"Yes, he did," I told him, "and that's why I'm going to stick to him through thick and thin, I am, I don't care what. So now I told and I have to be to blame." "I'll be to blame," Bert said. "But anyway, it's on account of Skinny," I said, "and a fellow doesn't know what to do all alone and I like you--gee, I like you a lot," I said it right out to him, just like that. He looked at me steady, but didn't say a word. And then I could feel my eyes all glistening and everything looked funny and all of a sudden I didn't know what I was saying at all. "You have to help me," I said, "because you're a regular scout, I can see that, and you bet I'd like to be just like you if I only could--I would--you can bet--that fellow had lots of adventures and he called me 'Skeezeks' and kind of laughed at me and kidded me along--but, anyway, maybe he's all right, hey? I guess it's his money, but anyway, you've got to help me--you have. "That's one sure thing, because Skinny's more important. Maybe he'll think that a little fellow like Skinny isn't important, and that's the trouble, hey? Because he kind of punched me in the chest and laughed and said I was a good little sport. He said fellows by the name of Roy are all right." All the while Bert Winton just sat there holding his oars out of the water and watching me steady, like a fellow watching a bird that he's been stalking. Then he just said, "Well, I guess the big fellow was right." CHAPTER XXV TELLS ABOUT THE LETTER WE WROTE Anyway, I don't care. Maybe you'll think I was wrong, but I don't care. I just had to tell that fellow. There was something about that fellow--I just can't tell you what it was. So then we fixed everything all up while we were rowing around. What did I care about going tracking or stalking with my patrol? I should worry, they could get along one day without me, all right We decided we'd write two letters to Lieutenant Donnelle and send one to his house and the other to Camp Dix in Wrightstown. We decided we'd write them that very day and hike into Catskill to mail them, so he'd be sure to get one wherever he was, in time for us to get an answer before next Wednesday. Mr. Ellsworth went to Albany that day, because he had some business to attend to, but I knew he wouldn't do anything more about Skinny till he got back and that was one good thing. This was the letter that we decided to send because I kept the first copy we made. We wrote it as if it came from me, but Bert Winton helped me. Dear Lieutenant Donnelle:-- I hope you got back to camp all right and that Uncle Sam didn't get mad about it. I hope you're there now, so you'll surely get this. Anyway, I hope you'll admit that two heads are better than one, because I had to tell a fellow about you. That was because I guess he's the only one here who would help me.