But anyway, it knocked all the fun out of that meeting
for us, and I don't know what the other fellows thought.

Skinny was there in his new suit and he showed how proud he was to have
it. He was always smiling in that bashful kind of a way, as if he was
kind of scared but happy at the same time. Mr. Ellsworth told him to sit
with us and he came over and sat in an extra chair right next to me. I
guess he kind of liked to be near me--anyway, it seemed like that. I was
nice to him all right, but I don't know, it didn't seem like it did
before. But no fellow could get mad at him--he looked so poor, and his
suit didn't fit him very good and he looked all strange and nervous.

Pretty soon I said to him, kind of half interested, you know, I said,
"That's where you're going to sit, in that vacant chair where the Elks
are. They're a good patrol, the Elks, and the fellow who used to sit
there with them was Tom Slade. You have to try to be a good scout just
like he was."

"I know all the laws, everyone," he said in a whisper.

"Do you know law one?" I asked him.

"Yup, it's the best of the lot," he said; "it teaches you about honor.
Do you know the two things about scouts I like best?" he asked me.

"No, I don't," I said.

"It's that first law and the belt-axe that they wear."

"Never you mind about the belt-axe," I said.

"Yes, but you want me to tell you honest, don't you?" he blurted out.
And he looked straight at me and his eyes were all kind of hollow and
excited like. Gee, he was a queer kid. "You can make fun of me all you
want," he said, "I don't care. Will I be a scout to-night?"
"Not to-night," I told him, "we're going to turn you over to the Elks
to-night. And then they'll teach you things and get you ready."

Pretty soon it came time to present him, but I didn't feel like making
any fun about it. Gee! I don't know what my patrol thought about me. But
anyway, Westy knew. So I just said how we found Alfred McCord and how he
wanted to be a scout and we thought it was a good idea to give him to
the Elk Patrol, to fill the place of Tom Slade. Cracky, there wasn't any
pep to it at all.

Then afterwards Mr. Ellsworth took up the collection of one dollar and
seventy cents from each fellow, to buy the eats and pay the expenses of
the cruise. I had to say that I wasn't ready with it, and I guess he
was surprised, because I never miss a chipping in, but anyway, I said
I'd have it next day. I should worry about that.