e?"

"Why, no! Can the scouts do that?"

"Sure they can. I know of a scout who jumped off a wharf, and rescued
a little girl. When he had her out of the water he brought her back to
life, when everybody else thought that she was dead."

"Gee!" It was all that Rod could say, for he was becoming deeply
interested now.

"And they learn more than that," Whyn continued. "They talk with
flags."

"Talk with flags! I never heard of flags talking, and I don't believe
it."

"Oh, I don't mean that flags talk," and Whyn laughed outright. "The
scouts use flags for talking to one another when they are some distance
apart; it is called 'signalling.'"

"How do they do it?"

"Well, one boy will stand, say on a hill, while another is somewhere
else, and each has two little flags. They wave these and whichever way
a flag is waved it means a letter. I did know all the letters myself
once, for Douglas taught me. In that way the scouts can talk with one
another as far as they can see. Soldiers send messages that way, so I
understand, and they can warn one another when an enemy is near."

"My, I would like to know that," and Rod gave a deep sigh. "I wonder
if Captain Josh knows anything about it. I am going to ask him,
anyway."

"There are many other things the scouts have to learn," Whyn explained,
"and they are very important."

"What are they?"

"I don't exactly know. But there is a book which tells all about them.
Douglas told me that a scout must do a good turn every day."

"What's that?"

"It is to do a kind act of some kind. I know of one boy who looked
after the baby so that his mother could go out for awhile. Another
rescued a poor little kitten from some cruel boys who were teasing it.
When I write my story with you in it, your good turn will be the
rescuing a girl from the water just like you did yesterday. I hope to
sell the story and make so much money that I shall be able to go to the
specialist in New York."

"What are you going to call the boy?" Rod asked.

"I haven't decided yet. Maybe I shall call him Rod; wouldn't that be
nice?"

"How did you know that was my name?"

"Mrs. Britt told me this morning before you came."

"Did you ask her?"

"Yes."

Rod's heart gave a little flutter of pleasure. So this beautiful girl
had been thinking of him, and had even asked about his name. It made
him feel happy all over.

Just then Parson Dan appeared in the doorway.

"My, what a great