"No-p. We've got to have a meetin' first."
"Suppose that you have your meeting here to-night," said Mrs. Wilson, who had come into the room in time to hear what we were talking about. "Willie is a great deal better and I can have him take a nap to brace him for the story. If you boys will come around after supper you can meet right in this room, and perhaps, I don't say for sure, perhaps the neighbors will bring in some ice cream to quiet your nerves and make you sleep."
"May we bring Mr. Norton?" I asked. "He is our Scoutmaster and he ought to be with us when we tell about the doings of the patrol."
"Surely you can. He is coming, anyway. He sent word this morning that he would call to-night."
We met at Skinny's a little before eight o'clock and went over in a bunch. On the way Skinny told us what to do.
"When we get to the gate," said he, "let's stop and each one caw three times."
"What for?" I asked. "We know that he is there; don't we? Besides Bill is sick. Maybe we'd better keep quiet."
"Sick nothin'! He ain't any more sick than I am. He said so himself. He's hurt his ankle a little, that's all. Ankles can't hear, can they?"
"Maybe it will cheer him up to hear us," I told him. "He can't get out, you know. It is hard to be cooped up in the house that way, and Fourth of July coming."
"Anyhow," said Benny, "let's not all caw at once. We can take turns and it will not make so much noise."