All the while he came closer and he took hold of my arm with his hand and his hand was hot--even through my khaki shirt I could feel it. And his eyes didn't look like the other fellows' eyes. I said, "I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about a fellow that's a hero. He's a big fellow. You know what a hero is?" I said. "Are you a hero?" that's what he said. That's just what he said. Anyway, one thing I didn't know then, and that was that Skinny was going to have more to do with Lieutenant Donnelle than I was. Poor little kid, he didn't know it either. That was one good thing. CHAPTER VIII TELLS ABOUT OUR TRIP UP THE HUDSON He said, "If they get mad when I talk to you, I'll talk to you on the sly. It's all right to like a fellow that isn't in your patrol, isn't it?" "Sure it is," I told him, "you have to like everybody. But you do what they tell you and then nobody'll get mad." He said, "The swimming badge is a good one, isn't it?" "It's a dandy one," I said. Then he told me that was the one they wanted him to try for. He said, "Can I try for it now?" I thought I'd better watch my step--safety first, hey? So I said, "You ask Connie. I shouldn't think there'd be any objection to trying now; then after you've passed your first class tests you could just scoop the badge right up, see?" "I looked at all the pictures of the badges," he said, "and I like the one with the picture of a rooster best. Is the swimming one better than that?" I said, "Yes, because every scout has got to know how to swim. Anyway, Connie knows best; and he's your patrol leader, so you do whatever he tells you to." "Will I be able to beat everybody swimming?" he said. I told him maybe, if he tried hard, and then I told him he'd better go to bed. He said he wouldn't be able to sleep now, on account of thinking about the swimming badge. Anyway, he went and I noticed how skinny his legs were. It made me feel awful sorry for him, because his suit didn't fit him and looked kind of funny. His eyes were funny, anyway, and gave me the fidgets, but in the dark you could just see them shine. I told him to go inside and go to sleep and not think about the swimming badge. One thing about Skinny, I knew he'd never make a good all-around scout, like some fellows. You know what I mean. Now you take Artie Van Arlen-- he's got eleven merit badges and he's got the bronze medal. Maybe you'd say photography was his bug, but he never went crazy about it, that's one sure thing. Take _me_, I've got nine merit badges--the more the merrier, I don't care.