“Be thankful I didn’t lead you onto an airship,” I said; “we’re going to Alsen, it’s a very nice place, houses and everything. Follow your leader wherever he goes.” “We’re supposed to be headed for camp,” the kid said. “We’re on our way there,” I told him. “We’re going west in a southerly direction.” “Alsen is only about three miles,” Bert said. “How do we know the engineer will see it when he gets there?” Garry wanted to know. “Maybe he has a magnifying glass,” I said. “I hope there are some things in Alsen.” “What kind of things?” Pee-wee wanted to know. “Things to do,” I told him. “Where are we going to end?” he shouted. “We’re not going to end,” I said. “Temple Camp is west from here,” he yelled at me, because the train was making a lot of noise. “Do you blame me for that?” I asked him. “I didn’t invent the compass, did I? If you’re not satisfied with where Temple Camp is you’d better complain to Mr. Temple, he put it there.” “Oh, look at the big, high tree!” Hervey shouted. “Let’s climb up that on our way back.” “Sure,” I said, “and jump off the top. You’d be going leap frog over the Woolworth Building if you were leader. Be thankful you’ve got a conservative leader.” “A what?” the kid yelled. Just then he went backward off the arm of the seat plunk into a man’s lap. “Tickets,” the conductor shouted. I said, “Hey, mister, we’re on a funny-bone hike, and the train started before we had a chance to get off. We have to go to Alsen. Do you know if we can get ice cream cones there?” He just laughed and said he’d have to collect our fares. It only costs ten cents from Catskill to Alsen. I said to the fellows, “Well, so long as the engineer’s going to be our leader for a little while I’ll take a vacation.” So I sat down and began looking out of the window. CHAPTER IV WE GO NORTH Alsen is a tenderfoot village. It’s about as big as Pee-wee, only it’s more quiet. Pee-wee’s size is like Alsen but his noise is like New York. The train stopped at Alsen and we got off. Right there was a train standing at the station headed north. “Talk about luck,” Garry said. “I guess it was waiting for us.” I said, “I enjoyed my trip south.” “I was looking forward to hiking from here to camp,” Hervey said. “Believe me, it’s nearer from Catskill,” I told him. “A train can go a long way in five minutes.” “A comet can go billions of miles in a second,” the Animal Patrol piped up. “If I see a comet I’ll get on it,” I told him; “follow your leader.” “That’s one thing I never did; ride on a comet,” Hervey said. “It’s about the only thing you haven’t done,” I told him. “Come on, follow your leader.” I went marching up into one of the cars; Pee-wee tripped on the step. “That’s a short trip to take,” Warde laughed at him. “That could happen to the smartest man in the world,” the kid said.