ing badge_;
not sneaking, but _stalking_. That's the badge you're after. So that's
the one you want to think about. Don't think about a whole lot of
things but just think about that."

He said, "I like you a whole lot, and that's the one I'm going to get,
because you say so."

Just then I noticed Stut Moran (we call him that because he stutters)
going past the window. Pretty soon I noticed him passing again and
walking very slow.

"You just keep your mind on that one badge and remember those letters,"
I said; "and for goodness' sake don't talk about badges for sneaking.
Because, you take a tip from me, you can only do one thing at a time."

He said, "The poultry badge is a good one. It's got a picture of a
rooster on it."

"You should worry about pictures of roosters," I said, "just keep
thinking about that one badge, you take my advice. Because you're good
on keeping your eyes open and that's the badge for you. And you're
small and kind of thin and that's good in stalking, too, because you
can hide behind trees and things." Then I said, "If you'll make me a
promise that you'll just think about that one badge and not about a lot
of others all at once, when we get up to camp, I'll make you a basket
out of a peach-pit to hang around your neck."

Just then the door of the galley opened and in came Connie Bennett.
Right behind him were Vic Norris and Stut Moran. Connie is leader of
the Elks and the other two fellows are Elks, too. Right away he began
and I saw he was mad.

"That's a good thing you're talking about--_sneaking_" he said.

I said, "What do you mean?"

"He's getting a good lesson in sneaking all right," he shot right back
at me.

"Gee whiz, I don't know what you're talking about," I said.

"Oh, no," he said, all the while sort of sneering at me; "I suppose you
didn't bring him in here so you could be where nobody else heard you.
Maybe you think you own the galley."

"Sure I brought him in here so we could be alone," I said.

"_Sure you did_," he said, "just so you could start him after the
stalker's badge. We heard you make him promise to go after that and not
think about anything else. He's easy, that kid is."

"Why should I--" I began.

"You know well enough why," he said; "who started the rule about not
having two of the same merit badges in a patrol?"

"I did," I told him.

"Yes," he said, "and now you're trying to rush this kid through just so
you can get even with Vic. What have _yo