“I see you’ve got the idea exactly, Fleming,” said a new voice, breaking into the conversation.  The two scouts looked up to see the smiling face of their scoutmaster, John Grenfel.  He was a big, bronzed Englishman, sturdy and typical of the fine class to which he belonged —­ public school and university man, first-class cricketer and a football international who had helped to win many a hard fought game for England from Wales or Scotland or Ireland.  The scouts were returning from a picnic on Wimbledon Common, in the suburbs of London, and Grenfel was following his usual custom of dropping into step now with one group, now with another.  He favored the idea of splitting up into groups of two or three on the homeward way, because it was his idea that one of the great functions of the Scout movement was to foster enduring friendships among the boys.  He liked to know, without listening or trying to overhear, what the boys talked about; often he would give a directing word or two, that, without his purpose becoming apparent, shaped the ideas of the boys.

“Yes,” he repeated.  “You understand what we’re trying to do in this country, Fleming.  We don’t want to fight —­ we pray to God that we shall never have to.  But, if we are attacked, or if the necessity arises, we’ll be ready, as we have been ready before.  We want peace —­ we want it so much and so earnestly that we’ll fight for it if we must.”

Neither of the boys laughed at what sounded like a paradox.  His voice was too earnest.

“Do you think England is likely to have to go to war soon —­ within a year or so, sir?” asked Harry.

“I pray not,” said Grenfel.  “But we don’t know, Fleming.  For the last few years —­ ever since the trouble in the Balkans finally flamed up —­ Europe has been on the brink of a volcano.  We don’t know what the next day may bring forth.  I’ve been afraid — " He stopped, suddenly, and seemed to consider.

“There is danger now,” he said, gravely.  “Since the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated, Austria has been in an ugly mood.  She has tried to blame Servia.  I don’t think Russia will let her crush Servia —­ not a second time.  And if Russia and Austria fight there is no telling how it may spread.”

“You’d want us to win, wouldn’t you, Harry, if we fought?” asked Dick, when Mr. Grenfel had passed on to speak to some of the others.

“Yes, I think I would —­ I know I would, Dick,” said Harry, gravely.  “But I wouldn’t want to see a war, just the same.  It’s a terrible thing.”

“On, it wouldn’t last long,” said Dick, confidently.  “We’d lick them in no time at all.  Don’t you think so?”

“I don’t know —­ I hope so.  But you can’t ever be sure.”

“I wonder if they’d let us fight?”

“No, I don’t think they would, Dick.  There’d be plenty for the Boy Scouts to do though, I believe.”

“Would you stay over here if there was a war, Harry?  Or would you go home?”