e was silence for a
moment. The patrol had left everything to their leader. No one else
said a word. But Dick Elliott felt interested above all. He knew that
this was his doing. It was he who had really started the Raven Patrol
by giving the book to Chippy Slynn.

The latter looked up quietly. He had found the place he wanted.

'I can't teach yer much out o' this 'ere book, eh?' he said. 'I can
teach yer "Scout Law No. 4."' And Chippy read in a loud voice: '"A
scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other scout, no matter
to which social class the other belongs."'

'Wait a bit!' said Arthur. 'You think you're very sharp, but how do I
know you're a scout?'

'Page forty-two,' said Chippy, who certainly knew the text-book very
thoroughly. 'See it? I gi'ed yer the signal.'

'And then you show your badge!' cried Arthur triumphantly. 'Now,
where's your badge, wharf-rat?'

For a moment Chippy looked stumped. Then he recovered himself and read
out: '"Or proves that he is a scout,"' and scratched his jaw and looked
hopeful again.

'Yes; but how are you going to prove it?' said Arthur. 'You can't
prove it! Clear out, and don't waste any more of our time!'

'Yus, I can prove it!' replied Chippy. 'Try me! I'll let yer 'unt me,
if yer like. If yer cop me, yer can call me no scout!'

'That's a fair offer, Arthur,' said Dick quietly.

And two or three of the patrol expressed the same feeling.

'Oh, rubbish!' cried Arthur impatiently. 'I'm patrol-leader, and I
give orders. I don't mean to go shuffling over the heath after a chap
like that!'

Chippy's sharp eye fell on Arthur's necktie. It was hanging outside
his waistcoat, with a knot in the end of it. Every boy scout has to do
one good turn a day, and the knot is to remind him of that duty.

'Look 'ere,' he said, 'the knot ain't out o' yer necktie yet! Now's
yer chance for a good turn. Lemme prove it.'

Everyone had to laugh at this clever twist of the argument, and Billy
Seton murmured:

'I'm hanged if this chap is any sort of a fool! Come, Arthur, give him
a show! It'll be great fun, anyway. We're tired of hunting each
other. Perhaps he'll give us a merry little run.'

'Well,' said Arthur, 'if you fellows are keen on it, I won't stand in
your way. Seems to me a pretty poor sort of game. Still, it will do
to choke him off with as well as another.'

CHAPTER V

THE CHOKING-OFF OF CHIPPY

'We'll make a man-hunt of it,