What do you say ?" Then he looked out over the water to be sure nobody was coming.
"I'm a first class scout, and I've got nine merit badges, and I'm a patrol leader," I told him.

"Anyway I'd like to know what you want here." "_Patrol leader! No!_" he said, and I could see he was only trying to get on the right side of me, and that he didn't know what a patrol leader is at all.
"Can patrol leaders keep secrets ?" he said.
I told him if it was a good secret, they could.

Then he hit me a good whack on the shoulder and he winked at me awful funny and said: They are fools who go and tell Wisely has the poet sung.
Man may hold all sorts of jobs If he'll only hold his tongue.
"Are you a tramp ?" I asked him.
"_A tramp!_" he said, "that's pretty good.

I dare say I look like one." Then he jumped up on the railing and began laughing so hard I was afraid he'd fall backwards into the water.

I told him he'd better look out, but he only laughed more, and said I was a great kid.