uggested whereby each boy could earn enough money to pay
for his outfit; because that was one of the important stipulations made
in joining a troop, no candidate being allowed to accept help in
securing his suit.

Before the meeting was adjourned it was settled that they were to come
together every Friday night; and meanwhile each member of the Black
Bear Patrol expected to qualify for the grade of second-class scout
just as soon as his month of membership as arranged under the bylaws of
the order had expired.

CHAPTER VI

SETTING THE TRAP

"Three weeks have gone by since we had that first meeting, Tom; just
think of it."

Carl was walking along the river road with his chum when he made this
remark. They had seen the last of the snow vanish, and with the coming
of milder days all the boys began to talk of going fishing before long.

Perhaps this saunter of the pair after school may have had something to
do with the first contemplated outing of the season, and they wanted to
see whether the fish had commenced to come from their winter quarters,
though the law would not be off for trout yet awhile.

"That's a fact, Carl," replied the other boy; "and at our very next
meeting most of the members of the patrol are going to get their badges
as second-class scouts, because they've already qualified for it to the
satisfaction of Mr. Witherspoon."

"Honest to goodness I believe there'll be only one tenderfoot left in
the lot," Carl continued; "and that of course is our dude, Horace. He
managed to exert himself just enough to fulfill the requirements a
tenderfoot has to possess, but there he sticks."

"Wait a while longer," Tom told him, "and one of these fine days you
may see Horace wake up. I haven't lost hopes of him by a long shot. At
our next meeting, after we've passed up, the first thing we have to do
is to elect a patrol leader."

Carl laughed softly.

"Oh that's all cut and dried, already," he asserted.

"Well, if it is no one has said anything to me about it," objected Tom,
at which the other laughed again.

"Why should they bother when it was seven against one, Tom?" argued
Carl. "Why, the boys wouldn't dream of having any other leader than
you!"

"But that doesn't seem quite fair, it ought to be talked over openly.
Why pick me out above every one else for that?"

"Because you've always been a leader among your schoolmates, Tom,
that's why!" he was quickly, told. "You've got it in you to tak