use a patrol has failed, but glad because now the lesson will be
driven home. An injured person must always be carried carefully. That's
what I had in mind when I said speed would count, but that I wanted
you to think."

Tim's cheeks burned. There was more to what Mr. Wall said, but he
scarcely heard. The points were awarded--Fox patrol, first; Eagles,
second; Wolves, last. Bobbie slipped out of the stretcher and Tim turned
away forlornly.

Don gripped his arm. "That gives us second place, anyway, Tim. The Foxes
have 11 points, and we have 9, and the Eagles have 7."

But Tim could take no comfort. He had fallen down again. Bonehead! That's
what he was--a bonehead!

The blackboard was changed:

PATROL POINTS

Eagle 74-1/2
Fox 79
Wolf 76-1/2

"Gosh!" cried Bobbie. "Before inspection we were third, and only one
point behind first place. Now we're second and two and a half points
behind. Funny, isn't it?"

Tim didn't think it was funny at all. His scout honor, not yet fully
awake, throbbed with a sense of guilt. Every other fellow in the troop
had worked hard. Even Alex, after finishing in the grocery store, had
worked at night. And yet in spite of how hard they had tried, his lapse
had blackened every one of them, just as though they had been skulkers
and shirkers.

Just staying around where the others were made him hot and uncomfortable.
While the room rang with cheers for the victorious Foxes he slipped out
of the door and melted away in the darkness.

Suddenly the fact that he was sneaking away struck him like a blow.
Sneaking away! He stopped. With a careless, cocky swagger he had always,
before this, stood up to his troubles.

"I'll go back," he said defiantly. "I'm not afraid."

He wasn't afraid. That was true. If any fellow there had threatened to
punch his head he would have peeled off his coat in an instant. He was
not scared of physical force; but he was afraid of what every scout in
the room might be thinking--that Tim Lally had spoiled things again.

He leaned against a tree, pulled a tender twig, and chewed it
thoughtfully. He could see the glowing windows of troop headquarters,
and a bright light streamed out through the open door. Shouts, and
cheers, and laughter, came faintly to his ears. The whole troop seemed to
be having a good time congratulating the victor without envy. He was the
only boy who had slipped away.

All at once, as he watched, a great longing arose in his