Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 60255-h.htm or 60255-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/60255/60255-h/60255-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/60255/60255-h.zip) ROY BLAKELEY’S FUNNY-BONE HIKE [Illustration: “OUT I WENT AGAIN WITH ALL OF THEM AFTER ME.”] ROY BLAKELEY’S FUNNY-BONE HIKE by PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH Author of Tom Slade, Boy Scout, Tom Slade at Temple Camp, Roy Blakeley, etc. Illustrated by H. S. Barbour Published with the approval of THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Grosset & Dunlap Publishers New York Made in the United States of America Copyright, 1923 Grosset & Dunlap CONTENTS I We Go II We Start Back III We Go South IV We Go North V We Keep on Going North VI We Move Heaven and Earth VII We Reach the Fickle Guide Post VIII We Do a Good Turn IX We Follow Our Leader X We Retrace Our Steps XI We Wait for the Boat XII We Collect Toll XIII We Are Marooned on a Desert Island XIV We See a Sail XV We Form a Resolve XVI We Are Saved XVII We Cook the Duck XVIII We Meet a Friend XIX We Eat XX We Make a Promise XXI We Keep Still XXII We Hear a Voice XXIII We Go to the Rescue XXIV We Drop Dead—Almost XXV We Prove It XXVI We See a House XXVII We Lose Our Bearings XXVIII We Are Dead to the World XXIX We Wake Up XXX We Figure It Out XXXI We Make a Bargain XXXII We Become Bandits XXXIII We Win XXXIV We Start the Parade XXXV We End Our Hike XXXVI We Demobilize Chapter the Last ROY BLAKELEY’S FUNNY-BONE HIKE CHAPTER I WE GO This is going to be the craziest story I ever wrote. But anyway every word of it is true—except a few small words. Even the punctuation is true. But I have to admit the story is crazy. It’s the craziest story ever written in this world or any other world. I don’t care how many worlds there are. The name I call it by is the Funny-bone Hike, but I should worry what you call it. When you study first aid you have to know all about the different bones but the only bone I know anything about is my funny-bone. Anyway I don’t care so much about first aid—I like lemonade better. But one thing, I’ve got the Safety First badge. To get that you have to think up a safety device in your home. I thought of a safety pin. I’ve got ten other merit badges, too. Next to laughing my specialty is cooking.