“I know all the laws, everyone,” he said in a whisper.

“Do you know law one?” I asked him.

“Yup, it’s the best of the lot,” he said; “it teaches you about honor.  Do you know the two things about scouts I like best?” he asked me.

“No, I don’t,” I said.

“It’s that first law and the belt-axe that they wear.”

“Never you mind about the belt-axe,” I said.

“Yes, but you want me to tell you honest, don’t you?” he blurted out.  And he looked straight at me and his eyes were all kind of hollow and excited like.  Gee, he was a queer kid.  “You can make fun of me all you want,” he said, “I don’t care.  Will I be a scout to-night?” “Not to-night,” I told him, “we’re going to turn you over to the Elks to-night.  And then they’ll teach you things and get you ready.”

Pretty soon it came time to present him, but I didn’t feel like making any fun about it.  Gee!  I don’t know what my patrol thought about me.  But anyway, Westy knew.  So I just said how we found Alfred McCord and how he wanted to be a scout and we thought it was a good idea to give him to the Elk Patrol, to fill the place of Tom Slade.  Cracky, there wasn’t any pep to it at all.

Then afterwards Mr. Ellsworth took up the collection of one dollar and seventy cents from each fellow, to buy the eats and pay the expenses of the cruise.  I had to say that I wasn’t ready with it, and I guess he was surprised, because I never miss a chipping in, but anyway, I said I’d have it next day.  I should worry about that.

On the way out I met Pee-wee shouting away like a machine gun.  “Come on up the street with me,” I said; “I want to tell you something.”

When we were about a block off I said, “You listen here, kiddo.  I don’t want you to be shouting about belt-axes and jack-knives and things like that in front of Skinny McCord.  I’m telling you that and I want you to remember it.  And I’ve got good reasons, too.  Scouts aren’t made out of belt-axes and jack-knives and badges.  They’re made out of ideas, as you might say.  You just remember what I tell you and don’t be springing this stuff about the emblem of the woods and all that.  A belt-axe costs two dollars—­haven’t you got sense enough to know that.  And do you know how much it costs to take the scout oath?  Not one blooming cent!”

Jiminy crinkums, he just listened and didn’t say a single word.  For two blocks he didn’t say a word.

It was the biggest stunt he ever did.

CHAPTER XXIII

IN THE WOODS

Now I have to go backward—­that’s one good thing about this story, it has a reverse gear; you can go backward.

The first night we had the house-boat, Mr. Ellsworth went to see Mr. Darren, who is superintendent of Northside Woods (that’s owned by the Northside estate) and he asked Mr. Darren if we could chop down some saplings to use on the boat.  Because we wanted to make some stanchions for the awning, and another flagpole, and some bumper sticks.  He thought that was a good idea, because lumber costs so much.  Connie said the reason it was high is because they’re building tall houses.  So Mr. Darren marked some saplings with chalk and said we could take those.