They would go to the great forest and bring in the finest pole to be found. Jack and Jill and Angel must go with them; and Lolo and his best boy friend were invited.
Early in the morning, without giving anyone an idea of their intentions, the guns and the bolos were loaded on the wagon, and plenty of provisions, you may be assured. George and Ralph manned the large boat, so that the crossing of the river would be facilitated. The wagon still had the fort sections, which were taken along so that could be floated across.
Within an hour the main river was reached and the float sections attached, so that the yaks plunged in and drew the wagon across, while the boat was drawn up on shore to await their return.
The party plunged into the forest, taking the direction which Ralph and Tom had gone on the former trip. Quantities of game were bagged, but there was no exciting incident. The pole was the main thing, after all, and when they tramped in every direction the selection was narrowed down to two fine specimens of shellbark hickory, and one was felled and trimmed, and after hoisting one end on the wagon, the other was put on the truck and the party drove into Unity in the afternoon.
The inhabitants swarmed the streets at the novel spectacle. The Professor, John, Blakely and Rogers instantly divined the meaning of the pole.
"Where shall we put it up?" asked Harry.
"Right in the center of the town," was the Pro[p. 236]fessor's response. "To-morrow is flag-raising day, and it shall be a holiday!"
Before night the hole had been dug, and the immense pole erected.
When "Old Glory" went up the next day there was nothing lacking but the music; the hats of everyone came off as the flag slowly ascended, and the cheers that came from the throats of the natives could not have been more intense, nor the enthusiasm greater, if participated in by genuine Americans.