Thereupon, with a brief word of farewell, the three sallied off arm in arm, Jack in the middle, toward where a taxi waited to take them into Laredo.
“We’ll see you all at dinner,” called Bob.
His father nodded understandingly. When he saw the taxi whirl away in a cloud of dust, Mr. Temple turned to his companions with shaking head and twinkling eye.
“We really oughtn’t to let them go out of sight,” he said. “If they don’t get into mischief, it’ll merely be due to the fact that they’re too busy talking. Well, come on, I’ve another taxi here, George, and we’ll follow to the Hamilton Hotel and have dinner. Captain Cornell has consented to honor us with his presence.”
The three men thereupon climbed into another taxi, and followed toward the town.
Mr. Temple’s prophecy of resultant mischief was not fulfilled, however, for, aside from the fact that the room occupied by Bob and Frank looked as if a small cyclone had struck it, no damage had resulted from the reunion of the three inseparables. They were sprawled about the room in various stages of undress, sweltering in the oven-like heat, despite the coming of darkness and the whirling electric fan. And their tongues were going at such a great rate, as Jack attempted to put his comrades in touch with the mysterious happenings of recent days while they were informing him of the doings of themselves and other of his friends at Yale, that Mr. Temple put his fingers in his ears.
“Well, get it out of your systems, fellows,” he said. “And then spruce up. We dine in a half hour. Meet us in the dining room, and be sure to be on time.”
When the boys entered the dining room of the hotel, they found the three men already there and seated at a table for six. The room was crowded, every chair taken. But the three empty chairs at their table had been turned down, and the head waiter had shooed away interlopers. All three youths had now filled out into big men, even Frank who was the slightest of the three. In their flannel trousers and lightweight blue serge coats, with fresh vivid faces, alive and eager, they made a pleasing sight. And many was the approving glance thrown at them by grizzled and tanned old-timers whom they passed on their way.
“Been duding up,” said Captain Cornell, with a grin. He himself in his flyer’s uniform made a distinguished figure.
The boys sank into the chairs pulled out for them, and conversation became general as the dinner progressed.