“Say, Kids,” interrupted Hal, his face lighting up with enthusiasm, “we’ll put our money together, and buy a good cruising yacht, and then we can surely go to Anclote Island—”
“Ah’s gwine to need all my sheer,” objected Jerry, in some alarm.
“I meant the Anclote Club members, Jerry,” explained Hal, laughing.
But instantly his laugh died out. As he realized what he had said, Mac, the “expelled” member, shifted uneasily. The latter said nothing, but the boys looked with embarrassment at each other. There was a quick whispered conversation and then Tom said:
“Mac, after last night, we think everybody ought to kind o’ forget our row. I reckon you’d vote for Bob now, an’ he ain’t nothin’ against you. We’ve taken back what we did, and you all are a membah again—if you want to be.”
Mac’s years of “toughness” and his bullying life had hardened him until he had no way of showing what was in his heart. But the other boys understood. Bob, especially, knew that Mac was genuinely sorry.
“Sure we will,” was Mac’s only response, “an’ we’ll git a bird. The stuff under our feet ain’t worth a cent less’n twenty thousand dollars to say nothin’ o’ the vessel itself. They can’t offer us less’n half. How much is that apiece?” he added, anxious to show no weakness over his reelection.
“A sixth of ten thousand dollars,” replied Hal promptly, “is one thousand six hundred and sixty-six dollars. Leavin’ Jerry and Captain Joe out, we’ll have six thousand six hundred and sixty-four dollars.”
Bob touched Hal on the shoulder, and the two boys stepped aside for a few moments. When they returned, Bob said smiling: