Two friends he had; one in his patrol and one outside it. Wig7 Weigand took the trouble to seek him out and talk with him, and was well rewarded by Wilfred’s quiet sense of humor and a certain charm arising from his wistfulness. His other friend was Archie Dennison who belonged in a troop from Vermont. This boy had somewhat of the solitary8 habit and he and Wilfred often took leisurely9 strolls together.
One day (it was soon after Wilfred’s arrival in camp) he and Wig were sprawling10 under a tree near their cabin. The others were diving from the springboard and the uproarious laughter which seemed always to accompany this sport would be heard in the quiet sultry afternoon.
“I guess you and I are alike in one thing,” Wig said, “we don’t hit the angry waves. I’m too blamed lazy to get undressed and dressed again. About once every three or four days is enough for me. You swim, don’t you— Yes, sure you do; I saw it on your entry card.”
“I like the water only it’s so wet,” said Wilfred in that funny way that made Wig like him so. “They’re always turning water on so you get more or less of it; I’d like the kind of a faucet11 that would turn it on wetter or not so wet. With the faucet on about half-way the water would run just a little damp.”
“You’re crazy,” laughed Wig. “I’d like to know how you think up such crazy things. Where did you learn to swim anyway?”
“Oh, in Connecticut, in the ocean.”
“That’s quite a wet ocean, isn’t it?” Wig laughed.
“Around the edges it is,” Wilfred said; “I was never out in the middle of it. About a mile out is as far as I ever swum—swam.”
“Gee12, that’s good,” enthused Wig. “That’s two miles altogether. Why don’t you tell the fellows about it?”
“Tell them?”
“Sure, blow your own horn.”
“It was no credit to me to swim back,” said Wilfred; “I had to or else drown. Call it one mile—you can’t call it two.”
“You make me tired!” laughed Wig. “Why, that was farther than across Black Lake and back. Were you tired?”
“No, just wet,” said Wilfred.
“You’re a wonder!” said Wig; “I don’t see why you don’t keep in practise. Just because you don’t live near the ocean any more—gee whiz! Is a mile the most you ever swam? I bet you’ve done a whole lot of things you’ve never told us about. You’re one of those quiet, deliver-the-goods fellows.”
“C. O. D.” said Wilfred; “I mean F. O. B.; I mean N. O. T.”
“Yeees, you can’t fool me,” said Wig. “How far have you sw——”
“Swum, swimmed, swam?” laughed Wilfred, amused. “Well, about two and a half miles—maybe three.”
“More like four, I bet,” said Wig. “Why don’t you go in now, anyway? I mean up here at camp.”
“It’s because my shoe-lace is broken and it’s too much trouble unfastening a knot more than once a day.”
“There’s where you give yourself away,” laughed Wig. “Because you can tie and untie13 every knot in the handbook.”
“Yes, but this one isn’t in the handbook, it’s in my shoe.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, this bunch is going to know about your swimming.”
“I’d like to know when else I can talk about you,” Wig demanded. “You’re never here, you’re always out walking with that what’s-his-name.”
“We’re studying the manners and customs of caterpillars15 and spiders,” said Wilfred. “Do you know that caterpillars can’t swim?”
“Some naturalist,” laughed Wig. “You make me laugh, you do. Even the single eye is laughing at you—look.”
Wilfred sat up on the grass and stared at a small, white banner which flew from a pole that was painted just outside the Ravens’ cabin. In the center of this banner was painted an eye which, as the emblem16 fluttered in the breeze, presented an amusing effect of winking17. The ground around the pole was carpeted with dry twigs18 for an area of several yards, and this area was forbidden ground even to the Ravens. They might throw dry twigs within it and even extend its boundaries, but never under any circumstances might a Raven draw upon its tempting19 contents for fire-wood. One could not step upon those telltale twigs without causing a crackling sound. The Emblem of the Single Eye was sacred.
“I never heard the whole history of that,” said Wilfred, gazing at the little emblem in a way of newly awakened20 but yet idle curiosity.
“That’s because you’re never around long enough for us to talk to you,” Wig shot back.
“Thank you for those kind words,” said Wilfred.
“I mean it,” Wig persisted. “We’re prouder of that little rag than of anything in our patrol and I bet you don’t know the story of its past.”
“It’s not ashamed to look me in the eye anyway,” said Wilfred. “I bet it has an honorable past; explain all that.”
“If the Ravens are prouder of that than of anything they’ve got,” said Wilfred soberly, “then I am too. I’m a Raven and I’m proud of it.”
“Why don’t you tell the fellows, then?”
“I didn’t know how—I mean—I—how do I know they want me to tell them that? Don’t they know it?”
“No, they don’t know it,” said Wig, “because they’re not mind-readers. And I’ll tell you something you don’t know too. They’re proud of you. They know you’re going to do wonders when you once get started, and they think they’ve got the laugh on every troop here because you’re in our patrol. You bet they’re proud of you, only, gee whiz, you don’t give them a chance to get acquainted with you. Pee-wee says that back in Bridgeboro he saw you throw a ball and hit a slender tree seven times in succession. Why don’t you tell the fellows you can do things like that?”
“Why don’t you tell me the story about that white flag?” Wilfred laughed.
“I will if you want to hear it,” said Wig.
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1
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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3
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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laggard
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| n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的 | |
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5
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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6
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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9
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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10
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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11
faucet
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| n.水龙头 | |
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12
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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13
untie
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| vt.解开，松开；解放 | |
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14
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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15
caterpillars
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| n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带 | |
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emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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17
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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18
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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20
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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