"Well," said the judge, again, "come here and tell us what you did do."
Danny came forward.
"Salute!" he heard Biddie whisper.
Danny saluted.
"Now," said the judge, "tell these gentlemen here what—what you told your mother when you got back from the mountains last night."
Danny looked at his mother. Her eyes were misty again, but she was nodding to him to do as the judge directed.
The tenderfoot stood embarrassed before them and told the story exactly as he had related it to his mother. He didn't like to do this, for he was very much ashamed of having to tell how frightened he had been, and how he had had to force himself to go forward.
The men listened intently. Once in a while one would interrupt to ask a question.
When Danny got to the point in his story of his acceptance of McKenzie's commission to cover old Death Head, a dark-eyed, quiet man on the judge's right leaned forward.
"One moment, Harding," he said. "McKenzie told us before you entered that you were afraid to go when the boys dared you, but that when he told you to go on the scouting trip, you said, 'this is different.' What did you mean by its being 'different'?"