husiastically as a recruit to his own
troop.

It had been necessary to modify certain rules. Harry, of course, could not
subscribe to quite the same scout oath that bound his English fellows. But
he had taken his scout oath as a tenderfoot at home, and Grenfel had no
doubts about him. He was the sort of boy the organization wanted, whether
in England or America, and that was enough for Grenfel.

Though the boys, as they walked toward their homes, did not quite realize
it, they were living in days that were big with fate. Far away, in the
chancelleries of Europe, and, not so far away, in the big government
buildings in the West End of London, the statesmen were even then making
their last effort to avert war. No one in England perhaps, really believed
that war was coming. There had been war scares before. But the peace of
Europe had been preserved for forty years or more, through one crisis after
another. And so it was a stunning surprise, even to Grenfel, when, as they
came into Putney High street, just before they reached Putney Bridge, they
met a swarm of newsboys excitedly shrieking extras.

"Germany threatens Russia!" they yelled. "War sure!"

Mr. Grenfel bought a paper, and the scouts gathered about him while he read
the news that was contained on the front page, still damp from the press.

"I'm afraid it's true," he said, soberly. "The German Emperor has
threatened to go to war with Russia, unless the Czar stops mobilizing his
troops at once. We shall know to-night. But I think it means war! God send
that England may still keep out of it!"

For that night a meeting at Mr. Grenfel's home in West Kensington had long
been planned. He lived not far from the street in which both Harry and Dick
lived. And, as the party broke up, on the other side of Putney Bridge,
Dick, voicing the general feeling, asked a question.

"Are we to come to-night, sir?" he said. "With this news--?"

"Yes--yes, indeed," said the scoutmaster. "If war is to come, there is all
the more reason for us to be together. England may need all of us yet."

Dick had asked the question because, like all the others, he felt something
that was in the air. He was sobered by the news, although, like the rest,
he did not yet fully understand it. But they all felt that there had been a
change. As they looked about at the familiar sight about them they wondered
if, a year from then, everything would still be the same. War? What did it
mean to them, to En