hey walked on, no one speaking.

"What do you mean?" Roy asked after a pause.

"Just that," said Warde. "Mr. Ellsworth saw Blythe. He isn't going to
see that picture. I don't care anything about the badge. Let's not talk
about it. It's off."

"Do you mean that we should protect that--that fellow?" Roy asked.

"I mean that this isn't my test," said Warde. "I mean I'm not going to
claim the badge. No one can make me claim it if I don't want to."

"That means that you want us to keep still about Blythe," Roy said. "You
can't get around that. If you think I--if you think I care anything
about five thousand dollars you're--then you're mistaken. My father
wouldn't let me take any money I got that way.... But a scout is--he's
supposed to--"

"He's supposed to watch his step," said Warde.

"Sure he is, Roy," piped up Pee-wee. "Gee, you can't deny that, Roy."

"He's supposed to know where he's at when it comes to something
serious," said Warde. "He's supposed to look before he leaps--"

"You can't deny that, Roy," spoke the big heart of Pee-wee Harris. "He's
supposed to look before he leaps."

Roy smiled. "Well, what are we going to do?" he asked.

"Are you asking me?" Warde queried.

"Sure, I'm asking you. It's Blythe's picture, isn't it?"

"You're patrol leader and I'm a second class scout," said Warde. "What
do _you_ say to do?"

"What do you mean, a second class scout?" Roy demanded, his voice full
of feeling. "I don't want any better scouts in my patrol than you. I'm
asking you what we're going to do."

"All right, I'll tell you," Warde said. "We're going to keep still until
we're dead sure. We know what kind of a fellow Blythe is, and they
don't, I mean the sheriff and police and those people. We know he's a
good friend. Sometimes when you look at a picture it reminds you of
someone, and the next time you look at it, it doesn't--"

"That's right, Roy," Pee-wee urged with great vehemence, "because once I
thought a man looked like George Washington and afterwards I saw he
didn't. So you see."

"We're not going to tell about this to-morrow and maybe not the next
day," said Warde. "We're going to make _dead sure_. Then if we have
to, we'll have to, that's all. Blythe isn't going to run away and I
don't think they're likely to take that notice down for about
forty-eleven years. We don't want Mr. Ellsworth blowing into that post
office; not yet. I'm not worrying about my scout rank, that can wait
too. I'm th