CHAPTER VI.
THE BOY SCOUTS' WATER BOILING TEST.
Mr. Garrabrant was full of business on this fine morning.
He set about a host of things immediately after breakfast, saying that they ought to take advantage of the opportunity to get in a good morning's work.
Several boys were sent out on the lake to try to duplicate the good luck attending the fishermen of the preceding afternoon. Mark Cummings was encouraged to get numerous views of the camp, and whatever was going on—such as would afford the Hickory Ridge scouts the most pleasure in later days, when this series of camp fires was but a hallowed memory.
With the balance of the troop the scout master proceeded to try out various interesting tests, to discover just how the boys stood in the matter of efficiency. As Elmer was such an old and experienced hand in most of these matters, he was of course debarred from entering the competitions. It would be taking too great an advantage over the tenderfeet scouts, who had everything to learn as yet.
First of all the scout master decided to put ten boys at the boiling-water test. This is one of the most interesting, as well as amusing competitions, the scouts indulge in, and one that never fails to evoke much laughter among those who look on.
Each boy was given a tin pail that held two quarts of water, and which could be carried by a bale. Besides this, he was handed just three matches, and put upon his honor that he did not have another of the kind upon his person.
A spot was selected that was possibly fully eighty yards away from the edge of the lake, and this Mr. Garrabrant did purposely, so that if one of the competing scouts was so unlucky as to upset his pail of water during the test, he would be greatly handicapped by having to run so far in order to replenish the same.
Lined up, they were to be given the word, when a rush would be made for the lake, the buckets filled at least up to a line midway that indicated a full quart. Then they had to hasten back to the place assigned, being careful not to spill a drop of the fluid on penalty of losing marks for having less than the quart needed.