a kewpie doll in front of that man. The man just
glared at him and then he said, good and loud, "Whatchue want here,
you?"

Pee-wee said, "We--eh--we--does Mr. Smith live here--please?"

The big man said, "No, he don't. Whatchue want here?" He just glared
down at the poor kid as if he were going to eat him.

Pee-wee said, kind of hesitating, "If--if we'd be willing to wipe our
feet--maybe--would you be willing to let us go through this
house--maybe?"

The big man glared down at him and then he said in a great big deep
voice, "Looker here, you youngster! You want to get arrested, do you?
_You clear out of this!_ Whatchue mean comin' to folks' houses and say
you like to go through, eh? You clear out of here, double quick, or I'll
have you in de lockup!"

He banged the door shut and there stood Pee-wee trying to get his
breath, I guess. Then he started down the steps again, the stuff in his
big megaphone rattling like a junk wagon.

"Foiled!" I said.

CHAPTER XXIV

DARING DORA DANE

Oh, boy, you should have heard those girls laugh. Dora Dane Daring said,
"Isn't that just too provoking? He didn't seem to be a bit afraid of
you, did he?"

"Don't you know sometimes scouts have to use strategy?" Pee-wee said.
"Did you think I was going to--to--just _force_ my way in? Don't you
know a scout has to be courteous?"

"It was so good of you not to hurt him," she said.

"Scouts are--they're kind," the kid said.

She said, "Yes, but you know they're invincible. I suppose you'll just
go and ring the bell again?"

"We--we take turns doing things like that," the kid said.

"The general appoints scouts to do that," I told her. "I appoint Westy
Martin and Dorry Benton to----"

"I can't be drafted, I have a dependent ancestor," Dorry said.

Westy said, "I'm sorry, but I have heart trouble. I claim exemption."

I said, "You're a fine pair. I appoint Will Dawson and Warde Hollister
to go up there and arrange terms----"

Warde said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not in uniform."

"I have a dependent mother," Will Dawson said.

"I'm a conscientious objector," Hunt Manners piped up.

The Warner twins said they were the sole support of a collie dog.

"Some bunch of warriors," I said. "I always heard that scouts weren't
supposed to be afraid of a draught. What are we going to do? Go home?"

"If we had tanks----" the kid started.

"Well, go and get a couple of water tanks," I said.

"Isn't it exasperating?" one of th