"Just the same, Dave, if we get to Boston you'll have to call on her," remarked Roger, with a grin.
"We can all call if you feel that way about it," answered our hero. "I rather think some of you were smitten pretty badly." And at this sally there was a general laugh.
It was some time before the last of the rowboats returned to the steamer. The first mate brought a report to Captain Bradley and Mr. Lawrence, to which the boys listened with interest. The mate said that it was thought on board the steam yacht that the fire had started from a cigarette thrown away by one of the moving-picture actors, a young man named Ward Porton, but that this could not be proved. The mate stated that the captain of the steam yacht was quite upset over the occurrence, as he considered that the fire was due to carelessness, and nothing else. He had told the mate privately that it would be a long time before he would take out another moving-picture company on his vessel.
"He says they are doing all sorts of stunts on the ship, and taking pictures of 'em," went on the mate. "He says some of the actors and actresses are pretty good people, but the rest of the bunch act like wild Indians."
"Ward Porton!" exclaimed Dave, turning to his chums. "Why, that is the young fellow we hauled out of the water!"
"That's right," returned Phil. "Maybe he got scared when he found out that his cigarette had started the fire and that was one reason why he jumped overboard."
"I didn't like the manner of that fellow at all," was Shadow's comment. "He looked like a pretty loose sort of a character."
"Well, I don't know. I thought he looked like——" began Ben, and then stopped suddenly, in some confusion.
"Looked like what, Ben?" asked Dave, curiously.
"Oh, it doesn't matter, Dave," answered his Crumville chum. "Just the same, I can't help but think that—Oh well, never mind, let it go."