"Well, you were after the Eagle and you got an oriole," he said, half
jokingly. "That's what I meant when I said that sometimes you don't
know where a trail will bring you out. You got a lot to learn about
scouting. What you did to-day was better than tracking a half a mile or
so."

"The pleasure is mine," said Hervey, in bantering acknowledgment of the
compliment, "but if there's anything higher in scouting than the Eagle
award, I'd like to know what it is."

"How much good has it done you trying for it?" Tom asked. "Nobody is
supposed to go after a thing in scouting the same as he does in a game.
He's supposed to learn things why he's going after something," he added
in his clumsy way. "You went through the bird study test and you didn't
even know it was an oriole's nest that you rescued. And you forgot all
about something else too, and it makes me laugh when I think about it;
when I think about you and your tracks."

"You think I'm a punk scout," Hervey sang out, gayly.

"I think you're a bully scout," Tom said.

"If I win the Eagle you'll say so, won't you?"

"Maybe."

"And do you mean to tell me that a scout can be any more of a scout
than that--an Eagle Scout?"

"Sure," said Tom uncompromisingly.