THE COUNTRY BOY 63 



was that he didn't want to see it. The out- 

 side guard brought me a red and gold regaha 

 and said, "Put it on around your neck." 

 Then I waited some minutes and heard singing 

 in the big lodge room. It was upstairs over 

 the town hall, and no one was every allowed 

 to peep in unless he was a member. Finally 

 I heard raps like a hammer, and people walk- 

 ing. The outside guard, who was one of 

 Uncle Jake McClaine's hired men, came, and 

 I asked him if there was anything to be afraid 

 of. He said he couldn't tell me; that it was 

 against the rules. I noticed he had cloves on 

 his breath. He said, "Get ready ; they may call 

 for us any minute." I asked him if I had 

 mussed my hair when I put my regaHa on, and 

 he said I had, shghtly, and he fixed it, and he 

 gave me some perfume to put on my handker- 

 chief and my coat lapel. Presently a rap 

 came at the door, and a small peep hole opened, 

 and a voice came in bass, "Who's there?" The 

 hired man said something and again the voice 

 at the peep hole said, "Admit him." We were 

 then in another small hall and the guard noticed 

 that every now and then, unless I held my 

 mouth shut, my back teeth chattered. I 



