“——Pu-pu-passed!”
“Hurrah for Thomas Ferris, 1910!” cried Nelson.
“How many conditions, Tommy?” asked Bob. Tom chuckled.
“Only three,” he answered. “How do you suppose I ever did it?”
“Can’t imagine,” laughed Bob, “unless you hypnotized ’em.”
“I’m jealous,” said Dan. “You’ve got one more condition than I have. I shall appeal to the Faculty.”
“Oh, th-th-th-that’s all right,” said Tom eagerly, “you can have one of mine!”
They returned to the launch very joyfully.
There were many letters to be read and each fellow found a corner for himself and soon became immersed in his mail. Now and then one or another would break out with an ejaculatory announcement of news, as when Nelson exclaimed: “Of course! I never thought of it! Say, fellows, dad says if we’d strained that gasoline through chamois skin there wouldn’t have been any water in it!” Or when Dan remarked: “The governor got a letter from Jerry Hinckley the other day, and Mr. Cozzens is going to coach him this summer himself and let him try for Hillton in the Fall!” Or when Tom announced impressively: “Ben Hur’s got four kittens and they’re all white.”
Not very important news to us, of course, but of vital interest to them.