told him I'd ask you fellows. But I suppose we can't take two more. Nine
would--um--be rather overdoing it, eh?"

Everyone agreed that it would. Han suggested that Wink Wheeler and Harry
Corwin might toss up for the privilege of joining the club. "After all,"
he added, "we aren't all of us certain that we can go. If one or two of
us drop out there'll be room for Wink and Harry, too."

"Seems to me," said Phil Street, "it might be a good plan to enlarge
the membership to, say, twelve, and let the new members find a boat of
their own. I dare say they could. Then--"

"Fine!" exclaimed Joe. "Harry and his brother have some sort of a
motor-boat. He told me so today. That's a bully idea, Phil! With twelve
of us we could divide up between the two boats--"

"How many will Corwin's boat hold?" asked Neil.

"I don't know. I'll see him and find out. But it ought to be big enough
to hold four, anyway. There are seven of us now, and Wink and Harry and
his brother Tom would make ten, and we could easily pick out two more."

"Let's make the membership thirteen," said Perry.

"Thirteen!" echoed Han. "Gee, that's unlucky!"

"Rot! Why, you've got thirteen letters in your name. George Hanford."
Perry counted on his fingers. "This is the Adventure Club, isn't it?
Well, starting out with thirteen members is an adventure right at the
start!"