A Summer in a Canyon Part 18

'I can make a pretty good guess. They'll probably start from Tacitas as early as eight or nine o'clock, if Elsie is well. Let's see: it's about twenty-five miles, isn't it, Uncle Doc? Say twenty-three to the place where they turn off the main road. Well, I'll take a bit of lunch, ride out ten or twelve miles, hitch my horse in the shade, and wait.'

'Very well,' said Geoffrey. 'It is not usual for committees to appoint themselves, but as you are a near relative of our distinguished guests we will grant you special consideration and order you to the front. Ladies and gentlemen, pa.s.sing over the slight informality of the nomination, all in favour of appointing Mr.

John Howard Envoy Extraordinary please manifest it by the usual sign.'

Six persons yelled 'Ay,' four raised the right hand, and one stood up.

'There seems to be a slight difference of opinion as to the usual sign. All right.--Contrary minded!'

'No!' shouted Polly, at the top of her lungs.

'It is a unanimous vote,' said Geoffrey, crus.h.i.+ngly, bringing down his fist as an imaginary gavel with incredible force and dignity.

'Dr. and Mrs. Wins.h.i.+p, will you oblige the Chair by acting as a special Reception Committee?'

'Certainly,' responded the doctor, smilingly. 'Will the Chair kindly outline the general policy of the committee?'

'Hm-m-m! Yes, certainly--of course. The Chair suggests that the Reception Committee--well, that they stay at home and--receive the guests,--yes, that will do very nicely. All-in-favour-and-so-forth- it-is-a-vote-and-so-ordered. Secretary will please spread a copy on the minutes.' Gavel.

'I rise to a point of order,' said Jack, sagely. 'There is no secretary and there are no minutes.'

'Mere form,' said the Chair; 'sit down; there will be minutes in a minute,--got to do some more things first; that will do, SIT DOWN.

Will the Misses Burton and Messrs. Burton and n.o.ble kindly act as Committee on Decoration?'

'Where's the Committee on Music, and Refreshments, and Olympian Games, and all that sort of thing?' interrupted Polly, who had not the slightest conception of parliamentary etiquette; 'and why don't you hurry up and put me on something?'

'If Miss Oliver refuses to bridle her tongue, and persists in interrupting the business of the meeting, the Chair will be obliged to remove her,' said Geoffrey, with chilling emphasis.

Polly rose again, undaunted. 'I would respectfully ask the Chair, who put him in the chair, any way?'

'Question!' roared Philip.

'Second the motion!' shrieked Bell, that being the only parliamentary expression she knew.

'Order!' cried Geoffrey in stentorian accents. 'I will adjourn the meeting and clear the court-room unless there is order.'

'Do!' remarked Polly, encouragingly. 'I will rise again, like Phoebus, from my ashes, to say that--'

Here Jack sprang to his feet. 'I would suggest to the Chair that the last speaker amend her motion by subst.i.tuting the word "Phoenix" for "Phoebus."'

'Accept the amendment,' said Polly, serenely, amidst the general hilarity.

'Question!' called Bell, with another mighty projection of memory into a missionary meeting that she had once attended.

'I am not aware that there is any motion before the house,' said Geoffrey, cuttingly.

'Second the motion!'

'Second the amendment!' shouted the girls.

'Ladies, there IS no motion. Will you oblige the Chair by remaining quiet until speech is requested?'

'Move that the meeting be adjourned and another one called, with a new Chair!' remarked Margery, who felt that the honour of her s.e.x was at stake.

'Move that this motion be so ordered and spread upon the minutes, and a copy of it be presented to the Chairman,' suggested Philip.

'Move that the copy be appropriately bound in CALF,' said Jack, dodging an imaginary blow.

'Move that the other committees be elected by ballot,' concluded Scott Burton.

'This is simply disgraceful!' exclaimed the Chair. 'Order! order! I appoint Miss Oliver Committee on Entertainment, with a view of keeping her still.'

This was received with particular as well as general satisfaction.

'Miss Wins.h.i.+p, we appoint you Committee on Music.'

'All right. Do you wish it to be original?'

'Certainly not; we wish it to be good.'

'But we only know one chorus, and that's "My Witching Dinah Snow."'

'Never mind; either write new words to that tune or sing tra-la-la to it. Mr. Richard Wins.h.i.+p, the Chair appoints you Committee on Menagerie, and suggests that as we have proclaimed a legal holiday, you give your animals the freedom of the city.'

'Don't know what freedom of er city means,' said d.i.c.ky, who feared that he was being made the b.u.t.t of ridicule.

'Why, we want you to allow the captives to parade in the evening, with torch-lights and mottoes.'

'All right!' cried d.i.c.ky, kindling in an instant; ''n' Luby, 'n' the doat, 'n' my horn' toads, all e'cept the one that just gotted away in Laura's bed; but may be she'll find him to-night, so they'll be all there.'

This was too much for the various committees, and Laura's wild shriek was the signal for a hasty adjournment. A common danger restored peace to the a.s.sembly, and they sought the runaway in perfect harmony.

'Well,' said Jack, when quiet was restored, 'I am going a little distance up the Pico Negro trail; there are some magnificent Spanish bayonets growing there, and if you'll let me have Pancho, Uncle Doc, we can bring down four of them and lash them to each of the corners of Elsie's tent,--they'll keep fresh several days in water, you know.'

'Take him, certainly,' said Dr. Wins.h.i.+p.

'Do let me go with you!' pleaded Laura, with enthusiasm. 'I should like the walk so much.'

'It's pretty rough, Laura,' objected Margery. 'If you couldn't endure our walk this morning, you would never get home alive from Pico Negro.'

'Oh, that was in the heat of the day,' she answered. 'I feel equal to any amount of walking now, if Jack doesn't mind taking me.'

'Delighted, of course, Miss Laura. You'll be willing to carry home one of the trees, I suppose, in return for the pleasure of my society?'

'Snub him severely, Laura,' cried Bell; 'we never allow him to say such things unreproved.'

'I think he is snubbed too much already,' replied Laura, with a charming smile, 'and I shall see how a course of encouragement will affect his behaviour.'

'That will be what I long have sought, And mourned because I found it not,'