"I know what I'll say, right now," said Jim, "but perhaps we'd better talk it over just the same."
We saw them whispering together for about five minutes. Then they came back.
"We'll do it," said Jim. "And we'll do the best we can, only we may make mistakes at first. We are going to take the American eagle for our patrol animal on account of this being the Fourth of July."
"Everybody makes mistakes," Mr. Norton told him, "but the boy or the man who has the right stuff in him never makes the same mistake twice. Suppose that you elect a patrol leader to-night before we separate, because we shall want to consult together a great deal in the next few days and I shall be too busy to see you all."
"Jim," they began to yell, all keeping time. "Jim! Jim! Jim!"
"Jim, you seem to be elected," said Mr. Norton, reaching out and shaking hands with him.
"Speech!" yelled Hank.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Benny, getting up on his feet and bowing right and left, "the Honorable James Donavan will now say a few words, if he dast."
Jim looked as if he wanted to run, but in a minute he braced up.
"I never made a speech in my life," said he, "and I ain't going to make one now, but you will find the Gang true blue. We ain't much on clothes, and our folks haven't got much money, but we'll do the best we can, if you will tell us how. And we are much obliged for taking us in."