“Your dad’s got a lot of money, and I guess you’ve grown up to think that money is the only thing that counts. I s’pose it does count for a lot in the city, but out here in the woods it doesn’t count a little bit. It’s the fellow himself, the stuff that’s in him, and not what he’s got. You forget all about your dad, I mean his money, and sail in for everything that’s doin’ here, and you’ll find that the boys will meet you more’n half-way. Gee, I’m getting to be a regular preacher!”
Hal laughed, the first genuine laugh he had had for many a long day. “It’s the best sermon I ever heard, Walt,” he said. His jaw suddenly shot forward in set lines. “By George, I believe you are right, and I’m going to fight it out right here!—If you’ll help me,” he added wistfully.
“Sure I’ll help!” replied Walter heartily, “and so will the rest of the fellows, if you’ll give ’em a chance.”
Hal gazed at the brook thoughtfully for a few minutes. “I—I hardly know how to begin,” he said hesitatingly.
“Go hunt up Chief Avery of the Senecas and tell him that you know you’ve made a mess of things and that you want to square yourself with the tribe and with the rest of the fellers. He’ll help you out, and tell you what to do. He’s white all through,” advised Walter.
“I know he is,” admitted Hal. “He’s been mighty decent to me. I guess if it hadn’t been for him the other fellows would have refused to speak to me at all. I wish—I wish there was some way I could make up some of those points the tribe lost when I was found out. I can’t do it fishing, for honest, Walt, I don’t know the fishing grounds at all. I tried to bribe Pat Malone to tell me where he caught those big fish, but he knew which side his bread was buttered. Said he’d catch ’em for me, but I couldn’t make him loosen up and show me where I could catch ’em myself. There’s one fellow in the woods that money talks to all right, all right! He knew that as long as I had to have the points I’d pay for ’em, and he held me up a little stiffer each time. I don’t see what got into him to come peach on me. Did—did you put him up to it?”
Hal had the grace to blush as he asked the question, and before Walter could reply he hastened to apologize. “I know you didn’t. At first I was sure you did. I guess I was pretty sore. I thought you had it in for me, and I wouldn’t blame you a little bit if you had had. But I don’t see now what struck Pat. Do you know, I’ve always had more’n half a suspicion that he stole Mother Merriam’s pin. I guess he could tell something about it if he was pinned right down to it.”
“Forget it, Hal,” Walter broke in. “You and most of the other fellows have got Pat sized up all wrong. I don’t know who stole the pin, but I do know it wasn’t Pat Malone. I tell you that there isn’t a Scout in Woodcraft Camp that right down in his heart is whiter than Pat. Oh, he’s tough, but that’s because he’s never had half a show. I didn’t know a thing about his comin’ into camp to see the big chief until it was all over. He did it because he’s just begun to learn a few things about honor and what honor means. Fact is, Hal, I was up against it on this honor business myself. I didn’t want to blab on you, and yet it wasn’t fair to the other fellows to let you go on scoring when I knew that you weren’t getting the points on the level. I was fishing with Pat that morning and he found what was troubling me. He didn’t say a word, but while I was off in the woods that afternoon he took a quick sneak into camp, and you know the result.”
Hal nodded grimly.
“I tell you, Pat did a big thing,” continued Walter. “Money doesn’t grow on every bush in these woods, and those few dollars Pat got from you meant more to him than a thousand dollar check would to you or me. And I don’t think he did it just for me, either. I think he saw that you were playing it low down mean on the other fellows, and he began to see that by keeping mum and taking the money he was a party to it. Pat came in and told, to clear himself in his own mind. I tell you he has the Scout idea all right, and he’s got it straight. I don’t believe I’d have had the sand to do what he did.”