italics. You know what italics mean--you learn that in the Second Grade.
It means that that special thing IS emphasized, see?"
Mr. Ellsworth was smiling a little, but anyway he was listening and so
was Mr. Bennett. Gee, I didn't see anything to smile at.
Now I have to admit that I got kind of excited and I didn't know much
what I was saying.
Sometimes I had to stop on account of that lump being in my throat. But
anyway, I kept on and I held on tight to my emblem--the Silver Fox
emblem.
"So that's what I mean," I said, "and, this morning Westy was on his way
to help on the house-boat and he met" (oh, jiminies, I guess I didn't
know how I was talking now, I was so excited) "and he met Skinny
McCord's mother and she told him about Skinny being sick on account of
a good turn he did for me--keeping Jake Holden from going to my
house--and she asked him to go up and stay with him and he didn't think
any more about the house-boat, and I'm glad he didn't, and I told him
that, and I'm his patrol leader yet, anyway. I tell him that, I do! And
he went home and got his baseball and his catching mitt and it cost a
dollar and seventy-five cents, and he took them to Skinny just so as
he'd kind of forgot being sick. Westy saved up to get that mitt and I
know all about it. And he stayed all day with Skinny and the doctor
says, he says Skinny has got to die, but anyway Westy stayed all day
with him--that's what he did. And I'm glad you fellows are going to
elect a new leader if you want him to reprimand Westy, be cause you'd
never get me to do it, I can tell you that!"
Oh, crinkums, there wasn't a sound. It had to stop because I was
gulping and all excited, but I started again, you can bet.
"And there's only one thing more I've got to say," I told them. "I got
on the trail--I mean Skinny's trail. And it took me to his house in
Barrel Alley. I picked up his trail down at Little Landing and it had
the scout's pathfinder sign printed in the mud. And I--I'm--I'm a scout,
I am, I don't care what you say, and I followed it. And maybe, for all
you know, it was put there, for me to follow-maybe. It took me to where
a fellow was sick, it did, and it showed me one of my own--one of the
Silver Foxes, doing a good turn to pay Skinny back for the good turn
he did for me. And I stayed there to help and I forgot all about the
house-boat, and I'm glad I did. And I hope that whoever these fellows
elect, he won't let them chip in for the cruise, but I hope he'll have
them chip in to send Skinny up to the country--I don't care what the
doctor says. Once a doctor said that--he said that my father--"
And that's all I had a chance to say. Gee, I couldn't tell you what
happened next. All I know is, I heard my Scout Handbook go kerflop on
the floor and Vic Norris of the Ravens grabbed the Silver Fox emblem
right out of my hand and began waving it. All of a sudden I saw Westy
and he didn't say anything only put his arm around my shoulder and he
started to say something and, oh, I don't know, he just couldn't. Then
I heard a fellow asking him what was the matter, because he was husky,
kind of, and his eyes shiny-you know. And he said he had a cold. Oh, boy!
"He caught cold from drinking out of a damp glass," Doc Carson shouted.
Honest, you couldn't hear yourself think. And Pee-wee--g--o--o--d night!
Then Mr. Ellsworth held up his hand and we all quieted down.