"If you can prove you didn't, we won't chuck you out," Bert McAlpin said. "I said I did," said Skinny, standing his ground, but with a tremor in his voice, "but I didn't sneak." "Good night!" groaned Hunt Ward disgustedly. "What did you want to do it for?" Connie asked. He alone seemed disposed to be considerate. "Because--it's none of anybody's business what I did it for," Skinny said. "Why it's like the gold medal; would you sell that?" "Yes, I would if I thought--if I was sure it was right to do it," Skinny said. Perhaps some of the onlookers sympathized with him, he was so small, so insignificant looking; and withal so eager and earnest. Tears were rolling down his cheeks now and he raised his shabby little sleeve to wipe his eyes and still stood his ground in trembling defiance. "I would and it's none of nobody's business," he said. "_Oh, is that so?_" sneered Stut Moran. "If you wanted money as bad as all that why couldn't you steal it like you did apples from Schmitter's Grocery when you'd have got in trouble if Mr. Ellsworth hadn't taken you into the troop?" Skinny trembled, but said nothing. "Did I--I--did I act all right since I was in the troop?" he finally managed to get out. "Sure, trying to sell prizes," Vic Norris shot at him angrily. "Gee we've had enough of Corkscrew Alley in our troop. You don't belong in the troop anyway, you dirty little slum rat, you----" There was a slight stir in the group and there in front of Victor Norris stood a boy he had never seen before, a boy whose scout hat was tilted at a rakish angle and whose half-closed eyes were like cold steel. "Do you take that back?" said he. "You mind your own business; I take nothing back," said Vic. The blow fell so swiftly that he was sprawling on the ground before the onlookers knew what had happened. They will tell you now at Temple Camp that that blow sounded as if it fell on a wooden surface, so terrific was the force of it. The dazed victim rubbed his eye half-consciously and made as if to rise. Like lightning his assailant brushed aside an interfering spectator and looked behind him to see if any official might be approaching. "Don't get up till you take it back," he said in quick, businesslike fashion. "You'll just go down again. Keep away, you fellers. Well?" "I take it back," cried Vic Norris. "Tell him, don't tell me," said the strange boy, indicating Skinny. And he strolled away as if the matter no further concerned him. CHAPTER XIV THE PIONEER SCOUT