Tom took a look up at the sky to see how the weather lay. Mr. Prescott took a few puffs at his cigar before he continued:
“By the way, Tom, I saw Horace Dunstan the other day, and, for the first time, got a complete account of all you and Dawson were able to do to serve him and his interests—perhaps I should say, his son’s interests—down at Nantucket. It was a thrilling yarn to hear, but made four-fold more interesting by the knowledge that boys of mine—that’s what I call you Motor Boat Club boys—were the ones who had acquitted themselves so magnificently.”
Then the two fell to talking over the happenings at Nantucket. Readers of the second volume in this series are already familiar with the occurrences at Nantucket. Then, by degrees, the two went back to the subject of those days in the Kennebec waters, which resulted in the organization of the famous Club, as told in the first book of this series.
When they had exhausted other topics Tom Halstead ventured to inquire:
“Can you tell me how Justin Bolton came out to-day?”
“Oh, Bolton is still putting up a big fight on ’Change, or was when the gong sounded this afternoon. Yet he is a few millions of dollars poorer than he was this morning. He will put up a plucky fight, for in the battle of finance he is very nearly as game as Delavan himself.”
After an hour’s chat Mr. Prescott dropped down into the engine room and enjoyed a long talk with Joe Dawson. When the Boston broker came on deck again the “Rocket’s” young steward was standing beside the youthful skipper at the wheel.
“Mr. Prescott,” spoke Captain Tom, respectfully, “Butts is very anxious to be enrolled as a member of the Club. He can handle a boat like this from the deck as well as anyone, and he promises to pitch in and study the running of a motor hard.”
“You’re a member, then, Butts,” laughed Mr. Prescott. “Tom Halstead’s nomination of a young man for membership is as good as election into the Motor Boat Club.”
“Thank you, sir, and thank you, Tom,” said Hank, very earnestly. “I am going to do everything I know how to become one of the members of the Club.”