hat's my
long suit, you ought to know. Never yet did git lost, an' I reckon I
ain't a-goin' to do it now. I'll lay it all out and make the riffle,
don't you worry about that same."

"We came over that way, you know," interrupted Jud Mabley, "and left
blazes on the trees in places where we thought we might take the wrong
trail goin' back."

"That was a wise thing to do," said Paul, "and shows that some of you
ought to be in the scout movement, for you've got it in you to make
good."

"Tried it once you 'member, Paul, but your crowd didn't want anything
to do wi' me, so I cut it out," grumbled Jud, though he could not help
looking pleased at being complimented on the woodcraft of their crowd
by such an authority as the scout-master.

Paul turned from Jud and looked straight into the face of the leader.

"Hank," he said earnestly, "you know just as well as I do that Jud was
blackballed not because we didn't believe he had it in him to make an
excellent scout, but for another reason. Excuse me if I'm blunt about
it, but I mean it just as much for your good as I did bringing this
food all the way over here to help you out. Every one of you has it in
him to make a good scout, if only he would change certain ways he now
has."

Hank looked down at his feet, and remained silent for a brief time,
during which he doubtless was having something of an inward fight.

"All right, Paul," he suddenly remarked, looking up again grimly. "I
ain't a-goin' to git mad 'cause you speak so plain. If you fellers'd
go to all the trouble to fight your way over here, and fetch us this
food, I reckon as how I've been readin' you the wrong way."

"You have, Hank! You certainly have!" affirmed Bobolink, who was
greatly interested in this effort on the part of Paul to bring about a
change in the boys who had taken such malicious delight in annoying
the scouts whenever the opportunity arose.

"Believe this, Hank," said Paul earnestly; "if you only chose to
change your ways, none of you would be blackballed the next time you
tried to join the organization. There's no earthly reason why all of
you shouldn't be accepted as candidates if only you can subscribe to
the iron-bound rules we work under, and which every one of us has to
obey. Think it over, won't you, boys? It might pay you."

"Reckon we will, Paul," muttered Hank, though he shook his head at the
same time a little doubtfully, as though deep down in his heart he
feared they could nev