"Then we won"t divide it," said Henry Brown.
"Very well; I will agree to that. We shall be equal owners then,"
replied Tony, with a smile of triumph; for in either case his point was gained.
"But what shall we do with it? Four hundred dollars is a heap of money.
What"s the use of saving it up without having some idea of what we mean to do with it?"
"We can put it to a dozen uses."
"What, for instance?"
"Why, enlarging our library; buying an apparatus, as the Zephyrs are going to do; giving it to the poor," replied Tony. "But I was thinking of something before the meeting."
The boys all looked at the chairman with inquiring glances.
"Out with it," said several of them.
"There are lots of fellows round here who would like to get into a boat club."
"More than twenty," added Little Paul.
"We have money enough to buy another boat."
"Hurrah!" exclaimed several of the members, jumping out of their chairs in the excitement of the moment. "Let us buy another boat!"
"What shall we call her?" added d.i.c.k Chestor.
Several of the boys began to exercise their minds on this important question, without devoting any more attention to the propriety or the practicability of procuring another boat. That question was regarded as already settled.
"Ay, what shall we call her?" repeated Joseph Hooper.
"What do you say to the "Lily?""
"The "Water Sprite?""
"The "Go-ahead?""
"Name her after Mr. Walker."
"No; after Tony Weston."
"You are counting the chickens before they are hatched," added Tony, laughing heartily.
"The--the--the "Red Rover,"" said Joseph Hooper.
"That"s too piratical," replied Little Paul.
"I wouldn"t say anything about the name at present," suggested Tony.
"Wouldn"t it be fine, though, to have three boats on the lake?"
exclaimed Henry.
"Glorious! A race with three boats!"
"Who would be c.o.xswain of the new boat?"
"Fred Harper," said little Paul. "The fellows say he is almost as good as Frank Sedley."
"If we had another boat we should want a commodore," continued Tony.
"And I was thinking, if we got another, that Frank would be the commodore, and command the fleet. Then there would be a c.o.xswain to each boat besides."
"That would be first rate."
"Let us have the other boat."
"Hurrah! so I say."
"I suppose we could buy two six-oar boats for our money," added Tony.
"And have four in the fleet?"
"Perhaps three four-oar boats."
"Five boats in the fleet! That would be a glorious squadron!"
The boys could hardly repress the delight which these air castles excited, and several of them kept jumping up and down, they were so nervous and so elated.
"Come, Tony, let us settle the business, and order the boats at once,"
said d.i.c.k Chester.
"We had better think a while of it. Something else may turn up which will suit us even better than the fleet. Of course we must consult Captain Sedley and George before we do anything," replied Tony.
"They will be willing."
"Perhaps they will, and perhaps they won"t."
"I know they will," said d.i.c.k.
"We will consult them, at any rate. It is necessary to take a vote concerning the division of the money."
Of course the club voted not to divide; and it was decided that the money should remain in the hands of George Weston until the fleet question should be settled.
"Now, boys," said Tony, "next Monday is town meeting day, and school don"t keep. We will meet at nine o"clock and practise for the race, which comes off on Wednesday afternoon, at three o"clock. Let every fellow be on hand in season."
The club adjourned, and the boys went off in little parties, discussing the exciting topic of a fleet of five boats, under the command of Commodore Frank Sedley.