"Well, I propose that we have one," cried Morris.

The resolution was carried unanimously. Acton was elected president,
and by way of recognizing the mutual interest of the Triple Alliance,
Jack Vance was appointed to act as secretary, and it was decided to hold
the first banquet on the following night.

"We can buy the grub to-morrow," said Acton; "but there's one thing we
ought to fetch to-day, and that is, I thought we might have, say, six
bottles of ginger-beer. Then each man must take his own up to bed with
him this evening, and hide it away in his box or in one of his drawers."

This was accordingly done, and, as it happened, was the cause of the
only disaster which attended the formation of the club. For the first
week in June the weather was unusually hot: a candle left all day
in the "Main-top" was found drooping out of the perpendicular, and when
the Triple Alliance retired to rest their bedroom felt like an oven.
They were just dozing off to sleep, when all three were suddenly
startled by a muffled bang somewhere close to them. In an instant they
were sitting up in bed, rubbing their eyes with one hand and grasping
their pillows with the other.

"Look out, they're coming!" whispered Jack Vance; "wasn't that something
hit the door?"

"It sounded as if something fell on the floor," answered Diggory.
"I wonder if anything's rolled off either of the washstands."

Jack Vance reconnoitred the passage, while Diggory and Mugford examined
the room; but nothing could be found to account for the disturbance.