their hikes when possible, and
seeing that they behave themselves in every way. You can find out about
my standing from Judge Jerome, Doctor Lawson or Pastor Hotchkiss in
Lenox."

The man still looked in Mr. Witherspoon's calm eyes. What he saw there
seemed to have an influence upon his aroused feelings, for while he
still shook his head skeptically there was not so much of menace in his
manner now.

"Boys will be boys, no matter whether they have scout uniforms on or
overalls," he said sullenly. "I've suffered mor'n once from raids on my
orchards and chicken coops, and found it was some town boys, off on
what they called a lark, that made other people suffer."

"But I assure you there is not the slightest possibility of any boy
here having taken your chickens, sir," continued the scout master.

"We've been on the move all day long," added Tom, "and only arrived
here half an hour back. Last night we were several miles away in camp."

"But--you got chickens, and I was robbed last night," faltered the
farmer, as though that fact impressed him as evidence that no argument
could keep down.

"If we could prove to you," continued Mr. Witherspoon, "that we came by
these four fowls honestly, I hope you will be frank enough to apologize
to my boys for unjustly suspecting them of being hen thieves?"

"Go on then and do it, mister; but I warn you I'm sot in my ways, and
hard to convince. It's got to be a mighty likely yarn that'll fotch me
over."

"You've lived around here some time, I take it?" asked Mr. Witherspoon.

"Man and boy forty-seven years," came the reply.

"Then you must know Ezra Brush, for he was born in the farm house he
occupies to this day?" suggested the scout master.

"I know Ezra like a book. Him and me have always been good friends,
except for that boundary dispute which took us to court; but I reckon
Ezra don't hold no grudge agin me 'cause I won out.

"We had Mr. Brush sitting beside our campfire for two hours last night,
while I told him all about the things Boy Scouts are taught. He means
to have his three boys join the troop at the next meeting; for he knows
now that if his little Jim and some of his companions had been scouts,
the boy's life in all probability would have been saved last summer."

"It might have been," admitted the farmer, "if them other lads had
knowed what to do, but before a man got there it was too late. And Ezra
certainly sot some store by that bright-faced little Jim;