Don Strong, Patrol Leader

l scout. He knew the dissatisfied emptiness of not pulling with his patrol. He wanted to play fair, but his high-

ed to find the same zest when they practiced again. It was gone. Suspicious thoughts sneaked thro

ole small world in general. The news of what he was doing had spread through the patrol

tting to be a peachy scout, wasn't he! Don took the signal flags and

rk was listless and dead. The next time he did not

ht now working nights wit

e you want to come around, though

suppose he'll start scrapping with e

ip on his shoulder. He came to the next troop meeting clean and tid

OL P

e 90

x

f 9

to catch up? If the Wolves could win the next contest on signaling-

g this time. Andy grinned and said that the Eagles and the Foxes had better watch out b

o longer practiced in Don's yard. Andy and Bobbie came

"but he's a queer fis

ook hi

he say a

her

quit

no

om his pocket and examined it. "How is that g

ks all right with

tick-together was better than all kinds of practice. "Something must have bit him

"Even if he did push me

straight. "W

here. I asked him wasn't it

ndy sai

all right,"

ys made any comment. By

his assistant

could be i

is eyes. "How is he on t

ing won last Sa

im being grouchy when anything displeased him that he could not

core. Don decided gloomily that there wasn't much chance to get ahead by being clean and on time for roll call-every sco

tudied the changed fig

OL P

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108

on signaling," sai

ell, maybe everything wou

and go from the start. Now Chester led; now the visitors led

ce had the catcher's playing faltered. Don, waiting on the bench, allo

called Ted Carte

mind. The next player fouled out. Then came a long fly to the right-fielder and the r

ition, Tim snapped the ball to third base. The runn

uled the

over. Don ran

ork, Tim,

ybody to show me how to

im's eyes met his, a bit uncertain, a bit defiant. T

sly. Other members of the team crowded around the b

eater. Tim's change of hea

e field he found

der; "wasn't that a corking game? When Tim

ecause of wha

o you

at had happene

of anger. "Doesn't he know any better th

that way," said Don

t sensitive about

im wasn't very se

hat Andy would be around; and when presently the assistant patrol leader came down t

id Andy. "Why don't you

ead of Tim

k his he

d with him and let him do things his ow

know. W

we were all hanging around you asked

"That would get

uess we'll tame th

eld until Tuesday. But his business with Tim was too important to wait. Monday afte

er. "What are you doing

off to one side. "We're making some changes," he said

picious. "Who'll wo

l," sa

e, is it?" he asked darkly. "What's th

said Don. "When do y

do, and went back to practice. He could not get his thoughts back on the work. Once, when the ball was traveling

cried Ted Carter, "be

er was gone. He walked away slowly, turning one question over

that something had been hidden, and that at the proper momen

and after watching awhile, wrote a four-word message and

"The Wolf patrol will surely win p

them a fight

he Wolf patrol failure began to burn again. When the last

al work after this,"

was the tric

up the code. We know the code now. It's time to begin to specialize for the conte

Tim

want to do, se

ngers in his ears and had waited for a gun to go off, and had then

s no bossing, no giving orders, no high han

did he shift me here? Why didn't he let me s

Don were together, on

d himself weighing

in the score. Each troop, eager and keen,

OL P

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124

noise and bluster. A false step now by any patrol might drop it hopelessly to the rear. When Mr.

ter said, "that I made some time ago. Next w

ces were sud

voices of the patrol lea

t hike. We will leave here Thur

urmur-the

ts will be held in th

pushed and jostled. A dozen boys tried to shout questions at once. He laughed a

t telegra

own wire and rig its own i

m hidden places, and running telegraph wi

me and prosaic. He went through his setting-up exercises mecha

trees, and stems of plants. Tim twisted restlessly. The

they put us in the

idn't

among some trees an

good. Don said so.

h wire would be needed? Tim went back to where he had left

verythin

right

s hand ran gently over h

of, "Did you go to your

kind who understood wi

nk we're going to be p

t beat faster as he turned back to his

going? Has Don

some fellows ever learn to hold their tongues? His ey

up his mind that he'd square things with Tim tomorrow when they reported at th

ain the next morning. By noon the village field was flood

he weather restlessly. The moment the sun appeared he hurried off toward the fiel

around with his hands in his pockets and had very little to

o the woods for that

ged his s

y or T

ll indifferent.

re about what

ould I get sore?

w,

rough with the scouts, but through with going down to Don's

was to blame if anything happened this time. All next morning he wig-wagged

at last he quit; "I bet Don di

"How could Don practice? He receives.

let him go get someb

ignaling, the flag seemed like lead in his hands. He sat on the chopping block outside the ki

nd stopped short. In a minute he went

icked him sharply. Why had he been shifted? Jus

: "Hello, Tim. Wait until I ta

st. If Tim was ready to smile and dig in, th

nd. His flag wig-wagged short three-and four-word messages that Don could carry i

woods tomorrow?"

dded e

at one o'clock." He turne

scuit batter in the kitchen. He stood in the doorw

about," Barbara said b

of months ago whenever

ed thing

comes here

that." He went back to his screens for another hour of work before supper,

ot dampen his spirits. There was a thicket a mile

from the open. Somehow e

der to read. It w

ht of that," Don sa

was hard to be stand-offish with a

s of wire, were laid together for the morrow's hike. The trek wagon was hauled from the old barn in back of Mr. Wall's house. The tents wer

these preparations. The trek wagon, the tents, the night lanterns, all helped to stir his quick blood. They w

