Don Strong, Patrol Leader

e tossed in the darkness, the voice of his conscience reproached him sternly. He wondered what would happen in the morning.

t back, filled his canteen and washed. The water was like ice. The early morning air had a biting e

arly morning chill to route, but not for anything would he have suggested a fire. He pretended to poke through his things, trying to kill time, tryin

s the water?" he asked. His voice was forced

e! was this-was this re

" he g

ne. Pine doesn't

passing unnoticed now. Flame would not reflect and smoke would mingle with the rising mist. Last night a

se dwindled and died. Perhaps what had happened in the signaling test had been an honest mistake, just as Don said. He began to

l, cautious fire. The water came to a boil. They hastened to fry bacon before the fire died out.

uted the morning chill. Not once were last night's happenings mentioned. Tim breathed with relief as the minutes passed

g the trees, Don gave thanks that he had forced himself to speak and had broken the ice. For Tim was almost pathetically eager to

their chances of encoun

laze since leaving camp,

he foliage denser. The

ds of the bir

ing near the end of the trai

bled. "Let's mak

erous. We'll go ahead, stop a

ke stalking an India

w creeping, they slowly forged ahead. Two more blaz

O

trail," said D

e here firs

scouts might be waiting, hidden, to pounce on the

dged out. Soon they knew that neither the Ea

llness but bird calls and their own footsteps. Yet they knew that, from some place among the tree

this too hard," said T

ld he h

aid Don, "or in a tree h

rying would leave a sign-fr

rying to peer through the veil of trees. Don saw no earth that looked fresh, but he did

" he

He dug at the earth with his ax. Don unslung his haversack,

heir eyes. They worked

g softer and more yie

f a pasteboard box appeared. They loosened the earth around the sides, found grips for their fingers,

their excitement they h

" cried Don. "You

ething he had kept bottled all morning, something he had never expected to s

ed lamely, but his eyes

made no mistake in bri

at moves boys when they bare their hearts

we could

er. Inside, packed in a soft bed of cotton, was a prize that

"Who ever thought Mr. Wall would

" Don cried in fright.

k the ba

ow voice, "until we're sure there's no c

on caught

ain-the dry swish of dead leaves and the

Don's ears. "Over

Then the noise ag

e," Tim whispered. "This

found clear ground they hurried, but for the most p

y hole," cried Tim. "No

way we went?" Don asked.

Far back of them they heard something whi

e time here

was silence. Then came that which told

got our t

said Tim. "We'll fool them. Le

ail they knew, but necessity counseled that th

tened the sounds o

said Don, and drew a

the bottom. They squatted on the bank and opened their beans, but bean

the bank. A stone slipped under his foot; he fe

unlacing one shoe. It did not take them lon

might be a slight sprain, or it might be severe. Don kept staring at the foot

ch," said Don. "Maybe

d Tim; "lea

if he favored it carefully, but speed was out of the quest

at they were on a false scent, and would begin to scour the woods. Mr. Wall had said that the

le. "You'd better mak

's eyes opened wid

back for me after y

doing," he said. "You'd stick to me if I were in

ly and have taken glory out of individual achievement. Now he stuc