e where he had bruised it earlier in the day.

"Have we got enough grub along to last out?" queried Fritz.

All eyes were turned toward Noodles, who generally looked after this
part of the business when they were abroad, either camping or tramping.

"I wouldn't say yes, if Fritz he puts der crimp in dot appetites off
his," was what the cook announced, gravely.

"Then we'll see to it that he gets no more than his regular ration after
this," Paul declared, pretending to look severe.

"Huh! that makes me feel real bad right away, let me tell you, fellers,"
Fritz remarked, touching his belt line with a rueful face. "However do
you think I can fill up all this space here with just one ration? It's
different with some of the rest of the bunch; take Noodles for example,
he hasn't got room for more'n half a ration. I speak for what he can't
make way with."

"Say, there's a chance right now for you to fill up ahead of time!"
exclaimed Eben, as he pointed through the fence; and looking, the scouts
saw a cow standing there, placidly chewing, her cud, and evidently
watching them curiously as she attended strictly to business.

"Sure," Fritz went on to say, quickly, getting to his feet, "she's got
plenty of rations, quarts and quarts of fine rich milk. I've got half a
notion to step in there, and see how it tastes. See here, if I tied a
nickel or a dime in a piece of paper, and attached it to her horn,
wouldn't that be all right, Paul? Ain't scouts got a right to live off
the country as they hike through, 'specially if they pay for what they
take?"

"Well, if it was a case of necessity, now----" began the scoutmaster.

"It is," broke in Eben, who for some reason seemed to want to egg Fritz
on, "our comrade's plumb near starved, you know, and we're talking of
cutting his grub allowance down to half. But I don't think he's got the
nerve to fill up on nice rich fresh milk, that's what. Some people talk
pretty loud, but when you pin 'em down, they say they didn't mean it."

Of course that finished Fritz. If he had been joking before, he now took
the matter in a serious light.

"Huh! that remark don't hit me, Eben," he said, disdainfully, "If it was
a ferocious old bull I might hesitate about trespassing on his field,
but a gentle cow, whoever knew one to act ugly? Here goes, after I've
tied up this nickel in a piece of paper, with a string to it, to fix it
on Sukey's horn. Anybody else feel milk thirsty? Don't all speak at on