Tim swelled out his chest and swaggered.

"All right," said Don. If Ted thought nothing of the way he had been
batted, why, everything must be all right. He walked home gayly.

"Scout meeting tonight?" his father asked.

"Yes, sir," said Don, and ran upstairs to dress. He wondered if the Wolf
patrol would get another perfect score. He paused in the act of brushing
his hair. A thought that he could not push aside popped into his brain.
Would Tim come spick and span?

Tim, Andy, Alex and Ritter were at headquarters when he arrived, and Tim
was as clean as any.

"We've been inspecting each other," Andy laughed. "Look at those fellows
over there."

The Fox patrol had a box of blacking and a brush, and two scouts were
polishing their shoes. The Eagles had a needle and thread, and one scout,
under the watchful eye of his patrol leader, was sewing on a button.

"This is going to be a fight," Andy went on. "Those scouts are in
earnest."

"That's the way for a scout to be," said Don. The prospect of a struggle
sent a sparkle into his eyes. "We'll have to do that."

"Needles and thread and shoe-brushes?" Tim demanded.