"This is a great place, Bent, we have dark and bloody mysteries," said Tom. "Long as you know who you are, you're all right. Get busy--eats at six." That was just his off-hand, hearty way with new arrivals. So the worst was over and Skinny had not been torn to pieces or struck dead. Temple Camp survived the dreadful fraud. Tom Slade had even laughed; he loved so to have a joke on the office. "Will you let me show you where you're going to go?" Skinny asked. "Are you going to the dormitory? I'll show you. 'Cause my patrol went on a hike, so I'll show you." "I'm going to Tent Village, wherever that is?" "I'll show you--it's dandy there. Is your name--what's your name?" he asked, hurrying along by the new boy's side. "Danville Bently." "Have you got a patrol?" "Sure, but I don't carry it around with me; I just came from Europe. A chap was here for a couple of weeks and gave my name, that's what all the fuss was about. Nobody seems to know anything about him." "Will--they won't catch him, will they?" "If he was slick enough to do that, I guess they won't if you're asking me." "He was smart, hey? Even if he wasn't maybe kind of a hero, he was smart, hey?" "There have been lots of worse ones; look at Robin Hood." "Even he was bad, but he was a hero, hey?" "I'd kind of like to know who he was. I hope I'll turn out to be as smart as he is." "You're not mad at him?" Skinny asked. "I never get mad at anybody. My dad's the one that loses, and he'll have a good laugh over it." "Why do you wear white? It looks awful different?" "Why do kids ask questions?" "You're a second class scout?" Skinny asked, noticing the badge. "I'll be a first class one in a few days or I'll kick myself. Have you got seven miles around here that you're not using, so I can hike it?" "That's in test four," Skinny said. "Do you want me to go for a witness?" "Sure, you're always welcome." "I know a good test four hike and I can always go, because mostly my patrol are away doing all kinds of things. I can always go--if you want me to. I won the Hiawatha canoe for swimming across the lake; I'll show it to you, but most of the time it's out." "Ever hear of Dutch Henny's Cave?" "Sure I did. I bet you read about it in the Temple Camp booklet, hey? It's just seven miles. I'll show you Spook Falls too, because they make a noise like crying at night. That's a good test five hike for second class, because it's just a mile; they go scout pace." "How 'bout twelve on the first?" "You mean getting a new scout? That's hard, because they're all scouts up here. If you ask me things, I can tell you." "Good." "Now we're coming to Tent Village," said Skinny. "It's good it's all full in Pioneer Dormitory, so they don't put you there. Can I be special friends with you? Are you going to get prizes and awards?" "Search _me_; I'm going to get a lot of fun," said Danville Bently. CHAPTER XX SKINNY'S PROTÉGÉ