"Is that fair to the troop, Hervey? Is it fair to yourself? It isn't
lack of ability; if it was I wouldn't speak of it. But it's because you
tire of a thing before it's finished. Think of the things you learned
in winning those twenty badges--the Morse Code, life saving, carpentry
work. How many of those things do you remember now? You have forgotten
them all--lost interest in them all. I said nothing because I knew you
were after the Eagle badge with both hands and feet, but now you see you
have tired of that--right on the threshold of victory. You can't blame
the boys, Hervey, now can you?"

"Tracks are not so easy to find," Hervey said, somewhat subdued.

"They are certainly not easy to find if you don't look for them," Mr.
Warren retorted, not unpleasantly. "I heard a boy in camp say only this
evening that that queer little duck in the Bridgeboro troop had found
some tracks near the lake and started to follow them. There is no pair
of eyes in camp better than yours, Hervey. But you know you can't expect
to find animal tracks down in the village."

"In the village?"

"Two or three of your own patrol saw you down there a week ago, Hervey;
saw you run out of a candy store to follow a runaway horse. You know,
Hervey, horses' tracks aren't the kind you're after. Those boys were
observant. They were on their way to the post office. I heard them
telling Tom Slade about it."

"What did _he_ say--Tom Slade?" Hervey queried.