CHIVALRY OF THE KNIGHTS.

HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS.

One aim of the Boy Scouts scheme is to revive amongst us, if possible, some of the rules of the knights of old, which did so much for the moral tone of our race, just as the Bushido of the ancient Samurai Knights has done, and is still doing, for Japan. Unfortunately, chivalry with us has, to a large extent, been allowed to die out, whereas in Japan it is taught to the children, so that it becomes with them a practice of their life, and it is also taught to children in Germany and Switzerland with the best results. Our effort is not so much to discipline the boys, as to teach them to discipline themselves.

It is impossible in so short a space as I have at my disposal to do more than touch upon subjects which the instructor may elaborate for himself. The different qualities which the Knight's Code demanded are here grouped under the three heads:

1.—Chivalry to Others.

2.—Discipline of Self.

3.—Self Improvement.

CHAPTER VII.
CHIVALRY of the KNIGHTS.

CAMP FIRE YARN.—No. 20.
CHIVALRY TO OTHERS.

Knights Errant—Helpfulness to Others—Courtesy to Women.

"In days of old, when knights were bold" it must have been a fine sight to see one of these steel-clad horsemen come riding through the dark green woods in his shining armour, with shield and lance and waving plumes, bestriding his gallant war-horse, strong to bear its load, and full of fire to charge upon an enemy. And near him rode his squire, a young man, his assistant and companion, who would some day become a knight.

Behind him rode his group, or patrol of men-at-arms—stout, hearty warriors, ready to follow their knight to the gates of death if need be. They were the tough yeomen of the old days, who won so many of her fine fights for Britain through their pluck and loyal devotion to their knights.

In peace time, when there was no fighting to be done, the knight would daily ride about looking for a chance of doing a good turn to any wanting help, especially woman or child who might be in distress. When engaged in thus doing good turns he was called a "Knight Errant." His patrol naturally acted in the same way as their leader, and a man-at-arms was always equally ready to help the distressed with his strong right arm. The knights of old were the patrol leaders of the nation, and the men-at-arms were the scouts.

You patrol leaders and scouts are therefore very like the knights and their retainers, especially if you keep your honour ever before you in the first place and do your best to help other people who are in trouble or who want assistance. Your motto is, "Be Prepared" to do this, and the motto of the knights was a similar one, "Be Always Ready."

Chivalry—that is, the order of the knights—was started in England some 1500 years ago by King Arthur.

On the death of his father, King Uther Pendragon, he was living with his uncle, and nobody knew who was to be King. He did not himself know that he was son of the late King.

Then a great stone was found in the churchyard, into which a sword was sticking, and on the stone was written:

"Whosoever pulleth this sword out of this stone is the rightwise King born of all England."

All the chief lords had a try at pulling it out, but none could move it.

That day there was a tournament at which Arthur's cousin was to fight, but when he got to the ground he found he had left his sword at home, and he sent Arthur to fetch it. Arthur could not find it, but remembering the sword in the churchyard he went there and pulled at it, and it came out of the stone at once; and he took it to his cousin. After the sports he put it back again into the stone; and again they all tried to pull it out, but could not move it, but when he tried he drew it out quite easily. So he was proclaimed King.

He afterwards got together a number of knights, and used to sit with them at a great round table, and so they were called the "Knights of the Round Table." The table is still to be seen at Winchester.

ST. GEORGE.

They had as their patron saint St. George, because he was the only one of all the saints who was a horseman. He is the patron saint of cavalry and scouts all over Europe.

St. George is the special saint of England. The battle-cry of the knights used to be, "For Saint George and Merrie England!"

St. George's Day is 23rd April, and on that day all good scouts wear a rose in his honour and fly their flags. Don't forget it on the next 23rd April.

THE KNIGHTS' CODE.

The laws of the knights were these:

"Be Always Ready, with your armour on, except when you are taking your rest at night.

Defend the poor, and help them that cannot defend themselves.

Do nothing to hurt or offend anyone else.

Be prepared to fight in the defence of England.

At whatever you are working try and win honour and a name for honesty.

Never break your promise.

Maintain the honour of your country with your life.

Rather die honest than live shamelessly.

Chivalry requireth that youth should be trained to perform the most laborious and humble offices with cheerfulness and grace; and to do good unto others."

These are the first rules with which the old knights started, and from which the scout laws of to-day come.

A knight (or scout) is at all times a gentleman. So many people seem to think that a gentleman must have lots of money. That does not make a gentleman. A gentleman is anyone who carries out the rules of chivalry of the knights.

A London policeman, for instance, is a gentleman, because he is well disciplined, loyal, polite, brave, good-tempered, and helpful to women and children.

UNSELFISHNESS.

Captain John Smith, the old English adventurer of three hundred years ago, was a pretty tough customer to deal with, as he had fought in every part of the world and had been wounded over and over again; but he also had a good, kind heart within him. He was as good a type of scout as you could find anywhere. One of his favourite expressions was, "We were born, not for ourselves, but to do good to others," and he carried this out very much in his life, for he was the most unselfish of men.

SELF-SACRIFICE.

King Richard I., who was one of the first of the Scouts of the Empire, left his kingdom, his family, and everything to go and fight against the enemies of the Christian religion, and very nearly lost his kingdom by doing so, for he was absent for some years, and in the meantime his brother tried to usurp his place. On his way home from the wars in Palestine he was caught by the King of Austria, and was put by him in prison, where he lingered for twelve months. He was discovered by his minstrel, Blondel, who knowing that he must have been captured somewhere went about Europe singing his favourite songs outside the prisons until he was answered from inside; and so he found him and procured his release.

(See "The Talisman," by Sir Walter Scott.)

But self-sacrifice is also to be found among us to-day. Only the other day a lad of eighteen named Currie saw a little girl playing on the railway line at Clydebank in front of an approaching train. He tried to rescue her, but he was lame from an injury he had got at football, and it delayed him in getting her clear. The train knocked both of them over, and both were killed.

But Currie's gallant attempt is an example of chivalry for scouts to follow. It was sacrifice of himself in the attempt to save a child.

