“The first week in August we’re goin’ to camp out in the picnic woods up on the river. If you kids think you can lick us at ever’thing, we dare you to fix a day for a game of ‘When Scout Meets Scout,’ the winners to be the champion Boy Scouts of Scottsville. How about it?”
“Purty soft,” exclaimed Nick Apthorp tantalizingly. “We’ll be there an’ we’ll be the champeens.”
[CHAPTER XVI]
WHEN SCOUT MEETS SCOUT
The week in the woods referred to by Patrol Leader Conyers was to be the big event of the summer. It was to include a Sunday in camp and the first day was set for Wednesday, August the second. In the seven days following, the program included every detail of Boy Scout drill, game and camp life. Saturday was named for the “When Scout Meets Scout” combat with the Coyotes and the day after the return from camp meeting the original program was so altered as to leave this day open.
At a later conference between Hank and Connie the details of the coming contest were agreed upon. The usual directions for this game were amended and elaborated to conform to the bigger notions of the eager scouts. The rules for this game as given in “Scouting for Boys” are these:
“Single scouts, or complete patrols or pairs of scouts, are to be taken out about two miles apart, and made to work toward each other either alongside a road, or by giving each side a landmark to work to, such as a steep hill or a big tree, which is directly behind the other party, and will thus insure their coming together. The patrol which first sees the other wins. This is signified by the patrol leader holding up his patrol flag for the umpire to see, and sounding his whistle. A patrol need not keep together, but the patrol wins which first holds out its flag, so it is well for the scouts to be in touch with their patrol leader by signal, voice or message. Scouts may employ any ruse they like, such as climbing into trees and hiding in carts but they must not dress up in disguise.”
“That’s all right,” commented Connie, “but it’s too simple if we are goin’ to make a day of it.”
“Doctor it up any way you like,” laughed Hank. “I reckon we can stand it if you can.”