THE SAILOR BADGE
Two days later the scouts found themselves encamped in a locality where
the stream was particularly wide. They were to remain there until the
following afternoon in order that the girls who wished might qualify
for the Sailor’s Badge.
In their eagerness to pass their first-class test and thus become
eligible for the trip to Washington the previous spring, the members
of Pansy troop had given a little attention to the study for merit
badges. Most of the girls had passed the Cook, Flower-finder, and
the Needlewoman tests; and all of them on the present trip wore the
Pioneer’s badge. But for so energetic a troop, Miss Phillips felt
almost as if this branch of the work had been neglected; for this
reason, she placed more emphasis than ever upon the winning of the
Sailor badge. And the girls were equally enthusiastic.
“There are two parts to this test: the first is a general test for
everyone who aspires to proficiency in water sports, and the second
part gives you a choice--in showing your ability to manage a row-boat,
a sail-boat, a canoe, or a motorboat. We shall of course all select the
canoe.”
“I’ve been looking at some of the questions,” said Marjorie; “but I
can’t answer them. For instance, about the right of way, and the port
and the starboard of boats, and----”
“Oh, that part is easy,” said Miss Phillips; “I can tell you things
like that. It’s practical demonstrations that I’m afraid of. With
the exception of Alice, you can all swim twenty-five yards with your
clothing on----”
“Does that mean that I’m out of it?” cried the girl, in disappointment.
“Why, I can paddle as well as the rest of the girls!”
“You may qualify for everything else except the swimming, and then do
that on Silver Lake,” said the captain. “Now, to continue--of course
everybody knows the sixteen points of the compass and how to find the
four directions from the sun or stars.”
“I don’t!” remarked Alice.
“Oh, Alice, of course you do!” Miss Phillips’s voice sounded a trifle
provoked. “Where does the sun rise, and how do you find the North star?”
“Well, I guess I do know,” admitted the girl, meekly. “I spoke before I
thought.”
“Bad habit that,” remarked Ruth.
“Now see whether you can answer these questions. If you were on a
river at night, what color lights would you carry, and on which side?”
“A red and a green light,” answered Marjorie, promptly; “but I don’t
know which side they are on.”
“You show the red light on the port or left side and a green light on
the starboard or right side,” the captain informed them. “And these
lights should show only towards the front and sides. In order to tell
which way a boat is heading they carry a low white light on the bow
which shines straight ahead, and another white light higher up in the
stern which shows on all four sides. If you see a green light on the
left and a red one on the right, with two white lights in the centre,
one above the other, you will know that the boat is heading towards
you. If you are coming up behind it, you will see only the white stern
light.”
“Which side do they pass on?” asked Lily. “Do they observe traffic
rules, like automobiles, and pass to the right?”
“Whenever possible. But if your course should lie to the left you
could signal two blasts of the whistle, which would mean that you were
going to the left. One whistle means to the right. The first boat
which signals is the one which lays the course to be followed, and the
other boat should always answer with the same signal to show that they
understand. If you don’t understand the signals, then blow four short
blasts, which means danger, and the signals can be given and returned
over again.
“Always watch the sky, so that you can be prepared in time to reach
shore before a storm comes. You can easily tell rain clouds when you
see them.”
“Well, we’ve had one storm; let’s hope that we won’t have another,”
said Doris.
“Still, that didn’t hurt us much,” said Miss Phillips. “Listen,” she
continued, “here’s a good one for Ruth and Lily: Why is it dangerous to
move about or stand in a canoe?”
“We weren’t standing!” protested Lily--“or even moving much! We were
only talking.”
“They must use their arms and hands like foreigners do when they talk!”
said Ethel. “Maybe they stamped their feet for emphasis!”
“We didn’t either!” denied Ruth. “We struck a rock, and that was all
there was to it!” she concluded.
“Well, anyway, you’ve all had a practical illustration of the danger of
it,” said Miss Phillips.
