“Oh, right off. We’ll get the boys together and have the initiation tonight, maybe.”

“Have the which?”

“Have the initiation.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s to swear to stand by one another, and never tell the gang’s secrets, even if you’re chopped all to flinders, and kill anybody and all his family that hurts one of the gang.”

“That’s gay — that’s mighty gay, Tom, I tell you.”

“Well, I bet it is.

And all that swearing’s got to be done at midnight, in the lonesomest, awfulest place you can find — a ha’nted