It turned out that very way. An urgent message had come that
necessitated the immediate return of the scout-master. The old doctor
with whom he practiced had been unlucky enough to fall, and break a leg;
so it was absolutely essential that his assistant come back to look
after the sick people of Cranford, hundreds of miles away.

While the scout-master is getting his personal belongings together, and
the six boys gathered around are trying to look terribly disappointed,
it might be well to introduce the little party to such of our readers
who have not had the pleasure of making their acquaintance in previous
volumes of this series.

The Cranford Troop of Boy Scouts now consisted of two full patrols, and
a third was in process of forming. The original patrol was known as the
Silver Fox, and the six scouts who were with Doctor Hobbs, away up here
on the border of Lake Superior, bent on a cruise on the great fresh
water sea, all belonged to that division of the troop, so that they are
old friends to those who have perused any of the earlier books.

Thad Brewster, whom Bumpus had spoken of so highly, was a bright,
energetic lad, who had always delighted in investigating things
connected with outdoor life. He had belonged to a troop before
organizing the one at Cranford, and was well qualified for being made
the assistant scoutmaster, having received his credentials from the New
York Headquarters long ago.

Allan Hollister, who would assume the responsibility should Thad be
absent, was a boy who had spent quite a time in the Adirondacks before
joining the scouts, and his knowledge was along practical lines.