“No joking,” said Warde. “I was–”
“I never joke,” said Roy, “except from Mondays to Saturdays, and on Sundays, morning, afternoon and evening.”
Warde tried again, “I was going to ask you about test four.”
“I’ll tell you about it,” said the irrepressible Pee-wee.
“How about writing the satisfactory account?”
“It doesn’t include worms and ginger snaps,” said Roy.
“But what’s the usual way?” Warde persisted.
Seeing his new member to be serious and knowing with what a fine conscience Warde sought every honor, Roy answered him with the best knowledge he had.
“This is the way Mr. Ellsworth says,” he answered. “You must describe everything that might be helpful to your troop or to other troops or to the whole country, maybe. That’s the way it is. Everything that’s important or unusual you must notice.
“Mostly Mr. Ellsworth or one of the local council in Bridgeboro goes over the ground and sees if the account is satisfactory. In some troops they don’t do that. If it’s just written up all right they say it’s all right and let it go at that. But Mr. Ellsworth says it isn’t just the description that counts; it’s whether you notice everything. It isn’t just knowing how to write. That’s just being a good author. The other is being a good scout. See?”