Stacy Brown dug his heel into the floor for order.

"As brother Rector already has said, we are soon to take a trip. The
matter has all been arranged. In the first place, our doctor says that
I must spend the summer in the open air -- that I must rough it, you
understand. The rougher the life, the better it will be for me. He
didn't say so to me, but I overheard him telling father that I was
liable to have consumption, if I did not ----"

"You don't mean it?" interrupted Ned with serious face.

"Yes. That's what he said. So they have planned a trip for me and all
of you boys are to go along."

"Hooray!" shouted Chunky.

Ned fixed him with a stern eye.

"A president never should forget his dignity," he warned. "Mr. Perkins
will now proceed."

"We all now have our ponies, except Tad Butler, and when we get ready
to start we shall have nothing to do but go. Professor Zepplin is to
accompany us. Father has bought him a big new cob horse. The professor
was once an officer in the German army, and he knows how to
ride--that is, the way they ride over there. He reminds me of a
statue on horseback, when he's up. Anyhow, he will go along to see
that we are taken care of."