It bent low in a great sweeping curve, the nest swayed and swung from the movement of the swing downward, a little olive-colored, speckled head peeking cautiously out as if to see what all the rumpus was about.
It must have seemed to those little frightened eyes that the familiar geography of the neighborhood was radically changed.

But there was nothing near to strike terror to it now.

There was nothing near but the green, enshrouding foliage, and the brown object hanging almost motionless close by.
This was Hervey Willetts of the patrol of the blue scarf, scout of the first class (if ever there was one) and winner of twenty-one merit badges....
No, not twenty-one.

Twenty and two-thirds..