des as an undersized cub, and when
shooting up later on had been unable to shake off the absurd nickname.

"But here we've still got a couple of weeks left of our vacation, you
know," remarked the chap called Toby, "and it'd be just a shame to let
the good old summer time dribble away without one more whack at the
woods, and the open air life we all love so well."

"Toby, jutht hold your horthes!" exclaimed the one who lisped so
dreadfully, and whose name was Theodore Burgoyne, though seldom called
anything but Ted; "you let Elmer decide for the crowd. I'm dead
certain he'll lay out a joyouth plan at the meeting tonight that'll
call for the unanimous approval of every member of the troop to be
found in thith sleepy town these dog days."

"Hear! hear! Ted has got it down pat, let me tell you!" cried Toby
Jones, who in the bosom of his family was occasionally reminded that he
had once upon a time been christened Tobias Ellsworth Jones.

"Yes, you know our faithful and hard-working patrol leader to a dot,
Ted," added the long-legged scout, with a wide grin on his thin and
freckled face. "Trust Elmer Chenowith to think up a programme that
will meet with universal approval. But this is a pretty warm
proposition for a late August day. Let's sit in the shade a while, and
cool off, while we're waiting for Landy and Chatz to show up."

Accordingly the trio of boys in faded khaki suits, that looked as
though they had seen considerable service, proceeded to perch upon the
top-most rail of a fence at a point where a splendid oak tree threw its
wide-spreading branches over the road.

They were just outside the town of Hickory Ridge, and if you want to
know where this usually wide-awake place was situated it might be well
to refer to earlier books in this Series in order to ascertain all the
interesting particulars.

These three lads belonged to the local troop of scouts, just then in a
most flourishing condition. Under the leadership of Elmer Chenowith
the Wolf Patrol of the troop had accomplished so many unusual things
that a fever had taken possession of the town boys to become enrolled.

There was also the Beaver Patrol, with a full number, and the Eagle as
well as the Fox seemed destined to finish their quota of eight members
in the early Fall.

The three boys whom we have met on the road chanced to be among the
original charter members of the troop. All of them belonged to the
Wolf Patrol; for it often happens