ck. 'I should like to uncommonly.'

'Here's a copy,' said Mr. Elliott, drawing the small
paper-covered volume from his pocket. 'I bought it in
London yesterday. Look it through, and if you and
your chums like the idea of it, remember that I shall
always be ready to lend you a hand if you wish to make
a start.'

CHAPTER II

THE FOUNDING OF THE WOLF PATROL

On the next Monday evening Dick burst into his uncle's house like a
whirlwind. Mr. Elliott was in his 'den,' reading the paper, and he
looked up with a smile as the boy entered.

'Oh, uncle,' cried out Dick, 'can't we begin scouting at once? It's
the jolliest thing I ever heard of, and all my chums think the same.
We'd like to make up a patrol at once. And you said you'd lend us a
hand, didn't you?'

'I did, Dick,' said his uncle, laying aside his paper. 'When is your
next half-holiday?'

'We get Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays half-holidays in the week,'
said Dick.

'All right,' said his uncle. 'I'll give you Thursday afternoons till
you're on your own legs. Bring your men up here on Thursday afternoon
at three.'

At the time named eight boys turned up, each with an eager look on his
face, and a copy of the first part of 'Scouting for Boys,' which he had
thumbed from end to end.

'Well, you're not scouts yet,' said Mr. Elliott to them, 'for you have
to pass the tests, you know.'

'We've been at work on them already, uncle,' replied Dick. 'We can
most of us do the first test--the knot-tying--and the last three are
easy enough.'

'Very good,' said Mr. Elliott. 'Then I'll try you here on Tests 1, 4,
and 6--the knots, the laws and signs of scouts, and the Union Jack
test.'

He took them in turn, and put everyone through his facings, and all
came through in good shape.

'Now for Test 2,' said Mr. Elliott--'to "track a deer's spoor, or
describe a shop window." Which will you have?'

'The spoor! the spoor!' cried the boys.

'Then we'll go on to the heath,' said he.

Twenty minutes' walk brought them clear of the houses, and the road ran
on through a great heath which stretched for several miles and was
quite unenclosed. The party struck into a side-path, and soon gained a
quiet spot. Here Mr. Elliott produced a pair of tracking-irons, which
the boys examined with the most eager interest, and prepared to test
the band one after another.

It was a capital place for the purpose, for clumps of gorse and holly
were thickly scatte