“No; of course not. But he’s been arrested for it and is in jail, and nobody seems to be doing anything to help him. That’s why I think we ought to do something. If I was in his fix I’d like my friends to fight for me.”
“Tell us what to do, then, and we’ll do it,” said Becky. “We’ll all join hands, eyes right an’ chins up, an’ march on to victory!”
“Eh?” said Don, staring at her thoughtfully; “that isn’t a bad idea, Becky.”
“What idea?”
“The marching. When there’s an election the men all get together and form a company and parade the streets with banners and a band—and their man gets elected.”
“It is a way to win popular favor,” said Doris. “The marching and bands and fireworks arouse excitement.”
“Well, that’s what we ought to do,” declared Don. “Those fool people in the town are all shaking their heads like billygoats and saying Toby must be guilty, just ’cause they found the empty box in his back yard. Anyone could put the box there; it’s no proof Toby did it. Let’s get up a Toby Clark Marching Club, to defend Toby and bring folks to the right way of thinking. That’ll help him more than anything else.”
“It would make ’em laugh,” said Beck, “to see two boys and two girls marching with a banner and a band. And where in thunder will you get that band, Don?”
“You shut up. We’ll enlist every kid in town in our marching club. It’ll be no end of fun—besides helping Toby.”
“That sounds good,” said Allerton. “I’ll be the captain.”