Part 20 (1/2)

Now if there was one thing Gus Plu purposes, and the suggestion of such a bath, in the open air, with the ther point, caused hian, and then shut his lips tightly Coht he resolved to utter no complaint

”What sayest thou?” de off?” demanded another

”No, I'll take my medicine, no edly

CHAPTER XIII

AN INTERRUPTED INITIATION

”He's full of grit this time,” whispered Phil to Dave

”Oh, Plum isn't the boy he used to be, I a the students reached a point on the river front where there was a heavy clump of bushes In a holloeen the bushes a fire had been built, and on the bushes had been hung some horse blankets, to keep off the wind

As the members of the Gee Eyes reached the hollow they sao boys wrapped up in overcoats stealing away into the woods close by

”hello, who are those chaps?” cried Roger

”One of them looked like Nat Poole tohere?”

”Ca on, I suppose”

”I don't like fellows like Nat Poole to be hanging around,” re low, but noas stirred up andblaze By the flickering glare the ures looked decidedly fantastic

Up to that moment the club members had been undecided what to do with Gus Plu off his shoes and socks and letting hi him up to his knees Others wanted him to crawl on his hands and knees to another spot on the river, quarter of a mile away Still others wanted tohiht along Others wanted him to make a ten minutes' speech on ”What Mackerels Have Done for Astronomy,” or some subject equally ”deep”

”Let us have the speech, at least first,” suggested Dave

”All right, give us the subject,” answered Phil, after a consultation with the other officers

”All right, I will,” answered Dave, after aoff his head first”

This was quickly removed, and Gus Plum was made to stand up on a rock close to the fire

”Wretch, listen!” caures ”It is decreed that thouwatch on a subject that shall be given to thee Shouldst thou fail, it will be a whacking with staves for thine Dost thou agree?”

”Speak on what?”

”Here is the subject,” said Dave, in a disguised voice that was thin and piping: ”If a Pail Lets Out Water When it Leaks, Why Doesn't a Boat Do the Sa?” And a snicker went round at this question

”Thou hast heard the subject Art prepared to discourse?” asked one of the Gee Eyes