But to Spider, later, he said, “Remember that fat old guy that used to cook at the White Doe Inn, back home? The one that used to come to all our ball games? Well, he’s the cook at the hotel here now. I knew Uncle Bill was trying to put one over on me, and I didn’t have a notion how I was going to beat him, till I saw who the cook was. He came at me mad as anything, ’cause campers are always trying to buy stuff off him. Looked as if he was going to throw me out. And then I said, ‘Hello, Mr. Leary, coming down to the field to see us play Lenox tomorrow?’—and he recognized me—and, say! I was so glad I gave him all the change from Uncle Billy’s bill.”
“Some luck!” Spider laughed.
“Don’t you tell, now.”
“Not a word. But, boy, I’m going to eat my share of that steak!”
It was a glorious meal, and Dumplin’ kissed the pie plate when it was all over.
After Bennie had carried the pie plate back to the cook, while the rest washed up the dishes, Uncle Billy asked for the Scout Manual, and read what a scout has to do to get a merit badge for hiking.
“To obtain a merit badge for hiking, a scout must:
1. Show a thorough knowledge of the care of the feet on a hike.
2. Walk five miles per day, six days in the week, for a period of three months. This may include walking to and from school or work. He shall keep a record of his hikes daily, preferably in his diary, a transcript to be made an exhibit before the court of honor.
3. Walk ten miles on each of two days in each month for a period of three months; in other words, six walks of ten miles each during the three months.
4. Walk twenty miles in one day.
5. Locate and describe interesting trails, and walk to some place marked by some patriotic or historical event.
6. Write his experiences in these several walking trips with reference to fatigue or distress experienced, and indicate what he had learned in the way of caring for himself as regards equipment such as camping and cooking outfit, food, footwear, clothing and hygiene.
7. Review his ability to read a road map (preferably a Government topographical map), to use a compass, and shall be required to make a written plan for a hike from the map.”
“Number one,” Uncle Billy said. “What have you learned about the care of the feet, Bennie?”
“Wash ’em in cold water when you can, and dry ’em thoroughly. Wear wool socks, and carry two extra pairs. At home we carry adhesive tape, to put over a place that may start chafing, so’s to stop a blister.”
“That’s all right. The best care of the feet, though, is to have stout, easy boots, that fit. Well, number two—we haven’t walked five miles a day for six weeks, have we? You’ll have to do that at home. Number three—‘Walk ten miles on each of two days, in each month for a period of three months.’ You can count this hike as ten miles, or its equivalent, on each of three days, for July, all right. We hardly made ten miles the first day, but it was equal to fifteen or twenty of ordinary walking. You did two miles and a half before breakfast the second day, then six up and down the mountain, and six more before camp at night. That’s fourteen and a half, with three of ’em up Scott’s Peak in the pumice.”