said; "just as soon as we can. I know I haven't seen much of
you, Pee-wee, but it isn't because I don't like you."

He just said, "_Hsh_" and went off on tiptoe through the woods,
stalking his hop-toad. He's a mighty nice little fellow, Pee-wee is.
And he's a bully little scout. Scout pace and good turns, those are his
specialties. He just stalks hop-toads on the side.

* * * * *

Late that night Mr. Ellsworth came back. The bus brought him up from
Catskill. I didn't see him, but early in the morning on my way over to
wait for the mail, I met Vic Norris and Hunt Ward of the Elks.

Vic Norris said, "This'll be the end of Camp McCord. Mr. E. is going to
take Skinny to Bridgeboro this morning."

"Oh, is that so?" I said; "Skinny is with the Gold Dust Twins, and they
have nothing to do with Temple Camp."

"Skinny is in Mr. Ellsworth's care," Hunt Ward said.

"Pretty soon he'll be in the Reformatory's care," Vic blurted out.

"Yes," I said, "and all because you had his head all turned with
swimming, before he's even passed his second class tests. You were glad
enough to use him. You were glad enough to see his poor little skinny
legs kicking in the water, just so as you could get something out of
it. Now you throw him down. Those Gold Dust Twins are better scouts
than you are--they are. You're not fit to stay in the same camp with
Bert Winton; you're in my own troop, but I tell you that. You leave Mr.
Ellsworth out of it."

"Who says so?" Vic shouted.

"I say so," I told him. "You don't hear Mr. Ellsworth around saying
mean things about Skinny, do you? You leave Mr. Ellsworth out of it
It's none of your business what he does. Even if Skinny does go back,
the least you can do is keep still about it. You don't hear those
tigers around talking, do you? I guess not. Or my patrol either. You
keep your mouths shut about Skinny!"

Then I went over to Administration Shack to wait for the mail to be
sorted. The reason I didn't say more to Vic and Hunt was just because I
was getting discouraged, and in my heart I thought maybe Skinny would
have to go. I knew that Camp McCord was no use if Mr. Ellsworth said he
must go back.

I was glad I didn't say any more, because anyway, there was no letter
there.

CHAPTER XXXIX

TELLS ABOUT HOW CAMP MC CORD DIDN'T STRIKE ITS COLORS

There were a lot of us hanging around Administration Shack, and I heard
a couple of fellows say that Mr. Ellswort