“What’s that?” asked Connie so quickly that he dropped a spoonful of ice cream on his lap. “Go on,” he laughed as Mr. Trevor paused, “I’m gettin’ excited, that’s all.”
“He must swear:” explained his host, “First, to do his duty to God and his country; second, to help other people at all times; and third, to obey the Scout Law.”
“Tell us that,” cried Sandy Sheldon who had been so interested that he had held a spoonful of ice cream in the air until it was nearly melted. “That’s what I want to know.”
“I’d like to,” answered Mr. Trevor, who was all aglow over his experiment, “but I can’t. It’s too long. Each boy will have to read it for himself. But I have a few notes on it. It consists of nine articles,” he added taking out his memorandum book, “and it was written by General Baden-Powell himself. These are the subjects:
“‘Article I. A Scout’s honor is to be trusted. If he does not carry out the leader’s orders exactly his badge will be taken from him.
“‘Article II. A Scout is loyal to his government, to his officers and to his parents and his employers.
“‘Article III. A Scout’s duty is to be useful and to help others.
“‘Article IV. A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout.
“‘Article V. A Scout is courteous. That is, he is polite to all, but especially to women and children, old people and cripples. He must take no reward for being courteous.