ng, and most likely that would be a big stunt
and if he failed, it would kill him. I guess he was a kind of a genius,
like--you know what I mean. Either that or he was half crazy. I could
never make him out, I know that.

One thing, I was mighty glad he was going in for the swimming badge and
I hoped the Elks would help him. He'd sure have the best swimmer in the
troop to help him and that was Hunt Ward; he can swim better than any
Raven, or Silver Fox, either--I have to admit that. Especially it's
good to go in for the swimming badge right away as soon as you join a
troop, even though you can't get your award till you pass your first
class tests, because, gee, every fellow ought to know how to swim,
that's one sure thing.

The next morning good and early we could see the _General Grant_
(that's Captain Savage's tug), heading across the bay straight for us
and as soon as it got close enough, we gave Captain Savage a good
cheer. Captain Savage was standing up in the little house smoking his
pipe, and he shouted to us and said he was delayed on account of
getting his propeller wet. That was just like him, he was always
joking.

Then he shouted to us. "It's a wonder you wouldn't get into shallow
water; do you know how many feet you've got?" Pee-wee shouted back,
"Two; what do you think we are, quadrupeds?" Laugh! Honest, that kid is
a scream.

I guess we must have been in pretty shallow water, because Captain
Savage made us all hustle throwing ropes and winding them around
thing-um-bobs--you know what I mean. And he was in such a hurry that he
didn't come on the house-boat at all. But he said we had a mighty neat,
comfortable craft, and that it looked as if it might have slid off some
street or other into the water. He was awful funny.

Pretty soon we were sailing up the Hudson alongside of the _General
Grant_. The day before I thought that when the tug came it would tow us
behind with a long rope and it seemed funny like, to be tied fast
alongside the tug. It seemed kind of as if the house-boat was being
arrested--you know how I mean.

Anyway, I liked that way best because we could be always climbing back
and forth, and believe me, most of us were on the tug all the time. I
guess maybe Captain Savage liked Pee-wee. Anyway, he called for Pee-wee
and me to go up in the pilot house, and it was fine to watch him steer
and pull the rope that made the whistle blow, Jiminety, didn't we jump
the first time we heard it!