“We will see what Mr. Ellsworth thinks—and the doctor. I don’t quite see,” Mr. Stanton added, after a thoughtful pause, “how Harry can become a member of Tom Slade’s patrol, much as I should like to see him the companion of you boys. We live so far from Bridgeboro——”
“It seems that way to you because you’re not a scout,” interrupted Pee-wee, patronizingly. “But we’ve thought it all out and we’ve decided that twenty-three miles isn’t so far. You see, when you’re a scout distance doesn’t amount to anything, because we hike. And if you go scout-pace, you don’t get tired at all. Did you ever try scout-pace?”
“No, I never did.”
“Well, you’ve missed something. You ought to try it. Would you like me to show you?”
“I think I’ll stick to the automobile,” said Mr. Stanton, dubiously.
“Well, you know, when Harry gets all well he could paddle down and he could run the machine, and besides they have two autos at Roy’s and he runs them, and they’ve got one at Westy’s—of course, it isn’t exactly an automobile, it’s a Ford—and in the summer it would be easy going back and forth and in the winter we only have one meeting a week, and he could come down Fridays and stay at my house till Sunday. Oh, gee, I hope nothing will happen now to stop him from joining Tom’s patrol. Tom would be awful disappointed.”
Nothing did happen, and Pee-wee took his full measure of glory. The doctor proved his staunch supporter, and even Mrs. Stanton said reluctantly that she supposed Harry might go, but that they must be very careful to bring him safely home to her again.
“Didn’t we bring him home once?” Pee-wee demanded. “You leave it to me.”
CHAPTER XIV
FIRST BRIDGEBORO B.S.A BECOMES A FULL TROOP
“We’ll have the initiation on the boat, hey?” exclaimed Pee-wee. “Just like in Pinafore, kind of. Ever see that play? It’s a dandy! I saw it—the whole of it is supposed to be on a ship.”