The big man glared down at him and then he said in a great big deep voice, "Looker here, you youngster! You want to get arrested, do you? _You clear out of this!_ Whatchue mean comin' to folks' houses and say you like to go through, eh? You clear out of here, double quick, or I'll have you in de lockup!" He banged the door shut and there stood Pee-wee trying to get his breath, I guess. Then he started down the steps again, the stuff in his big megaphone rattling like a junk wagon. "Foiled!" I said. CHAPTER XXIV DARING DORA DANE Oh, boy, you should have heard those girls laugh. Dora Dane Daring said, "Isn't that just too provoking? He didn't seem to be a bit afraid of you, did he?" "Don't you know sometimes scouts have to use strategy?" Pee-wee said. "Did you think I was going to--to--just _force_ my way in? Don't you know a scout has to be courteous?" "It was so good of you not to hurt him," she said. "Scouts are--they're kind," the kid said. She said, "Yes, but you know they're invincible. I suppose you'll just go and ring the bell again?" "We--we take turns doing things like that," the kid said. "The general appoints scouts to do that," I told her. "I appoint Westy Martin and Dorry Benton to----" "I can't be drafted, I have a dependent ancestor," Dorry said. Westy said, "I'm sorry, but I have heart trouble. I claim exemption." I said, "You're a fine pair. I appoint Will Dawson and Warde Hollister to go up there and arrange terms----" Warde said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not in uniform." "I have a dependent mother," Will Dawson said. "I'm a conscientious objector," Hunt Manners piped up. The Warner twins said they were the sole support of a collie dog. "Some bunch of warriors," I said. "I always heard that scouts weren't supposed to be afraid of a draught. What are we going to do? Go home?" "If we had tanks----" the kid started. "Well, go and get a couple of water tanks," I said. "Isn't it exasperating?" one of the girls said. "Can't you wait a little while?" Pee-wee shouted. "Wasn't the world war four years long? That shows what you know about history." One of the girls said, "Do you still claim to be invincible?" "Sure we do," Pee-wee said. "But of course everybody--a lot of people know that women helped in the war a lot--everybody knows that. We wouldn't be mad if you made a suggestion." That Daring girl said, "Oh, I haven't a _single thing_ to suggest. We believe in action. Actions speak louder than suggestions. If you're really ready to admit that you're defeated I'll make a proposal. It isn't a suggestion, it's a proposal." "Proposals are just as good as suggestions," Pee-wee said. She said, "Well, if you're ready to admit that you're balked----" "Even--even--even the Germans were balked on the Marne, weren't they?" our young hero shouted. I said, "Well, it doesn't look as if that giant with the brass buttons is going to surrender. If we could get some propaganda past him to the people in the house----"