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as perfect in the drill as though they had practised it every day during the winter. Although it was a moment of excitement, there was no undue haste; every member seemed to be perfectly cool.
"Ready--pull!"
And the broad blades dipped in the water, and bent before the vigorous arms of the youthful oarsmen.
"Starboard oars, cease rowing--back!" continued the coxswain, with admirable dignity and self-possession; and the Zephyr, acted upon by this maneuver, came about as though upon a pivot, without going either backward or forward.
"Starboard oars, steady--pull!" and the rowers indicated by this command caught the stroke, and the light bark shot ahead, with her wonted speed, in the direction of Rippleton village.
"Zephyr, ahoy!" shouted some one from the shore.
"Tim Bunker--ain't it?" asked Charles.
"Yes."
"Humph! he needn't hail us like that. I was sure your father would never permit him to join the club," continued Charles, who fancied that he read in Frank's expression the disapproval of his father.
"You are in the wrong, Charley."
"Am I?"
"You are; my father cordially approved our action. Now, Zephyrs, I am going up to Flat Rock to take him aboard; and I hope every fellow will treat him well--just as though he had never done anything out of the way. What do you say?"
"We will," they replied, with one voice.
"And then, if he does not walk straight, it will not be our fault. Treat him as though he was the best fellow among us. Let nothing tempt us to forget it."
Frank headed the boat towards the rock in the grove, and in a moment the bow touched it.
Without waiting for an invitation, Tim jumped into the boat, and took the vacant seat. Frank did not much like this forwardness: it was a little too "brazen" to comport with his ideas of true penitence. But he did not care to humble the "Bunker;" so he said nothing that would wound his feelings.
"We are glad to see you, Tim; the club has this day elected you a member, and our director has approved the vote," said Frank.
"Has he?" replied Tim, with a broad grin.
"And, if you like, we will go up to the boat-house, where you may sign the constitution."
"Yes, I'll sign it," answered Tim, more as though it would be conferring a favor on the club than as a duty he owed to his new friends.
Frank gave the necessary orders to get the boat under way again. Tim handled his oar with considerable skill, and before they reached the boat-house, he had learned to time his stroke with that of his companions.
When they landed, Captain Sedley took Tim apart with him, and very kindly told him what would be expected of him in his new relation, urging him to be true to his good resolution, and assuring him that he should never want for substantial encouragement so long as he persevered in well doing. Tim hung his head down while he listened to this kind advice; his answers were short, but they were all satisfactory, so far as words could be taken as the index of his intentions.
Frank then read the constitution, and the new member listened to it with attention. The stringent provisions of the sixth article, which forbade swearing, indecent language, and other boyish vices, brought a scarcely visible smile to his lips, and excited a doubt as to the success of the experiment in the mind of the director.
"Now, Tim, you can sign it," said Frank.
"It's pretty strict--ain't it?" added Tim, with one of his peculiar grins, as he took the pen that was handed to him. "You know I ain't used to being quite so strained up as you fellers, and I may kinder break through afore I know it."
"If you do, you shall be judged kindly and charitably," said Captain Sedley.
"Well. I'll sign it."
But it was not quite so easy a thing for Tim to sign; at least, to perform the mechanical part of the act, for he had been to school but little, and good penmanship was not one of his accomplishments. However, he succeeded in getting over the form, though it would have puzzled the secretary to read it, if he had not known what it was.
"Now, Zephyrs, Tim is one of us," said Frank.
"He hasn't got any uniform," suggested Charles.
"He shall have one," replied Captain Sedley, as he wrote an order on Mr. Burlap, the tailor, to supply him with a uniform.
"All aboard!" shouted Frank. "We will pull up the lake, and see how the Butterfly gets along. They have been practising for a fortnight, and they ought to be able to row pretty well by this time."
"With Uncle Ben to show them how," added Fred Harper.
Again the Zephyrs were in their seats, and the boat was backed out into the lake. The flags were unrolled, and put in their