'm going to try you--call your bluff," said Roscoe, with a
sudden return to that gay impulsiveness which was so natural to him.
"Here's the cord from the salmon cans----"

"You should never bring salmon in big cans," said Tom, unmoved. "'Cause
it don't keep long after you open it. You should have small cans of
everything."

"Yes, kind sir," said Roscoe; "don't try to change the subject. Here,
I'm going to try you out--one, two, three."

"You can put it around four times, if you want," said Tom. "Do you know
how to tie a brig knot?"

"Me? I don't know anything--except how to be a fool. There!"

Tom slowly bent his bared arm as the resistant cord cut the flesh; for a
second it strained, seeming to have withstood the full expanse of his
muscle. Then he closed his arm a little more, and the four strands of
cord snapped.

"Christopher!" said Roscoe. He towselled Tom's rebellious shock of hair.
"Wouldn't it be good if we could go together--to the war, I mean!"

"If it keeps up another year, I'll be eighteen," said Tom. "Maybe I'll
meet you there--you can't tell."

"In that little old French town called---- Do you know the most famous
town in France?" Roscoe broke off.

Tom shook his head.

"Give it up? _Somewhere_--the little old berg of Somewhere in France.
_Wee, wee, messeur--polly voo Fransay?_"

Tom laughed. "There's one thing I wish you'd do," he said. "When I go
through Leeds on the way home, I'll stop in the postoffice and you can
send me a note to say you registered and everything's all right. Then
I'll enjoy the ride in the train better."

"You think I won't register?" said Rocsoe, becoming suddenly sober. "You
couldn't stop me now."

"I know it," said Tom; "it ain't that. But I'd just like you to
write--will you?"

"I sure will--if I'm not in jail," he added ruefully. "But I don't like
to go and leave you here."

"It's the best way, can't you see that?" said Tom. "I won't be in bad
with them any more after a couple of days than I am now. And then my
foot'll be better. You got to be careful not to mention my name. It's
none of my business what you tell 'em about not being there yesterday. I
ain't advising anybody to lie. I could get into the army if I wanted to
lie; but I promised our scoutmaster.--Just the same, it's none of my
business, as long as you register."

"If I broke my word with you," said Roscoe soberly, "I'd be a
low-down----"

"You only got about an hour and a half to catch the tr