"Maybe," said he, after a minute, "I can rescue some fair damsel in distress, like the knights used to do, even if there ain't any dragons now-a-days. The road goes too far from the river for me to save anybody from drowning; unless I come back by the river road."
In the evening Benny and I sat out on the woodpile, talking about it. We wondered where the boys were making their camps, if anything would happen to them and if Skinny had rescued anybody yet.
That night I dreamed that I was on the way. I met a little, old woman, going to market, and carried her basket for her.
"Noble boy," said she. "Because of your kind act I'll change shoes with you. Mine hurt my feet."
I didn't like to do it very well because her shoes were old and shabby, but Scout law says to be courteous. So I thanked her as well as I could and put them on.
And, say, they were magic shoes. I got to North Adams in about three jumps and liked it so well that I went on to Boston. I was just going to sleep on Boston Common when a big policeman grabbed me by one shoulder and gave me a shake.
"Quit!" I said. "A Scout's honor is to be trusted."
"John! John!" came a voice. "It's time to be up and away."
I opened my eyes and there was Pa, laughing down at me.
"You're a pretty Scout," said he. "It's after six o'clock and you have to start at seven."