omptly went off into another paroxysm; and laughter with
the Band of Hope was no drawing-room performance, no polite titter
behind an upraised hand. When the Band of Hope laughed, it rolled on the
floor, beat its clenched fists against neighboring backs, screamed,
huzzaed, cat-called, kicked pajama legs in the air, and shook the
pictures off the walls. Mr. Bob seemed to be the only one who knew how
to behave, but even Mr. Bob grew crimson in the face, and choked, and
opened his mouth till you could see way down his froat.

"Genelmen," he said, when at last he had somewhat recovered, "you've
listened to our _h_orders, and I'll _h_only remind you that them that
_h_ain't with us is agin us, as Saint Paul says. Back-sliders and goats
may return to the bar, but me and the fleecy sheep is agoing to see this
thing through, and do our dooty _h_under the regilations by Board of
Trade _h_appointed. Goats, as I said afore, will kindly rise and step
out!"

"We ain't no blooming quitters," spoke up Billy Dutton. "Goats, nothing,
you wall-eyed old ram! You want to cinch all the texes for yesself, and
make a running with our lovely president. But we are on to you, Bob
Fletcher, and I voice the sentimomgs of the whole band when I says with
Saint John, in the forty-first epistle to the Proosians, 'Wot you put
your fist to, that do it with all yer might!'"

"Aye, aye!" chorused the band with boisterous approval.

"Then _h_up and work, you devils!" exclaimed the vice president. "Pull
out that table, Mack; and you, there, bear a 'and to 'elp 'im, 'Enery.
Set _h_up the little chair, Williams! Easy with Saint Paul, you, Tommy,
or you'll crack him sure--and lay the whole caboodlum on the shelf,
_h_out of 'arm's way! Lively, lads--lively!"

Bob lifted Daisy in his arms, and carrying her to the table, installed
her comfortably in the little chair.

"Captain's bridge," he said; "and if anything ain't right, or just
_h_according to your _h_idears, you sing out to the lower deck, loud and
'earty; only mind you don't get _h_excited and spill orf!"

Daisy's eyes danced, and her timidity all vanished as she saw the jovial
and obedient band grouping together and hotly discussing the proposed
decorations. Distances were measured with tarry thumbs. A party of six
was told off to climb the cocoa palms across the road; while another,
shouting and hallooing like schoolboys, was dispatched to Holderson's
station to get sinnet. There was a noisy wrang