Then I told them how he read the Handbook, and how he was crazy about scouting, only he was scared of the fellows because he was so poor.

And then I said that findings is keepings and that Skinny belonged to the Silver Foxes, and they would make a present of him to the Elks on account of Tom Slade.
"Anyway," I said, "when Tom gets back he'll be old enough for assistant scoutmaster, so it's all right." Then Mr.Ellsworth said, "Very good," and that Councilman Bennett had something to say.

This is what he said, because Mr.Ellsworth wrote it out for me, and he remembered almost just how it was.

Oh, but he's one fine man--Mr.Bennett--he's on some kind of a board and he helped build the hospital and he likes the scouts and he wishes he could shin up a tree--he said so.

So this is what he said.
"My young friends, I have listened with a good deal of something or other (it's too much bother to spell it out) to our young leader of the Silver Foxes, and I must say that the Silver Foxes are solid fourteen karat gold.