smilingly.

"Now, boys, tell him!" cried Walter Osborne, springing to his feet
and facing the troop.

"Let her out! Now!"

"Rah! Rah! Rah!" yelled the scouts, jumping to their feet.
"Rah! Rah! Rah! _Lieutenant Denmead_!"

"_Kree-kree-eee_!" shrilled the Hawks. "_How-ooo-ooo_! _Yap-yap-yap_!
_Skee-eee-eee_!" barked and squealed the others.

As the Scout Master raised his hand, silence fell upon the company
again.

"The plan for the two weeks of study is only preliminary," the
lieutenant continued. "Following that, we will organize the patrols
into four squads of geological surveyors. Each squad will be given
two days to make an accurate geological survey of a section
previously selected and surveyed by Mr. Thayer. The scouts will note
its dimensions, the quality of its soil, the height of its hills,
the extent of its valleys, the growth of its vegetation, its
stratified zones, its mineral deposits,---in a word, whatever
points Mr. Thayer shall designate to you in his course of study
under the head of the 'geological survey,' is to be included in an
accurate report, neatly recorded and finally submitted to Mr.
Thayer for his marking.

"And last of all a system of 'points' will be established for the