I Happy-Go-Lucky II The Sentence III The Last Stunt IV The Perfect Gentleman V Chance Acquaintance VI The Inspired Dare VII Gone VIII Safety in Silence IX Stranded X Trapped XI The Jaws of Death XII Held XIII A Noise Like a Scout XIV At the Bar XV Chesty, Ambassador XVI To Pastures New XVII Over the Top XVIII Guilty XIX The Comeback XX Ominous XXI Distant Rumblings XXII Words and Actions XXIII Diplomacy XXIV In the Silent Night XXV Life, Liberty—— XXVI Out of the Frying Pan XXVII At Last XXVIII The Law Again XXIX The White Light XXX Stunt or Service XXXI Hopeless XXXII Ups and Downs XXXIII Storm and Calm XXXIV Summer Plans XXXV Hervey’s Luck XXXVI Reached? HERVEY WILLETTS CHAPTER I HAPPY-GO-LUCKY If Hervey Willetts were lacking many qualities which a scout ought to have (and it is to be feared he was), he certainly had one quality truly scoutish; he had nerve. It was not the sort of nerve commonly recommended to scouts, but it was one kind. And indeed Hervey had all kinds. He was always brave, he was often reckless, he was sometimes blithely heroic. But he was always wrong. His bizarre courage never paid him any interest because, somehow or other, it was always mixed up with disobedience. Thoughtful boys saw this and were sorry for him. More, they had a sneaking admiration for him. Once, in the wee hours of the night, Hervey saved a boy from drowning. He should have had the gold medal for that; but you see he had no right to be out swimming in the middle of the night. And there you are. All his spectacular deeds went to waste so far as scout advancement was concerned. The deed was always clouded by the escapade. And sometimes, as you shall see, there was an escapade containing none of the ingredients of heroism. Hervey’s heroic deeds were always byproducts.