They sat around the fire, which did not feel at all uncomfortable, enjoying the communion with this “unique character,” as Smithy privately termed the alligator skin collector.
“I been hearin’ a heap ’bout this Boy Scout bizness,” the man finally remarked, after he had been observing many of the ways of the boys, that had more or less connection with their patrol teaching; “an’ I jest don’t git on tuh the objeck o’ theh same. Be yuh agwine tuh grow up tuh be sogers, an’ is them uniforms a sign o’ the same?”
“Oh! no, like a good many other people you’ve got the wrong idea of this Boy Scout business, Mr. Smith,” Thad told him. “In America, the movement hasn’t anything whatever to do with the military spirit, except that it tries to make a boy follow out some of the rules that soldiers are bound by. He must try and be brave, obey when ordered by one in authority; be respectful to his superiors, and keep himself clean, both in mind and body.”
“Though they don’t always do that last,” interjected Davy Jones, as he cast a black look toward the lolling Bumpus; who only answered him by a derisive smile, and a good-natured nod.
“Tell me some more, son,” said the guide, showing great interest. “If them ijees kin be kerried out, I sure reckons I knows sum boys what had orter jine the scout movement in a hurry.”
“Oh! I couldn’t begin to tell you a tenth of what scouts are supposed to do and know,” Thad went on. “It’s done the greatest lot of good for most of us right here. Where a boy was weak and timid it makes him healthy and self-reliant. Where he may have been silly he becomes thoughtful, learning to do things instead of having others do them for him. No boy can subscribe to the twelve rules that he does, without it making him better in every way.”
“S’pose yuh tell me what them same rules be, son, ’case I’m thet int’rested I’d like tuh know,” the guide went on to say.
It was a subject which Thad never wearied of talking about, because his whole heart was wrapped up in it.
“Why, here they are then,” he remarked. “When a boy joins a patrol he has to promise to observe what is called scout law. That is, he will do his level best to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
“Well, now, thet same sounds good tuh me, son,” the guide went on to declare. “I jest don’t know plumb all yuh mean by sum o’ them words, but I git the ijee all right.”