r the troop!" exclaimed Becker, enthusiastically.
"That's the one thing we've lacked, and if--"

At that point Tompkins passed beyond the range of their voices, but he
had heard enough to rouse his curiosity. Fortunately this did not have
to remain long unsatisfied. After the opening exercises the scoutmaster
faced the three patrols, a small sheet of paper in one hand.

"Attention, scouts!" he said crisply. "The troop will be much pleased to
learn, I'm sure, that Mr. Grimstone has given us permission to use the
north side of his lake for camping purposes."

For an instant there was amazed silence. Then a bedlam of surprised
comment arose, mingled with a torrent of eager questions, which Mr.
Curtis did not attempt to quell.

"Well, what do you know about that!" "Hurrah for old Grimey!" "Can we
skate there, Mr. Curtis?" "Will he let us swim in the summer?" "Can't
we go out this Saturday?" "How did you work it, sir?"

"One at a time," smiled the scoutmaster. "I'll answer the last one
first. I didn't 'work it,' as you so pithily express it, Vedder, at
all. I've failed several times to get this privilege from Mr. Grimstone,
and his letter this morning was as much of a surprise to me as to any
one. He doesn't state the reason for his change of mind."

A shock of sharp surprise sent the blood tingling into Dale Tompkins's
face and clenched his hands spasmodically. "Gee!" he muttered under his
breath. "I wonder-- Why, it must be! But I never thought of that--not
for a minute!" He paused an instant, his gaze growing introspective. "He
certainly is one good old scout," he murmured to himself. "I said his
bark was a lot worse than his bite."

Then he realized that Mr. Curtis was speaking.

"We're not to go beyond the dam at one end of the lake or the inlet at
the other. In other words, there must be no trespassing on the side
of the water where the buildings and orchard stand. He doesn't wish any
timber cut, and there are several other minor prohibitions. He says
nothing against swimming or skating, so I imagine both will be allowed.
As for camping there on Saturday, I'm afraid it will be too cold to
stay overnight, but there's no reason why we shouldn't hike out in the
morning and make a day of it."

So it was that the following Saturday morning found practically the
entire troop hiking briskly along the Beldon Turnpike at an early hour.
Ranny Phelps had complained that there wouldn't be much fun in just
a picnic affair