“That’s fine,” the captain boomed, nodding his shaggy head. “I cal’late you boys’ll have a little money when you get that reward, won’t you? What you got in mind for the fall?”
“We’re hoping to go to school somewhere,” answered Don. “We haven’t decided as yet where it will be. About the first thing we’ll have to do when we get home is to look up some schools and find out about them.”
“Sure ’nough, sure ’nough.” The captain turned to Terry. “You thinkin’ of going to school on your reward money?”
“Well, I don’t know,” said Terry, slowly. “I’d like to very much. I’d like to go where Don and Jim go, but that money will help so much around home that I feel I couldn’t do it with a clear conscience.”
Although the Mercer boys said nothing, the fact that they were soon to lose Terry was not a pleasant one. They had grown very fond of the red-headed fellow with his extreme good nature, and they knew that in the days to come they would miss him.
They spent the night with Captain Blow, sleeping on the floor of the shack on their own blankets. They were awakened in the morning by Bella, who was perched on the back of a chair. With her head on one side and her feathers outspread she was croaking: “Get up! Turn out! Get up! Turn out!” over and over. Finding that it was broad daylight, and that no further sleep could be considered while the critical parrot was there, the boys left their blankets and helped the captain get a hearty breakfast.
It was one of the few clear days that they had had, and they ate their final meal with the captain in the shack, the door wide open to the streaming sunlight. After they had helped the captain clean up, over his protests, the boys said goodbye once more and shook hands heartily with their friend.
“Drop me a line now and then,” the captain urged, as he took them out in his dory. “I’ll be anxious to hear from you at any time. And if you ever get down this way, say on another summer cruise, drop in and see me. I reckon I’ll have new neighbors by that time. I hear they’re going to turn this island into a summer place, and if that’s so I won’t be bothered with bandits for neighbors. Don’t forget old Cap’n Blow.”
They assured him earnestly that they had no intention of forgetting him and then the captain said a final goodbye and went back to shore. The boys waved until they were out of sight.
“A swell guy,” said Jim, as they sailed along. “We’ll be glad to write to him, and if we ever get the chance we’ll surely drop in again and see him.”