In we went, pell-mell, and there was Mr. Arnoldson (he’s a resident trustee) sitting at the table reading a magazine. He just laid it down and looked at us and said very sober, “Well, what’s the big idea?”

I could see something was wrong; I knew he had been sitting up waiting for us.

“We’ve been to the carnival in Greenvale,” Brent said. “Some crazy day we’ve had.”

Mr. Arnoldson just said, “Hmph. Your idea, Willetts?”

“Why pick on me,” Hervey said.

“I guess we were all equally crazy,” Brent laughed.

Mr. Arnoldson said, “Well, I suppose you’re all equally reprehensible then. You scouts know the rules of this camp, don’t you? You know you’re supposed to be here at supper and afterward unless you have special permission to be away. Who gave you permission?”

Brent just said, kind of surprised, “Why, I thought it would be all right if we ’phoned. You said so yourself once.”

“You needn’t tell me what I said,” Mr. Arnoldson shot back at him. “Do you want me to understand that you ’phoned to camp?”

Brent was sort of a little mad. He said, “I don’t care what you understand, Mr. Arnoldson, and I think it’s all right to remind you that you said if scouts were going to stay out they must ’phone. We did ’phone. And we thought that would be all right.”

“At what time did you ’phone?” he asked us.

“At about half-past six,” Brent said.

“From where?”

“From the railroad station at Greenvale.”

That seemed to be a poser to him; he just drummed on the table and looked at all of us.

“Which one of you ’phoned?” he asked.

“Hervey ’phoned,” Brent said.

“Eh huh, I thought so,” Mr. Arnoldson said, with a kind of a funny smile. “Who did you talk to, Willetts?”

“A scout named Wilkins,” Hervey said.

“Ask him his name?”

“How do you suppose I found out?” Hervey said. “I didn’t want to ’phone, I’ll tell you that much. I didn’t care so much.”

“Don’t, Hervey,” Brent said in a low tone.

“I should bother,” Hervey said.

“Bother about whether you tell the truth or not? That what you mean?” Mr. Arnoldson asked him. Then he said, “Any of you fellows see him ’phone?”

“No, we waited outside,” Brent said.

“Ah, yes,” Mr. Arnoldson said with a kind of a smile. “Well now,” he said, and he clapped his hand down on the table, “there was no ’phone message received at this camp from any of you boys this evening.”

“You sure of that?” Brent asked.

“Absolutely,” Mr. Arnoldson said. “And there is no scout or anybody else at this camp by the name of Wilkins. I’m sorry for you four boys, Harris and Blakeley and Hollister and Gaylong, you were duped. It’s all right, go to bed and forget it. Willetts, you’re a liar and we don’t want any liars at this camp. You not only try to fool the management and disobey rules, but you fool your comrades. You thought we’d call you in if you ’phoned. And you knew these boys wouldn’t stay out without ’phoning. So you put one over on them; you lied to them. I was going to give you all a good calling down and then turn in because I’m sleepy. A good calling down wouldn’t have killed you.”

“Gee whiz, it wouldn’t kill me,” Pee-wee said.

“Now you four turn in and forget it,” Mr. Arnoldson said. “And you, Willetts, had better go up where your troop bunks, if you know where that is, and pack up your stuff and get out of here in the morning. And don’t ever show your face in Temple Camp again. Don’t talk back, and cut out the bravado; there’s the door, get out of my sight.”

Hervey just stood there gulping. I was glad he wasn’t able to speak because he would only have started swearing. He doesn’t care much what he says, sometimes. Anyway before he got a chance I kind of got hold of him and led him out through the door onto the porch. The others came out, too, but none of them spoke to him except Pee-wee. He said, “Good night, Hervey, and anyway I like you.” Hervey didn’t say anything, didn’t even answer him. Brent and Warde started down Cabin Lane, but neither of them spoke to him. Brent made out not to see him at all.

Gee, I hated to leave him that way. I waited and said, “Hervey, don’t you care, maybe a camp like this isn’t the best place for you. I know most of the things you do you don’t stop to think. You wanted us to keep going and I’m not holding it against you. I know you’re reckless and you don’t think. Don’t you care because you’d never get along here anyway. I know the good side of you.”

“Do you think I’m a liar?” he asked me.

“No, I don’t,” I said. “Just that once——”

“Do you think I lied just that once?” he said. “Why should I lie? I’m not afraid of Arnoldson and that bunch. I’ve stayed away a dozen times, haven’t I? I never lied about it.”

I had to smile a little because it seemed as if he was even proud of it. I said, “No, I know you don’t care about the management. If you did—sort of fool Brent—it was for our sakes—so we could keep on having fun.”

“Well, I either lied or I didn’t,” Hervey said.

“I know that,” I said, “but I’m thinking of a lot of things the others don’t think of——”

“So am I,” said Hervey.

“Never you mind,” I said.

Just then the light inside went out and I started away, because I guess I didn’t want Mr. Arnoldson to come out and see me talking with Hervey. I’m ashamed to admit it, but that’s the way I felt.

As I walked along Cabin Lane to where our troops bunk I noticed that the reflection out on the water was still there even after the light in Administration Shack was out. But I was too sleepy and I was feeling too bad to think about that.