any time, calculated to chain his attention.

"Seems to be unanimous, fellows," remarked Thad; "and I hereby publicly
commend our comrade, Step Hen, for his action of this morning. Yes, he
did have a right to turn his badge. It was not so much _what_ he did, as
the feeling he showed in, first of all, stopping to watch the bug;
second, getting tremendously interested in its never-give-up spirit;
third, in applying the principal to himself; and last but not least, his
desire to lend a helping hand. For Step Hen, boys, this has been a day
that some time later on in life, he will mark with a white stone; for he
has begun to notice things. And with the fever on him, he'll have to
keep on noticing, until he'll think it's not the same old world at all
but one filled at every turn with splendid discoveries. I know, because
I've been through the same thing myself."

"Hurrah!" said Giraffe, who had been considerably impressed by what the
scoutmaster had said. "What did I tell you, fellows, about not missing
Dr. Philander Hobbs, our regular scoutmaster, on this hike? D'ye think
now, he could have said all that one-half as good as Thad did? I guess
not. And Step Hen, I'm ashamed to say that the whole blessed day has
gone by without my ever thinking to do something good for another
feller, so I could turn my badge over. There she rests; and I give you
all fair notice that to-morrow I'm going to start in right away to get
it moving."

"Plenty of time to-night yet, Giraffe," piped up Davy. "I happen to know
a fellow who thinks a certain knife you own would look mighty fine in
his pocket, if only you'd take the trade he offers. Now, if you made him
happy, p'raps you'd have the right to turn your badge; and he c'd do
ditto, making it a killing of two birds with one stone. Better think it
over, Giraffe."

The tall boy looked at Davy with a frown, and shook his head.

"'Tain't fair to put it up to me that way, Davy," he declared,
obstinately. "You just know I don't want to trade, the least bit. Now,
if you'd say, that on the whole you'd concluded to quit botherin' me,
that would be a good deed, and I reckon you'd ought to have the right to
turn your badge."

At this ingenious return thrust Davy subsided, with a grin, and a
general laugh arose from the other scouts.

But if most of the boys were merry, there was one who looked sober
enough. Of course this was Bob Quail. He knew what a tremendous
undertaking he had before him, and t