Council, Franklin MacAllister; the Treasurer of Dalton, Major Dale,
Squire Travers and Ralph Willoby.

Wild cheers went up from the woods as the party entered the grove; first
for the president, then for the major and a "hip-hip" and series of
hurrahs for the new squire.

Certainly it was jolly to have such a crowd in the shady woods. The
officials told Miss Ellis they came to get acquainted with the pupils of
the Dalton schools. Also, they said, it was quite necessary to look
after so important a gathering officially, as there was the lake, and
other dangers, to which over enthusiastic youths might be more or less
exposed.

Major Dale and Mr. MacAllister only remained long enough to see that
everything was satisfactorily started, and then left, charging Ralph
Willoby and Squire Travers to act as special officers. That this was a
wise precaution was plainly demonstrated before the day ended.

Toward noon the merry-makers scattered throughout the spacious grounds,
looking for particularly pleasant spots to eat lunch. This was by no
means a difficult matter, for there were rustic benches built around
wonderful trees, besides little caves lined with soft pine needles and
covered with brown mounds of them.

The diversity of natural beauties made this grove famous, for many miles
around, and never before, perhaps, was every nook and corner so
thoroughly explored.

Ralph and the squire roamed around, seeing to it that boys in boats kept