s he's so keen on it,' said Mr. Elliott to his wife; 'but we'll
soon have him back. I've thought of a plan.' And he explained it.

That evening Dick was in the schoolroom busy with his lessons for the
next day, when he was summoned to the study, where his father was
sitting by the fire with the evening paper.

'Well, Dick,' said Mr. Elliott, 'about that scouting idea of yours,
now.'

'Oh, father,' burst out Dick, 'I can go, can't I? And Chippy as well?
I'm sure you ought to be willing to spare him for a week.'

'Perhaps, perhaps,' laughed Mr. Elliott; 'but wait a little. I'm going
to put a plan before you, to take it or leave it. Here it is: You
shall start Whit-Monday morning, and I'll give you a couple of
half-sovereigns. One will be for the expenses of yourself and your
companion----'

'Hooray! Chippy's coming!' yelled Dick.

'Your companion on the road,' went on Mr. Elliott; 'and you must give
me your word as a scout that you will not go outside that ten shillings
for any expense whatsoever. The other half-sovereign is for your
rail-fare home as soon as you are on your beam-ends--and that will be
pretty soon, I shouldn't wonder. It will cover you up to sixty miles
third-class, and you're not likely to get outside that radius on your
feet.'

'And we can stay out till the ten shillings is gone, father?' cried
Dick.

'Up till Saturday night,' returned Mr. Elliott. 'You must be home
again before Sunday.' He chuckled as he said this, for he did not
suppose for an instant that the scouts' trip would last more than a day
or two. 'They'll soon run through a trifling sum like ten shillings,'
he had said to his wife, 'and then, in honour bound, they must return.'

Dick gave his word joyfully, and returned to the schoolroom to gloat
over the happy time ahead, when a pair of brother scouts would march
out upon the world in search of adventure. The next day he sought out
Chippy, and imparted the glorious news. The Raven's eyes glittered
again at the thought of such a splendid time, and he entered into the
romance of the thing with a zest even deeper than Dick's own; for
Chippy's life had known little change and little real pleasure until
the boy scouts' movement had claimed him for its own.

'We'll camp same as in the books,' cried Chippy, his voice huskier than
ever in his excitement; 'an' we'll practise them dodges o' cookin' the
grub, so as we'll eat on the cheap. Ten bob! Why, ten bob! We'll goo