ler came running in and up to General Law and saluted, and said something to him, but I guess the General didn't hear because he waved his hand toward the soldiers and Mr. Kistler said

Men, I have news for you-a new recruit and a valuable one-just had a longdistance telephone call over at the store and a man on the phone said, Put my name down as a volunteer with your Company, I'll go when my Country calls me I'll reach Amesty Monday. It was ROBERT SHOCKLY, he said.

Oh, father-YOU-going to WAR! When your Country calls! and it has called already!

When I got home Carl said, Goodnight, Shocky, and I didn't know until then. that he was with me--I was thinking about you and about what Parley's grandpa told him, and the story General Law told our

Troop-and Carl said, Good-bye, again, and I said, Good-bye and came in the house and came upstairs quiet, so as not to wake mother up-but she was sitting in her room in the dark, but I could see her looking out of the window, and I said, Good-night, mother, and she said, Come here, Rob-and I came and she kissed me twice and said, Good-night, boy, and turned back to the window and I came to my room-and it makes it easier to think of when I write-I guess that's why I write so much.

Two days and you'll be here, father!

And then maybe the next day you will be GONE-gone to the war! But I am glad you are going to be a soldier because you will be a brave one like your father Your loving son,

was.

ROBERT SHOCKLY, JR.

A

GENTLEMAN advertised for a boy to assist him in his office, and nearly fifty applicants presented themselves. Out of the whole number, he selected one, and dismissed the rest.

"I should like to know," said a friend, "on what ground you selected that boy, who had not a single recommendation."

"You are mistaken," said the gentleman, "he had a great many. He wiped his feet when he came in, and closed the door after him, showing that he was careful. He gave his seat instantly to that lame old man, showing that he was kind and thoughtful.

He took off his cap when he came in, and answered my questions promptly, showing that he was polite and gentlemanly. He picked up the book which I had purposely laid on the floor, and replaced it upon the table, while all the rest stepped over it, showing that he was orderly; and he waited quietly for his turn, instead of pushing and crowding. When I talked to him, I noticed that his clothing was tidy, his hair neatly brushed, and his finger nails clean.

"Do you not call these things letters of recommendation?"

"I do."

with the Camera

This Scout he would a

nesting go.

How to

A

CCORDING to my Buckskin calendar, May is Audubon's moon, for Audubon was born on the 4th of May, 1780. He was born in America of foreign parents but he was never a hyphenated American. He was one of the most loyal, enthusiastic and patriotic of Americans and to prove our patriotism today to our country and to our patron saint of this moon, we must do something for the birds, for Audubon's moon is the bird moon. Ever since the formation of the Audubon Society birds have been associated with this naturalist's name. May is also the planting moon of the Indians and it is proper and right that we should plant birds.

Your National Scout Commissioner has been showing you boys how to make bird houses for many years and some of his plans are now being manufactured by professional bird house builders, notably his invention of a house for woodpeckers.

An Open-Air Lunch Counter

The first picture shows a birds' lunch basket I got from a man in Illinois whose advertisement I saw in Boys' Life. It is curved in at the back to fit the tree and is the best and most practical one that I have used. Plain every-day beef suet is a tempting morsel for the insecteating birds. This basket is patronized

liberally. The downy woodpecker practically hangs around the live-long day. But as long as foolish people allow stray cats to roam at large, it will be of little use. to feed the birds. Cats are the enemy of trees, gardens and orchards, because the cats kill the birds who are the natural protectors of the plants.

A Three-Story Bird Road House

A "three-story bird road house," shown in the second picture, is made in three tiers, one above the other, and all protected by an overhanging, waterproof roof. The floors are covered with mixed grains —wheat, barley, ground corn, canary bird seed and-best of all-sunflower seed, which is especially attractive to our friends in feather coats.

Picture No. 3 shows a hammock house suspended between two trees. Formerly it was a herring kit. Just a few additions to it and an attractive dwelling was created. The box has been inhabited a major portion of the time it has been up. Our beautiful and useful purple martins will live in a swinging house, but the noisy English sparrows do not like moving houses.

The Plunge

At the bottom of the page is a "plunge." It is doubtful if the "old swimming hole"

has more charms for boys than this bath has for the songsters. Here they come for their daily dips. Accommodations are unexcelled.

Your National Scout Commissioner did not build all of these houses nor even

design them, but they are good working bird houses just the same. Any house that will attract the birds to come and live in it is a good one and any boy that erects such a house is a good Scout. Be a "First Aider" to the birds.

of the skeleton of one of these bridges. It is made of four long logs and one short one. The long logs are placed with the small ends crossing each other, each pair of logs forming what woodsmen call a scissors. Across the crotch of the pair of scissors the short log is placed. Now the more weight you place upon this bridge the firmer it becomes until you reach the breaking point, but the breaking point is beyond any weight that you boys will place upon the structure. After you have the skeleton as shown in the diagram a top structure may be added by laying logs. from the shores to the short cross log in the crotch of the scissors. A pair from each shore may be laid across this way and then a corduroy pathway laid over the 'two logs.

An Engineer's Bridge

In planning a bridge for heavier and more permanent use, boys should always follow some standard design and be sure that they know just what they are doing.

The bridge shown in the illustration is known as the Single Sling Stiffened. The two uprights on shore and the anchor ropes are additions to an ordinary single sling bridge, and when these are used the span is said to be stiffened. This can be made by lashing the timbers together. Practically no hardware is needed.

The diagram, of course, shows only one

set of supports.

Repe

Another set just like those shown are placed on the other side of the bridge. The A-shaped braces in the center carry most of the load. They should be firmly planted in the bank and ought not to slant from the vertical at an angle of more than 45 degrees. In other words, to get the best results, these center props should not be inclined more than half way from the vertical to the horizontal. The upright stakes on each bank, over which the anchor ropes pass, should, if possible, be made high enough so that the ropes which run to the main supports will, when drawn tight, approximate a right angle with the supports. The ropes are anchored by driving heavy stakes into the ground.