breezy talk of Scoutmaster Ned and set the company aghast
with his triumphant clamor.

"I've got an insulation--I mean an inspiration--listen--keep
still--everybody! I'm the one that--that fixed it so you could have all
those adventures--I'm the one--I got into the wrong car--in
Bridgeboro--I saw that show and I thought you were the ones that had
pistols and now I know that you're not murderers--because I was half
asleep and I came out because I hate educational films but I like
bandits, but I don't like real ones--"

"He likes _reel_ ones," suggested Safety First.

"--And I met a thief and he was disguised as a manual training teacher
and now he's foiled because I asked him to help me take Mr. Bartlett's
car back and it's already back, because this is a different car and I
was under--I was disguised under the buffalo robe--and I wrote a letter
under there and pinned it to a piece of sandwich with a safety pin that
I was being kidnapped--you can ask anybody so that shows I'm not a
bandit and I can prove I'm a scout--I don't care what anybody says
because you can hang an apple on a string and I can bite it without
touching it with my hands, and I'm the only one in my patrol that can do
that and I'm not an enemy to you because if that school burned down I'm
glad too and I've got seven merit badges and the bronze cross and if you
find that letter I wrote you can see how that piece of sandwich fits my
mouth where I bit it and that's better than finger-prints and I can
prove it--I don't care what anybody says--I got into the wrong car and
even the smartest man in the world--even--even--even George Washington
could do that. I've got seven merit badges," he concluded breathlessly
as a climax to his outburst.

With an air of profound solemnity Scoutmaster Ned arose and made the
full scout salute to the mascot of the Raven Patrol, F.B.T. B.S.A. "May
I ask the name of the hero who was disguised as my buffalo robe?" he
asked.

"Pee-wee Harris, only size doesn't count," said the scream of
Bridgeboro's crack troop.

"Quite so," said Scoutmaster Ned; "George Washington might have been
small once himself. Am I right, Nick?"

"Positively," said Nick.

"And the manual training bandit? May I ask about him?"

"He's _foiled_," said Pee-wee. "I met him when I escaped from your
garage; he gave me a lead pencil and he said he'd help me take the car
back to Mr. Bartlett that took me to the show in his car. Gee whiz, you
get sleepy