“I never knew you took so much interest,” said Warner Lewis. “Will you stay and help us cook lunch? We’ve got some spaghetti.” “Do you say it wasn’t mean to get that kid arrested?” Hervey demanded. “We didn’t get him arrested, we only went and told what we saw,” said Craig. “Any one would think he was your brother.” “He let me use his father’s boat,” Hervey said. “If I stay and eat with you will you go with me to-night and the three of us will set him free? I know how we can do, I’ll show you! all we need is a rope.” Craig and Warner laughed heartily. “Come out of it, Herve,” Warner said. “All right!” thundered Hervey. “_I’ll_ show you who’s a real scout! _I’ll_ show you how to track a feller! _I’ll_ show you how to get your name in the papers!” “I don’t see what you’re so sore about?” repeated Craig. “I’ll show you how to make a noise like a scout!” Hervey fairly yelled. “Go ahead, now you’re talking,” said Warner. “I’ll do more than talk,” Hervey screamed at him. “I can--I told my father whatever a scout can do, I can beat him at it! I can do anything that any scout in any troop can do, and then I can take him out and lose him!” “Goodness me,” said Warner. “I’ll smash your little stunt for you--you see,” said Hervey with gleaming eyes. “Do you dare me to? _Do you dare me to?_ Do you say I can’t set Chesty McCullen free--do you dare me?” “There you go with your dares,” said Craig. “Do you dare me to; do you say I can’t?” Hervey demanded with a steely look. “Yes, we dare you to, and we say you can’t, and we say you’re a fool,” said Warner. “I’ll make a noise like a scout for you!” shouted Hervey. That was pretty good. It would be hard to analyze Hervey’s impulses in all his boastful excitement, and to say whether he was sore at those two boys or sore at himself. He himself hardly knew what was the matter with him. But he was going to trample those two boys in the dust and make a noise like a scout. Not for a moment did he admit that he was going to hit the scout trail with a vengeance and cleanse his own soul of a yellow stain that was upon it. CHAPTER XIV AT THE BAR “If you fool around that jail, you’re crazy and you’ll get yourself in trouble,” Craig called after him. “I’ll free him,” shouted Hervey. “I’ll have everybody in town laughing at you--a couple of half-baked detectives! You must have been reading _Young Sleuth, the Boy Detective._ I’ll show you.” “You’re a fool, Herve,” was the last he heard.