“I think boy scouts are wonderful,” said a lady boarder.

“Sure they are,” Pee-wee agreed. “They can’t take anything for a service; they can’t take any money unless they earn it. They’re supposed to almost starve and then think up a way not to, kind of. See?”

He sat on the edge of the porch waiting for Townsend to transform the grindstone back into a wheel. “They have to depend on themselves,” he added. “You can’t starve them because they can eat roots. Of course that isn’t saying they won’t eat pie.”

“I understand,” said a man.

“They eat most everything,” Pee-wee said.

“Oh, how terrible,” said a girl.

“You don’t call that terrible, do you?” said Pee-wee. “They can imitate any kind of an animal.”

“Can they imitate a calliope?” the girl asked.

“Is it an animal?” demanded Pee-wee.

“No, it’s a thing that makes a noise by steam; it’s about fifty noises at once.”

“If I heard it I could imitate it,” Pee-wee said.

“I think you do imitate one very well,” laughed the girl.

Pee-wee took this as a compliment. “How many different noises can you make?” he asked.

“I can only make one noise when you’re around,” said the girl, “and that is to laugh.”

“That means you can imitate a hyena,” said Pee-wee, “because they laugh; girls and hyenas are all the time laughing; they laugh for not any reason.”

“Oh, thank you,” said the girl.

“Jackasses too,” said Pee-wee.

“Oh, thank you, so much.”

“Well,” said a lonely looking man whose penknife had undergone treatment, “I wish you fellows were going to stay here. But if you have to go, why my car is in the barn and I can drain a little gas out of it to accommodate you. You could—you could buy it, you know,” he added.

He evidently had a pretty correct estimate of scout principles. But on learning that there was a supply station only a few yards north of the Brookside Villa grounds, our heroes decided to escort the car that far by hand. Their departure was therefore even more impressive than their arrival, Townsend pushing the car while Pee-wee steered it along the private way and out into the high road.

With their tank replenished by a five gallon supply, they were ready for the last stage of their momentous journey.

“We ought to make Kingston in an hour,” said Townsend. “What d’you say, Liz? We ought to hit Saugerties about noontime—”

“You should never hit anybody under your size,” said Pee-wee; “Saugerties is a small place.”

“Well, then you can hit it,” said Townsend. “Then Kingston, then Catskill; and we ought to be at camp by about two. That’s allowing for two blow-outs, three short circuits, a puncture and fourteen hold-ups by the upstate cops. I’ll throw in a leaky radiator just to be on the safe side.”

“Of course if we should have any unexpected troubles it would take us longer. I’m just figuring on the regular every-day program.” Then, as they rattled along, he sang one verse of a song which had nine million verses, all of which he knew. He had a way of making the flivver accompany him with certain noises and tooting the horn twice as a sort of orchestral finale:

“Gee whiz, I don’t see how the top can fall down and hit me,” said Pee-wee. “Do you call that logic?”

“Once it had a fine top, Kid,” said Townsend. “A top that could fall down—easily—every ten minutes. A real top. It can’t fall down any more, Kid,” he added sadly. “It would if it could; you shouldn’t make fun of it.”

“How can I make fun of it when it isn’t there?” Pee-wee shouted.

“That’s just it,” said Townsend; “you talk behind its back when it isn’t here to fall down on you. Do you call that chivalrous?”

“You’re crazy,” said Pee-wee.

Townsend, sitting up straight in his funny, complacent way as if he were driving a golden chariot, sang:

“You bet your life I will,” said Pee-wee. “Gee whiz, after this whenever I think of you, I’ll think of this Ford; you’re kind of like partners.”

“In adversity?” said Townsend. “And you won’t be ashamed of us when we get to Temple Camp? I wonder what they’ll think of us there. I’m kind of anxious to see the place, I’ve heard so much of it from you.”

“Gee whiz, I’ll always stick up for you and your flivver,” said Pee-wee.

Townsend stuck his feet up where the lower pane of the windshield had once been and hummed as he caressed the steering-wheel fondly.