KINDNESS.

"Kindness and gentleness are great virtues," says an old Spanish proverb, and another says, "Oblige without regarding whom you oblige," which means be kind to anyone, great or small, rich or poor.

The great point about a knight was that he was always doing kindnesses or good turns to people. His idea was that everyone must die, but you should make up your mind that before your time comes you will do something good. Therefore, do it at once, for you never know when you may be going off.

So, with the scouts, it has been made one of our laws that we do a good turn to somebody every day. It does not matter how small that good turn may be, if it were only to help an old woman lift her bundle, or to guide a child across a crowded street, or to put a halfpenny in the poor-box. Something good ought to be done each day of your life, and you should start to-day to carry out this rule, and never forget it during the remaining days of your life. Remember the knot in your necktie and on your scout's badge—they are reminders to you to do a good turn. And do your good turn not only to your friends, but to strangers and even to your enemies.

When the Russians were besieged in Port Arthur by the Japanese in 1905, the Japs got close up to their forts by digging long, deep trenches, into which the Russians were not able to shoot. On one occasion they were so close that a Russian soldier was able to throw a letter into the Japanese trench. In this letter he said that he wanted to send a message to his mother in Russia, as she was very anxious about him; but as Port Arthur was now cut off from all communication he begged that the Japs would send the message for him; and he inclosed a note for his mother and a gold coin to pay the cost.

The Japanese soldier who found the note, instead of tearing up the letter and keeping the money, did what every scout would do, took it to his officer, and the officer telegraphed the Russian's message to his mother, and threw a note back into the enemy's fort to tell him that he had done so.

This, with other instances of chivalry on both sides, is described in Mr. Richmond Smith's book, "The Siege and Fall of Port Arthur."

GENEROSITY.

Some people are fond of hoarding up their money and never spending it. It is well to be thrifty, but it is also well to give away money where it is wanted; in fact, that is part of the object of saving up your money. In being charitable, be careful that you do not fall into the mistake of false charity. That is to say, it is very easy and comforting to you to give a penny to a poor beggar in the street, but you ought not to do it. That poor beggar is ninety-nine times out of a hundred an arrant old fraud, and by giving your penny you are encouraging him and others to go on with that trade. There may be, probably are, hundreds of really poor and miserable people hiding away, whom you never see and to whom that penny would be a godsend. The Charity Organisation Society knows where they are, and which they are, and if you give your penny to them, they will put it into the right hands for you.

You need not be rich in order to be charitable. Many of the knights were poor men. At one time some of them wore as their crest two knights riding on one horse, which meant that they were too poor to afford a horse apiece.

TIPS.

Then "tips" are a very bad thing.

Wherever you go, people want to be tipped for doing the slightest thing which they ought to do out of common good feeling. A scout will never accept a tip, even if it is offered him. It is often difficult to refuse, but for a scout it is easy. He has only to say, "Thank you very much, but I am a scout, and our rules don't allow us to accept anything for doing a good turn."

"Tips" put you on a wrong footing with everyone.

You cannot work in a friendly way with a man if you are thinking how much "tip" you are going to get out of him, or he is thinking how much he'll have to "tip" you. And all scouts' work for another ought to be done in a friendly way.

Of course, proper pay that is earned by your work is another thing, and you will be right to accept it.

FRIENDLINESS.

The great difference in a Colonial bushman and a stay-at-home Briton is that the Colonial is in shirt-sleeves while the other is buttoned up in his coat, and their characters are much the same. The Colonial is open and cheery with everybody at once, while the Briton is rather inclined to shut himself up from his neighbours inside his coat, and takes a deal of drawing out before he becomes friendly. The free, open-air, shirt-sleeve habits of the Colonial do away with this, and life becomes much more pleasant to everybody all round. A boy scout should remember that he is like the Colonial, and, like Kim, the "friend of all the world."

But don't let your friendliness lead you into that foolery that is too common in England, namely, throwing away your hard-earned savings in "standing treat" to your friends.

POLITENESS.

One of the stories that the knights used to tell as an example of politeness was that Julius Cæsar, when he was entertained to supper by a poor peasant, was so polite that when the man gave him a dish of pickles to eat, thinking they were the sort of vegetables that a high-born officer would like, Cæsar ate the whole dish, and pretended to like them, although they burnt his mouth and disagreed with him considerably.

In Spain you ask a man the way—he does not merely point it out, but takes off his hat, bows, and says that it will be a great pleasure to him to show it, and walks with you till he has set you properly upon it. He will take no reward.

A Frenchman will take off his hat when he addresses a stranger, as you may often see him do in London, even when he asks a policeman the way.

The Dutch fishermen, big and brawny as they are, take up the whole street when walking down it; but when a stranger comes along they stand to one side, and smilingly take off their caps to let him pass.

A lady told me that when in one of the far west Canadian townships she met a group of wild-looking cowboys walking down the street, she felt quite alarmed. But as they got near they stood to one side, and took off their hats with the greatest respect, and made way for her.

COURTESY TO WOMEN.

The knights of old were particularly attentive in respect and courtesy to women.

Sir Nigel Loring in "The White Company" is a type of a chivalrous knight of the old times. Although very small, and half blind by reason of some lime which an enemy had thrown in his eyes early in his career, he was an exceedingly brave man, and at the same time very humble, and very helpful to others.

But above all things he reverenced women. He had a big, plain lady as his wife, but he always upheld her beauty and virtue, and was ready to fight anybody who doubted him.

Then with poor women, old or young, he was always courteous and helpful. And that is how a scout should act.

King Arthur, who made the rules of chivalry, was himself chivalrous to women of whatever class.

One day a girl rushed into his hall crying for help. Her hair was streaming and smeared with mud, her arms were torn with brambles, and she was dressed in rags. She had been ill-treated by a band of robbers who roved the country, doing all the harm they could. When he heard her tale King Arthur sprang on to his horse and rode off himself to the robbers' cave, and even at the risk of his own life he fought and defeated them, so that they could no more trouble his people.

