"An' STAY away!" he concluded.
Verman, being tongue-tied--not without advantage in this case,
and surely an ideal qualification for membership--was not so
apprehensive. He voted with Sam and Penrod, carrying the day.
New rules were adopted at every meeting (though it cannot be said
that all of them were practicable) for, in addition to the
information possessed by Sam and Penrod, Herman and Verman had
many ideas of their own, founded upon remarks overheard at home.
Both their parents belonged to secret orders, their father to the
Innapenent 'Nevolent Lodge (so stated by Herman) and their mother
to the Order of White Doves.
From these and other sources, Penrod found no difficulty in
compiling material for what came to be known as the "rixual"; and
it was the rixual he was reading to the members when Mrs.
Williams happened to observe the ceremonial raising of the emblem
of the order.
The rixual contained the oath, a key to the secret language, or
code (devised by Penrod for use in uncertain emergencies) and
passwords for admission to the shack, also instructions for
recognizing a brother member in the dark, and a rather alarming
sketch of the things to be done during the initiation of a
candidate.
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