i guess i don’t have to tell you that it was all right about bringing those scouts back and a shack for them to bunk in. uncle jeb said he was only thankful that hervey didn’t bring back the west shore trains and the drawbridge. he said he was thankful hervey came back at all.

when he heard that all hervey brought back was a new troop and a portable garage and all the rest of us safe and sound including the animated animal cracker, he said, “that thar kid is losing his pep, he daon’t seem ter hev no gumption no more.” because usually hervey brings back tramps and organ-grinders and all people like that. once he brought back a fat man from a circus. so gee whiz, a portable garage was nothing for him.

now i’ll tell you what we did. we put that portable garage on the edge of camp, away up near the road. and we sold lemonade and scout tenderflops to auto parties until we made enough money to pay mr. goobenhoff. he said he wasn’t in a hurry and he’d trust us. and that’s where those columbus scouts spent the rest of the summer and that’s better than bear mountain, i don’t care if all the bears hear me say so.

and one good thing, pee-wee was up there most of the time so we had some peace down at camp, but we could often hear his voice.

the trustees wanted us to call the garage good turn cabin, but we wouldn’t do it because we wanted to call it funny-bone shack. and it’s our shack, it belongs to the outlaws, or the vagabonds, or the funny-bone hikers, or whatever you want to call us—we don’t care. and every summer we let some poor troop go up there and stay in it. and it’s all on account of that crazy song.

so now i’m going to bed, because i’m going to play tennis to-morrow and i’ve got to mow the lawn early in the morning, because my sister’s going to have a lawn party in the afternoon and she’s going to have icing cake and i’m going to be there.

now when you finish reading all this crazy stuff if it makes you so you can’t get to sleep and you keep lying awake, just begin saying to yourself:

don’t ask where you’re headed for nobody knows,

just keep your eyes open and follow your nose;

be careful, don’t trip and go stubbing your toes,

but follow your leader wherever he goes.

don’t start to go back if it freezes or snows,

don’t weaken or flunk or suggest or oppose;

your job is to follow and not to suppose,

and follow your leader wherever he goes.

don’t quit or complain at the stunts that he shows,

don’t ask to go home if it rains or it blows;

don’t start to ask questions, or hint, or propose,

but follow your leader wherever he goes!

and the first thing you know you’ll wake up and find yourself fast asleep and you can thank hervey willetts.