_ the dentist's."

"If things get in our way we'll use resources, hey?" he piped up.

"We'll use dynamite," I said. "Scouts of the Silver Fox Patrol _and_
Pee-wee Harris, First Bridgeboro, New Jersey, Troop B. S. A., all gather
around your patrol leader and each give him six peanuts as a token of
loyalty. That's the way the knights used to do in history----"

"It's a cinch being a patrol leader," Dorry said.

"Keep still," I told him, "and give me two more peanuts. Do you think I
don't know how to count? Now all raise your hands and stick your thumbs
in your ears while I say the vow. Ready? Go:

"Before the sun sinks in the sink to-morrow night, we, the
members of the sterling silver triple-plated Fox Patrol will
plant our patrol emblem under the branches of yonder popular
tree, having taken a course due west from this swing seat on my
porch, and turned neither to right nor left on the way even if
we have to go through school again----"

"Even if we have to go through the mathematics room," Dorry shouted.

"And hereby we pledge ourselves with ten more peanuts each to
our gallant patrol leader----"

"Have a heart," Westy said; "what is this? A hike or a monopoly?"

"It's a go," I said. "Nothing will stop us now. The world must be made
safe for the Boy Scouts of America! Give me another peanut, somebody.
Food will win the war. Hurrah, for the Silver-plated Fox Patrol and the
bee-line hike!"

CHAPTER IV

WE START

Now I'll have to tell you about where I live and about Bridgeboro and
all that, so you'll know the country we invaded. But you needn't think
I'm going to bother you with geography because, gee whiz, I have no use
for that. Believe me, when you see my picture on the cover of a book
you'll know there is no history or geography or anything like that in
it. And the only figures you'll see are the numbers of the pages,
because I should worry about figures in vacation.

But anyway it's dandy up where I live. My father owns a lot of property
up there and so everybody calls it Blakeley's hill. It's in Bridgeboro
but kind of just outside of Bridgeboro--you know what I mean.

Maybe you know how it is with towns that have rivers running through
them. Rivers run through valleys--that shows how smart I am. There is
always high land on both sides of a river. I don't mean it has to be
right close to the river.

Now this is the way it is where I live. Blakeley's h