“Your finger can’t lie,” Pee-wee said; “that’s a scout stunt. It’s blowing from there.”
“Yes and that’s the east,” said Simon amiably.
“How can the south be the east?” Pee-wee demanded with withering scorn.
“It can’t,” said Simon, “and ’tain’t neither.”
The wind’s east but it’s comin’ roun’. Moren’ like it’ll be clear this afternoon n’ rain again at night. See the spider-web across that woodchuck hole over in the field? It’s noon and he ain’t out yet. That means likely he won’t come out till to-morrow. It’ll rain to-night moren’ like.”
“As long as it’s clear this afternoon I don’t care,” said Pee-wee, somewhat squelched by this bit of knowledge. “I bet you can’t tell time by the sun. I can tell what time it is by holding a nail slanting-ways on the back of my watch and letting the sun shine on it.”
“Why don’t you look at the front of your watch?” Simon asked innocently.
“That shows how much you know about scouting,” Pee-wee fairly shouted. “Suppose—suppose my watch should be slow?”
“I wouldn’t think them scouts would have their watches slow,” said Simon.
“Even the clock on the City Hall is slow sometimes,” Pee-wee thundered, in despair for an argument. “Do you mean to say I’m smarter than a city hall is? Gee whiz! A scout has to be resourceful and he doesn’t depend on watches. That’s why he carries a nail.”