“You will?” Pat’s freckled face lighted like a Christmas tree. “Gee! Wait until I tell the fellows!”
The Bay Shore boys all shared Pat’s desire to join the Cub organization. Eagerly they asked for detailed information. Pat especially wanted to know if they might play another series of basketball games the following season.
“Of course,” Mr. Hatfield promised. “Den 2 will be glad to play your den.”
“Our den!” Pat liked the sound of the word. “Say, that’s something! We’ll have uniforms too, won’t we? And pins?”
“Everything that goes with Cubbing.”
“There’s just one thing more,” Pat said. He cast his eyes down, and then went on quickly. “About wrecking that cardboard fort. A couple of the fellows did it and then were sorry. If we could rebuild it or anything—”
“We’ll talk about that later,” Mr. Hatfield said. “Just now, so that you’ll feel you’re really being taken into one of the finest organizations in the world, we want to introduce you to the Living Circle.”
“What’s that?” Pat asked suspiciously.
“We’ll show you,” Dan offered.
Joining with the Bay Shore boys, the Cubs formed a circle. Each youngster faced inward, extending his left hand, palm downward, into the circle. Each Cub then grasped the thumb of the boy to his right, raising his free hand in the organization’s sign.