CHAPTER XXV. HOMEWARD BOUND.
On the following day, at the appointed hour, Hiram and his three chumsturned up at the offices of the Golden Gate Aviation Supply Company,where the final exchanges were made. Hiram handed over his papers to thenew owners of his invention, and received their check for the balance ofthe purchase price.
At Rob's solicitation he proceeded to the city and opened an account at abank, against which he could check from time to time as he needed cash inpursuing his work.
Then, having now relieved themselves of all source of worry and anxiety,the four Eagle Patrol members gave themselves up to the full enjoyment oftheir holiday.
What wonders they continued to see as they daily visited the great Fair,would take volumes to describe. New and amazing things were constantlycropping up as they prowled hither and thither through devious ways thatup to then they possibly did not know existed. There was a constantsuccession of surprises awaiting them with each new day.
"Why, I honestly believe," Tubby declared many times as they discoveredsome display that up to then had eluded them, "everything that wasthought of in the whole world must be included in the exhibits insidethis enclosure. I'll never get over being thankful to Uncle Mark forfetching me here. And to think that I was given a chance to be with thedearest chums any scout ever had--that's a whole lot the best thing of itall. Oh, it was certainly my lucky day when I decided to go up on thatAeroscope, because only for that we never might have met at all; and justthink what I would have missed."
"The sight of Hiram here winning his prize for one thing; that was aspectacle for sore eyes, let me tell you!" remarked Andy. "We're allproud of him, and we want him to know it too."
"Then there was that fire scare," said Hiram, "when Rob got the blazesmothered with that little extinguisher before the regular departmentarrived on the spot--don't forget to count that as something, Tubby."
"And the mad dog chase, with our leader again demonstrating what a scoutshould be able to do when an emergency arises," Andy added. "The poor doggot shot, but there was no human being injured in the panic, which theremight have been only for the handsome way Rob coaxed the cur to slipinside that inclosure."
"Yes," added Tubby, anxious to display his view, "and we don't want toforget about Jared Applegate, either. He gave us something of a racket,you remember, by sneaking into that room at the hotel, and hiding underyour bed when he heard us coming along the hall."
"It makes me laugh when I remember how he almost licked Rob's hand, andpromised to be good if only he was let go," said Hiram, ratherdisdainfully.
"That sounds as if you didn't have much faith in Jared's promises toreform?" said Rob, smilingly.
"He never meant a word of it, and I know it!" declared Hiram. "I couldsee the nasty snap in his eyes just like they used to be. Haven't weknown him to crawl and make all sorts of big promises before, but alwaysto break the same the first chance he had? Huh! that money in his pocketwas never earned honestly, I'd like to wager; and it won't be used eitherto carry him back home."
"Oh, well, he's left the hotel, which is one good thing," said Rob. "Ithought it was my business to find out this morning, for as we knew himto be a thief it hardly seemed fair to keep quiet, and not put a flea inthe ear of the management here."
"He saved you the trouble then by skipping out?" remarked Andy.
"Yes, I suppose he imagined we might tell on him as a duty, and thoughthe had better leave between two days," Rob explained. "Of course, when Ilearned he had thrown up his job, been paid off, and was gone, Iconcluded it was no use saying anything more about it."
"Like as not Jared's been doing more than one shady job since he camehere," suggested Hiram, shrewdly, "and he was afraid they'd take him totask for the same, p'r'aps shut him up in a cell; so he concluded to getaway while the going was good. Well, here's hoping we may never runacross the snake again."
"I don't know," ventured Tubby. "Seems like there's some queer fatalityabout it, but we do come on that scamp in the most re_mark_able ways.There he was down in Mexico, and before that at Panama. To think thathe'd be out here where the Big Show's going on, and of all places actingas a porter in the very hotel where we took up our quarters."
"'The pitcher that goes once too often to the well comes to grief,' theysay," mentioned Rob. "If Jared keeps on bobbing up as he has been doing,and getting in our way, he'll rue it some time or other."
As the days came and went, Rob and his three chums certainly managed tohave the time of their lives. If there was one part of that mammothExposition that they failed to investigate it was not because they wastedany of their time; at least this could be said for Rob and Tubby, whowere most energetic in making the grand rounds.
As was to be expected, the other two were so wedded to their idols thatit was not an easy task to tear them away; and at times Rob had to insiston their accompanying himself and Tubby to other parts of the inclosure.
