“Is that so?” sneered Mac. “Well, he won’t have no chanst. An’ what’s more, he’ll be sorry he let this ‘sissy’ break up the club. I reckon they ain’t agoin’ to be no club without no boat.”
Mrs. Allen made no reply, but she took a step toward the bragging Gregory. The “expelled” member of the club turned and fled. He did not wait to unlatch the picket gate. With an agile bound, he cleared the fence and scurried down the alley.
Mrs. Allen conducted her guest and the boys into the house, where Tom told in detail what had happened. The verdict of Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Balfour as to Mac was reiterated. Neither Tom nor Bob were to have anything more to do with young Gregory, and Hal was given the option of choosing between Mac and the other boys. This decision was instant. Mac’s conduct he could not excuse.
“The club’ll stick together—boat or no boat—” volunteered Hal. “If we can’t do anything else, we can sail over to Santa Rosa every Saturday in a hired boat.”
Mrs. Balfour began to feel embarrassed when she saw the trouble Bob had caused. At last, she said:
“I don’t see why your outing has to be abandoned just because you’ve expelled a bully.”
“But he owns the boat,” explained Tom. “We could go to the camp on the train, but campin’ near the watah without a boat ain’t nothin’ at all.”
“Can’t you get a boat of your own?” asked Mrs. Balfour. “There seem enough of them about here.”
Tom and Hal smiled. Mrs. Allen looked embarrassed.
“Boats that are fun cost money,” explained Hal; “and all our money is in the engine in Mac’s boat.”