"He is a strange man. He seemed to have turned me out because I displeased him in resisting Mr. Parasyte's injustice. He is afraid my conduct will lessen the value of his mortgage on the Parkville Liberal Institute."
"I think Mr. Parasyte's conduct has lessened it," said Vallington. "But all this is neither here nor there. What shall we do with this steamer?"
"Take her back to Parkville, and leave her there," answered Bob.
"What are the fellows to do?" asked Tom.
"Let them go back to the Institute, and lie back till something happens."
"I don't believe anything will happen this year," laughed Tom, who was always light-hearted in any emergency.
"Now, I think something will happen within a few days. I know that certain persons in Parkville, who have long been dissatisfied with Mr. Parasyte, intended to have a change months ago; and if I mistake not, this affair of ours will bring matters to a head," said Bob.
"What can they do? Mr. Parasyte is as obstinate as a mule, and owns the Institute himself," added Vallington.
"Not quite; my uncle will own the most of it if his note isn't paid," I interposed.
"I am not at liberty to tell even what I know, which is not much; but I believe something will turn up which will put things right at the Institute. All we have to do is to go back to Parkville and make our peace with the steamboat folks the best way we can," continued Bob.