“But as it’s all for the boy’s good, I’m game. Good luck, Joe.”
“Whiffin, you’re all right, twic’t!” exclaimed Joe Rodgers. “You’ll find I’m goin’ to amount to somethin’, an’ we’ll always be frens.”
Yes, Joe Rodgers’ chance had come at last. Through his fortunate meeting with Dave Brandon he would be able to gratify his ambition to go to school.
“And I’m going to keep an eye on you,” exclaimed Captain Bunderley, when they had taken leave of Judge Hampton and the circus men. “Before many months are over you’ll find me turning up at the school. And if I don’t hear a good account of you there’ll be trouble.”
“And just to think,” remarked Dave, reflectively, “that to-morrow we’ll be leaving for our home in Kingswood! Seems funny, Bob, but I thought this part of our trip would only add a few pages to my history. But——”
“It means a thousand, at least,” broke in Tom, with a laugh. “When it’s finished it’ll be as long as an encyclopedia, and lots more exciting.”
The boys felt rather sober when the time came next morning to say good-bye to Captain Bunderley and Victor Collins. Each had taken a great fancy to the bluff old skipper, and, strangely enough, Victor seemed to have become a very different sort of a boy from the one who had begun the trip with them.
“Say, fellows,” he remarked, as he shook hands warmly with Bob Somers, “you can count on seeing me again. I’m kind of curious to take a look at that high school. I’ve found that you’re the kind of chaps who improve on acquaintance. Dave is certainly a winner.”
“We’ll be delighted to see you, Vic,” returned Bob. “And perhaps you’ll find that Kingswood isn’t such a slow place, after all.”
As long as the crowd was within sight of the hotel they saw Victor standing on the steps waving his hand.