"don't you think," began pepper.

"why not, pepper?" asked rand.

"what objection is there to our thinking?"

the four boys were, a couple of days later, on their way back to the town from the river, where they had been for an early morning swim.

"none whatever," retorted pepper, "if you were capable of doing it."

"now listen to that!" cried rand. "pepper thinks he's the only one that can think. if you have got any thinks in your think-tank open the valve and let some of them escape."

"one at a time, pepper," added donald; "make it easy for us."

"all through your interruptions?" asked pepper; "because, if you are, i'll elucidate."

"ah, what's that?" cried rand, "you'll do what? how do you spell it?"

"elucidate--explain--make dear," replied pepper. "do i make myself comprehensible?"

"another one," groaned rand. "say, pepper, skip the hard ones, and tell us what's troubling you."

"what i was going to say," went on pepper, "was, don't you think--now don't interrupt--that it would be a good idea to have gerald moore and dick wilson meet with us to have a talk about the scout business?"

"seems as if it might be," admitted donald.

"what made you think of having gerald join us, jack?" asked rand. "i suppose you had some good reason."

"well, i hardly know," responded jack. "it just came into my head while the colonel was talking the other day. he's an all-around good fellow, you know, even if he does not have much money. full of fun, and you can depend upon him every time."

"that's reason enough," agreed rand. "i don't know much about him, except that he was in our class at school, and i'm afraid i have had a little grudge against him."

"what for?" cried pepper.

"i guess it was because he made me work so hard to keep up with him in the class," responded rand laughingly. "it was all i could do, too."

"dick's a jolly good fellow, too," put in pepper.

"for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow," sang jack, whereupon they ail joined in the refrain.

"said anything to them about it?" asked don, when they had sung it over and over until they were tired.

"well, hardly," replied jack, "considering it was only the day before yesterday that we thought of it, though i suppose if we are going to do anything it is time we were getting about it."

"ah reckon dat am so," drawled rand, then changing his tone he went on: "what do you say to having a meeting to-night and talking it over? we can have gerald and dick come and make a start if we like."

"that's the way, rand," approved pepper, "if you are going to do things, do them!"

"i see no objection," concluded donald.

"of course you don't," returned pepper. "do you know why?"

"why, pepper?" asked donald.

"because there isn't any," retorted pepper.

"where will we meet?" asked jack.

"i will ask uncle floyd if we can have the room in the attic for a club room," went on rand. "i know he will be interested in what we are doing."

"then we are all fixed," cried jack.

"what shall we call it?" asked pepper.

"call the room?"

"of course not," returned pepper; "i mean the patrol."

"better wait until it is started," advised donald, "it's no sure yet."

"all right, solomon," conceded pepper, "but if randolph says so it's as good as done."

"then we will consider that settled," concluded rand, who, as a matter of course, assumed the leadership, as he usually did in most things the boys undertook. "wait a minute," he went on as they were about to separate when they came to his house, "i will ask uncle now."

then a few minutes later he called from the house: "it's all right, uncle says that we can have it."

"hurrah!" cried pepper.

"three cheers for mr. scott!" after which the three went off, singing "for he's a jolly good fellow."

"what is the first thing to do?" asked pepper when they met that evening in the room which mr. scott had allowed them to use.

"well, if we are all agreed," replied rand, "i suppose the way to organize is to organize."

"then i move that we form a patrol of the boy scouts," proposed pepper.

"second the motion," added jack.

"in my opinion--" began donald deliberately, as usual.

"now for a solid chunk of wisdom," volunteered pepper.

"the first thing to do is to select a chairman."

"anything to please," assented jack. "i move that randolph peyton be chosen as chairman of the meeting. all in favor, say aye!"

"aye!" shouted the boys in a chorus that made the room ring again.

"now then, mr. chairman," said jack, "get busy."

"i nominate donald graeme for secretary," cried pepper.

"all in favor--" began rand.

"aye!" shouted the boys again.

"then," announced rand, "i think we are ready for business. now, pepper, your motion would be in order."

"in my opinion--" interrupted donald.

"now for another chunk," sighed pepper.

"order!" called rand.

"it would no be a bad idea," went on donald, "to read over the requirements again, so we will know what we are about."

"oh," protested pepper, "this is too much. say, fellows, wake me up when he gets through."

"now," said rand, when donald had finished the reading, "shall we go ahead?"

"how is it, don?" asked pepper; "any more objections?"

"i don't see any," returned donald.

"all right, then, mr. chairman," cried pepper; "let her go!"

"i move that we form a patrol of the boy scouts," said jack.

"second it," cried gerald.

"aye!" shouted the boys before rand had time to put the motion.

"carried," decided rand. "now," he went on, "i wonder how many of you can pass the examination."