“That’s right! that’s right!” cried several of the others. “If the captain will wait we’ll wait.”
There was not a dissenting voice, and therefore Ray and Dick talked with Captain Jennings at once. He agreed to wait until nine o’clock if they desired, in case he received ten dollars extra for the delay. This amount was promised him and the excursionists were notified.
“I’m glad of that,” said Hodge. “It will give me a chance to change my clothes and cross to the island with you. I had my luggage forwarded to the Corndike, and it’s there now, I suppose.”
The baggage belonging to the ball players had been sent from the hotel to the steamer, and the boys were now given an opportunity to change their clothes in the cabin. As they were making this change it was discovered that Buckhart was not with them.
Immediately Dick became alarmed.
“Where is that fellow?” he exclaimed. “Has any one seen him?”
Some remembered Brad had marched down the street with them, but still he could not be found on the steamer.
“First thing,” said Dick, as he hurriedly finished dressing, “is to look him up. What the dickens can be the matter with him?”
While Dick and Ray were talking with Blackington, Buckhart had walked into the Corndike quite unobserved and taken a seat in the office near an open window at the front of the hotel. He was still puzzling over his own condition and seemed quite unaware that his friends and the excursionists proceeded to the steamer without noticing he was missing.
For at least thirty minutes the Texan sat in a big chair by the open window. Finally he shook himself a little and started to get up. As he did so he glanced through the window and saw Tom Fernald standing just outside. The look on Fernald’s face was one of bitter disappointment.