t, was sitting with Scout-Master
Durland at the fire, and at Jack's last words he turned to the
Scout-Master with a smile.

"I think you can afford to waive the strict letter of the rule this
time, Durland," he said. "These boys of yours have certainly proved
their right to be regarded as First Class Scouts. I don't know that
there's any special badge of merit or honor, except the one for
lifesaving, that they are entitled to, but I shall make it my business
to see that the Scout council takes some action on the heroism of Scout
Danby."

Then Jack learned that the stranger was a member of the National Scout
Council, one of the highest officers of the organization, and a man
famous all over the world as a pioneer and a worker for the things that
the Boy Scouts stand for.

"You think that Scout Danby is entitled to his badge, then?" said
Durland, unsmiling, and, at the other's quick nod, he called Jack up to
the center of the group around the fire, and pinned the full Scout
badge, of which Jack had thus far been wearing only the bar, to his
breast.

"You have earned this badge by close attention to duty, and by being
always prepared," said the Scout-Master, while the Scouts of the three
Patrols cheered the reward. "We are all proud of you, Danby, and we
know that you will never do anything to bring discredit upon your
badge, nor do anything that is not strictly in accordance with the
Scout oath that you took when you were first enrolled as a Tenderfoot
Scout."

There was another burst of cheering at that, and all of the Scouts who
were present crowded up to shake hands with Jack and congratulate him.
Dick Crawford was one of the first, and gripped Jack's hand heartily.

"I guess you'll get a big reward out of the railroad," he said.
"That's a splendid thing for you, Jack. You can use it to go to
college, if you want to. They ought to be generous."

"The detective did say something about a reward, Dick, but I'd
forgotten all about it for the moment. It will be divided up among Tom
Binns, Hudson and myself, of course, if there is one. But I wasn't
thinking about that."

"I know you weren't, Jack, but that's no reason why you shouldn't have
it. It wouldn't be right to do a fine thing just because there was a
reward, but that's no reason why you shouldn't take it. You helped to
capture those fellows, and the chances are that they are well-known
thieves, who are wanted for more than one crime."

"The dete