When walking with a lady or a child, a scout should always have her on his left side, so that his right is free to protect her.

This rule is altered when walking in the streets: then a man will walk on the side of her nearest to the traffic, to protect her against accident, or mud-splashes, etc.

In meeting a woman or a child, a man should, as a matter of course, always make way for her, even if he has to step off the pavement into the mud.

So also in riding in a crowded tram or railway carriage no man worthy of the name will allow a woman or a child to stand up if he has a seat. He will at once give it up to the woman and stand himself. As a scout, you should set an example in this by being the first man in the carriage to do it. And in doing so, do it cheerfully, with a smile, so that she may not think you are annoyed at having to do it.

When in the street always be on the look out to help women and children. A good opportunity is when they want to cross a street, or to find the way, or to call a cab or 'bus. If you see them, go and help them at once—and don't accept any reward.

The other day I saw a boy help a lady out of a carriage, and as he shut the door after her, she turned to give him some money, but he touched his cap, and smilingly said, "No, thank you, Marm; it's my duty," and walked off. So I shook hands with him, for I felt that although he had not been taught, he was a scout by nature.

This is the kind of courtesy one wants to see more amongst boys of to-day. Only the other day in London, a girl who had been robbed ran after a thief and pursued him till he dashed down into a narrow alley, where she could not follow, but she waited for him; so did the crowd. And when he came out again, she collared him and struggled to prevent him escaping; but not one of the crowd would help her, although there were men and boys present there. They must have been a poor lot not to help a girl!

Of course, in accidents men and boys will always see that the women and children are safely got out of danger, before they think of going themselves. In two wrecks which occurred in 1906 on the south coast of England, viz., the Jebba, and the Suevic, it was very noticeable how carefully arrangements were made for saving the women and children and old people, before any idea was given as to how the men were to be rescued. You should carry your courtesy on with ladies at all times. If you are sitting down and a lady comes into the room, stand up, and see if you can help her in any way before you sit down.

Don't lark about with a girl whom you would not like your mother or sister to see you with.

Don't make love to any girl unless you mean to marry her.

Don't marry a girl unless you are in a position to support her, and to support some children.

PRACTICES.

Other ways of doing good turns, are such small things as these: sprinkle sand on a frozen road where horses are liable to slip; remove orange or banana skins from the pavement, as they are apt to throw people down; don't leave gates open, and don't injure fences or walk over crops in the country; help old people in drawing water or carrying fuel, etc., to their homes; help to keep the streets clean by removing scraps of paper.

A Scout looking out ready to help others.

Scout's Uniform.—Scout hat; Handkerchief (not a white one) round neck; Shirt (not white); Belt, with pouch; Shorts, with hip pocket; Stockings, with coloured garters; Boots or Shoes, with good nails; Long Stick for feeling way; Whistle; Haversack, with food; Coat rolled, with dry socks and vest inside in pockets.

HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS.

HOW TO PRACTISE CHIVALRY.

Make each scout tie a knot in his necktie every morning as a reminder to carry out his idea of doing a good turn every day, till it becomes a habit with him.

Take your boys to an armoury, such as the Tower of London or South Kensington Museum, and explain to them the armour and weapons of the knights.

Make a scout bring in a boy, who is a total stranger, as his guest for the evening to play in club games, and hear camp yarns, etc.

GAMES.

"Knight Errantry."—Scouts go out singly, or in pairs, or as a patrol. If in a town, to find women or children in want of help, and to return and report, on their honour, what they have done. If in the country call at any farms or cottages and ask to do odd jobs—for nothing. The same can be made into a race called a "Good Turn" race.

PLAY.

"King Arthur and the Round Table." See Part VI.

Also other stories of chivalry, as in "Stories of King Arthur."

BOOKS TO READ.

"Ivanhoe," by Sir Walter Scott.

"Stories of King Arthur." Cutler. 3s. 6d.

"The White Company," by Sir Conan Doyle, 1s.

"The Broad Stone of Honour," by Kenelm Digby.

"Fifty-two stories of Chivalry."

"Puck of Pook's Hill," by Rudyard Kipling.

CAMP FIRE YARN.—No. 21.
SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Honour—Obedience—Courage—Cheeriness.

TO INSTRUCTORS.

The self-disciplined man is described by Browning as:

One who never turned his back but marched breast forward;

Never doubted clouds would break;

Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph;

Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,

Sleep—to wake.

Lycurgus said that the wealth of a state lay not so much in money as in men who were sound in body and mind, with a body fit for toil and endurance, and with a mind well disciplined, and seeing things in their proper proportions.

HONOUR.

The true knight placed his honour before all things. It was sacred, and he will never do a dishonourable action, such as telling an untruth or deceiving his superiors or employers. A man who is honourable is always to be trusted, and always commands the respect of his fellow men. His honour guides him in everything that he does. A captain sticks to the ship till the last, in every wreck that was ever heard of. Why? She is only a lump of iron and wood; his life is as valuable as that of any of the women and children on board, but he makes everybody get away safely before he attempts to save his more valuable life. Why? Because the ship is his ship, and he has been taught that it is his duty to stick to it, and he considers it would be dishonourable in him to do otherwise; so he puts honour before safety. So also a scout should value his honour most of anything.

Fair Play.—Britons, above all other people, insist on fair play.

If you see a big bully going for a small or weak boy, you stop him because it is not "fair play."

And if a man, in fighting another, knocks him down, he must not hit or kick him while he is down; everybody would think him an awful beast if he did. Yet there is no law about it; you could not get him imprisoned for it. The truth is that "fair play" is an old idea of Chivalry that has come down to us from the knights of old, and we must always keep up that idea.

Other nations are not all so good.

Often we hear of wounded men being again shot and killed in battle when they are lying helpless on the ground. In the South African War, when Major MacLaren, now our Manager in the Boy Scouts, was lying helpless, with his thigh broken by a bullet and his horse shot on top of him, a Boer came up and finding him alive, fired two more shots into him. Luckily he recovered and is alive to-day. But that Boer had no Chivalry in him.

