t really made no difference whether our young
hero tracked an animal or not. He was an Eagle Scout. He could go no
higher. He had reached the pinnacle--no, not quite that. To his triumph
he must add the glory of a noble, unselfish deed. Never knowing that the
coveted honor was already his, he set out to win it by a tracking stunt
which would fulfill the third requirement to bring him the stalking
badge, and with it the Eagle award. He had said that nothing would stand
in his way, not even mountains. He had made this boast to Tom Slade.

"And that boast he failed to make good. Something _did_ stand in his
way. Not a mountain. Just a little tenderfoot scout. You have seen him
up here. Alfred McCord is his name. (Applause.)

"And when Hervey Willetts found this little scout hot upon the trail, he
forgot about the Eagle award, forgot about his near triumph, braved the
anger and disappointment of his friends and comrades----"

The troop of which Hervey was a member arose in a sudden, impetuous
burst of cheering, but Mr. Temple cut them short.

"Just a moment and then you may have your way. Hervey Willetts cared no
more about the opinion of you scouts than this big oak tree over my head
cares about the summer breeze. There were two trails there, one visible,
the other invisible. One on the ground, the other in his heart. And
Hervey Willetts was a scout and he hit the right trail. If it were not
for our young assistant camp manager here, Hervey Willetts would this
minute be witnessing these festivities from yonder tree, and little
would he have cared, I think.

"But he reckoned without his host, as they say, when he sought the aid
of Tom Slade. (Deafening applause.) Tom Slade knew him even if he did
not know himself.

"My friends, many scouts have sought the Eagle award and a few have won
it. But the Eagle award now seeks Hervey Willetts. He threw it aside but
still it comes to him and asks for acceptance. He deserves something
better, but there is nothing better which we have to give. For there is
no badge for a noble good turn. Tom Slade was right."

"You said something!" some one shouted.

"To be enough of a scout to win the Eagle award is much. To be scout
enough to ignore it is more. But twenty-one badges is twenty-one badges,
and the animal first aid badge is as good as any other. The technical
question of whether a bird is an animal----"

"Sure a bird's an animal!" called a voice from a far corner which
sounde