“Fine!” he said. “I want to make this another feature of the rally. With your permission, Mr. Curtis, I’ll start them in on the rudiments to-night. The staves, of course, will take the place of arms.”
The hour which followed seemed one of the briefest the boys had ever known. The captain was no easy taskmaster, but not even Bob Gibson grumbled. There was something inspiring in those snappy, authoritative orders, in the rhythmic tramp of marching feet, in the growing sense of efficiency and pride with each movement understood and properly executed. Every one of the twenty-four scouts put his whole being into the work, and in the end they were rewarded by Captain Chalmers’s pleased approval.
“That’s great!” he said when at length they stood at ease. “I didn’t think you’d do so well. Keep it up in that spirit, and we’ll all be proud of you. After this, Mr. Curtis will do the drilling. Besides practising what you’ve already learned, one new evolution thoroughly mastered at each meeting will be about all you ought to undertake.”
He stepped back, and Mr. Curtis took his place. At the sight of the folded paper in his hand a sudden ripple of interest ran down the line.
“Gee!” muttered Frank Sanson. “I’d forgotten all about the surprise!”
“I have a letter here from Mr. Thornton, fellows,” said the scoutmaster, unfolding the paper. Smiling a little, his glance ranged over the long line of eager, inquiring faces; then it dropped to the sheet before him, and he read aloud slowly:
“My dear Curtis:
“As you know from my note of ten days or more ago, I have amused myself during the past few months by having a permanent mess-shack and recreation-room built on the site of the big dining-tent. The finishing touches will be put to this within a few days, and I think something in the nature of a housewarming is in order. It will give me great pleasure if your troop can be my guests down at the camp during their Easter vacation, which begins, I understand, toward the last of the month. By that time the weather ought to be mild enough for a week of tent life–at least for Boy Scouts; and there will always be the new building to fall back on. I will see to the transportation back and forth, and I hope every one of your boys will be able to come.
“Sincerely yours,
“John Thornton.”