"You are now one of us, sir. You become the thirtieth member of a little group of as brave men, as daring and determined fighters as can be found in America or in the world—all tried and tempered by the fires of war; all decorated for conspicuous valor; all ready to follow me to the ends of the earth and die, if need be; all eager to share in an undertaking as yet unknown to them, but one that promises to be the most extraordinary adventure ever undertaken on this planet. You understand all that, sir?"
"I do!"
"Raise your right hand, sir."
The aviator obeyed.
"All the others, too!"
Every hand went up.
"Swear allegiance to me, fidelity, secrecy, courage, obedience. On the thing you hold most dear, your honor as fighting-men, swear it!"
The shout that answered him, from every throat, made the eagle's nest ring with wild echoes. The Master smiled, as the hands sank.
"With men like you," said he, "failure is impossible. The expedition is to start at once, tomorrow night. No man in it has now any ties or home or kin that overbalance his ties to me and to the esprit de corps of our body.
"The past is dead, for you. The future is all a mystery. You are to live only in the present, day by day. And now for some practical details.