oing cattle (roping he calls it) and riding horses is part of a day's
work where he comes from."

"I don't care if he is skittish about machinery," said Romper Ryan
emphatically, "I'm going to see that Dick Austin becomes a scout before
he leaves Woodbridge; he's the kind of a chap we need."

CHAPTER XII

THE SCOUT LIFE GUARDS' BEACH PATROL

Bruce and two companions, Romper Ryan and Jiminy Gordon, were passing the
Post Office just as Morton McCabe, the little old man who delivered mail
in the southern district of Woodbridge, came down the broad stone steps.

"How are you, Mr. McCabe?" saluted Bruce.

"Hello, boys; fine, fine, thanks. Say, did you get your letter?" said
the diminutive postman, Who always talked very fast and tried to crowd as
many sentences as he could into a single breath.

"Letter?" demanded Bruce, "what letter?"

"Why, I left a letter up at headquarters for you this morning. It was
addressed to you, care of Quarry Troop No. 1, of Woodbridge. Came from
Old Harbor Beach, Maine. Saw the postmark. Big letter. Looked
important."

"Is that so? Thank you, Mr. McCabe," said Brace.

"Who do you know at Old Harbor Beach, Bruce?" asked Romper.

"That's what I was wondering. I can't figure it out. The letter must be
meant for all of us, or else it wouldn't have been mailed to
headquarters. Come on, fellows, we'll see what it is."

Ten minutes later the three lads arrived at headquarters. There was the
big blue envelope sticking under the door. Bruce picked it up and ripped
it open, while his companions crowded around and looked over his shoulder.
Hastily the patrol leader's eyes ran through the first paragraph. Then,
as if he could not believe what he had read, he started to go over it
again.

"Out loud, out loud. Don't be so blamed stingy," said Romper, who was
eager to hear the news it contained.

"I--er--aw, say, this must be a joke. Gee, if it isn't, it's the
biggest piece of luck the troop has had in some time. Listen, fellows:"

Bruce Clifford, Chief of the Motor Cycle Fire Department, Woodbridge, Vt.

My Dear Bruce: From what I have heard of your motor cycle fire department
I have come to the conclusion that the members of your troop are exactly
the boys I need to help me this summer. I would like to hire the
services of ten scouts to take charge of a motorcycle life-saving corps I
am organizing at Old Harbor Beach.

I own all the bathing concessions here and we