The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-12-21

IL hecp the secrets Rouuy re-
peated.
ITO keep the secrets in infadelaty
| and violate and sanctuary"
"What?' Roddy naturally inquired.
Whack!
"Ow!" cried Roddy. That's no
fart"
You got to say just what l say,
Penrod was heard informing MIN.
That's the ritual, and anyway. even
II you do get it right, Verman'S got TO
hit you every now and then, because
that's part of the ritual. too. Now go
on and say it. 4 solemnly swear to
Keep the secrets in infadelaty and vio-
late and sanctuary"
Il solemnly swear"-Roddy began.
But Maurice Levy was tired of being
no party to such fascinating proceed
ings, and he began to hammer upon
the door.
sam! Sam Williams" he shouted.
Lemme in there! 1 know lots about
'nishiatin'. Lemme in!"
The door was flung open, revealing
ROddy Bits blindfolded and bound,
lying face down upon the floor of the
shack; but Maurice had only fugitive
glimpse of this pathetic figure before
he, too, was recumbent. Four boys
flung themselves Indignantly upon him
and bore him to earth.
Hi !" he squealed. "What you doin'?
Haven't you got any sense?"
And, from within the shack. Roddy
added his own protest.
LET me up, can't you?" ne cried. 81
got to see what's goin' on out there,
haven't I? 1 guess Pm not goin' to lay
here all day! What you think I'm
made OFF,"
"You hush up!' Penrod commanded.
This is nice biznuss !" he continued,
deeply aggrieved. "What kind of a
nishiation do you expect this is. any
how?"
well, here's Maurice Levy gone and
seen part Of the secrets" said Sam, In
voice of equal plaintiveness. "Yes;
and l bet he was listenin' out here,
tOOi''
"Iemme up" begged Maurice, half
stifled. 81 didn't do any harm to your
old secrets, did I? Anyways, just as
soon be Insulated myself. l amt
afraid. So if you 'nishiate me, what
difference will 1t make if did hear
little?"
Struck with this idea, which seemed
reasonable, Penrod obtained silence
from every one except Roddy, and it
was decided to allow Maurice to rise
and retire to the front yard. The
brother members then withdrew with
in the shack, elected Maurice to the
fellowship, and completed the initiation
of Mr.. Bits. After that, Maurice was
summoned and underwent the ordeal
with fortitude, though the newest
brother-still tingling with his own ex-
periences-helped to make certain
parts of the ritual unprecedentedly Sc
we're.
Once endowed with full membership,
Maurice and Roddy accepted the OBJ
legations and privileges of the order
with enthusiasm. Both interested
themselves Immediately in improve
ments for the shack, and made eXcur-
sions to their homes to obtain mate
rails. Roddy returned with a pair of
lensless mOther-Of-pearl opera glasses,
a contribution which led to the crea-
ton Of new office, called the war
ner." 1t was his duty to climb upon
the back fence once every fifteen min
utes and search the horizon for in
truders or anybody that hasn't got any
biznuss around here" This post proved
so popular, at first, that 1t was found
necessary to provide for rotation in Of
fee, and to shorten the interval from
fifteen minutes to an indefinite but
much briefer period, determined prin-
cipally by argument between the in
cumbent and his successor.
And Maurice Levy contributed de-
vice so pleasant and so necessary to
the prevention of interruption during
meetings, that Penrod and Sam won
dered why they had not thought of 1t
themselves long before. ItNcOnsisted
of about twenty-five feet OF garden
hose In fair condition. One end Of it
was introduced into the shack through
knothole, and the other was secured
by wire, round the faucet of hydrant
In the stable. Thus, if members Of the
order were assailed by thirst during an
important session, or In the course of
an initiation, it would not be. necessary
for them all to leave the shack. One
could go, instead, and when he had
turned on the water at the hydrant,
the members in the shack could drink
without leaving their places. 1t was
discovered, also, that the section Of
hose could be used as speaking-tube
and though 1t did prove necessary to
explain by shouting outside the tube