“Do you mean my Uncle Silas?” asked Dick, uneasily.
“Did you know he expected to come over and listen to the lecture tonight?” continued the other boy.
“He asked me some questions about it at the supper table,” explained Dick, “and whether an admission fee was to be charged those who were not members of the Y. M. C. A., but so far as I remember, Uncle Silas didn’t say anything about meaning to attend.”
“Well, he’s here all right. And say, I bet you he heard every word we said, if he’s got any ears at all. He just couldn’t have helped it, Dick.”
Dick smiled.
“So far as I’m concerned, Leslie, I’ve no reason to be ashamed of anything I said. I’m only sorry if he heard you speak of him being an impostor and a fraud. Uncle Silas is pretty sensitive, I’ve found out. I hope it won’t cause him to make up his mind to leave us in a hurry, thinking he’s a burden. What little he eats doesn’t amount to much, and he sure has made both my mother and grandfather happier since he dropped in among us.”
Leslie looked hard at his chum, and shook his head in abject despair.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE LURE OF THE STEEL RUNNERS
The lecture was a huge success. Those who were fortunate enough to be present gave a vote of thanks to the committee that had been energetic enough to procure the services of the famous Arctic explorer without any cost to the association.
Even such restless fellows as Nat and Dit sat spellbound while the gentleman told of the wonderful things he had seen amidst the polar ice; and they held their breath with awe when he described the dangers he and his daring comrades had faced at the time they found themselves lost in the frozen wastes.