"I'll be the man you want to see," persuaded Jinks.
"Come on, Tuck. We'll have to go home pretty soon, so get busy," commanded Ned.
The girls began to understand that the Bobolinks were not playing, but practicing their duty for the future, so they silently looked at each other and nodded understandingly.
"Here goes, then," ventured Tuck, bravely.
He strutted across the floor toward the office and met one of the boys stationed there.
"Good-morning, sir; do you wish to see anyone?" asked the impromptu clerk.
"I have an appointment with Mr. Slamhim," quivered Tuck, as if the visit was an actual affair.
The boys tittered with glee as Tuck turned red and white.
"Your name, please?" asked the polite clerk.
"Reuben Stevens," replied Tuck, in a whisper.
"Ha! the name'll queer you, Tuck!" laughed Don, behind his chum's back, but the older boys hushed Don.
The clerk rapped upon the office door and a voice said, "Come in."
"Reuben Stevens to see you, sir. He has an appointment."
"Show him in," said the voice which Ruth recognized as a disguised bass of Ned's.
Tuck walked to the office and then turned about and asked the other boys: "Now, what shall I say--I've forgotten."
Immediately there was a loud chorus of laughter, and a scuffle and Tuck was ousted in the same manner that Don had been.
"Didn't I say that name would spoil you?" teased Don.
"Next!" called one of the boys who had a list of names which he marked down "good, indifferent, bad."
The boy whose turn came next carried off the rehearsal as if he had been a solicitor all of his short life. The other boys cheered his efforts and even the Blue Birds were tempted to clap their hands.
"Well, Bobolinks, I think this will do for to-day; we have drilled three of the boys after the manner shown us last night, but Don and Tuck seem to be hopeless cases," said Ned.
"I'll practice it at home on Dot, and show you what I can do to-morrow," eagerly promised Don.
Dot looked up at her friends when she heard this and shook her head energetically.
The Bobolinks carefully covered the machines with the canvas covers and started to go out. At the same time the girls in the loft crept across the floor toward the steps. The boys were not making so much noise as when the Blue Birds went up in the loft, and Meredith stood surprised when he heard something moving over his head.