s
a mystery. But perhaps the best thing he knew was that a service is a
service and that you knock it in the head as soon as you take payment
for it.

The girl watched them, as they jumped the hedge, laughing gaily at
Pee-wee's clumsiness and, waving their hats to her, took their belated
way along the road.

It was not the most popular way of bringing down a bird, but there was
no blood on Pee-wee's hands, and it was a pretty good stunt at that!

CHAPTER VI

THE SHELTER

"Pee-wee, you're a wonder," said Roy. "You're the only original Boy
Scout; how did you get next to that stunt? What do you think of him,
Tom?"

"Some wrinkle," said Tom.

"Crinkums!" said Pee-wee. "I'm mighty glad I got him. If it hadn't
succeeded I'd have felt cheap, sure; but when you're dealing with a
girl, you always want to act as if you're sure of yourself. Do you know
why?"

"Can't imagine," said Roy. "Break it to us gently."

"Because girls are never sure of themselves and they'll never take much
stock in what you say unless you seem to be sure of yourself. That's one
thing I've noticed. I've made a study of girls, kind of---- And you're
more apt to succeed if there's a girl watching you--did you ever notice
that?"

Roy laughed.

"It's so," urged Pee-wee. "And there's another thing about girls, too;
they're repulsive."

"What?" said Tom.

"_What?_" said Roy.

"They say the first thing that comes into their heads."

"_Im_pulsive, you mean," laughed Roy.

"Well, they're all right on good turns," said Tom.

"They don't have any good turns in the Camp Fire Girls," said Pee-wee.

"A girl might do a good turn and you'd never know anything about it,"
said Tom, significantly.

"Cracky," said Pee-wee, "she was tickled to get that bird back."

In a little while they were tramping along the main street of Nyack,
heading for the lordly Hudson. It was almost twilight, the shops were
shutting their doors, and as they came around the hill which brought
them face to face with the river, the first crimson glow of sunset fell
upon the rippling current. Across the wide expanse, which seemed the
wider for the little winding stream they had so lately followed, the
hills were already turning from green to gray and tiny lights were
visible upon the rugged heights. A great white steamer with its light
already burning was plowing majestically upstream and the little open
craft at the shore rocked in the diminishing ripples which it s