to
"chase a feller away." And if he climbed up to her, then there would
be no danger of her discovering the way down to the beach.

"All right, I'll come up." He disappeared for a moment in the tangle
of growth that fringed the foot of the cliff to bob up close at Nancy's
side.

"My goodness--it's just as though you came up by magic," she cried.
"It _must_ be dang'rous. I'm Nancy Leavitt. Who are you?"

The boy gave Nancy a suspicious look.

"Mebbe you'll tell!" he muttered, doubtingly.

"Oh, no, I _wouldn't_! Besides, what can I tell? And I can't even
guess who you are because you see I don't know anyone in Freedom."

"I'm Davy Hopworth."

"Of course, I remember,--" But Nancy stopped short for what she
remembered was how Webb had called them the "no-good Hopworths."

"And that there's my club," finished Davy, gravely. "Only the other
fellers couldn't sneak away today."

"I--understand," Nancy nodded, hugging her knees with her arms. "What
a jolly place to meet. It's so--so secret."

Davy grinned. "You bet. That's a pirate's cove. I guess mebbe
there's a treasure buried there. All us boys knows where to get down,
too."

"I'm so glad you let me know your secret! I won't tell a soul! I
think your club's very jolly, too."

Davy, won by Nancy's disarming friendliness, produced from a ragged
pocket a dirty piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Them's the Rules," he said, briefly.

At the top was printed "Cove Culb." And below were the rules: 1. No
swaring. 2. No back talk. 3. No smokin nothin. 4. No lis. 5. No
steling birds eggs. 6. No hurtin dume anmals. 7. Eviry boys goter no
how to swim and lick eviry boy thats an enmy to the culb. 8. To kil
pirats. 9. To fite for ar contry.

While Nancy was trying to control her lips so that she could say
something, Davy added proudly, "I wrote 'em."

"They're--splendid! But _why_ in the world should the other boys have
to sneak away?"

"Liz says folks don't think a Hopworth's good 'nough. I guess no one
thinks a feller oughta have any fun, either. Liz don't. I wait 'til
she cleans the meetin' house--ev'ry Monday and after there's socials
and things. We sneak. Jim and Dick get a lickin' if they get caught,"
Davy explained without the slightest embarrassment.

Nancy's indignation was sincere. "What a _shame_! I wish I was a boy,
I'd join your club in a moment. Why, you can do so many things down
there--drill and--swim, can't you