Honesty.—Honesty is a form of Honour. An honourable man can be trusted with any amount of money or other valuables with the certainty that he will not steal it.

Cheating at any time is a sneaking, underhand thing to do.

When you feel inclined to cheat in order to win a game, or feel very distressed when a game in which you are playing is going against you, just say to yourself, "After all, it is only a game. It won't kill me if I do lose. One can't win always, though I will stick to it in case of a chance coming."

If you keep your head in this way, you will very often find that you win after all from not being over-anxious or despairing.

And don't forget, whenever you do lose a game, if you are a true scout, you will at once cheer the winning team or shake hands with and congratulate the fellow who has beaten you.

This rule will be carried out in all games and competitions among Boy Scouts.

Loyalty.—Loyalty was, above all, one of the distinguishing points about the knights. They were always devotedly loyal to their King and to their country, and were always ready and eager to die in their defence. In the same way a follower of the Knights should be loyal not only to the King but also to everyone who is above him, whether his officers or employers, and he should stick to them through thick and thin as part of his duty.

He should also be equally loyal to his own friends and should support them in evil times as well as in good times.

Loyalty to duty was shown by the Roman soldier of old who stuck to his post when the city of Pompeii was overwhelmed with ashes and lava from the volcano Vesuvius. His remains are still there, with his hand covering his mouth and nose to prevent the suffocation which in the end overcame him.

His example was followed at some manoeuvres not long ago by a cadet of Reigate Grammar School who when posted as sentry was accidentally left on his post when the field day was over. But though night came on and it was very cold—in November last—the lad stuck to his post till he was found in the middle of the night, half-perished with cold, but alive and alert.

OBEDIENCE AND DISCIPLINE.

Discipline and obedience are as important as bravery for scouts and for soldiers.

The Birkenhead was a transport-ship carrying troops. She had on board 630 soldiers with their families and 130 seamen. Near the Cape of Good Hope one night, she ran on to some rocks, and began to break up. The soldiers were at once paraded on deck. Some were told off to get out the boats, and to put the women and children into them, and others were told off to get the horses up out of the hold, and to lower them overboard into the sea in order that they might have a chance of swimming ashore. When this had all been done it was found that there were not enough boats to take the men, and so the men were ordered to remain in their ranks. Then the ship broke in half and began to go down. The Captain shouted to the men to jump over and save themselves, but the Colonel, Colonel Seaton, said "No, keep your ranks." For he saw that if they swam to the boats and tried to get in they would probably sink them too. So the men kept their ranks and as the ship rolled over and sank they gave a cheer and went down with her. Out of the whole 760 on board, only 192 were saved, but even those would probably have been lost had it not been for the discipline and self-sacrifice of the others.

Last year a British Training Ship, the Fort Jackson, full of boy-sailors was run into by a steamer, but just as on the Birkenhead there was no panic or crying out. The boys fell in quickly on parade, put on their lifebelts, and faced the danger calmly and well. And not a life was lost.

Discipline.—Gibraltar is a great big fortified rock which belongs to England, down on the South Coast of Spain. One hundred and twenty years ago it was besieged by the Spanish and French armies together.

The Spanish Army attacked Gibraltar on the land side, while the French attacked it by sea, but though they fought hard and with greatest endurance for over three years, the British troops defending the place were a match for them and held out successfully until they were relieved by the Fleet from home.

General Elliot, who had been a Cavalry officer in the 15th Hussars, commanded the troops at Gibraltar, and it was largely owing to his strict discipline that the Garrison succeeded in holding out. Every man had learnt to obey orders without any hesitation or question.

One day a man disobeyed an order, so General Elliot had him up before him and explained that for a man to be insubordinate at such a time showed that he could not be in his right senses; he must be mad. So he ordered that his head should be shaved and that he should be blistered, bled, and put into a strait-waistcoat and should be put in the cells, with bread and water, as a lunatic, and should also be prayed for in church!

Humility.—Humility or being humble was one of the things which was practised by the knights, that is to say that, although they were generally superior to other people in fighting or campaigning, they never allowed themselves to swagger about it. So Don't Swagger.

And don't imagine that you have got rights in this world except those that you earn for yourself. You've got the right to be believed if you earn it by always telling the truth, and you've got the right to go to prison if you earn it by thieving; but there are lots of men who go about howling about their rights who have never done anything to earn any rights. Do your duty first and you will get your rights afterwards.

Fortitude.—Then the knights were men who never said "Die" till they were dead; they were always ready to stick it out till the last extremity, but it is a very common fault with men to give in to trouble or fear long before there is any necessity. They often give up working because they don't get success all at once, and probably if they stuck to it a little longer, success would come. A man must expect hard work and want of success at first.

COURAGE.

Very few men are born brave, but any man can make himself brave if he tries—and especially if he begins trying when he is a boy.

The brave man dashes into danger without any hesitation, when a less brave man is inclined to hang back. It is very like bathing. A lot of boys will come to a river to bathe, and will cower shivering on the bank, wondering how deep the water is, and whether it is very cold—but the brave one will run through them and take his header into the water, and will be swimming about happily a few seconds later.

The thing is, when there is danger before you, don't stop and look at it—the more you look at it the less you will like it—but take the plunge, go boldly in at it, and it won't be half so bad as it looked, when you are once in it.

In the late war between Japan and Russia some Japanese pioneers had been ordered to blow up the gate of a Russian fort so that the attackers could get in. After nearly all of them had been shot down, a few of them managed to get to the gate with their charges of powder. These had to be "tamped" or jammed tight against the door somehow, and then fired. The Japs "tamped" them by pushing them against the door with their chests; they then lit their matches, fired the charge, and blew up the gates, but blew up themselves in doing so. But their plucky self-sacrifice enabled their comrades to get in and win the place for the Emperor.

GOOD TEMPER AND CHEERINESS.

The knights laid great stress on being never out of temper. They thought it bad form to lose their temper, and to show anger. Captain John Smith, of whom I spoke just now, was himself a type of a cheerful man. In fact, towards the end of his life two boys (and he was very fond of boys) to whom he told his adventures, wrote them down in a book, but they said that they found great difficulty in hearing all that he said, because he roared with laughter so over his own descriptions of his troubles. But it is very certain, that had he not been a cheery man, he never could have got through half the dangers with which he was faced at different times in his career.

