.

"You're the greatest discoverer next to Christopher Columbus," Roy said.
"Let's see what's inside it."

"Didn't I say to stop here?" Pee-wee demanded.

"You never thought you'd find an ice cream soda here," Roy said.

"You never know where you'll find one," Pee-wee said in high excitement.
"Didn't I find a dime in a sewer-pipe?"

"That's a nice place to find a soda," Roy laughed. "Open the wallet and
let's see what's in it."

[Footnote 1: A. W. O. L.--Absent without leave.]

CHAPTER VI

SUNDAY THE FOURTEENTH

Pressing about Pee-wee, the scouts read eagerly the contents of that old
musty oilskin memento of the days when Camp Merritt was a seething
community of boys in khaki. The big spiders lurked in their webs; the
repulsive little slugs, made homeless by the lifting of a damp, rotten
board, hurried frantically about on the floor; a single ray of sunlight
penetrated through a crevice, a slanting, dusty line, and lit up a
little area of the dim, musty place. But there was no sound, not even
from the scouts, save only the voice of Westy Martin as he read that
old, creased, damp, all but undecipherable letter:

_Dear Old Mother:_

I was hoping I might get down to Hicksville before we sail, but
I guess I can't. They don't tell us much here but it seems to be
in the air that we'll sail in a day or two. Feeling pretty
disappointed because I wanted to see you again and say good-bye
and have just one good home-cooked meal. I'm sick of beans and
black coffee. Don't worry, you'll hear from me in France. I
don't suppose you'll be able to get the end of the porch fixed
up, but try to get the window put in before winter. I meant to
do that myself. Put a pail under the drain so the water won't
flood under the woodshed. Tell Don to be a good watch dog and be
sure to tie him outside at night.

I don't suppose you'll hear from me again till we get across.
Don't worry, pretty soon it will all be over and I'll come
marching home and you'll be telling people it was me that won
the war and I'll be glad to get a good squint at my old N. C.
hills. It will be over before you know it. Now you have to be
brave, see? Just like you were when dad died. Remember what you
said then? Now don't think this is good-bye because I'm sailing
but remember the Atlantic Ocean isn't a one way street. Just
chalk that up on the wall, and speaking about o