grip."

"It's more than a grip," I said, "it's a regular suitcase. He's going
to get the highest award we have, too."

"Bully for him," he said, "we're going to let him know what we think
about it, too."

"Scouts aren't allowed to take anything for things like that," I told
him.

"Well," he said, "we heard him shouting on the lake the other night
that he'd like to own a canoe, so we're going to give him ours when we
go away next week."

"Oh, boy!" I said. Then I just happened to think to say, "Did you hear
all he shouted out on the lake? Because," I said, "he's kind of--kind
of freakish, sometimes."

"He's a little wonder, that's what he is," he said.

When we got to the tepee, Mr. Ellsworth jumped up and shook hands with
him and said, "Glad to see you, sit down. Sit down too, Roy."

So we both sat down on the bench, and I don't know, it seemed to me as
if the fellow was sort of uncomfortable, as if he'd rather I wouldn't
be there. But he didn't say anything about it.

Mr. Ellsworth said, "Your friend had a very narrow escape. Canoes are
bad things in storms. You should be careful." And then he gave him some
mighty good advice in that nice way he has.

The camping fellow said he'd come to thank the little fellow, that's
what he called him, and to tell Mr. Ellsworth how they both felt about
it. He said they'd never forget about it, and he wanted to know if
there was anything they could do.

"Absolutely nothing," Mr. Ellsworth said. "All awards and tokens of
recognition are attended to right here among ourselves."

For about half a minute the fellow didn't say anything and I thought he
was thinking about how to spring that about the canoe. Because it
wasn't easy after what Mr. Ellsworth said. Then he said--I can tell you
almost just the very words--because Mr. Ellsworth helped me with this
part. He said:

"There's a little matter I want to speak about, Mr. Ellsworth, and it
isn't easy. My friend didn't want me to speak about it at all, for he
was afraid you might misunderstand us."

Mr. Ellsworth said, awful friendly like, "I will try not to."

Then he said, kind of smiling, "I suppose we can trust this good little
scout not to repeat out talk to anyone."

Mr. Ellsworth began to laugh, then he said, "Oh, yes, indeed; all good
little scouts are to be trusted. That's what Roy, here, would say is
their middle name. Am I right, Roy?"

I guess that made it kind of easy for the fellow, for he started rig