PART I--THE GARDEN CLUB




I

THE GARDEN CLUB


The door opened. A gust of wind and rain literally swept five boys, wet
and breathless, into the room. The man at the big oak table in front of
a huge open fire looked up, smiled, and said, "Off with your duds, boys!
Bar the door securely, Jay, for it's a wild night. Throw a fresh log on
the fire, Albert. And all line up."

For a few moments the big cheerful room seemed full of wriggling,
twisting boys as great coats were pulled off and hung up carefully on
pegs at the far end of the room. It was a rule here at The Chief's home
that things should always be shipshape. Then the "line up" came. This
was a little ceremony the boys always went through, having dropped into
it quite of their own accord. They formed a line in front of the open
fire with backs to it and faces toward the man. Then they solemnly
saluted in military style. At this The Chief arose, saluted, and by a
wave of the hand assigned each boy to his place at the table.

This little group of boys had formed itself naturally into a club. It
met with The Chief every Saturday night. He was really no chief, this
big, boy-loving man who had come to spend a while in this little country