I was going to ask you about test four”

”I'll tell you about it,” said the irrepressible Pee-wee

”How about writing the satisfactory account?”

”It doesn't include worer snaps,” said Roy

”But what's the usual way?” Warde persisted

Seeing his newhat a fine conscience Warde sought every honor, Roy answered hie he had

”This is the way Mr Ellsworth says,” he answered ”You ht be helpful to your troop or to other troops or to the whole country,that's important or unusual you must notice

”Mostly Mr Ellsworth or one of the local council in Bridgeboro goes over the ground and sees if the account is satisfactory In soht they say it's all right and let it go at that But Mr Ellsworth says it isn't just the description that counts; it's whether you notice everything It isn't just knowing horite That's just being a good author The other is being a good scout See?”

”Some scouts think they are authors,” said Pee-wee

”The pleasure isour adventures as long as I have any paper Then I' to buy some more”

”I'm sorry for the fellow that buys the books,” said Pee-wee

”So a as you're in the books”

”That's what Ito keep his companions on the subject ”The description is a scout test?”

”Anyway, it is in our troop,” said Roy ”Soood they say all right But Mr Ellsworth and Mr Kinney, he's council They usually take a sprint over the ground and ot to h You should worry, you'll get aith it all right”

Roy had no doubt of that, and Pee-wee had no doubt of anything which lory of others But they both noticed that during the rest of their hike Warde atchful and preoccupied, occasionally jotting so it in his clear, fineno chances and they knew it Here was his opportunity, he had grasped it just in thefrom him, and he was resolved that before he laid his head upon his balsaht he would be able to call himself a scout of the first class

CHAPTER XIV

BAFFLED?

After a hike of about eightroads, the three scouts reached the beautiful Woodcliff Lake which lies in a northwesterly direction from the old camp Upon its shore they rested and ate the coht The afternoon sun flickered on the waters, the gentle slope across the lake was clad in the rich green of the midsummertime, not a boat was to be seen upon that clear forbidden expanse, and no sound was there in all the quiet country round about, save only the elated voice of an angler on the causeway as he pulled up his line with a fish wriggling on the end of it

It is the duty of Woodcliff Lake to supply water to many thousands of homes and the quietude of its shores and water breathes a kind of cleanliness and purity, which imparts to the lake a character quite its own An unique feature of it is the causehich bisects it, for twin lakes, as it seems to the nearby beholder But froht clean roadway across the very center of the lake stands out in bold relief, having none of the appearance of a bridge nor yet of a daood luck is conte to and fro

The scouts had no difficulty in finding the hohborhood They were told to go up a road till they caray house, etc, which direction brought them at last face to face with an electric button which Pee-wee pushed