the expedients
resorted to, in order to gain this privilege; for it is deemed in bad
taste to spend the entire day with the badge reversed on the lapel of
the coat.

A thousand ways can be found whereby the boy may feel that he has a
right to alter the position of his badge, and prove that he had done
something of a kindly nature, that is a credit to his character. An old
woman may be helped across the street; a heavy basket carried for a
child; a box that is trying the strength of a single man may be made
easier to lift into a wagon by a pair of sturdy, willing hands; the
harness that is galling the shoulder of a horse can be rendered less
troublesome if a rag is doubled up, and fastened to the leather--well,
the list of things that wide-awake scouts find in order to gain this
privilege would really seem to be without end.

So all the others now turned toward Step Hen, with curiosity expressed
on their faces; for they seemed to guess that it could be no ordinary
explanation that he meant to give them.

"What wonderful stunt did you manage to carry through so early in the
day, down in this forsaken country?" demanded Giraffe.

Bumpus looked forlornly at his own badge, that still hung to his coat
lapel in its reversed position; showing that he, at least, had not been
able to discover any means of doing a good turn to some object, however
humble; in fact, he had, like most of the other boys, entirely forgotten
about the usual programme. There were no old ladies to help down here;
no errands to run for mother; no problems to solve for little brother;
nothing but the everlasting mountains rising grimly all about them, and
silence lying on the scene like a great blanket.

"I reckon I'm the only one in the bunch that's been smart enough to get
his badge turned to-day," chuckled Step Hen, proudly exhibiting the
article in question; "and I'd just like the fun of hearing all of you
try and guess how I managed it; but then, I know you'd never hit on the
truth in a thousand years; and so I s'pose I'll have to up and tell
you."

"Oh! wake me up, somebody, when he gets really started," groaned
Giraffe; "of all the slow-pokes, Step Hen takes the cake."

"I'll tell you," began the other, with a sly look toward the speaker, as
though he purposely delayed his disclosure in order to annoy the
impatient Giraffe; "you see, it was this way, fellows. I happened to be
walking out along the back road just after we'd done breakfast. Th