Skinny was not accustomed to be consulted and he gazed at Connie with pleased and eager eyes. "Listen kid, do you like it in Tent Village!" "I only go there because Danville Bently is there," said Skinny. "Sure, and I bet you have a lot of fun there too. Now listen, Shorty; you know Holly Hollis back in Bridgeboro--lives up near where Blakeley lives, on the hill?" Skinny did not know; he knew nothing about the grand upper world of Bridgeboro. He had once pushed his ramshackle little wagon up to Terrace Avenue with a clothes basket full of washing for one of the gorgeous houses up there. But Holly Hollis he did not know. He listened, wide-eyed, to this boy who was paying him the compliment of conferring with him. "I'll tell you how it is, kid. You know the other Bridgeboro Troop that busted up; the one they had in the brick church!" Skinny did not know, but he listened. "Well, anyway," said Connie, "they busted up; couldn't get a scoutmaster, I guess. You know Holly, that--he's a sort of a slim fellow? Sure you do! Well, he's an Eagle Scout and he wants to come up here." "I don't think there's any room in Tent Village, or in Pioneer Row either," said Skinny innocently. "Sure there isn't, not for a new scout. This is the middle of the season. So we were thinking--now listen. We were thinking if you wanted to stay over there in Tent Village with Bently, they'd put up a cot for you--we'll fix that. Then we could do a good turn to Holly Hollis and let him come up here and bunk in with us, as long as you're having so much fun. And I'll say that Bently's one fine scout all right. Hey, Vic?" "Sure thing," said Vic Norris. "You're a lucky kid," said Bert McAlpin. "Every scout in camp is after that guy," said Stut Moran. "I'd like to be you all right," said Connie. "Only trouble with him is he's so darned hard to get in with; you never know how to take him. But jiminies, you seem to have him buffaloed, you little rascal." Skinny smiled, elated, and his wonderful, eager eyes were full of pleasure and pride. "How do you do it, anyway?" Vic Norris asked. "Do you mean I won't be a member any more?" Skinny asked. "Well--no, not exactly that, as you might say," said Connie, as he motioned to the others to let him do the fixing. "You wouldn't say exactly that. But if we form two troops when we get home in the fall, like Mr. Ellsworth says, jiminies, why you'll have your pick of patrols, won't you?" "Y--yes," said Skinny doubtfully. "Why sure, why won't you? I'll see to it you stay in our troop if you want. I'm only talking about now, up here at camp. Gee, I thought you were so strong for doing good turns; didn't you, Vic?" "I sure did," said Vic Norris. "Skinny's all right, he's one little peach of a scout," said Stut Moran. He did not explain why they did not cling to such a little peach of a scout.