mly clad scouts could spare. Then, as the three lads
started townward, Bruce shouted:

"Hi, Bud, see that you get a whopping big tree. A thirty footer, if you
can. We'll be back in an hour or so to help you. So long."

Crisp weather and an additional snowstorm during the week that preceded
the holidays gave the youngsters of the Vermont town full assurance of a
white Christmas. And they would have been mightily disappointed lads if
such had not been the case, for what would a Community Christmas
celebration and a town Christmas tree be like without snow everywhere?
It was good packing snow, too, as numerous snow fights at noon time, on
the academy campus, attested.

But, aside from these noon-day diversions, the Quarry Scouts had little
time to indulge in Winter sports that week. The hills about town were
just right for coasting and the broad Champlain Valley stretched north
and south to be explored on snowshoes, skis, and with sleigh-riding
parties, but the scouts could not find time to enjoy these opportunities.
Rather, they found their fun in anticipating a good time after
Christmas, providing the snow lasted, for they had work to do. There was
the big Christmas tree to be erected and trimmed.

It was a monster tree. Thirty-two feet from base to tip, and as it lay
there in front of the town hall waiting to be elevated into position, it
commanded the admiration of the whole town. Thursday afternoon, after
the carpenters had finished a big platform and grandstand, the lads
erected timber shears and block and tackle and set the tree into place in
the very center of the pavilion, which was to accommodate the mayor, town
officials, visitors, the orchestra and a host of school children who were
to sing carols.

"Wow, it looks great," said Nipper Knapp, surveying the tall fir proudly,
"and won't it look corking after we get it all trimmed to-morrow
afternoon?"

"Yes, but mind you, fellows, we'll have to work like everything
to-morrow. All the wiring has to be strung and all the lights put on
between one o'clock in the afternoon and half past four. It'll be some
job," said Bud Weir.

"You're right it will," said Bruce, "thank goodness we have everything
shipshape up at headquarters to get a good start. There's more than
enough wire in the lot Mr. Ford sent over. And I guess we must have put
on about three thousand lamp sockets during the last few days, haven't
we?"

"Two thousand and eighty-seven," cor