Don Strong, Patrol Leader

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Don Strong, Patrol Leader

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Title: Don Strong, Patrol Leader
Author: William Heyliger
Release Date: October 31, 2004 [EBook #13898]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DON STRONG, PATROL LEADER ***

Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

DON STRONG
PATROL LEADER
By WILLIAM HEYLIGER
Author of "Don Strong of the Wolf Patrol"
1918

FOREWORD
Tempting boys to be what they should be--giving them in wholesome form what they want--that is the purpose and power of Scouting. To help parents and leaders of youth secure books boys like best that are also best for boys, the Boy Scouts of America organized EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY. The books included, formerly sold at prices ranging from $1.50 to $2.00 but, by special arrangement with the several publishers interested, are now sold in the EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY Edition at $1.00 per volume.
The books of EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY were selected by the Library Commission of the Boy Scouts of America, consisting of George F. Bowerman, Librarian, Public Library of the District of Columbia; Harrison W. Craver, Director, Engineering Societies Library, New York City; Claude G. Leland, Superintendent, Bureau of Libraries, Board of Education, New York City; Edward F. Stevens, Librarian, Pratt Institute Free Library, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Franklin K, Mathiews, Chief Scout Librarian. Only such books were chosen by the Commission as proved to be, by a nation wide canvas, most in demand by the boys themselves. Their popularity is further attested by the fact that in the EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY Edition, more than a million and a quarter copies of these books have already been sold.
We know so well, are reminded so often of the worth of the good book and great, that too often we fail to observe or understand the influence for good of a boy's recreational reading. Such books may influence him for good or ill as profoundly as his play activities, of which they are a vital part. The needful thing is to find stories in which the heroes have the characteristics boys so much admire--unquenchable courage, immense resourcefulness, absolute fidelity, conspicuous greatness. We believe the books of EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY measurably well meet this challenge.
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA,
James E. West Chief Scout Executive.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I.
THE WOLF PATROL ELECTS II. THE FIRST CLASH III. TIM STANDS BY IV. DANGER MOUNTAIN V. A PLEA ON THE ROAD VI. SPROUTING SEEDS VII. CROSS CURRENTS VIII. DON'S CHOICE IX. THE FIGHT IN THE WOODS X. GOOD LUCK AND BAD XI. CLOSE QUARTERS XII. OUT OF THE WOODS

DON STRONG, PATROL LEADER
CHAPTER I
THE WOLF PATROL ELECTS
A baseball rose gracefully in the air, carried on a way, and dropped. Three scouts back from a hike halted under the maple tree that bordered the village field, and unslung their haversacks.
"Gee!" cried Fred Ritter. "Did you see Ted Carter make that catch?"
"And did you see Tim Lally get that one?" demanded Wally Woods.
Andy Ford grinned. "Ted's the boy to keep them working. Chester will have a real town team this year."
"You bet." Ritter unscrewed the top of his canteen. "Anyway, Ted and Tim are about the whole team."
"Hold on there," Andy protested. "Where do you leave Don Strong?"
"It's Tim's catching that makes him a pitcher," Ritter answered seriously.
"Who says so?"
"Why, Tim says so."
"O--h!" Andy began to laugh. "And you swallowed that?"
"Sure," said Ritter. "A catcher ought to know just how good a pitcher he is. Tim says--"
But what Tim said was not told just then. A small, wiry boy steered his bicycle up on the sidewalk and pedaled toward the tree.
"Hey, fellows!" he shouted. "Did you hear the latest? Mr. Wall is going to give a cup to the best patrol and Phil Morris is moving to Chicago."
The three scouts surrounded the bicycle.
"Who told you about the cup?" Andy Ford demanded.
"Mr. Wall told me," Bobbie Brown answered. "It's a contest, with points for everything--attendance at meeting, neatness, obeying orders, all that. There's going to be a contest every month, and at the end of three months a big scout game for points. Isn't that swell?"
Three heads nodded. Ritter plucked at Bobbie's sleeve.
"How do you know Phil Morris is moving?"
"Mr. Wall told me that, too."
"Then the Wolf patrol elects a new leader," said Ritter. He glanced out toward where Tim Lally was catching.
Andy's eyes puckered, and a swift change came over Bobbie Brown's face.
The practice ended. Tim came across the grass with a big mitt under his arm. Ritter and Wally went forward to meet him.
"Tim won't get my vote," said Bobbie.