Chapter VIII
A Great Day for Water Sport
“I guess you’re taking us home by another road, eh, Ralph?” remarked Sim.
“Noticed where I cut loose from the main line, did you?” laughed the pilot. “Well, we can strike it again further on.”
“Want us to see more of the country; or is there something special up this way?” queried the visiting Jeffords boy.
“Well, partly that. Mrs. Murphy lives on this dirt road, you see; and I’ve got that nice string of fish to leave at her house. There, you can see the cottage over yonder. She’s always so glad to have a batch of bass. As I said before, she has a big family, and not much money to run it on.”
Soon afterwards they stopped in front of a modest cottage, where several half-grown children were playing in the yard. Immediately loud shouts attested to the fact that they had recognized Ralph. Accordingly, there was a rush for the road, so that when the widow came out, attracted by their cries, the entire family surrounded the car.
The fish were duly delivered, and Mrs. Murphy, as usual, was lavish with her sincere thanks. Rob and his chums were interested. This sort of thing happened to be along the lines of their own doings; since nothing pleased them more than to do something for those who were in need of assistance.
Besides, it raised Ralph higher in their esteem than before. Rob privately made up his mind that a fellow who could be thinking of others so much of the time as Ralph did, and who delighted to be of help to those in need, would make the finest sort of a scout leader. He was more determined than ever that before leaving the Jeffords farm he must convert Ralph, and start him on the road to organize a troop of scouts in Wyoming, this time along true lines, so that the town would be proud to acknowledge them as representing the best that was in American boys.
Just as the pilot had said, they soon came out again on the main road, and in due time arrived home. The first thing they saw was Tubby, sitting there on the front steps leading to the long porch, where he might just as well have occupied a comfortable chair, but, being a boy, he chose to camp out on the steps.
He waved a hand at them, and seemed to be smiling broadly, from which those who knew Tubby so well were able to draw certain conclusions.