“Indeed, you’re not,” said Jack, and then he fell to thinking, for Ray’s remarks about school brought Jack’s mind back to Drueryville Academy, and, of course, the first thing that he thought of in connection with the school was the football situation for the next Fall.
“Jiminy, I certainly wish that you had made money out of your invention,” he said after a moment.
“Well, we need a full-back out at Drueryville Academy and if you were going to go to ‘prep’ school I surely would see that you found your way over to Vermont. You’d make a corking full-back, Ray. Got the right build and all, and you’re strong as a bull, too. Ever play football?”
“Ever play? No, but I’d like to. Hang it, Jack, I haven’t ever been able to play at anything. Never had the chance that other boys get. All my life has been work and darned hard work, too. And when I haven’t been working, I’ve been quarreling with Uncle Vance or trying to keep out of his way, either one,” said Ray bitterly.
“Never mind,” said Jack solicitously, for he saw how unhappy Ray really was. “Your time will come, just you wait and see. I’m going to speak to Mr. Warner about your schooling, anyway. Perhaps he can help you out with some good advice at least. Pshaw, come on, let’s forget about your troubles. I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Let’s go for a row in Captain Eli’s dory. We’ve never been down near the lower end of the island. I’d like to explore. Are you game for a row, Ray? Mr. Warner says that he will not have anything for us to do until some time to-morrow. How about it?”
“Sure enough,” said the unhappy youngster and presently the two boys were climbing over the rocks back toward the little strip of beach where the boats waited, gently tugging at their mooring lines.
It was a wonderful July afternoon, with scarcely a cloud in the warm blue sky. Out beyond the reef the broad Atlantic rolled on lazily under the Summer sun, while inside even the currents that usually raced between the ledge of rocks and the island seemed to have become sluggish.
“Let me take the oars,” said Ray, after the two lads had waded out and climbed aboard the dory, “I have the blues and there’s nothing like some good husky exercise to work them out of a fellow’s system.”