That ended the meeting. We had to have several more like it before we could get everything ready for the trip.
"It is early yet," said Mr. Norton. "If you would like to have me, I'll tell you a story about what I think was one of the greatest scouting trips ever undertaken."
CHAPTER XV
SCOUTING IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST
"SOME of you boys went out to Illinois, last summer," he began. "Did you go as far as the Mississippi River?"
"No, but we camped out on the Illinois River," I told him, "and that flows into the Mississippi."
"We explored," explained Benny, "just like LaSalle and Tonty and the other guys did. Skinny was LaSalle and I was Tonty."
"LaSalle and Tonty were great scouts. Do you remember when they made those early explorations?"