“And there’s no reason,” a third went on to say, boldly, “why Cliffwood shouldn’t have a hockey team, and a cracking good baseball nine next season, to boot. We’ve got the stuff all right. With good backing we might even hope to fetch a trophy home with us once in a while.”
“There’s Mr. Bartlett, going to call the meeting to order,” remarked Dan.
At this speech every one of the boys settled down in a seat; for these meetings were usually conducted with as much decorum and order as those carried on by the older members of the Y. M. C. A. organization.
Harry Bartlett usually presided at these gatherings of the boys’ club, but he took pleasure in frequently turning the meeting over to Dick, who had been duly elected to the office. This evening as soon as the meeting had been called to order he asked Dick to take the chair.
The secretary was just beginning to call the roll when there came a series of squeals and grunts. At the same time three small pigs were seen running wildly about the room, creating much excitement as they darted back and forth under the chairs and amidst the legs of twenty-odd boys gathered there.
Every one knew that Nat and his two cronies had liberated the pigs, for they were standing in the doorway and laughing heartily at the frantic efforts of the boys to catch the dodging pigs. All thought of business was suspended until this duty had been accomplished, after which the offending pigs were summarily ejected from the building.
Nat pretended to feel sorry over it.
“We meant to lug the little critters over to Mr. Bratton’s house,” he went on to explain, “to find out if he meant to offer a reward for their safe return. But now they’re loose again, and in the night nobody could ever catch the slippery imps. We were goin’ to stop in and let you know we’d be back this way before long, when they broke loose on us. But it’s all right anyway, and no damage done, I reckon.”
Of course every one knew the incident was intended to be one of Nat’s famous practical jokes, but since the excitement had now died down, and Mr. Bartlett said nothing to the contrary, Dick concluded to forget it.
“The meeting will again come to order,” he called out, vigorously rapping the table with the gavel, borrowed from the seniors. “The secretary will start over again with roll call.”