“I think myself it is just as well,” said Professor Strong. “To prosecute him would put us to a great deal of trouble. If he hasn’t a cent he will have a hard enough time of it getting along down here.”
“Right you are,” said Andy Hume. “I’ll wager he’ll bitterly regret that he ever left the States.”
When Hockley received his things back he wished to reward Frank and Mark for what they had done, but the two boys would not listen to this. Then he said that he was very grateful and hoped that they should be friends in the future.
“I’ve made up with Darry and Beans,” he said to Frank and Mark. “And I want to make up with you, too.”
“All right, it suits me!” answered Frank, readily, and Mark also agreed, and they shook hands.
There was an empty house in the mining settlement and this was turned over to our friends temporarily, and here Hockley rested until he felt once more like himself. During this time the other boys made a number of trips up into the mountains, viewing other mines of lesser importance. Thus several weeks slipped by.
“All told we’ve had some pretty good times here,” declared Mark to the other boys, one day. “I hope we have as good in our future travels.” His wish was fulfilled, and how will be related in another volume of this series.
In this tale we will not only meet all of our friends again, but also Dan Markel and learn something of what became of the fellow after he left Castroville, and of how he plotted fresh trouble for those who had exposed him.
And now for the present let us bid Professor Strong and our young friends adieu. We have followed them in an interesting trip from one end of Venezuela to the other, have visited the capital and other important cities, and have gone with them up the Orinoco and into the jungle. Our friends have had numerous adventures and have been in several positions of more or less peril. But all has turned out well, and here we will say good-bye.
WAR AND ADVENTURE STORIES.