Then he told all about it, much as he had told us that first time, and about Scout law; what it meant to be a Scout; how it made boys manly, and how much fun they would have. "What I want is a troop," said he, when he had finished the story. "Several patrols together are called a troop. I would be in charge as Scoutmaster. Raven Patrol is now in pretty good shape. We are going on a camping expedition in a few weeks and we'll have a good chance to practise up on signaling, swimming, following trails through the woods, and things like that. Next year I should like to take a whole troop along. What do you say? Suppose you go over by that other stone and talk about it among yourselves." "I know what I'll say, right now," said Jim, "but perhaps we'd better talk it over just the same." We saw them whispering together for about five minutes. Then they came back. "We'll do it," said Jim. "And we'll do the best we can, only we may make mistakes at first. We are going to take the American eagle for our patrol animal on account of this being the Fourth of July." "Everybody makes mistakes," Mr. Norton told him, "but the boy or the man who has the right stuff in him never makes the same mistake twice. Suppose that you elect a patrol leader to-night before we separate, because we shall want to consult together a great deal in the next few days and I shall be too busy to see you all." "Jim," they began to yell, all keeping time. "Jim! Jim! Jim!" "Jim, you seem to be elected," said Mr. Norton, reaching out and shaking hands with him. "Speech!" yelled Hank. "Ladies and gentlemen," said Benny, getting up on his feet and bowing right and left, "the Honorable James Donavan will now say a few words, if he dast." Jim looked as if he wanted to run, but in a minute he braced up. "I never made a speech in my life," said he, "and I ain't going to make one now, but you will find the Gang true blue. We ain't much on clothes, and our folks haven't got much money, but we'll do the best we can, if you will tell us how. And we are much obliged for taking us in." "Three cheers for Captain Donavan and Eagle Patrol," shouted Mr. Norton, waving his hat. "Now!" I'll bet they heard us down in the village. After it was quiet again I saw Skinny whispering something to Bill. Bill nodded his head and passed it on to Hank, and finally it came to Benny and me, who sat at the end of the line. We nodded and began to creep nearer the fire while waiting for the signal. "Caw!" yelled Skinny, all of a sudden, like you sometimes hear a big crow in the Bellows Pipe. As he yelled, he grabbed a burning brand out of the fire, and the rest of us did the same. Then we formed a circle and danced a war dance around the Gang, whirling our brands in the air until the sparks flew in the growing darkness and there seemed to be a ring of fire. "Shall we eat 'em alive, my braves?" chanted Skinny. "No," we shouted. "They are brothers." "Shall we mop the earth with 'em?"