Ruth began to be bored with this cross-examination; she had not been
able to answer a sufficient number of questions herself to become
interested. So she suggested that they postpone the rest of the
examination until the following day.
“But we’re just at the interesting part now,” said Miss Phillips. “I
mean about the canoe. And I thought if we discussed all the questions
now, we could take the written part of the test right after supper.”
“All right,” agreed Ruth.
Miss Phillips was surprised at the knowledge most of the girls showed
in answer to her questions on the subject of canoeing. It was evident
that they were thoroughly interested in the topic, and, before starting
on their trip, had either consulted the libraries or had talked with
experienced canoeists. As soon as supper was over they were eager to
take the written examination, to make use of the light as long as it
lasted. They all wrote at great length, working over and revising their
papers until it was really too dark to see.
Lily Andrew was the first to hand her paper to Miss Phillips, who was
in her own tent. Much as she hated to solicit favors, or to seem to
dictate to her superior officer, she decided that she must do as Ruth
had asked, for a promise is a promise, no matter to whom or under what
circumstances it is made.
“Miss Phillips,” she began, “some of the girls would like to have a
tennis match--er--instead of a canoe meet. They think--that--that----”
“That what?” asked the captain, not knowing what to expect.
“That it is sort of having two prizes for the same thing. I mean the
merit badge, and the cup, too!”
“A merit badge is not a prize in any sense of the word,” contradicted
the captain. “It is simply a symbol of efficiency along a certain
line. And the _other_ prize you mention--the silver cup--was not
suggested by me, but by the friend who is providing for this trip. It
would be rude and out of place to seem to be dissatisfied with his
generosity.”
“Yes, I see,” said Lily. She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable.
“But tennis is so popular----”
“All right; perhaps we can arrange a tennis tournament after we get to
Silvertown. We’ll see. But not for a prize! Now will you run out and
collect the papers, for the girls will ruin their eyes if they work any
longer.”
The next morning was spent in practicing with their canoes. They tried
landing them, pushing them off, upsetting them, and righting them
again, until, at eleven o’clock, Miss Phillips blew the whistle as a
signal to begin the test.
“I’ll take Frieda first,” she said, “so that she can get dinner.”
Frieda, Ruth, Marjorie, Ethel, and Frances all tried the practical part
of the test and, to all appearances, were successful. Miss Phillips
refused, however, to tell them the results until that evening.
Soon after the noon meal, their things were packed again, and they
paddled all afternoon. At five o’clock they reached their campsite.
“I do hope you aren’t going to be too tired for the scout meeting,
this evening,” said Miss Phillips. “For I have a surprise for you.
Something you will like!”
Three hours later, when the tired girls gathered around the camp
fire, their faces were alight with anticipation. They enjoyed going
over the brief, familiar ceremony at the opening; it gave them a new
thrill to repeat the pledge, the laws, and the motto, and to sing the
Star-Spangled Banner.
Miss Phillips gave a formal report of the money spent, and Frieda told
what supplies she had on hand. Having dismissed the business, the
captain reached into her pocket, and drew out a white envelope.
“Five Girl Scouts have passed the Sailor test, and are to receive
merit-badges. I have the pleasure to present these badges tonight. Will
the following girls please come forward: Marjorie Wilkinson, Frieda
Hammer, Ruth Henry, Ethel Todd, and Frances Wright? The girls all did
creditably, ranking in the order in which I have named them.”
It had never occurred to any of the girls that they might actually
receive their merit badges on the trip, and the surprise was
delightful. For every Girl Scout knows what a thrill it brings to sew
an additional badge on the sleeve of her uniform, particularly when
there are not many there already.
The lucky ones therefore jumped up happily and rushed forward, almost
forgetting, in their haste, to give the captain the customary salute.
After the installation of the new lieutenant, the meeting was
dismissed, and the girls went to their tents. Ruth Henry alone was
dissatisfied; it was not enough for her to win the badge--she could not
bear to have Frieda’s and Marjorie’s names lead hers on the list. This,
she thought, was probably part of Miss Phillips’s design.
She resolved to get even.