ey'll have to know why I take him out of
their patrol. They'll have to know what he did."

For a couple of minutes I couldn't say anything at all, and I just
stood there gulping. One thing, no fellow can stand up and say that I
ever talked back to Mr. Ellsworth--no, siree, no fellow can say that.
But I just happened to think of something I wanted to say and so as
soon as I could get started, I said it right out. This is what I said:

"Mr. Ellsworth, you always said a scout ought to stand up for a fellow
through thick and thin--no matter what, because we're all brothers. And
that's what Bert Winton thinks too. You know it says in the Handbook
how we're all brothers. So Skinny is my brother and I should worry
about my sister's racket. I've got a week's extra time due me at the
camp, on account of twelve snapshots last season. [Footnote: It was the
rule at Temple Camp that any scout obtaining twelve good snapshots of
birds, should have a week at camp in addition to his regular time, and
this he could transfer to another scout as a good turn.--EDITOR.] So
I've decided I'll give that to Skinny. I suppose that if the trustees
say he's a thief they can send him away, no matter what. But the
trustees don't have any meeting till next Wednesday. Maybe you'll be
willing to tell me how I can go and register Skinny for that week of
mine, because I don't know how to do it. If they want to say he's a
thief let them go ahead and do it, but anyway, I should worry, they
can't do it before next Wednesday and his week will be up then. And
that will give me a chance to prove he didn't do it."

Mr. Ellsworth smiled, kind of, and shook his head, then he just sat
looking at me. He said, "Roy, you ought to make a good lawyer when you
grow up. You have put one over on your scoutmaster." I guess he wasn't
mad. Anyway he said, awful nice like, "Go over to the Administration
rooms in the Pavilion and see the record clerk. I won't interfere, my
boy."

Gee, I was afraid I had made him sore, kind of, but when I was going
out I could see that he was just sitting there smiling at me.

Anyway, I bet you'd have done the same thing, if you'd been me.

CHAPTER XXIV

TELLS ABOUT HOW I TOLD A SECRET

I don't know how it got out, but inside of an hour every fellow in that
camp knew. I bet Mr. Ellsworth never said anything. Maybe somebody went
with him to the house-boat, or maybe somebody followed him, hey? But
that's always the way it is at Temple