When he reached the Elks' cabin, he found his patrol leader, Connie Bennett, waiting for him. It was well that he returned with the white pennant for this saved him the embarrassment of explaining his absence. The white pennant was always an excuse. It was a midnight passport even with the powers of Administration Shack. "_I got it, I got it!_" he said excitedly. "_Look what I got!_" "You little demon," said Connie. "So that's what you went after." "_I got it, I got it!_" was all that Skinny could say. "They didn't chase you?" "They didn't hear me--even." Connie softly closed the cabin door so as not to awaken the sleepers and together he and Skinny stood outside. "Calm down," said Connie; "you're all excited. Bully for you, but calm down." "Wait--wait a minute and I'll calm down. I--can't do it all of a sudden. Now--now I'm going to do something else--wait till I tell you----" Connie put his arm over the quivering form of the little Elk mascot who seemed now to be launched upon a wild debauch of heroism. "Hsh, all right, Shorty. You did fine; gee, I have to laugh. The patrol won't believe you did it." "Now you got to help me do something else," said Skinny, gulping with excitement and satisfaction. "Surest thing." "You got to--to-morrow morning early I'm going to swim across the lake and get the Hiawatha Prize." "Goodness me!" "Yop--I'm going to swim across and get it. So will you get all the patrol up early so some of you can row across while I swim?" "Listen, Shorty," said Connie. "You did one peach of a stunt; the patrol will go crazy when they hear it. Why Hunt Ward tried for that; you remember. The Silver Foxes tried for it--Roy Blakeley. That was the time he didn't do all the laughing." "And maybe now they won't make fun of me, hey?" "Listen, Shorty; go in and go to sleep now. And don't be thinking you can do everything just because you did this." "I'm going to, I'm going to----" "No you're not. You're not going to try for the Hiawatha canoe, because that isn't in your line. See? You little sneaky devil, you! Went in your bare feet, huh? Go on in and go to bed now and don't talk ragtime. What's the matter, aren't you satisfied?" "I got to go----"