“I reckon it’ll have to be done, an’ we might as well have it over with at once,” Tom whispered, and the company set out in the order prescribed by Master Foss.
Josiah walked arm in arm with Tom and Bob, while on either side were five of the escort, with Bill leading, and turning now and then to make certain his men were in proper line.
It had been the intention of the Master of Ceremonies to conduct his party through the streets; but before they had proceeded two blocks, its military formation was broken up, owing to the recklessness of the driver of a dray, and then he concluded it would be quite as well to march on the sidewalk, even though the pedestrians were inconvenienced thereby.
Josiah did not enjoy what Bill had arranged as a triumphal procession for the boy whose guest he intended to be during the following summer; but when seeing that they attracted no slight amount of attention, Tom and Bob concluded Master Foss’s idea was a thoroughly good one.
That Bill did not intend to do things in any slipshod fashion, was shown by the fact that he bought ferry tickets for the entire party, regardless of the expense, and once on the Jersey City side of the river, ranged his followers in two ranks in front of the gate through which Mr. Shindle must emerge.
Fully an hour did Josiah and his many friends remain at the station; and after this long, weary time of waiting, Farmer Shindle, dressed in his best clothes, and looking as radiant as a boy with a ticket for the circus, stepped from the cars to be greeted more than warmly by his son.
“Well, well, well, and are you ready to go home?” the farmer asked, as if in surprise that the heir of the Shindle estate should show so much joy when his visit was about to come to an end.
“Yes indeed, father.”
“Why, what’s the matter? Haven’t you had a tolerably good time?”
“Splendid! I’ve seen everything I ever heard about, an’ a good deal more; but I ain’t sorry to go back to you, an’ mother, an’ the calf, an’ Towser.”