s right beside me, and, oh cracky, I felt
funny. All of a sudden I heard Mr. Ellsworth say that he wouldn't say
anything to Roy Blakeley because the patrol was going to have an
election and then I heard Will Dawson, of my patrol, say under his
breath, sort of, that there'd be only one fellow to vote for me, and
I knew he meant Westy Martin. Gee, I'm glad I heard him say that
because it gave me a kind of an idea what to say and it made me mad,
and when you're mad you have courage--you know what I mean, you can get
up and talk. Jiminy, I knew I couldn't make a speech like Mr. Ellsworth
with all long words, and besides I had to be careful that it didn't
seem as if I was just answering him back.

So then I grabbed tight hold of the emblem pole because, I don't know,
it seemed to give me courage kind of, and it was my emblem and my patrol
for a few minutes yet, anyway. But oh, didn't my hand tremble. Anyway I
could see that Mr. Bennett was sort of listening and I wasn't so much
scared after I got up.

This is what I said, only I didn't say it as well as it sounds here on
account of being nervous, but I should worry as long as I knew I was
right, hey? "I heard a fellow in my patrol say just now" that's the way
I began, "that there is only one Silver Fox would vote for me because I
went away and didn't come back. I know he meant Westy and he's the one
fellow I'd want to vote for me, anyway, you can bet. I don't care what
happens, I don't, if Westy will only vote for me. Because he's one real
scout and none of the rest of you know anything about scouting alongside
of him--You don't. And anyway I don't care so much if I'm not leader any
more, if I could only be sure you'd elect him leader--"

"He stands a tall chance," I heard a fellow say.

"About as tall as Pee-wee," another fellow said.

He was trying to be smart.

"Maybe he'll have a tall chance, as tall as the Woolworth Building," I
said; "you'd better keep still. I want to ask Mr. Ellsworth if I can say
something--while I'm still Silver Fox leader, that's all."

"Surely you may, Roy," he said, kind of pleasant.

"Because there's one more thing I'm going to say for my patrol. I--I
started that patrol and--"

Oh, gee, then I broke right down, not exactly crying, but you know,
there was something in my throat and I just couldn't talk for a minute.
"Go on, Roy," Mr. Ellsworth said, and he was awfully nice, I have to
admit that.

So I said how I started that patrol