kid to you with my twenty merits--twenty and two-thirds. Maybe some girl
is wearing your Distinguished Service Cross, for all I know. But we
fellows are crazy to have the Eagle award in our troop. I suppose of
course you're an Eagle Scout?"

"I guess that was about three or four years ago," Tom said.

"Once a scout, always a scout, hey?"

"That's it," Tom said.

They strolled along in silence for a few minutes, Hervey occasionally
stealing a side glimpse at his elder, who ambled on, apparently
unconscious of these admiring glances. Now and again Tom paused to
examine a patch of moss or some little tell-tale mark upon the ground,
as if he had no knowledge of his companion's presence. But Hervey
appeared quite satisfied.

"I'll tell you how it is," he finally said, selecting what seemed an
appropriate moment to speak; "I was elected as the one in our troop to
go after the Eagle award. We want an Eagle Scout in our troop. We
haven't even got one in the city where I live."

"Hear that?" Tom said. "That's a thrush."

"A thrush?"

"Yop; go on," Tom said.

"So they elected me to win the Eagle award. Some choice, hey? I had