oks about birds and flowers and animals. And here is something
that I know will please the boys," said Doctor Joe, drawing from the
box six paper-bound volumes. "There's an interesting story attached to
these books that I must tell you before you look at them, and then
we'll go through them together.

"One day I was walking in a park in New York.

"Suddenly I heard a crashing noise, and I hurried in the direction in
which I heard the noise, and turning a corner saw a motor-car lying on
its side. Some boys wearing khaki-coloured uniforms, very much like
soldiers' uniforms, had already reached the wreck, and before I came
up with them had rescued two injured men. I never saw more efficient
or prompt service than those boys were giving the poor men, who were
both badly hurt. They had the men stretched out upon the grass. One
had a severed artery in his arm, where the arm had been cut upon the
broken glass wind shield. The man's blood was pouring in great spurts
through the wound, but the boys were already adjusting the tourniquet,
for which they used a handkerchief, and in a minute they had the
bleeding stopped, as well as I could have done it. I've no doubt they
saved the man's life, for without prompt help he'd have bled to death
in a short time.

"The other man was cut and bruised, and the boys were making him as
comfortable as possible until an ambulance came to take him to a
hospital. There was really nothing I could do that the boys had not
already done promptly and remarkably well.

"The instant they had discovered the accident two boys had run away to
summon an ambulance and to notify the police, and in a little while an
ambulance with a surgeon and two policemen came and took the men away.

"The boys were only about Andy's age, and I wondered at their training
and efficiency. When the ambulance had gone with the injured men I
walked a little way with the boys, and learned that they belonged to a
wonderful organization called 'Boy Scouts.' I had heard of Boy Scouts,
but I supposed it was one of the ordinary clubs where boys got
together just for play.

"I was so much interested that I looked up the head office of the Boy
Scouts, and asked questions about them. Then I bought these copies of
the _Boy Scout's Handbook_. They tell about the things the scouts do,
and how a boy may become a scout. I knew you chaps would be so
interested you would each want a book, so I bought a half-dozen
copies. The extra books w