Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-03-24
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Copyright, 1899, by Herbert S. Stone & Co.
CHAPTER XX.-CoNr1NUED.

i
THE chiefs quite right in insisting
upon everything being above board,'
i said boldly. I'VE don't want any
hole-and-cOrner business in a concern
like this. We are all like SO many
mOuntaineerS roped together on 4
mountain. If one of us makes a slip
and the others aren't prepared to SET
their feet hard and meet the jerk when
ii comes, the chances are that the lot
of us get pulled over the precipice.
And mind you, friends, rope round
your body on mountain is one thing,
and a rope round your neck on scat
fold is another. I've sampled one, but
| don't want to sample the other. So
/ think the chief is right in taking us
into his confidence as he has done.
We all hang by the one rope, so what
] say is, Let us know where were go
ing Besides, in a concern like this,
which claims before all things to be
democratic, we don't want any one
man show. Here are we working to
overthrow the autocrat or aristocrat
wherever you find him, and you pro-
pose setting up one man who is to be
our pope and lead us all blindfolded by
the nose"
Give us your hand Number Seven"
said Number Six slapping me familiar
ly on the shoulder It's good job
you amt parsOn, for if | heard you
preach a few times, | believe you'd
convert me, and I'm damned if | could
stand that I'd no idea we'd got such
an orator among us. Anyhow, he's
convinced me; so so ahead, chief, and
let's have the details in full
Good humor being thus restored,
Number Two continued his eXplana-
tion.
The thing is to be done in this
way" he said. lubbock was once
chef at the Ishmacl club, and is still
friendly with the steward and the other
walters. From one OF them he has
heard a little secret which is supposed
TO he known only to the secretary of
the club and the committee. The Ish-
maelites are very fond of having what
| may call unrehearsed effects at the
housc-dinner evenings, and the mem
Der who is in the chair often springs
a surprise upon the company by pro-
viding some unexpected feature for
their entertainment. The secretary
a whimsical fellow-has hit upon an
idea which he purposes to carry ouc
on the occasion of the princes visit
Good fellowship being a sine qua non
for election to the Ishmael, the prince
OF Wales, who is, as every one knows,
the best of good fellows in the social
sense, is naturally a prime fayOrite
there. AS you all know, the prince is
only now recovering from serious i'll
ness, and as his presence at the Ish-
mael will be his first public appearance
after his conValescence, the Ishmael-
ties intend to give him an ovation.
The speech of the evening will be, The
health of our guest his royal high
ness the prince of Wales Well, the
secretary has sent the ten-minute
umekeeper to Switzerland to have the
ordinary gong replaced by a musical
box which Shall play God Bless the
Prince of Wales The chairman, in
proposing the princes health, will pur-
posely outstay his ten minutes The
gong will strike, but instead of mere
iy sounding ten warning notes on the
Prince of Wales AS soon as the mem
bers tumble to it (for the affair is to
be kept secret from all but two or
three, the chairman will spring to his
feet and take up the air, which will
be sung, all standing, and ending up
with three times three. That's just
the kind of thing to catch on with the
Ishmaelites, and | shouldn't be sur
prised ii it proved an immense success
and pleased the prince into the bargain
well, lubbock has contrived-in
virtue of his old connection with the
club-to get engaged as an assistant
chef for the occasion, and he also man
aged 10 get a peep at the address on
the box that contained the gong, when
1t was sent off to Switzerland to have