On the porch of the lodge, a short string of boys stood before the window, waiting their turn to make small purchases of candy, peanuts, and gum. Dirk joined the end of the line. When he came abreast of the window, he issued his demand.
“I want one of those camp letters to put on my sweater.”
Long Jim Avery, the lanky councilor charged with the duty of looking after the camp supplies, leaned far over the counter and looked at the boy with astonishment.
“You want what?” he asked with widening eyes.
“Oh, you know what I mean, sir—one of those green and white things with an L on them. I want to buy one.”
The boy in back of Dirk snickered. Long Jim gulped.
“Somebody’s trying to play a joke on you, Van Horn. Why, I thought even a new boy knew that you can’t buy an honor emblem!”
Dirk flushed. “But—some of the chaps have them. Where do you get them, then?”
“My, my! You can’t buy one—you have to earn it, and then it’s awarded to you at Council Ring. That’s a good one! Why, before you have the right to wear an honor emblem, you have to pass a lot of tests—you have to know a bunch of trees and birds and flowers and rocks and stars, and how to swim and handle a boat, and hike and cook and build woodcraft objects, and—oh, lots of things! Here, I’ll get you a card with all the requirements printed on it, and when you pass a test, the leader who passes you will put his initials down. Campers have a chance to pass the tests all the time. If I can help you learn some of the things, come around.”
“Never mind,” stammered Dirk miserably, backing away. “I didn’t know—— I guess I don’t want to start in right now.”