Tom Does it the Hard Way Instead of doing the sensible thing and taking the train to faraway Temple Camp, Tom Slade decides to get there on his own, first by canoe and then on foot. Accompanied by fellow scouts Roy Blakeley and Pee-wee Harris, Tom braves fire, flood, mystery, an escaped convict, possible murder-and even faces down a lawyer. First published in 1917, this book is a classic boys' adventure by Percy Keese Fitzhugh, and has delighted generations of readers. It is imbued with the can-do spirit of the time, when nothing seemed impossible (and nothing was impossible) to a boy with stalwart friends and the courage of his convictions. This is the second book in the nineteen-volume Tom Slade series. Percy Keese Fitzhugh (1876-1950) was an American author. His first known work, The Goldenrod Story Book was published in 1906. The bulk of his work, having a Boy Scouting theme, revolves around the fictional town of Bridgeboro, New Jersey. Characters included Tom Slade, Pee-wee Harris, Roy Blakely, and Westy Martin. Fitzhugh's Scouting based books were very popular with children and adults. His characters became so real to his readers that it was not uncommon for Percy to receive fan mail addressed to the characters themselves.