CHAPTER XXX

FIXED

Skinny did not understand, but Danville Bently did. Still the little outcast Elk had a certain feeling of humiliation. He knew he had not been "let out," but it might look that way, and he was afraid that Danville would think so. What Danville really did think, Skinny never knew.

But the diplomatic Elks knew, for Danville told them that very evening. Having attended to certain other matters which pleasantly evidenced the esteem in which he was held by the management, he strolled up to Martha Norris Memorial Cabins just before supper, a time when he thought the Elks would be at their patrol cabin.

It was characteristic of Danville that he seemed never to take particular notice of things that were unusually costly and attractive. Perhaps this was because he had been brought up in refined luxury. In any event he seemed always quite at home. He was one of the very few boys at camp who could enter Administration Shack with perfect ease and speak familiarly to the trustees and councilors. So he did not take particular note of the three beautiful large cabins which housed the First Bridgeboro Troop. He did not even notice the big radio set in the Elks cabin as he stepped inside, greeting the scouts who were hurriedly brushing up for supper. He was thinking of Skinny and not the realm from which Skinny had been so neatly ousted.

"I wonder if you fellows want to give me the key to the boat-locker where Alf keeps his canoe?" he asked in his easy-going way. "Seems he forgot to ask you."

If it had been some one else they would probably have challenged his right to come on such an errand, but there was something about Danville which made them all feel a trifle ill at ease. There was a certain atmosphere about White Scarf, as they called him, which caused them to respect him.

"There's only one key," Connie said.

"Yes, that's the one he wants," said Danville.

"How are _we_ going to get in the locker then?" Vic Norris asked. "That canoe is patrol property; that's a rule in our troop about prizes."

"Tent Village has got two boats assigned to it," said Bert McAlpin. "Gee, what more do you fellows want?"

"You mean the scouts in Tent Village? I don't know," said Danville, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm talking about Alf's canoe. We're not going to be in Tent Village, we're going up on the hill; Black Hill you call it?"

"You mean Overlook Cabin?" Connie asked in surprise.

"Mmm, soon as they clear it out for us."

"That'll cost money--twelve bucks a week not counting board," Connie said.

"Yep, so I understand."

"The bosses will have something to say about that."

"I've engaged it," said Danville, then he added rather oddly: "You don't suppose I'm not acquainted with my own father, do you?"

"Gee, that's some perch," said Connie.

"Not so bad," said Danville. "How 'bout the key?"

"You going to take the kid up there?"

"N--no."

"Bunk up there alone?"

"No, Alf and I are going together."

"That's what I mean," said Connie.

"It isn't what you said," said Danville. "How about the locker key? They tell me in Administration Shack you'll have to hand it over. In fact, they wouldn't let you do this thing at all if I hadn't asked them to let us have the cabin. You can't let out a member of your patrol up here, without your scoutmaster. But as long as it's O.K. with Alf I don't suppose anybody cares; I'm sure you don't. Only if you don't let him have his prize canoe you'll get the management interested and then you won't be able to have your Eagle Scout at all. You fellows ought not to complain at handing over his canoe; you're getting an Eagle Scout."

"Hey, Bently," said Hunt Ward in a sudden burst of familiarity; "is it true that you're an Eagle Scout? A lot of scouts say you are?"

"No, I'm not."

"Nobody seems to know about you," Vic said.

"Tom Slade seems to think it's all right if Alf wants to go up on the hill," said Danville, ignoring their personal queries. "Seems to me you Elks are getting your own way pretty soft and easy. Only you'll spoil everything if you don't hand over the locker key."

"You told--you talked to Slady?" Connie asked.

"Oh, yes. I don't think there'll be any trouble as long as I hire the cabin and you hand over the canoe; 'long as Alf has a place to stay."

"Did they take your word for it before hearing from your father?" Connie asked.

"Why, sure; why not?"

"Scouts can't do business with the management," Connie said.

"So? Well, I must have caught them napping, I suppose," said Bently. "How 'bout the key?"

"Here it is, tell him we wish him luck and hope he won't get drowned," said Connie.

"If he does, I'll let you know," said Danville. "And I congratulate you on getting an Eagle Scout; that's some nifty haul."

"Can you blame us?" Bert McAlpin asked.

"No, an eagle's an eagle," said Danville.

"Poor kid, he's only a little mascot," Vic said. "I haven't been up there on Black Hill since we were having signal tests last summer. Are there two bunks in the cabin? I thought there was only one."

"There are three," said Danville. "So we can each have one and a half. Well, so long."

"Gee williger, that guy has a way of managing things," said Connie. "I only hope Wainwright doesn't put the kibosh on it. Gee, if we can't get Holly now, good night, I'll be sore! There's only two other Eagle Patrols in camp. An eagle has got wings, and when you've got wings you can fly."

"We'll fly all right," said Bert McAlpin. "That gives us a look in on three awards, Yellowstone Park----"

"The kid will be just as happy," said Connie.

"Sure, he will," said several others in chorus.