"What's the first thing to do?" asked Porky.
"Well, one of you fellows who are not detailed to the fair had better go over to the Troop D Farm where the Mounted Police are training, and see when I can see Colonel Handler."
"What you want of him?" asked a boy named Asa Downe.
"I want to tell him enough of this so he will fix it to let us
Scouts go wherever we like. So the first thing in the morning,
Asa, you trot over there, and find out when I can see the
Colonel."
Asa started for the Troop D Farm as soon as he had finished a hasty breakfast the next morning. He had his part of the interview with Colonel Handler nicely and neatly rehearsed. He had worked so hard over it that he said, "Thank you, Colonel," when his mother had passed the doughnuts at breakfast.
The more Asa thought of it, the more he thought it would be fine to take some one along with him; and when he saw ahead of him the two violently red wheels of the Potter twins, it was settled right there. He yelled, and they waited.
"Where you goin'!" he demanded.
"Over to the Troop D Farm," said Porky, hopping off his wheel to rest.
"What for? This is my job."
"Sure it is!" agreed Beany. "But we knew you'd want some one along for fear you forgot of the things you wanted to say, and we knew we always remember better than the other fellows. So we started out. We knew you'd be along."