Andy never tired of watching the quaint scenes in the Zone, where thetides of humanity from all over the world ebbed and flowed through allthe hours of the day and evening. He dearly loved to just imagine himselfin far-distant lands, close in touch with these brown or yellow people.And the resolution to become a world traveler when he grew to manhoodseized hold of Andy with renewed vigor.
As for Hiram, he could not be blamed for haunting that section where hisheart found the greatest charm of the entire Exposition. Here he poredover the various ingenious inventions fashioned in the clever brains ofthe foremost among the nation's talented men and women, from Edison downto the most humble.
And Hiram, having already reaped the fruits of his first venture in thisfascinating field of human endeavor, naturally looked forward to the timewhen perhaps his name, too, might be linked with those for which he feltsuch reverence.
When Tubby's uncle returned he was well satisfied to go East alone andleave his nephew in such good hands.
During the remainder of their stay in San Francisco the boys never oncecaught a glimpse of Jared Applegate. If he still remained in the City hemade it a point to religiously avoid meeting any of his former schoolcompanions.
Rob had determined that he might let the crabbed old farmer and his wifeknow they had met Jared while on the Coast, so as to ease their minds, ifthey had not heard from their bad son for a long while, though he decidedhe would say nothing about the deplorable circumstances under which themeeting had taken place.
"I never liked the old farmer and his wife," Rob had said to the others,when they were discussing the matter their last evening at the Fair,sitting at their ease, disposing of some ice cream, and watching thethrong pass by. "But I suppose they have feelings like the rest of us,and in their own way, care for their boy. It would only give them a newstab to be told that Jared was as bad as ever, and do no good; so I hopenone of you will whisper anything about that little episode."
Being true scouts, and with malice toward none, the others readily agreedto do as Rob asked. They could easily afford to forget that unpleasantadventure, since things had turned out so wonderfully well for them.
"And to think that this is our last night at the Exposition," said Tubby,with a vein of despondency in his voice. "I tell you I'm awfully sorry,much as I want to see the folks at home again. I'll never, never forgetall I've seen out here, let me tell you; for even if half of thecivilized world is at war and killing each other off by tens of thousandseach day, you'd never know it in this beautiful land of peace andplenty."
"Hear! hear! Tubby's getting poetical!" exclaimed Andy, pretending topound on the table with his fist.
"Well, it's enough to stir anybody up that's got a soul for thingsbesides old fakers with red fezzes and turbans, who make out to befortune-tellers from Egypt and such places, when the fact is they wereborn in Cork or Hoboken!" the other shot back at him.
"It is the greatest Fair that ever was held," said Rob. "When we get backhome to Hampton we'll tell every boy we know
that if he has a chance tocome out here and fails to take advantage of the same, he's missing thetreat of his life, barring none!"
"We all can subscribe to what you say, Rob," agreed Tubby.
"And that isn't all," continued the scout leader. "Think of the thingswe've been allowed to put through. There was the fetching of that fragileexhibit all the way across the continent, without any accident. And Hiramhere has struck the first round on the ladder of fame. Even that doesn'texhaust the list of our pleasures, because we've still got another treatbefore us."
"Meaning the homeward trip, I guess?" ventured Hiram.
"Yes, when we find ourselves among the mighty Rocky Mountains that theCanadian Pacific Railroad climbs in passing from Vancouver to the East,we can feast our eyes on the grandest natural mountain scenery of theworld. As for me, I'm anxious for the time to come when we'll be enjoyingit."
As they were starting for Vancouver in the morning, with the intention ofpassing over the railroad line that pierced the famous Selkirks, it wouldseem that Rob would not have long to possess his soul in patience.
And since they finished with the Great Panama-Pacific Exposition on goingto their hotel that night, it would seem that this is the proper placefor us to say good-by to the four chums. But while our story must endhere, there can be no telling what the future may have in store for Roband his comrades of the Eagle Patrol; and if fortune is kind enough tothrow them in the way of further adventures and triumphs, we hope oursmay be the pen selected to place these events before the readers who haveso long accompanied them in their numerous journeys.
THE END.
[1]See "The Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields," also "The Boy Scouts with the Allies in France."
[2]See "The Boy Scouts Under Fire in Mexico."
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Transcriber's Notes
--Copyright notice provided as in the original printed text--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected palpable typos.
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