Scouts go out to find, and each in her own way tries to get up to her unseen.
Directly the Captain sees a Scout she directs her to stand up as having failed. After a certain time the Captain calls “Time,” all stand up at the spot which they have reached, and the nearest wins.
The same game may be played to test the Scouts in stepping lightly—the umpire being blindfolded. The practice should preferably be carried out where there are dry twigs lying about, and gravel, etc. The Scout may start to stalk the blind enemy at 100 yards’ distance, and she must do it fairly fast—say, in one minute and a half—to touch the blind man before she hears her.
Stalking and Reporting.—The umpire places herself out in the open and sends each Scout or pair of Scouts away in different directions about half a mile off. When she waves a flag, which is the signal to begin, they all hide, and then proceed to stalk her, creeping up and watching all she does. When she waves the flag again, they rise, come in, and report each in turn all that she did, either by handing in a written report or verbally, as may be ordered. The umpire meantime has kept a look-out in each direction, and, every time she sees a Scout, she takes two points off that Scout’s score. She, on her part, performs small actions, such as sitting down, kneeling up, looking through glasses, using handkerchief, taking hat off for a bit, walking round in a circle a few times, to give Scouts something to note and report about her. Scouts are given three points for each act reported correctly. It saves time if the umpire makes out a scoring card beforehand, giving the name of each Scout, and a number of columns showing each act of her, and what mark that Scout wins, also a column of deducted marks for exposing themselves.
The “Spider and Fly” game as described in the English book “Scouting for Boys” is also a proper one and useful for training in observation.
Plant Race.—The Scouts start off either cycling or on foot, to go in any direction they like to get a specimen of any ordered plants, a horseshoe mark from a chestnut tree, a briar rose or something of the kind, whichever the Captain may order, such as will tax their knowledge of plants and will test their memory as to where they noticed one of the kind required, and will also make them quick in getting there and back.
Leaf Trail.—It is supposed that a crime has been done, and in the search for the culprits who have hidden themselves, the police were helped in tracing the track by articles left behind them. The fugitives leave behind a dozen of certain leaves, such as oak, or chestnut or fir, laid in the order in which those trees come on the track. The trackers take note of these during the fifteen minutes start. The trackers must then follow wherever these trees are to be found, in the right order, until they can find the fugitives. Should they not be successful another day may be spent over it.
House Hunting
It is an interesting thing to take as the object of a walk the selection of a house where you would like to live. Notice the position, estimate the cost of rent, rates, taxes, etc., notice its garden and how you would utilise it, and, inside, what kind of wall-paper, etc., you would select so it would be homely and not merely for show, in good taste and not tawdry, airy and not stuffy with too many hangings, which will clean, and so on. Proximity to the necessary supply shops, doctor, telephone, post office, and so on should all be taken into consideration, and it is rather amusing to compare notes with the rest of your Patrol at the end of your expedition, and see how many got on the same house.