The campers gave Mr. Holwell a royal send-off. The cheers followed him across the water, and broke out again when he and Dick started for the station, for the latter insisted on accompanying him that far on his way, to carry his bag, and have a last little talk.
It was well on toward noon when Dick and Asa returned to camp. The boys, together with Harry Bartlett and the physical instructor, settled down to enjoy the remainder of their stay on Bass Island as best they could. There could be no doubt about their having a fine time; but all the same most of them would miss Mr. Holwell very much.
Nat Silmore was beginning to grow tired of it all. He missed something that he was accustomed to having when off on any such trip as this. This was the liberty to play pranks without being reprimanded by Harry Bartlett or the athletic director.
So Nat and his two cronies fretted under the galling conditions. They would have only too willingly accompanied the circus men when they went away with the captured gorilla, except for the fact that Mr. Bartlett had the return railway tickets, and the distance was much too far for them to dream of trying to walk.
Nat and his cronies on one occasion refused to do their share of the work, whereupon Mr. Bartlett promptly gave them to understand that those who did not take part in the camp routine and daily exercises could not have anything to eat. That, of course, brought the rebels to terms, but from that time on, while they picked berries and chopped wood in turn, and forced themselves to play their parts, they kept pretty much to themselves, and looked gloomy, as though counting the days when this irksome camp life would come to an end.
With the three mill boys the exact opposite came about. They learned that these other lads were not in the least snobbish. Then the kindly spirit in which most of the boys helped pick berries so that Eddie, Ban and Cub could enjoy their afternoons in any way they wished, made a deep impression on the three.
“One thing sure!” Eddie told Dick, on the day before they were to break camp and start back to Cliffwood. “You’ll see a lot of the mill boys fairly tumble over themselves to join the Junior Department of the Y. M. C. A. when they hear how royally we three have been taken care of up here. From Mr. Holwell, Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Rowland, all the way down, I want to say you’re the whitest bunch that I ever traveled with—all but Nat Silmore and his pair of black sheep.”
The last night came, and the camp paraphernalia was pretty well packed up. Mr. Bartlett had made arrangements for the wagons to be on hand early on the following morning to haul the camp material down to the railroad, where it could be put aboard the same train which Mr. Holwell had taken, coming along about ten o’clock.
Although they had certainly had a wonderfully fine time of it, apparently nobody seemed sorry because they were about to start back to Cliffwood. Home yearnings had commenced to be felt of late, and some of the boys could hardly wait for the dawn to break. Indeed, the last night in camp promised to be about as sleepless as the first had been, judging from their excitement.
All through their stay keen rivalry had continued between those who were entered for the various prizes. The result would not be known until Mr. Bartlett and the physical director could have a chance to count up the scores and announce results. This, of course, served to keep the interest of the contestants at fever heat.