"We'll be there," they called, as they started up the street.
They were, too, ten of them, with Jim Donavan at their head. They came across lots from the Quaker Meeting House, soon after we had gathered around the big stone where we have our fires, just as they had come two years before, the time we had our big fight and came to know Jim.
Mr. Norton saw them coming and went to meet them.
"This is fine," said he, after we all had sat down on the grass around the fire. "You are a pretty husky bunch of fellows, and Raven Patrol will have to go some to keep up, after you get started. Skinny—I mean Gabriel—suppose you tell our visitors something about the Scouts."
"It's great," began Skinny. "We've been bandits and we've been Injuns, but Scouts beat 'em all. The woods are full of 'em all over the country, and they go about with uniforms on, doing good and having fun. They are like an army. We are one company, you will be another. I'm the same as captain, only they call me patrol leader. Mr. Norton is Scoutmaster, and there are officers above him, only we never saw them. We learn all about woodcraft and signs and signaling and how to do a lot of things, and we rescue people and do all kinds of stunts and get badges. The Ravens are going across the mountain on an exploring trip. I am going to look for a cave and maybe there is treasure in it. Our patrol animal is the crow, and it 'most ought to be yours because you live so near the Raven Rocks."
Skinny had run down by this time, although Bill was winding him up like a clock behind his back and making a clicking noise with his tongue.
"G'wan!" said he, turning around and catching him at it, "or I'll biff you one."
"Perhaps I'd better add a little to that explanation," said Mr. Norton.
Then he told all about it, much as he had told us that first time, and about Scout law; what it meant to be a Scout; how it made boys manly, and how much fun they would have.
"What I want is a troop," said he, when he had finished the story. "Several patrols together are called a troop. I would be in charge as Scoutmaster. Raven Patrol is now in pretty good shape. We are going on a camping expedition in a few weeks and we'll have a good chance to practise up on signaling, swimming, following trails through the woods, and things like that. Next year I should like to take a whole troop along. What do you say? Suppose you go over by that other stone and talk about it among yourselves."