When they entered the dining hall they found Hockley waiting for them. He put on an injured air.
“Thought you were never coming to dine,” he grumbled. “Next time I guess I’ll eat alone.”
“You may, Jacob, if you feel too hungry to wait,” answered the professor.
“Say, Hockley, did you—” began Mark, when Frank pinched his arm.
“Don’t let on,” whispered Frank to his chum. “If he doesn’t know anything about it don’t give him the chance to laugh at us.”
“Did I what?” questioned the bully.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” answered Mark, unconcernedly.
And there, for the time being, the affair rested.
CHAPTER XVI
GOOD-BYE TO CUBA
From Matanzas the party journeyed to Cardenas, where a day was spent in sight-seeing, and then took the train for Santa Clara, stopping off for two hours at the city of Colon. The route now lay around some lofty mountains and the scenery was grand in consequence. Two days were spent at Santa Clara and then they moved on to Cienfuegos on the south coast.