alone on the deck after dark, I went up and sat down and began talking to him. I often do that.
I said, "I guess Skinny's going to get the swimming badge, all right."
Yes, I guess he is," that's what Mr. Ellsworth said, "Skinny's too much for me. If the boys would only teach him a little scouting, I'd be better pleased. He wants to be a swimmer now; he's not thinking about being a scout. He thinks of the badge only as something to wear.'
"I tried to teach him some things out of the Handbook," I said, "but the Elks didn't like it. I tried to tell him some things about scouting and all I got was a good lecture from Connie. Nix on teaching fellows in other patrols."
Mr. Ellsworth seemed awfully worried, kind of; he just sat thinking a minute. Then he said, "I'm afraid Skinny is going to be hard to tame. He'll make a fine swimmer and a fine stalker—"
I said, "He calls that sneaking."
Mr. Ellsworth laughed and said, "But the principal thing is to make him a good scout. Has he done any good turns?"
I said, "The only good turns I know about, are the good turns he made in diving; he turns every which way."
