iege,
and with every new wonder of the marvellous place the enthusiasm of the
three recruits rose higher and higher. They rummaged through the lumber
pile in the great circular room as Myles and Gascoyne had done, and at
last, tired out, they ascended to the airy chapel, and there sat cooling
themselves in the rustling freshness of the breeze that came blowing
briskly in through the arched windows.

It was then and there that the five discussed and finally determined
upon the detailed plans of their organization, canvassing the names of
the squirehood, and selecting from it a sufficient number of bold and
daring spirits to make up a roll of twenty names in all.

Gascoyne had, as I said, entered into the matter with spirit, and
perhaps it was owing more to him than to any other that the project
caught its delightful flavor of romance.

"Perchance," said he, as the five lads lay in the rustling stillness
through which sounded the monotonous and ceaseless cooing of the
pigeons--"perchance there may be dwarfs and giants and dragons and
enchanters and evil knights and what not even nowadays. And who knows
but that if we Knights of the Rose hold together we may go forth into
the world, and do battle with them, and save beautiful ladies, and
have tales and gestes written about us as they are writ about the Seven
Champions and Arthur his Round-table."

Perhaps Myles, who lay silently listening to all that was said, was the
only one who looked upon the scheme at all in the light of real utility,
but I think that even with him the fun of the matter outweighed the
serious part of the business.

So it was that the Sacred Order of the Twenty Knights of the Rose
came to be initiated. They appointed a code of secret passwords and
countersigns which were very difficult to remember, and which were only
used when they might excite the curiosity of the other and uninitiated
boys by their mysterious sound. They elected Myles as their Grand High
Commander, and held secret meetings in the ancient tower, where many
mysteries were soberly enacted.

Of course in a day or two all the body of squires knew nearly everything
concerning the Knights of the Rose, and of their secret meetings in
the old tower. The lucky twenty were the objects of envy of all not so
fortunate as to be included in this number, and there was a marked air
of secrecy about everything they did that appealed to every romantic
notion of the youngsters looking on. What w