Page:Boy scouts in the White Mountains; the story of a long hike (IA boyscoutsinwhite00eato).pdf/155

 exactly?" he stammered. "We ain't allowed to talk that way in the Scouts, even without ladies present."

Everybody laughed, and the officer with them.

"You can put in blanks," he answered.

Peanut, with Art's help, and also Rob's, who came upon the scene at this point, as the reader will remember, and also with the aid of many "blanks," reconstructed the conversation as well as he could. Then Art took up the narrative, and described the ride up the valley, the cutting of the tires, the pulling out of the wire in the engine (which the burglars had put back again), and the subsequent arousing of the neighborhood.

"Well, that's some story!" said the sheriff, with admiration. "That's what I call quick action, and brave action. One thing you didn't do you might have—you might have cut out a piece of that wire so they couldn't have put it back. But if you had, they wouldn't have tried to get away in the car, but would have taken to the mountain, and perhaps escaped, so it's just as well."

He shook hands heartily with Art and Peanut, and then with the rest of the boys, and departed.

"Now for dinner!" cried Mr. Goodwin.

Mrs. Goodwin led the way to the dining-room, while her husband explained to the boys as they went along that all the wedding presents had been