wo
feet long, but four feet underneath, imported from Germany, at the
unheard-of cost of ten dollars.

The room being furnished, and the club ready to commence operations, it
was deemed expedient to select an individual of superior physical
strength to attend to the door, lest some intruding outsider might
sometime interrupt the deliberations of the honorable quadrupedal order.
Mr. Quackenbush elected himself to this dignified and honorable office,
and, under the belief that his brawny arms were eminently suited to do
duty in case of the irruption of sacrilegious outsiders upon the
sanctified premises, all the other members acquiesced in his promotion.
If any undesirable person presented himself for admission, he was to
inform him of the secrecy of the convention. Should the outsider
persevere, he was first to expostulate with him, and endeavor to
persuade him to go peaceably away. If all milder means should prove
unavailing, he was first to black both of his eyes with a pewter mug,
taking care to do it impartially and symmetrically, that the
discoloration of one optic should not in the least exceed that of the
other; he was then mildly to knock him down with a chair, pitch him
gently, head first, down both flights of stairs into the street, and
then, having filled his boots full of gravel, and put a brick in his
mouth, he was to leave him; but on no account was he to deal harshly
with such offender, unless he chose to do so on his own responsibility,
or was specially authorized by a unanimous vote of all the members
awake, in which case he might act his own pleasure. He solemnly bound
himself, in case he should at any time be overcome by fatigue, or any
other potent cause, that he would go to sleep immediately before the
threshold, in order to prevent any animated worldling from penetrating
into the secret den, and spy out the mystic doings of the elephants,
without forcing an entrance over his prostrate body.

The arrangements being now complete, a solemn convocation of the
honorable body was held, and a quadrupedal quorum being present, after a
smoky and juicy deliberation of some seven hours, the Higholdboy, Mr.
John Spout, unanimously _Resolved_:

1. That the club proceed to hunt the long-nosed animal.

2. In a body.

3. To-morrow night.

To this series of resolutions each of the other members acceded. The
result of this bold determination will be fully detailed in another
chapter.

[Illustration]