up trouble for him as patrol leader.

Next morning the news was all over the village. Don heard it when he went
on an errand for his father. Afterward he worked on his bird-houses and
tried to brush aside the worried thoughts that plagued him. Andy Ford
came to the yard, and was followed by Bobbie Brown and Wally Woods. The
three boys looked at Don, and looked at each other, and looked away.

"Was Tim chased?" Andy asked at last.

Don laid down his plane. "Fellows," he said seriously, "if you hear any
talk about Tim just--just keep your mouths shut. Talk always makes things
worse and--and we're after the Scoutmaster's Cup."

The three boys nodded that they understood. There wasn't much to say
after that. One by one they went their way and left Don alone.

Late in the afternoon he went to the field. He did not see Tim, and at
once a weight seemed taken from his heart. He pitched to Ted. His control
was better now, and presently he found himself enjoying the work. His
curves broke well, and Ted kept calling, "That' a boy, Don; that' a boy!"
and he felt a thrilling desire to give Ted the best he had. Tim never
made him feel like that.

Next night came the troop meeting. He wondered if Tim would carry his bad
temper so far as to come carelessly dressed. Evidently others shared his
anxiety, for as soon as he reached headquarters Andy asked him anxiously
if Tim would be "all right."

Tim came to the meeting as clean as any scout in the troop. The patrol
leader of the Foxes had left the key of his locker at home, and Fox
patrol scouts who had expected to brush their shoes before the meeting
was called found themselves face to face with a difficulty.

The "fall in" signal came all too soon for the flustered Foxes. Quietly
Mr. Wall walked down the line of stiff-backed, silent boys.

"A perfect score for the Wolves," he said. "Four points off the Foxes for
untidiness. Two points from the Eagles for a scout absent."

Up went the new standing:

PATROL POINTS

Eagle 58-1/2
Fox 58
Wolf 57-1/2

"Gosh!" breathed Andy. "We're close now, aren't we?"

"It's all in sticking together," said Don. In spite of himself his voice
trembled. He looked at Tim. The trouble-making scout was staring at the
board with puckered eyes. Don would have given much to know of
what he was thinking.

There was a lot of work that night--knot-tying, drowning grips and how to
break them, identifying leaves from trees and bushes, a