shout 'Hear,
hear' and to bang bits of wood and hammers on the floor and the
benches; and then, after a final repetition of the statement, that the
object of the meeting was to consider the advisability of holding an
outing, or beanfeast, the chairman collapsed on to a carpenter's stool
and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Crass then reminded the meeting that the last year's Beano had been an
unqualified success, and for his part he would be very sorry if they
did not have one this year. Last year they had four brakes, and they
went to Tubberton Village.

It was true that there was nothing much to see at Tubberton, but there
was one thing they could rely on getting there that they could not be
sure of getting for the same money anywhere else, and that was--a good
feed. (Applause.) Just for the sake of getting on with the business,
he would propose that they decide to go to Tubberton, and that a
committee be appointed to make arrangements--about the dinner--with the
landlord of the Queen Elizabeth's Head at that place.

Philpot seconded the motion, and Payne was about to call for a show of
hands when Harlow rose to a point of order. It appeared to him that
they were getting on a bit too fast. The proper way to do this
business was first to take the feeling of the meeting as to whether
they wished to have a Beano at all, and then, if the meeting was in
favour of it, they could decide where they were to go, and whether they
would have a whole day or only half a day.

The Semi-drunk said that he didn't care a dreadful expression where
they went: he was willing to abide by the decision of the majority.
(Applause.) It was a matter of indifference to him whether they had a
day, or half a day, or two days; he was agreeable to anything.

Easton suggested that a special saloon carriage might be engaged, and
they could go and visit Madame Tussaud's Waxworks. He had never been
to that place and had often wished to see it. But Philpot objected
that if they went there, Madame Tussaud's might be unwilling to let
them out again.

Bundy endorsed the remarks that had fallen from Crass with reference to
Tubberton. He did not care where they went, they would never get such
a good spread for the money as they did last year at the Queen
Elizabeth. (Cheers.)

The chairman said that he remembered the last Beano very well. They
had half a day--left off work on Saturday at twelve instead of one--so
there was only one hour