membership in the Adventure Club to have, in Joe's words, filled an
ocean liner. It is probable that a large proportion of the applicants
could not have obtained permission to join the expedition, but they were
each and all terribly enthusiastic and eager to join, and it required
all of Steve's and Joe's diplomacy to turn them away without hurting
their feelings. Wink Wheeler--his real name was Warren, but no one ever
called him that--refused politely but firmly to take no for an answer.
Wink said he didn't care where he bunked and that he never ate anything
on a boat, anyway, because he was always too seasick to bother about
meals.

"One more won't matter, Steve," Wink pleaded. "Be a good chap and let me
in, won't you? My folks are going out to California this Summer and I
don't want to go, and they'll let me do anything I like. Tell you what,
Steve. If you'll take me I'll buy something for the boat. I'll make the
club a present of--of a tender or an anchor or whatever you say!"

Steve found it especially hard to turn Wink down, because he liked the
fellow, just as everyone else did. Wink was eighteen and had been five
years getting through school, but he was a big, good-hearted, jovial
boy, and, as Steve reflected, one who would be a desirable companion on
such an adventure as had been planned. Steve at last told Wink that he
would speak to the others about him that evening, but that Wink was not
to get his hopes up, and Wink took himself off whistling cheerfully and
quite satisfied. But when Steve tentatively broached the matter of
including one more member in the person of Wink Wheeler, Joe staggered
him by announcing that he had promised Harry Corwin to intercede for the
latter.

"He pestered the life out of me," explained Joe ruefully, "and I finally