the reader may care to
know something about the cause of the enmity which Jack Curtiss
entertained toward the lads of the Eagle Patrol. It had its beginning
several months before when the boys of Hampton Inlet began to discuss
forming a patrol of boy scouts. They all attended the Hampton Academy,
and naturally the news that Rob Blake was going to try to organize a
patrol soon spread through the school.

Jack Curtiss, as soon as he heard what Rob--whom he considered more or
less a rival of his--intended doing he also forwarded an application to
the headquarters of the organization in New York. As Rob Blake's had
been received first, however, and on investigation he was shown to be a
likely lad for the leader, he was appointed and at once began the
enrollment of his scouts.

The bully was furious when he realized that he would be unable to
secure an authorized patrol, and he and his cronies, two lads about his
own age named Bill Bender and Sam Redding, had been busy ever since
devising schemes to "get even" as they called it. None of these,
however, had been effective and the encounter of that day was the first
chance Jack had had to work off any of his rancor on Rob Blake's patrol.

Young Blake was the only son of Mr. Albert Blake, the president of the
local bank. His corporal, Merritt Crawford, was the eldest of the
numerous family of Jared Crawford, the blacksmith and wheelwright of
the little town, and Tubby Hopkins was the offspring of Mrs. Hopkins--a
widow in comfortable circumstances. The other lads of the Patrol whom
we shall meet as the story of their doings and adventures progresses
were all natives of the town, which was situated on the south shore of
Long Island--as has been said--and on an inlet which led out to the
Atlantic itself.

The scouts trudged back into Hampton just at twilight and made their
way at once to their armory--as they called it--which was situated In a
large room above the bank of which Rob's father was president. At one
side of it was a row of lockers and each lad--after changing his
uniform for street clothes--placed his "regimentals" in these
receptacles.

This done the lads broke up and started for their various homes. Rob
and his young corporal left the armory together, after locking the door
and descending the stairs which led onto a side street.

"I wonder if that fellow Curtiss means to carry out his threat of
getting even?" said Crawford as they made their way down the