And, before the boys could work out any plans for the remainder of the night, the members of the Anclote Boat Club had to tell, for the Pensacola Journal, the full story of the Elias Ward’s rescue.
“Are you goin’ to print all that?” asked Bob innocently, at last.
“Am I?” laughed the reporter, hurrying over the side. “Just you read the Journal in the morning, and see. Sorry it’s too dark for snaps. Good night, kids. See you to-morrow.”
[CHAPTER XI]
BOB BALFOUR UPSETS PLANS
Tom, Hal and Bob went ashore with the journalist, promising that they would return immediately after breakfast in the morning. Bob reached his boarding house just before one o’clock. In southern style, the hall door was open, and the boy hurried to his mother’s room. After considerable parley and some alarm, Bob was admitted.
He had his story ready, just as it had been told to the reporter. But it wasn’t told as quickly. There were a hundred interruptions, protests and motherly solicitations. Of course, it all led to one conclusion—Bob could not return to the camp again.
“Never again shall you take such a risk,” Mrs. Balfour asserted. “I haven’t the least doubt but that you will all be sick.”