inlet and began making her way up it.

"I don't think we shall," replied Rob quietly. "I mean to recommend
Merritt, though, to headquarters for his Red Honor."

"Oh, you mean that cheap, bronze medal thing on a bit of red ribbon!"
sneered Jack. "Why, that isn't worth much. You couldn't sell it for
anything but old junk. Why don't they make them of gold?"

"That 'bronze medal thing,' as you call it, is worth a whole lot to a
Boy Scout," rejoined Rob in the same even tone. "More than you can
understand."

On their arrival at the yacht-club pier the boys were overwhelmed with
questions, and a doctor was summoned for Sam, who, as soon as he found
himself safe, began to groan and show most alarming symptoms of being
seriously affected by his immersion.

The boys were not able to conceal the fact that they had accomplished a
brave rescue, and were overwhelmed with congratulations. Merritt
especially came in for warm praise and commendation.

"You will certainly be granted your Red Honor," declared Mr. Wingate,
who, besides being commodore of the Yacht Club, was one of the
gentlemen whom Rob had persuaded to act as Scout Master for the new
patrol.

Merritt escaped from the crowd of admiring motor-boat men and boys as
soon as he could, and hastened home for a change of clothes. On the
arrival of Dr. Telfair, the village physician, he pronounced that there
was nothing whatever the matter with Sam but a bad fright, and
prescribed dry garments and hot lemonade.

"Don't I need any medicine?" groaned Sam, determined to make the most
out of his temporary notoriety.

"No, you don't," growled the doctor; "unless," he added to himself,
"they put up 'courage' in bottles."

"I suppose those boys will be more stuck up than ever now," said Jack
to Bill Bender, as, having perfunctorily thanked their rescuers, they
started for home with the almost weeping Sam.

"Sure to be," rejoined Bill. "It's all your fault, Sam, for taking us
out in that fool hydroplane."

"My fault! Well, I like that," stuttered out Sam. "You asked me to
come, and you know I wanted to come back when the boys told us it might
come on to blow; but you called me a 'sissy,' and said I was too timid
to own a boat."

"Um--er--well," rejoined Bill, somewhat confused, "that's so. But
anyhow, to return to what we were talking about, it's given those kids
a great chance to set up as heroes."

"Well, we can work that scheme we were talking about last ni