THE OTHERS ARRIVE The arrival of the five North Bridgeboro scouts was the occasion of much merriment and banter.

These boys from the small village up the river had formed themselves into a patrol but they were two members short of the required number and they had no scoutmaster.
Whether they took scouting seriously it would be hard to say; if so it must have been a great comfort to them to have wished upon their budding organization such an instructor and propagandist as the diminutive genius whom they were now about to meet.

Whatever material they had among them for progress in the scouting field, they gave every indication of possessing that quality of unholy mirth which distinguished the notorious Silver Foxes.

Perhaps their silver was not quite so bright, but they gave promise.
"Hey, where are you going with the apple tree ?" one of them called from the nearest canoe.

"What are you trying to do?
Swipe a chunk of property?
That's a part of North Bridgeboro you've got there." "Why didn't you take the whole village ?" another called.
"Hey, Roly, where are you going with the real estate ?" another called.
"I knew you were too heavy for that neck of land," shouted another.
"Why didn't you take the whole orchard with you ?" a third wanted to know.
"_For the love of----_," another ejaculated.