t's the use of
paying any attention to him? Just let him beef along until he gets tired.
He can't hurt you."

Don tried to wrest some comfort from the captain's words--and failed.
True, Tim couldn't hurt him, but he could make things mighty unpleasant,
and that was almost as bad.

At home he found a post-card from Mr. Wall:

The troop will assemble tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. Light marching
order.

Don forgot all about Tim. Light marching order meant that this would not
be an overnight hike, and a blanket was unnecessary. Haversack, cooking
kit and rations for one meal would constitute the load.

Ordinarily, hikes were arranged in advance and discussed at troop
meetings. But sometimes Mr. Wall did the unexpected. He had said once
that it added spice to scouting, and the scouts had agreed. It gave them
practice, too, in assembling at a few hours' notice. But the scouts did
not think of that.

Don hustled upstairs and overhauled his haversack. His eating things were
in their places. Frying-pan and two sauce-pans intact, can-opener,
matches, salt--

"Got to get some salt," he said, and ran downstairs to the kitchen.
Barbara called that supper was ready. He scooted upstairs, washed, and
came down to the dining-room.

"Hiking tomorrow?" Mr. Strong asked.

"Don will be too excited to eat," Barbara said with a laugh as Don nodded
in reply to the question.

But she was mistaken. Don ate a supper of healthy size. Afterward he went
out to the porch and squinted up at the sky. Stars dotted the black
heavens like so many small windows. Now, if it didn't rain--

It didn't; not during the night, anyway. Don awoke with the morning sun
in his face. In a moment he was out of bed and into the bathroom. Twenty
minutes later he was downstairs.

His breakfast was merely a bite and a promise. There were too many things
to do and too much to think about! What should he take along to cook at
noon?

"There's some lamb chops in the ice-box," said Barbara.

Two of the chops went into the haversack. Then potatoes, and six slices
of bread, and some coffee wrapped in a paper, and a small can of
evaporated milk. He strapped the haversack, and suddenly remembered that
he had forgotten salt, after all, and unstrapped it again. Barbara stuck
in two apples, and by the time the load was slung from his shoulder,
whistles and calls sounded from the gate.

Andy Ford, Ritter and Bobbie Brown were waiting impatiently. Bobbie was
sure th