"All good men and true; but you must prove yourselves to be such. Do as I do;" and the joker put the forefinger of his right hand on the end of his nose. All the members did the same. "When I meet a Bangwhanger, I put my finger to my nose, and say, 'Bang.' In reply, he puts his finger to his nose, and answers, 'Whang.' Now I will do it with the R. P. F. Bang!" "Whang!" replied Jones: putting his finger to his nose. "Right. You can try it on with the brother nearest to you." While the fraternity were practising this important part of the work, Scott instructed Jones still further in the mysterious art. When the R. P. F. fully understood his part, the joker called the members to order again, and told them to learn the dialogue which he would rehearse with Jones, for it was the form by which a Bangwhanger was to know a brother of the order. "Bang!" said Scott, putting his finger to his nose. "Whang!" replied Jones, doing the same. "Who knows?" "Eye, nose," answered Jones, drawing his finger over his right eye, and then placing it on the end of his nose, as he mentioned the name of each organ. "Who knows?" "Eighty noes." "Right, Brother Bangwhanger; come to my arms," added Scott. "But the number is to be modified so as always to show the exact strength of this honorable and most respectable order." The joker and his companion went through the dialogue several times, till every member was familiar with it, and then they practised it among themselves, amid peals of laughter. "Now, Brother Bangwhangers, we are to elect officers. The first and highest is the C. B.," continued Scott. "What does it mean?" asked half a dozen or more. "I can't tell you till you take the second degree," replied the joker. "Please to nominate." "Scott!" shouted the members. "Brother R. P. F., spare my modesty, and put the question," said the joker. Jones put the question, and of course Scott was unanimously elected. "The next office, is the D. C. B. Please to nominate." "Wainwright." He was elected. "Now for the Q. D." "Hobbs." And he was chosen. "The Y. D. K." "Edson." And no one objected. "The I. L. M." "Merrill." And the vote was unanimous. "The O. L. M." "Hall." And he went in. "The R. P. F." "Jones." And the nomination was confirmed. "The L. P. F." "Brown." And he was the choice of the members. "Eight officers, and they are all chosen. They will constitute the original second degree men, and, after they have been instructed, we shall be ready to admit you all to that enviable distinction. Now, the Q. D. and the Y. D. K. will count the members." The number reported was eighty-two, which was nearly a majority of the students in the squadron. "Who knows?" called the C. B. "Eighty-two knows," replied several. "That's enough to put a veto on the De Forresters. Now, remember the solemn pledge you have taken, to vote for Cantwell, to say nothing to nobody, and never to eat soup with a darning-needle."