Don Strong, Patrol Leader

d home. Barbara brought his food from

me say twelve sha

less trip to Mr. Wall's house. Barbara, engrossed in the tale, dropped in

ntain will be a fool

st appetite for his dinner and pushed his plate

foolish not to go

ader, but one disagreement after another with Tim had roughened his road. And now-now

e so headstrong

fancy he's disgruntled because Ted Carter dropped him. He doesn't want to sit around and watch baseball today. He probably figured that the best way was to

ave a good time

himself, when he knows

g ans

aged mood. "Is there anything I could try

the back of the neck an

said slowly, "i

to rip and tear. He went over to the window and looked down at the yard. Nothing was there but grass, and hedge, and a small bed

of two, Don,"

he worry when he had done the best he could? He wouldn't worry. He'd pitch h

tle Falls players a casual glance. Visiting teams no longer worried him-not before the

to look you up," said Ted. "Every

his head stubbornly. What had happened was no fault of his

was over. "Sting them in like that during

oward the bench. His eye

ble that Tim had

muttered hotly. He drew on a sweater and took a se

ome on, now; everybody get into this." Don dropped his

arp rattle of talk. Don glared at th

ike

batter hit a twisting,

ck and caugh

Ted. "That's

ontagion of its worth. Why, with support like tha

ruled th

y. "He surely has stu

ikes. The next player fouled to Ted. Little Fal

nch. Somebody yelled, "Take off your hat, kid." He flus

Give Don a run and this

e-bagger. After that came a single, an out, a base on balls, another out, and a long two-bagger. Marty Smith, with the c

If that fellow could o

red. Nor did she tally in the fourth. D

a tension. Now, with the game comparatively safe, he relaxed. He paid attention t

o'clock. Unconsciously he began to figure. If Tim had started a

lf abruptly. "I must s

fifth inning. Before he had hurled three balls he knew that some

ork. Little Falls hit him hard. With the bases full and two out, Marty Smith sprang

ls bench. "Oh, you lucky dubs," called on

after he was thrown out he came to the bench and fought stu

o start the seventh inning, he was almost master

Here's where we get

t on with her hitting. Instead, her batters found themselves once more h

ingy stride. The spectators in back of third base began to che

along in the rear of the watchers. His attitu

nch and waited. Bobbie

had to do chores for his mother

dark when he gets

fellows they could hurry and get there before sunset,

rum Tim refusing to give up a

with him?" he as

ie n

om our

tte

ght his

the Foxes and one from

bb

on in the fact that other than

obbie went on, "but Tim jawed th

ng was over. It was Little Falls' turn to go to bat

Don," ca

your bike," he said quickly. "Ha

ore he had gone very far. What sort of patrol leader would he be to let two of his scouts break faith with the Scoutmaster and not

In his eagerness he began to pitch wildl

. "Steady, there; you'

bases on balls he woul

r him to go slow, he fou

lose himself in the gam

tle Falls began t

before the third player was o

red?" a

y wouldn't the batters

ut he sprang to his feet

der. But Little Falls, in that last inning, had tasted blood. Now s

was a common thing to see pitchers gradually weaken, but Don had lost his effectivenes

rong?" he

hat was the use of wor

captain in the least. Te

e was a ball gam

four times. Each hit, each run, made the game last t

captain only half-heartedly urged his players to make a rally. The lea

o where Bobbie waited with the wheel. He threw on

cout whistl

. Don thrust it in hi

wheel and rider fly down the ro

ushing off fo

journey to Danger Moun

ll catch hi

he w

in, "I hope he gives him

he raced at an angle of forty-five degrees. The dry dust sifted up from under the

stomach and reached down with his lips. His whole body cried out to him to drink, drink, drink. But he was too wise a scout n

op of a ridge. Down below dark forms moved along th

hed them. They heard the whir of his c

on," Tim sai

ack as though h

as face to face with the problem of what he should say to them. He laid

ld Mr. Wall you were going

swered promptly. "Mr. Wall

expect that any

at Mr. Wall expecte

oking at Tim and nodding their heads as though agreeing wit

scout law that said that a scout was trustworthy. He tried to grasp wor

y here all da

n bringing Mr. Wall back from the city. All at once Don's mind,

ught Mr. Wall would have no objection to a Danger Mountain h

by that?" Tim as

went away for the day and t

scouts. They had not known that Mr. Wall h

away today,

es

ou know?"

e at noon to tell h

scout from the Eagle patrol too

eaked off just because he w

advantage. "You fellows know what he said on the last hike-that Danger Mountain was a bad place

ly bad. Tim's care

, "what are you looking at me for? I

alized and leaderless

an leave the village as often as he pleases and not

him. But the others were s

He ran a nervous hand into the pocket of his sweater. His fingers c

lips and blew a l

authority-the scout

boys straightene

"We're going to show that a

own over them there in the road. Do

ordered. The

frowning and glum. Presently, when the others had gone several hundre