So it happened that their going partook of the same delightfully aimless character as the way in which they had spent the day in their cosy little tent. For Pee-wee missed the bottle. But just the same he didn’t leave it there, for a scout has as much respect for the woods as he has for the parlor in his home. Not a sign did they leave of their presence, except a little charred spot under a tree. They did not want to go, but now the die was cast and they would not go back on their resolution. The patient little Ford was waiting along the roadside and really seemed glad to see them. Townsend toppled the seat cushions over to their proper positions, threw their camping paraphernalia in behind, then he and Pee-wee climbed into the front seat, and Townsend instantly got out again to crank the engine. “I dreamed I had a self-starter,” he said. It required several crankings to get started, but at last they were off, the car looking quite clean after its bath. “Good-by, old camp,” said Townsend as they rattled away. “So long,” called Pee-wee, waving his hand. “Gee whiz, it was nice in there, wasn’t it? We had a lot of fun there, didn’t we?” “Sure thing.” “If two fellers like each other they kind of have fun anyway, don’t they?” “That’s what they do. You read the books and you’d think you couldn’t find any fun this side of South Africa. How about that, Liz?” “Kkkkkk,” said the Ford. “How did you make it do that?” Pee-wee asked. “It’s the back door on the other side; slam it, will you?” “Don’t forget we’ve got to hunt for gasoline,” said Pee-wee. “The boy hunters,” said Townsend, “hunting for gasoline. Leveling his rifle, our young hero crouched behind the garage, fixing his eagle eye upon the distant gas pump—” “You’re crazy,” said Pee-wee. “When suddenly,” said Townsend, “a terrific report rent the air and there at the brave lad’s feet—” “What?” “Was a blown-out tire.” “That shows how much sense you have,” said Pee-wee, with a kind of mingled pride and amusement in his friend; “you’re crazy.” They rattled merrily down hill for half a mile or so, then around a bend and a couple of miles along a straight, level road. Then they made another curve and stopped, plunk in front of the little supply shack where the man with the suspenders and the straw hat had given them the direction. He was sitting on a bench in front of his place with a straw in his mouth and his eyes squinted as if he had not moved hand or muscle since the previous night. Townsend did not appear to be at all surprised; he maintained a dignified calm, but Pee-wee was plainly dumbfounded. “How do you do?” said Townsend. “_What does it mean?_” Pee-wee gasped. “It means we forgot to thank this gentleman for directing us,” said Townsend, “and we have come back to do it. Friend, we thank you.” With which commendable demonstration of scout politeness he turned the car around and rattled away again in the direction from which they had just come.