Over and over again he was made prisoner by his enemies—sometimes savage enemies—but he managed always to captivate them with his pleasant manner and become friends with them, so that often they let him go, or did not trouble to catch him when he made his escape.

If you do your work cheerfully, your work becomes much more of a pleasure to you, and also if you are cheerful it makes other people cheerful as well, which is part of your duty as a scout. Mr. J. M. Barrie writes: "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others, cannot keep happiness from themselves," which means, if you make other people happy, you make yourself happy.

If you are in the habit of taking things cheerfully, you will very seldom find yourself in serious trouble, because if a difficulty or annoyance or danger seems very great, you will, if you are wise, force yourself to laugh at it, although I will allow it is very difficult to do so at first. Still, the moment you do laugh, most of the difficulty seems to disappear at once, and you can tackle it quite easily.

Good temper can be attained by a boy who wants to have it, and it will help him in every game under the sun, and more especially in difficulty and danger, and will often keep him in a situation where a short-tempered fellow gets turned out, or leaves in a huff.

Bad language and swearing are generally used, like smoking, by boys who want to try and show off how manly they are, but it only makes them look like fools. Generally, a man who swears is a man easily upset, and loses his head in a difficult situation, and he is not, therefore, to be depended upon. You want to be quite undisturbed under the greatest difficulties; and so when you find yourself particularly anxious or excited, or angry, don't swear, force yourself to smile, and it will set you right in a moment.

Captain John Smith, who neither smoked nor swore, had a way of dealing with swearers, which is also adopted by our scouts. He says in his diary that when his men were cutting down trees, the axes blistered their tender fingers, so that at about every third blow, a loud oath would drown the echo of the axe. To remedy this he devised a plan of having every man's oath noted down, and at night, for every oath, he had a can of water poured down the swearer's sleeve, "with which an offender was so washed, that a man would scarce hear an oath in a week."

BOOKS TO READ.

"Courage." By Charles Wagner. (Published by T. Fisher Unwin, London.)

"Golden Deeds." (Macmillan.)

"Parents and Children." Miss Charlotte Mason.

"Duty." By Samuel Smiles, 2s. (Murray.) (Published by Kegan Paul.)

PRACTICE IN SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Practice unselfishness by a picnic to which all contribute what they are able to, according to their means. No remarks to be allowed on the amounts given.

GAMES.

Call for volunteers for some dangerous enterprise, such as "Dispatch Running," or some other game made dangerous by the condition that if the scout selected to do the dangerous job fails he will lose his life; that is, will forfeit his scout's badge permanently. If he succeeds he may get up to 15 marks towards a badge of merit.

Any games such as football, basketball, etc., where rules are strictly enforced, are good for teaching discipline and unselfishness.

Ju-jitsu has many excellent points, too, in that direction.

"Bowmanship."—Crossbow shooting. Scouts should, if possible, make their own crossbows.

"Longbowmanship" as by the archers of the Middle Ages. Scouts to make their own bows and arrows if possible. Read Aylward's doings in "The White Company."

"Quarter Staff Play" with scouts' staves, as played by the yeomen and apprentices in old days.

CAMP FIRE YARN.—No. 22.
SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

Religion—Thrift—How to get on.

TO INSTRUCTORS.

This camp fire yarn opens to instructors a wide field for the most important work of all in this scheme of Boy Scouts, and gives you an opportunity for doing really valuable work for the nation.

The prevailing want of religion should be remedied by a practical working religion rather than a too spiritual one at first.

Self-Employment.—A great amount of poverty and unemployedness results from boys being allowed to run riot outside the school walls as loafers, or from being used early in life as small wage-earners, such as errand boys, etc., and then finding themselves at the commencement of manhood without any knowledge of a trade to go on with, and unable to turn their hand to any work out of their one immediate line. They are helpless and unemployable. It is here that as instructor you can do invaluable work for the boy, by getting each in turn to talk privately over his future, and to map out a line for himself, and to start preparing himself for it. Encourage him to take up "hobbies" or handicrafts.

The suggestions offered here are, owing to the want of space, very limited in number, but your own experience or imagination will probably provide many more.

DUTY TO GOD.

An old British chieftain, some thirteen hundred years ago, said:

Our life has always seemed to me like the flight of a sparrow through the great hall, when one is sitting at meals with the log-fire blazing on the hearth, and all is storm and darkness outside. He comes in, no one knows from where, and hovers for a short time in the warmth and light, and then flies forth again into the darkness. And so it is with the life of a man; he comes no one knows from where; he is here in the world for a short time till he flies forth again, no one knows whither. But now you show us that if we do our duty during our life we shall not fly out into darkness again when life is ended, since Christ has opened a door for us to enter a brighter room, a Heaven where we can go and dwell in peace for ever.

This old chief was speaking for all the chiefs of northern England when King Edwin had introduced to them a knowledge of the Christian religion; and they adopted it then and there as one more comforting to them than their old Pagan worship of heathen gods; and ever since those days the Christian religion has been the one to rule our country.

Religion is a very simple thing:

1st. To believe in God.

2nd. To do good to other people.

The old knights, who were the scouts of the nation, were very religious. They were always careful to attend church or chapel, especially before going into battle or undertaking any serious difficulty. They considered it was the right thing always to Be Prepared for death. In the great church of Malta you can see to-day where the old knights used to pray, and they all stood up and drew their swords during the reading of the Creed, as a sign that they were prepared to defend the gospel with their swords and lives. Besides worshipping God in church, the knights always recognised His work in the things which He made, such as animals, plants, and scenery. And so it is with peace scouts to-day that wherever they go they love the woodlands, the mountains, and the prairies, and they like to watch and know about the animals that inhabit them and the wonders of the flowers and plants. No man is much good unless he believes in God and obeys His laws. So every scout should have a religion.

