“He says that Warde Hollister found some sort of a job for a woman up near camp so that the woman won’t have to send her little child to the orphan asylum. He ran five miles through a swamp, Walter says. I hope to goodness he had his rubbers on.”
“Was it a boy or a girl—the child, I mean?” Westy asked.
“I’m sure I don’t know, but I think the father is in jail. Anyway, the boys want you to vote for Warde. Now will you promise me you’ll go to sleep?”
Westy promised, and kept his promise that time at all events. If he had known all there was to know about these matters perhaps he would not have fallen asleep so easily.
He did not have to wait until the following evening, for the next morning Pee-wee Harris (Raven and mascot) arrived like a thunder-storm and opened fire at once upon Westy.
“Now you see what you get for going somewhere else and I’m glad I’m not sorry for you, but anyway I’m sorry you weren’t there because we had more fun at Temple Camp this summer than ever before and we’re going to have the biggest hero scout in our troop and his picture is going to be in Boys’ Life and his name is going to be in the newspapers and I bet you don’t know who it is, I bet you don’t!”
“Is it you?”
“Why?”
“Because you said the biggest.”
“Listen, you have to be sure to come to scout meeting to-night—they’re going to have refreshments, but that isn’t the reason, but anyway you have to be sure to come and I’ll tell you why—listen. You know good turns? Listen! The Rotary Club—my father’s a member of it—listen!—they offered a prize to the scout that did the biggest good turn involving resources and powers—I mean prowess, that’s what it said, during this summer. Only the scout has to be in a troop in this county, that’s the only rule.