“Tried to get me to go along,” said Bob, who was first of the boys to arise, “but I wanted to wait around for you fellows.”
Truth to tell, Bob had had a hard time persuading his father that it would be all right for them to attend the bull fight in the Mexican town across the Border that afternoon. Mr. Temple was what would be termed an old-fashioned man. To him attendance at a bull fight under any circumstances was to be frowned on. And Sunday attendance was little short of a sin. However, the youths were now at the age of discretion, he pointed out, and could do as they pleased. Bob had pointed out that, inasmuch as bull fights were not held except on a Sunday, this would be their only opportunity to behold one. Then the matter had been dropped.
“Well, that was some night,” said Jack, between bites of grape fruit. “Wonder when Don Ferdinand will show up and, likewise, what sort of story he will have to tell.”
“It ought to be exciting,” said Frank. “Think of your finding him here, on the trail of that fellow—what’s-his-name?”
“Ramirez,” said Jack. “I can’t get over the feeling, fellows, that we’re in for a bit of excitement through our acquaintance with Don Ferdinand.”
“Aw, shucks,” yawned big Bob, stretching his arms widely. “Nothing’ll happen. Nothing ever does happen.”
Frank looked at him, grinning. “You mean to say nothing ever happens to us?”
“That’s my story,” said Bob, “and I’ll stick to it. Oh, we’ve had a few little adventures in our lives, but that day’s gone. What’s there left? Now that we’ve graduated, we’ll have to settle down in business. Pretty soon some girl’ll come along and marry us, and then we’ll be raising families and paying taxes and pew rent. Then we’ll be getting fatter and fatter, and pretty soon some kid’ll say: ‘Him? Oh, he used to be in the backfield for Yale—but that was a long time ago.’”
Jack and Frank gazed in amused astonishment at their big comrade, and then as if with one accord burst into a hearty laugh. Bob’s drooping expression did not change, however.
“Laugh, doggone ye,” he said. “But Dad’s been talking to me like a father this morning. Said last night’s little ruckus convinced him I ought to come to my senses and settle down. First thing you know, I’ll be sitting in an office and learning the export trade. No, I mean it. Nothing’s ever going to happen to us again—to me, anyhow.”