There are many kinds of religion such as Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Mohammedans, and so on, but the main point about them is that they all worship God, although in different ways. They are like an army which serves one king, though it is divided into different branches, such as cavalry, artillery, and infantry, and these wear different uniforms. So, when you meet a boy of a different religion from your own, you should not be hostile to him, but recognise that he is like a soldier in your own army, though in a different uniform, and still serving the same king as you.

In doing your duty to God, always be grateful to Him. Whenever you enjoy a pleasure or a good game, or succeed in doing a good thing, thank Him for it, if only with a word or two, just as you say grace after a meal. And it is a good thing to bless other people. For instance, if you see a train starting off, just pray for God's blessing on all that are in the train and so on.

In doing your duty towards man, be helpful and generous and also always be grateful for any kindness done to you, and be careful to show that you are grateful.

Remember that a present given to you is not yours until you have thanked for it. While you are the sparrow flying through the Hall, that is to say, while you are living your life on this earth, try and do something good which may remain after you. One writer says:

I often think that when the sun goes down the world is hidden by a big blanket from the light of Heaven, but the stars are little holes pierced in that blanket by those who have done good deeds in this world. The stars are not all the same size; some are big, some little, and some men have done great deeds and others have done small deeds, but they have made their hole in the blanket by doing good before they went to Heaven.

Try and make your hole in the blanket by good work while you are on the earth.

It is something to be good, but it is far better to do good.

THRIFT.

It is a funny thing that out of you boys who now read these words, some of you are certain to become rich men, and some of you may die in poverty and misery. And it just depends on your own selves which you are going to do.

And you can very soon tell which your future is going to be.

The fellow who begins making money as a boy will go on making it as a man. You may find it difficult to do at first, but it will come easier later on; but if you begin and if you go on, remember, you are pretty certain to succeed in the end—especially if you get your money by hard work.

If you only try to make it by easy means—that is by betting, say, on a football match or a horse-race—you are bound to lose after a time. Nobody who makes bets ever wins in the end; it is the book-maker, the man who receives the bets, that scores over it. Yet there are thousands of fools who go on putting their money on because they won a bit once or hope to win some day.

Any number of poor boys have become rich men—but in nearly every case it was because they meant to do so from the first; they worked for it, and put every penny they could make into the bank to begin with.

So each one of you has the chance if you like to take it. The great owner of millions of pounds, J. Astor, began his career as a poor boy-pedlar with seven German flutes as his stock-in-trade. He sold them for more than he gave and went on increasing his business.

The knights of old were ordered by their rules to be thrifty, that is to save money as much as possible, not to expend large sums on their own enjoyment, but to save it in order that they might keep themselves and not be a burden to others, and also in order that they might have more to give away in charity; and if they had no money of their own, they were not allowed to beg for it, they must work and make it in one way or another. Thus money-making goes with manliness, hard work, and sobriety.

Boys are not too young to work for money.

Mr Thomas Holmes, the police-court missionary, tells us how hundreds of poor boys in London are working pluckily and well at making their living, even while doing their school work. They get up early, at half-past four in the morning, and go round with milk or bakers' barrows till about eight, and after that off to school; back in the afternoon to the shop to clean the pails and cans. They save up their money every day; those who have mothers, hand it over to them; those who have not, store it up or bank it. They are regular men before they are twelve years of age, and good examples to other boys wherever they may be.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY.

There are many ways by which a scout, or a patrol working together, can make money, such as:

Carpentering.—Making arm-chairs, recovering old furniture, etc., is a very paying trade. Fretwork and carving, picture-frames, birdcages, cabinets, carved pipe-bowls, can be sold through a shop.

Get permission to cut certain sticks in hedges or woods and trim them into walking-sticks, after hanging them with weights attached to straighten and dry them. Breeding canaries, chickens, rabbits, or dogs pays well. Beekeeping brings in from £1 to £2 a year per hive, after you have paid for hive and queen bee or swarm.

You can make novel sets of buttons out of bootlaces. Collect old packing cases and boxes and chop them into bundles of firewood. Make nets, besoms, etc., for gardeners. Keeping goats and selling their milk will pay in some places. Basket making, pottery, book-binding, etc., all bring money. Or a patrol working together can form themselves into a corps of messenger-boys in a country town, or they can get an allotment garden and work it for selling vegetables and flowers, or they can make themselves into a minstrel troupe, or perform scouting displays or pageants, etc., like those shown in this book, and take money at the doors.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTONS OUT OF BOOTLACES. 1.

4. Continue till you have the whole knot doubled or trebled.

5. The loop for attaching the button is moved from its original position to hang from the centre of the knot.

6. Pull all tight, cut off loose end, and the button is complete.

These are only a few suggestions; there are loads of other ways of making money which you can think out for yourselves, according to the place you are in.

But in order to get money you must expect to work. The actor, Ted Payne, used to say in one of his plays, "I don't know what is wrong with me, I eat well, I drink well, and I sleep well, but somehow whenever anybody mentions the word 'Work' to me I get a cold shudder all over me." That is what happens to a great many men in England, I am afraid. There are a good many other chicken-hearted fellows, who, when any work faces them "get a cold shudder all over them"; or when trouble comes, they go and take to drink, instead of facing it and working it off.

Start a money-box, put any money you can make into that, and when you have got a fair amount in it, hand it over to a bank, and start an account for yourself. As a scout, you have to have a certain amount in the savings bank before you can become entitled to wear a badge. Save your pence and you'll get pounds.

(Scouts' Money Boxes can be obtained from Manager Boy Scouts, Henrietta Street, London, W.C.)

HOW TO GET ON.

A few years ago the American Government was at war with rebels in the island of Cuba. (Point out on map.)

America, as you know, is ruled by a President and not by a King. The late President, McKinley, wanted to send a letter to Garcia, the chief of the rebels in Cuba, but did not know how to get it taken to him, as the rebels were a savage lot inhabiting a wild and difficult country.

When he was talking it over with his advisers, someone said: "There's a young fellow called Rowan who seems to be able to get anything done that you ask him. Why not try him?"

