The Banner Boy Scouts Or, The Struggle for Leadership   By: George A. Warren

Or The Struggle for Leadership

By GEORGE A. WARREN

THE WORLD SYNDICATE PUBLISHING CO. CLEVELAND, O. NEW YORK, N.Y.

Copyright, MCMXII

by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I A Meeting in the Barn

II What it Means to be a Boy Scout

III The Disappearing Coins

IV The First Scout Leader

V Checking a Coward

VI A Strange Suggestion

VII The Trap that Peleg Set

VIII Turning the Tables

IX "Well Done, My Boy!"

X An Unexpected Offer

XI Caught Napping

XII The Rival Troops

XIII "Fire!"

XIV Jack's Chance

XV The Honor Brand

XVI The Fire Test

XVII Clearing Skies

XVIII Carlo Does His Turn

XIX The Warning Over the Wire

XX Such Glorious Luck

XXI The Meeting

XXII Scouting in Earnest

XXIII The Red Car

XXIV A Call for Help

XXV A Camp in the Woods

XXVI What Woodcraft Told

XXVII Ted Finds Something

XXVIII Forced to Tell

XXIX The Capture

XXX Found Out at Last

XXXI Well Done, Stanhope Troop! Conclusion

PREFACE

My Dear Boys:

Knowing that ninety nine lads out of every hundred love outdoor life above all else, I have taken it upon myself to give you a series of what I hope will prove to be clean, wide awake, up to date stories, founded upon a subject that is interesting our whole nation the Boy Scouts of America. You know what a hold this movement has taken upon the rising generation of our broad land. There never was anything like it before there never may be again.

At first many people made the mistake of believing that it was simply a new military order, and that boys who joined were to be taught the duties of soldiers, and learned how to fight. They know better now. It is really the greatest movement for Peace ever started. Not only that, but the lads who belong to this vast organization are taught how to be manly, self reliant, brave, courteous, kindly and steadfast.

When you examine the roster of the officers who have loaned their names to help along the good cause you will find such honored signatures as those of President William Howard Taft, ex President Theodore Roosevelt, and many others dear to the hearts of our boys.

This glorious field opens up a very tempting opportunity for a series of stirring stories concerning the fortunes of real Boy Scouts, who have gone into the movement heart and soul, with a desire to excel in all they undertake; and at the same time enjoy themselves hugely. I only hope and trust that you may be pleased with what you read in this book, about the doings of the Red Fox Patrol, of Stanhope Troop, and that the story will do you much good.

Yours faithfully,

George A. Warren.

THE BANNER BOY SCOUTS

CHAPTER I

A MEETING IN THE BARN

"All here now, Paul!"

"Call the roll, somebody, won't you?"

"Keep quiet, fellows, please!"

"Shall I strike a match, Paul?"

"Not on your life, Bobolink. That crowd of Ted Slavin's is out, looking for us. Somebody must have leaked, or else Ted was tipped off. We've got to be mighty cautious, I tell you, if we want to give them the slip."

"S s say, d d don't you k k know we've got a fi fine b b barn on our p p place, fellows?"

"For goodness sake; won't somebody please pound Bluff Shipley on the back, and make him bite his twisted tongue, so he can talk straight?" cried a pleading voice.

"Listen!"