ng from the roof of the barn--a tattered flag. Plunger rubbed his
eyes. Surely it was the old flag--the flag of Garside?

"Why--why--that's--that's----"

"Silence!"

The bladders came down in a perfect shower on Plunger's head and
shoulders. As for Harry, he could not speak. The sight of the flag had
smitten him dumb.

"Thou hast promised to be true to the cause," repeated the chief
solemnly. "Should'st thou ever dare to break the vow, thou wilt be
haunted for the rest of thy life--haunted sleeping and waking by the
Beetles thou hast betrayed! Describe the mystic circle."

Describe the mystic circle! What in the name of wonder was that? The
bladders descended upon Plunger as he stood in the centre of the ring
with his companion, wondering what was expected of him.

"I--I don't know any mystic circles," he stammered in despair.

"On hands and knees--quick!"

Plunger hastened to obey the command.

"Crawl round the mystic circle three times."

Plunger would have refused had he dared, but he dared not; so, amid a
good deal of suppressed laughter from the Beetles standing round him, he
crawled round the circle three times.

"Rise, brother!" commanded Mellor, when he had accomplished this feat.

Plunger gladly sprang to his feet.

"Give him the mystic tap."

Thwack--thwack came the bladders on Plunger's devoted head. And Plunger
almost regretted that he had risen. Harry went bravely through the same
ordeal. This accomplished, the Beetles joined hands, and galloping
wildly around the two boys, chanted:

"Beetles of the mystic band,
Wind we round thee, hand in hand;
Whene'er thou hear'st thy chieftain's call
Rest not, pause not, hither crawl;
Or to the realms of creepy-crawley,
Shivery-shaky, we will haul thee!"

As this incantation went on, Plunger and Harry had a lively time inside
the mystic circle. By the dexterous application of a knee or a shoulder,
Plunger would be sent with a run in one direction, while Harry would be
sent flying in another. They were whirled about from this side to that
like indiarubber balls. Then of a sudden they would find themselves
closely embracing each other in the centre of the ring, only to be
sundered again, and sent flying in another direction.

At length the "Brethren of the Mystic Order" stopped breathless, much to
the relief of Plunger and Harry.

"Keeper of the Portal conduct our newly-made brothers to the door."

The Keeper of the Portal