So Rowan was sent for, and when he came in the President explained why he had sent for him, and, putting the letter in his hand, said: "Now, I want that letter sent to Garcia."

The lad simply smiled and said, "I see," and walked out of the room without saying another word.

Some weeks passed and Rowan appeared again at the President's door and said, "I gave your letter to Garcia, sir," and walked out again. Of course, Mr. McKinley had him back and made him explain how he had done it.

It turned out that he had got a boat and sailed away in her for some days; had landed on the coast of Cuba, and disappeared into the jungle; in three weeks' time he reappeared on the other side of the island having gone through the enemy and found Garcia, and given him the letter.

He was a true scout, and that is the way a scout should carry out an order when he gets it. No matter how difficult it may seem he should tackle it, with a smile; the more difficult it is the more interesting it will be to carry out.

Most fellows would have asked a lot of questions—first as to how they were to set about it, how they could get to the place, where were they to get food from, and so on; but not so Rowan: he merely learnt what duty was wanted of him, and he did the rest without a word; any fellow who acts like that is certain to get on.

We have a lot of good scouts already in England among the District Messenger Boys in London. These lads, from having difficult jobs frequently given them and being expected to carry them out successfully, take them on with the greatest confidence in themselves; and, without asking a lot of silly questions, they start off in a businesslike way, and do them.

That is the way to deal with any difficulty in life. If you get a job or a trouble that seems to you to be too big for you, don't shirk it: smile, think out a way by which you might get successfully through with it, and then go at it.

Remember that "a difficulty is no longer a difficulty when once you laugh at it—and tackle it."

Don't be afraid of making a mistake. Napoleon said "Nobody ever made anything who never made a mistake."

Memory.—Then practise remembering things. A fellow who has a good memory will get on because so many other people have bad memories from not practising them.

At the Olympic Theatre, Liverpool, the forgetfulness on the part of the people in the audience gradually made it necessary for the manager to keep a special room and ledgers for all lost articles left behind in the theatre after each performance. But the happy idea struck him of putting a notice on the curtain by means of a bioscope lantern a few minutes before the end of the performance saying, "Please look under your seat before leaving."

This has made a great difference in the number of things left behind.

People used to leave every kind of thing, even medicine bottles, and false teeth; and once a cheque for £50 was left.

Luck.—A great coral island is build up of tiny sea insects blocking themselves together; so also great knowledge in a man is built up by his noticing all sorts of little details and blocking them together in his mind by remembering them.

If you want to catch a tramcar when it is not at a stopping station you don't sit down and let it run past you and then say, "How unlucky I am"; you run and jump on. It is just the same with what some people call "luck"; they complain that luck never comes to them. Well, luck is really the chance of getting something good or of doing something great; the thing is to look out for every chance and seize it—run at it and jump on—don't sit down and wait for it to pass you. Opportunity is a tramcar which has very few stopping places.

Choose a Career.—"Be Prepared" for what is going to happen to you in the future. If you are in a situation where you are earning money as a boy what are you going to do when you finish that job? You ought to be learning some proper trade to take up; and save your pay in the meantime, to keep you going till you get employment in your new trade.

And try to learn something of a second trade in case the first one fails you at any time, as so very often happens.

If you want to serve your King and Country there is the Royal Navy open to you, a fine service with its grand traditions, its splendid ships, guns, and seamen. It takes you across the seas to our great Colonies and to foreign lands, from the frozen Arctic to the tropical coasts of Africa.

Or there is the Army, with cavalry, infantry, artillery, engineers, and other branches, in which you can wear the uniform of your country and do good work in every climate under the sun.

In either service a good and honourable career is open to you—for you have everything found for you, food, housing, clothing, and hospital, with good pay and the certainty of promotion and pension for the rest of your life if you make up your mind to serve loyally, steadily, and well. In such a career you have plenty of adventure and you are among good comrades and friends. And if you start early to save your pay, and not to throw it away as too many do, you can easily put by £25 a year in the bank.

[The instructor should similarly give advice on other trades and professions, especially those in the neighbourhood.]

PRACTICES IN SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

Market Gardening.—The patrol or troop can work an allotment or other garden and sell the produce for their fund.

For a Troop or a Number of Troops.—Offer a good prize for the best article made by a scout with materials which have not cost more than 2s. Entrance fee to competition 3d.

Have an exhibition of these, coupled with displays and scenes, etc., by the scouts, and take money at the doors.

At the end sell the articles by auction: the articles which fetch the highest prices win the prizes.

Instruction Classes in Esperanto, Bookkeeping, Mechanics, Electricity, and, especially, Shorthand.

Army Class.—At the Home Office School, Stoke Farm, boys are put through the same examination as in the Army Schools for promotion certificates. They thus know their classification should they then go into the Army.

Memorizing.—Read something to the boys, a line or two at a time, to see who can repeat it best. To concentrate the mind and develop memory.

Mr. G. L. Boundy of Exeter has had great success in developing intelligence amongst his lads by taking parties of them round to see the different factories in Exeter. They all take notes and rough drawings as they go along and reproduced them the following meeting, and report on what they have seen.

INFORMATION ON PROFESSIONS, ETC.

Conditions of service in the Royal Navy, Army, Post, Telegraph, or Police can be obtained at the nearest Post Office or Police Station.

Conditions of service in the Mercantile Marine or Training for it can be obtained from the Navy League: Lancashire Sea Training Home for boys from 13-1/2 to 15-1/2., 28 Chapel Street, Liverpool.

Post Office Savings Bank, Penny Banks and Benefit Societies exist in all leading towns and will give full information. As an example:

National Deposit Friendly Society, 37 Queen Square, Southampton Row, London. Payments for children from 6d. a month, adults 2s. 3d. and entitles them to sick pay, pension, funeral expenses, in addition to their own cash capital.

So soon as it becomes possible organise an employment agency for getting your boys in touch with employers, etc.

BOOKS TO READ.

"Thrift," by Samuel Smiles. 2s. (John Murray.)

"One Hundred and One Ways of Making Money." 1s. (Sell & Odling, London.)

