You hear lots of men say that.
But, one thing, he wasn't going for two days and so we'd have to stay tied up in Poughkeepsie waiting for him.

You see we were a kind of a tramp boat, but what did we care as long as we got to camp some time or other.

Scouts are tramps anyway, hey?
So now I have to tell you about that two days we spent in Poughkeepsie and most of the time we spent in teaching Skinny to swim.

Of course, that was up to the Elks and you can bet I didn't interfere, nor any of my patrol either, but I was mighty glad to see how easy it was for him to learn.
[Illustration: MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT IN TEACHING SKINNY TO SWIM.] "That kid is half fish," Doc Carson said to me.
"No wonder," I said, "most all his life has been spent in the marshes.
He's going to be a cracker-jack, you see." "He'll walk away with that badge when he once gets started," Westy said.
"You mean he'll swim away with it," I said; "gee-williger, look how that little codger can dive." One thing, there was a dandy place for learning, that's sure.
We put the skiff into the water and a couple of the Elks rowed around near the house-boat, keeping near, while Hunt Ward showed Skinny the strokes.

The rest of us sat along the cabin roof, cheering just so's the kid would be encouraged.