After all, England had been and was the mother country.
England and America had fought, in their time, and America had won, but
now, for a hundred years, there had been peace between them. And he and
these English boys were of the same blood and the same language, binding
them very closely together.
"Blood is thicker than water, after all!" he thought.
Then every scout there shook hands with John Grenfel. He smiled as he
greeted them.
"I hope this will pass over," he said, "and that we'll do together during
this vacation all the things we've planned to do. But if we can't, and if
I'm called away, good-bye! Do your duty as scouts, and I'll know it
somehow! And, in case I don't see you again, good-bye!"
"You're going to stand with us, then, Fleming?" he said, as Harry came up
to shake hands. "Good boy! We're of one blood, we English and you
Americans. We've had our quarrels, but relatives always do quarrel. And
you'll not be asked, as a scout here, to do anything an American shouldn't
do."
Then it was over. They were out in the street. In the distance newsboys
were yelling their extras still. Many people were out, something unusual in
that quiet neighborhood. And suddenly one of the scouts lifted his voice,
and in a moment they were all singing:
Rule, rule, Britannia!
Britannia rules the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!
Scores of voices swelled the chorus, joining the fresh young voices of the
scouts.
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