"Do It Now," by Peter Keary. 1s. (C. A. Pearson Ltd.)

"Rabbits for Profit," by J. Brod. 1s.

"The Secrets of Success," by Peter Keary. 1s. (C. A. Pearson Ltd.)

"Bees for Pleasure and Profit," by Swanson. 1s.

"Esperanto for the Million." 1d. (Stead, 39 Whitefriars Street, London, E.C.)

"Cassell's Handbooks." 1s. 6d. each. Joinery, Pottery, Painters' Work, etc.

"Work Handbooks" series. 1s. each. On Harness-making, Tinplate, Pumps, Bookbinding, Signwriting, Beehives, etc.

"How to Make Baskets," by Miss White. 1s.

"Rafia Work," by M. Swannell. 2s. (Geo. Philip & Son, Fleet Street.) ["Rafia" or "Bast" is the inner bark of a tree and is used for making baskets, mats, hats, etc.]

"Self Help," by S. Smiles. 2s. (John Murray.)

See also "Papers on Trades for Boys" in Boys Brigade Gazette.

CONTENTS OF PARTS V. and VI.

PART V.

Saving Life and First-Aid.

Patriotism and Loyalty.

PART VI.

Scouting Games, Competitions, and Plays.

Words to Instructors.

So great has been the success of this Handbook, "Scouting for Boys," that Lt.-Gen. Baden-Powell has decided to complete it with Part 6, and make arrangements instead for a weekly penny paper for young men, to be entitled:

THE SCOUT,

in order to get into quicker touch with the numerous scouting patrols being formed.

Full particulars will be given later. Meanwhile all communications should be addressed to Messrs. C. Arthur Pearson Ltd., 17-18 Henrietta Street, Strand, London, W.C., who will be the publishers.

WHAT PARTS I., II., and III. CONTAIN.

Part I.—SCOUTCRAFT.

Special Foreword for Instructors.—The Boy Scouts scheme and its easy application to all existing organisations.

Scoutcraft.—Its wide uses and wide interest.

Summary of Scout's Course of Instruction, showing the scope of Scout's work.

Organisation.—Dress, secret signs, scouts' songs, and tests for badges of honour.

Scouts' Law and Scouts' Honour under the guiding motto "Be Prepared."

Scouting Games and Practices for indoors and out of doors, in town and in country.

Part II.—TRACKING and WOODCRAFT.

OBSERVATION and its value; how to use your eyes, nose, and ears, and how to follow a night trail.

Spooring.—Tracks of men and animals and games in tracking.

Reading "Sign" and making deductions from it.

Woodcraft.—How to stalk and how to hide properly.

Animals.—How to stalk and know them—a better game than stamp collecting.

Birds, Fishes, and Insects all scouts should know.

Plants and Trees.

Games and Competitions in Tracking, Stalking, and Woodcraft.

Part III.—LIFE IN THE OPEN.

CAMPS AND CAMPAIGNING.

Pioneer Dodges.—How to make huts, knots, and bridges.

Camp Comfort Hints.—Right ways to make fires and to keep the camp straight and clean.

Cooking.—How to use your cooking-tin; ideas for camp games.

Open Air Life.—Water games; weather reading; exploration at home; night work.

PATHFINDING.—How to find your way; methods of signalling by code, whistle, smoke, flame, and flag; some good games.

Part V. FORTNIGHTLY. Price 4d. net.

Scouting for Boys

B-P

Published by Horace Cox, Windsor House,

Bream's Buildings, London, e.c.

Scouting for Boys.

A HANDBOOK FOR INSTRUCTION

GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

Lieut.-General R. S. S. BADEN-POWELL, C.B., F.R.G.S.

All communications should be addressed to—

Lieut.-General BADEN-POWELL,

Boy Scouts' Office,

Goschen Buildings,

Henrietta Street,

LONDON, W.C.

by whom Scouts will be enrolled, and from where

all further information can be obtained.

Copyrighted by Lieut.-General R. S. S. Baden-Powell, C.B., F.R.G.S.

1908.

Continuation of PART IV.—Sobriety: Practise Observation; Fortitude; Notes to Instructors.

PART V.

CONTENTS: CHAPTER VIII.

(Commences on page [279].)

SAVING LIFE;

or, How to Deal with Accidents.

HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS.

CAMP FIRE YARNS.

23.—Be Prepared for Accidents: The Knights Hospitallers of St. John; Boy Heroes; Girl Heroines; Life-Saving Medals.

24.—Accidents and How to Deal with Them: Panic; Fire; Drowning; Horses; Mad Dog; Miscellaneous.

25.—Aid to the Injured: First Aid; Prevention of Suicide.

PRACTICES, GAMES, and DISPLAYS IN LIFE-SAVING.

BOOKS TO READ.

CONTENTS: CHAPTER IX.

(Commences on page [309]).

PATRIOTISM;

or, Our Duties as Citizens.

HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS.

CAMP FIRE YARNS.

26.—Our Empire: How it Grew; How it must be Maintained.

27.—Citizenship: Duties of Scouts as Citizens; Duties as Citizen Soldiers; Marksmanship; Helping the Police.

28.—United We Stand, Divided We Fall: Our Flag; Our Navy and Army; Our Government; Our King.

BOOKS TO READ.

CONTINUATION OF PART IV.
SOBRIETY.

Remember that drink never yet cured a single trouble; it only makes troubles grow worse and worse the more you go on with it. It makes a man forget for a few hours what exactly his trouble is, but it also makes him forget everything else. If he has wife and children it makes him forget that his duty is to work and help them out of the difficulties instead of making himself all the more unfit to work.

A man who drinks is generally a coward—and one used to see it very much among soldiers. Nowadays they are a better class and do not drink.

Some men drink because they like the feeling of getting half stupid, but they are fools, because once they take to drink no employer will trust them, and they soon become unemployed and easily get ill, and finally come to a miserable end. There is nothing manly about getting drunk. Once a man gives way to drink it ruins his health, his career, and his happiness, as well as that of his family. There is only one cure for this disease, and that is—never to get it.