"how are you Wolves goi

in the store. Is he

said

about the

f Friday. He'll come

scurrying for home. The trek wagon was le

s of bread. Another boy hurried off to the grocer's shop for molasses, cocoa, and evaporated milk. When

o or three scouts or a whole patrol can team up, but each scout must bring enough food to feed himself for three meals-supper

s,

eave here at one

. At 12:30 o'clock the last scout was there, haversa

e blew. The scout

Wall, "will take its tur

lves f

trol dro

k the bugle s

cried Mr. W

ed the patrol l

n past the village limits. After that, one by one, they dropped bac

en Mr. Wall ordered route step, and the discipline of the hike ga

impatient to run the wagon to the top. His zeal caused a

ishing. Not once had Don tried to force him to do what he did not want to do. If there was some hidden rea

"How about some practice in t

nced. "We'll be first

road. Tim, for some reason, had had anothe

ed, irrepressible, kept the talk flying merrily. When the call came for

slaves,"

ched the assistant patrol le

t half-mile. The relief found B

ng too heavy a load for a runt

d his shoulders. "

unstrapped the blanket, and stuck it u

" said

stragglers, saw what happened, smiled quie

Woods. Of course, this was going to be all kinds of fun, but-but-Well, Lonesome

forward and cut fi

ere was too good an adventure to be missed. There

ave it," Mr.

haversack into the trek wagon. Don and the others unslung theirs. Two minutes later t

ll drew together and listened. The place was still-ghostly

. "It is lonesome

oulders. "Come on.

et. The firewood became a small pile, a g

Wolves," cam

n the woods rang with high

o advance the wagon. Now the wheels would get tangled in clumps of underbrush, and now there w

earing on sloping ground

nsured good draina

bring in their firewoo

s and equipment f

ried in the last of the kindling, the second

d eagerly, "let

ad made a pl

ast tent up and the last rope guyed, he w

ke Lonesome Wood

four o'clock. Supper coo

in which to stri

be received here. Do not get too clos

e trek wagon for batteri

m for the Wolves'

each patrol have o

d feet," wa

us discussion. How should the wire be measured?

sure as we unwind. Bobbie, you stay he

ire through the branches of trees. Tim climbed and shinned his way from limb to limb

unded the recall. The scouts came back to camp. There was a comparison of results

ers know what's happening," chuckled And

o get some practice af

hing,"

elled that cocoa was ready. The Foxes dished it out, and

his place in the circle of Wol

upper refuse burned. Tim and Don walked off a way with their flags. Teams from the othe

ircle about the blaze. Where they sat there was light and warmth, but ten feet back were the

loudly. Mr. Wall told an Indian story. The scouts drew closer to the fire,

ter. "Better fill your canteens. You

d yards away, out in t

said he never took a

Let's go down ther

decided that he might

ng camp-fire the bugler sounded "taps." As the mournful notes e

er troop was tired. For a while voices sounded faintly. They grew fitf

a new world. The darkness was gone. Lonesome Woods was no longer sp

e Foxes were the first t

inished stringing their

l the receiver. As soon

he end of the line

n almost on their heels. Morse and semaphore teams practic

ents and pack them away in the trek wagon. Another squa

y, noisy, hig

he contests," Mr.

be raked out later and buried. Presently the last si

sender. "There's your message. Read it when you get to your instrument. Off yo

his time and not get rattled. Then came a wait. Mr. Wall

ed eyes, bent down and wrote slowly. The scout at the Fox receiver was

e minutes passed, the excitement grew. All at once the Fox scout

He may have it all mi

eader of the Wolves wa

later the Eagle scout c

d in disgust. "It doe

e Indian." The Fox scout had made but one error. Andy had made

gives us three points

gets

of the Wolves

e newcomer and show him the way. Presently they led him into camp. He had ridden to

the grass he was ready. The

, but the Foxes finished first, the Wolve

points and us 6," said Bo

r since the last contest. If they won again, they would be out

er went along to read the message to him, word for word, so that there would be no loss of

the envelope and

g?" Tim

er mind reading it. Just send what I give you. You won't get twiste

e ground with pad and pencil, and Don crouched on

fast," Ritte

mistakes the last time they practiced. How

a, ta," sound

" cried

gripped the flag staff with a

atr

followed

es-his

breath

he-ser

roat w

f-h

embled. Was t

ugh he couldn't get the word ou

He saw Bobbie hand the message to

," cried Ritter

loose. Ritter ran ahead. Tim fussed with the laces a long time-was still fussing, in fac

ked in hurriedly

mistakes, Tim,"

istakes?" Tim

es were perfect again. They're sharks

" He read it under his breath. "Every batriot

e shifted his eyes. Wally tried to smile that it wasn't a bad showing at all. Tim turned away slowly, went over to his equipment, and

or a v, because e was the simplest letter in the Morse alphabet-just a

ed wrathfully. "They

on for Don taking him as a partner, but now that was all swept aside. Don had wanted him as the goat. If any mistakes were made he would be the one to be