only added another fit of laughter, and when it
subsided, and George could recover his voice, he added, "and wasn't this
a smart thing to do?" as he held up the vessel.

"What?" asked Harry, momentarily straightening out his face.

"He actually put the lid back after he got through."

But this could not last indefinitely. No one suggested a remedy, if
there was one. The United States must take possession in the proper way;
hats must come off; the flag must go up slowly, and the band must play
the national air;--the music, they had not thought of it before.

"Can you climb the pole, George?" asked the Professor.

"I think so, with the aid of the halliard."

He approached the pole. "Do you hear me, Baby, come down! Come down, I
say!"

Red Angel saw George's design, and without saying a word he slowly
descended, shambled over to the wagon, and hanging on the side of the
box, looked around to the company in the most reproachful manner.

[Illustration: _"Red Angel saw George's design, and without saying a
word he slowly descended"_]

The hoisting of the flag was, indeed, a solemn thing, but it had its
amusing side, and when, with uncovered heads, the flag went up to the
masthead and stopped there, the Professor said: "We should have had
music to make it more appropriate, but as we have no band, let us sing
'The Star-Spangled Banner.'"

The boys were both good singers, as the Professor knew. The song was
started, but before the first line was finished, they broke down and
tears began to come; the Professor, with his hands clasped and head
bowed, did not look up, nor was he surprised when they stopped. The boys
had a suspicion that even he could not have carried that song a single
bar. They were powerless to go on.

When the Professor did look up and gaze on the flag, the boys saw his
tears; they were ashamed no longer, and their eyes looked up, too.

In a voice which sounded almost strange to the boys, the Professor said:
"We take possession of this land in the name of the United States of
America, and give notice that we shall defend the same against all
powers."

Then, as the beautiful flag unfurled itself, and threw its waving shadow
on the ground that it now protected, they looked down, and there was Red
Angel, close beside them, looking up at the flag as though he understood
what it meant, and his silence gave consent to the solemn act which
transferred his allegiance to a greater power.

As they were ab