and that Phil was Number Three. If Perry felt
disappointment he hid it, and when Phil declared that in his opinion
Perry should have been elected instead of him, since Perry was, so to
say, a charter member, Perry promptly disclaimed any desire of the sort.

"No, thanks," he said. "If I was secretary I'd have to keep the accounts
and all that sort of thing, and I'm no good at it. You're the very
fellow for the job, Phil."

The assemblage broke up shortly after, to meet again that evening at
eight, Steve undertaking to have a map on hand then so that they might
plan their cruise. As none of the seven was bound to secrecy, what
happened is only what might have been expected. By the time the ball
game was half over Steve and Joe had received enough applications for
membership in the Adventure Club to have, in Joe's words, filled an
ocean liner. It is probable that a large proportion of the applicants
could not have obtained permission to join the expedition, but they were
each and all terribly enthusiastic and eager to join, and it required
all of Steve's and Joe's diplomacy to turn them away without hurting
their feelings. Wink Wheeler--his real name was Warren, but no one ever
called him that--refused politely but firmly to take no for an answer.
Wink said he didn't care where he bunked and that he never ate anything
on a boat, anyway, because he was always too seasick to bother about
meals.

"One more won't matter, Steve," Wink pleaded. "Be a good chap and let me
in, won't you? My folks are going out to California this Summer and I
don't want to go, and they'll let me do anything I like. Tell you what,
Steve. If you'll take me I'll buy something for the boat. I'll make the
club a present of--of a tender or an anchor or whatever you say!"

Steve found it especially hard to turn Wink down, because he liked the
fellow, just as everyone else did. Wink was eighteen and had been five
years getting through school, but he was a big, good-hearted, jovial
boy, and, as Steve reflected, one who would be a desirable companion on
such an adventure as had been planned. Steve at last told Wink that he
would speak to the others about him that evening, but that Wink was not
to get his hopes up, and Wink took himself off whistling cheerfully and
quite satisfied. But when Steve tentatively broached the matter of
including one more member in the person of Wink Wheeler, Joe staggered
him by announcing that he had promised Harry Corwin to