"Oh, shucks, never mind that," replied Perry. "You can join the club,
anyway, and be a sort of non-resident member. Here you are, fellows.
Who's got a pen or something?"

During the ensuing two or three minutes there was comparative silence in
Number 17, and while the seven occupants of the room busy themselves
with pens or pencils let us look them over since we are likely to spend
some time in their company from now on.

First of all there is Steve Chapman, seventeen years of age, a tall,
well-built and nicely proportioned youth with black hair and eyes, a
quick, determined manner and an incisive speech. Steve was Football
Captain last Fall. Next him sits George Hanford. Han, as the boys call
him, is eighteen, also a senior, and also a football player. He is big
and rangey, good-natured and popular, and is president of the senior
class.

Joe Ingersoll's age is seventeen. He is Steve's junior by two months. He
is of medium height, rather thin, light complexioned and has peculiarly
pale eyes behind the round spectacles he wears. Joe is first baseman on
the Nine, and a remarkably competent one. He is slow of speech and
possesses a dry humour that on occasion can be uncomfortably ironical.
Beside him, Perry Bush is a complete contrast, for Perry is
large-limbed, rather heavy of build, freckle-faced, red-haired and
jolly. He has very dark blue eyes and, in spite of a moon-shaped
countenance, is distinctly pleasing to look at; he is sixteen.

Neil Fairleigh and Phil Street are of an age, seventeen, but in other
regards are quite unalike. Neil is of medium height, with his full
allowance of flesh, and has hair the hue of new rope and grey-blue eyes.