ow about yourself. It appears that your memory and your handbook
study have not kept pace with your sprightly legs and arms----"

"How about his dirty face?" some one called.

"And his stocking?" another shouted.

"These are the honorable scars of war," Mr. Temple said, "and I think I
prefer his face as it is. I think we shall have to take Hervey Willetts
as we find him, and be satisfied.

"Hervey Willetts," he continued, "you stand here to-day the easy winner
of the greatest honor it has ever been my pleasure to confer. Stand up,
my boy, and never mind your stocking. (Laughter.) You have won the Eagle
award, and you have made your triumph beautiful and unique by working
into it one of the best good turns in all the history of scouting. I
doubt whether a youngster of your temperament can ever really appreciate
what you have done. But of course you could not escape Tom Slade--no one
could. He has your number, as boys say----"

"Bully for Tom Slade!" a voice called.

"What's the matter with Tomasso?"

"Hurrah for old Sherlock Nobody Holmes!"

"Oh, you, Tommy!"

"Tag, you're it, Hervey!"

"I have here a paper procured by Tom Slade," Mr. Temple continued, "and
bearing the signatures of three scouts--John Weston, Harry Bonner and
George Wentworth. These scouts testify that they were in Catskill
village drinking soda water----"

"That's all they ever go there for," a voice shouted.

"They saw Hervey Willetts stop a runaway horse, saw him unfasten the
harness of the animal when it fell, frightened and exhausted, and saw
him procure and pour cool water on the animal's head. This was never
reported in camp till Tom Slade made inquiries. Hervey Willetts had
neglected to report it."

"He's a punk scout," some one called.

"I have here also," Mr. Temple continued, "the testimony of Tom Slade
himself that Hervey Willetts climbed a tree and in a daring manner saved
a bird and its nest from the ruthless assault of an eagle. That bird's
nest, with its little occupant, hangs now in the elm tree at the corner
of the pavilion." (Great applause.)

"Thus Hervey Willetts won the animal first aid badge without so much as
knowing it. (Applause.) He had won twenty-one merit badges and he did
not know it. (Great applause.) He was then and there an Eagle Scout and
he did not know it. (Deafening cheers.) But Tom Slade knew it and said
nothing----"

"Thomas the Silent," some irreverent voice called.

"So you see, my friends, i