“Well, I’m mighty interested, Ray,” said Jack encouragingly. “What was the principle of the thing?”
“Why, just this, Jack. You remember when the Titanic was wrecked about a year ago? Sure you do. Well, when that happened there was a lot of talk about not enough lifeboats, and about the general unsafe condition of the boats that were being used on board the various steamers. That set me a-thinking and I decided to try and build a boat that wouldn’t sink and could not turn over, no matter how hard a wave hit it. Then after months of pottering around I worked out my model which looked like a big pumpkin seed roofed over. It was all fitted up, airtight compartments in the bow and stern, and the keel was so balanced, and the roof so well made, that even if the boat should be launched upside down, it would right itself and not ship a drop of water. There was a little place for a motor which, of course, could not be put in the model, but could be put in a big boat of regulation lifeboat size. It could also be propelled by oars and it had a number of advantages over the old-fashioned open lifeboat.”
“My, but that’s interesting,” said Jack; “I sure would like to see it.”
“Well, I guess it’ll be a long time before I can build another and, by George, I’m getting older all the time. I’m nearly seventeen now.”
“What of that?” said Jack.
“What of it? Why, I want to go to high school some time, and college too. I sort of hoped that I might make money enough out of my invention to pay my way through school. I can’t wait until I am a full-grown man to go to ‘prep’ school, can I? And now that I’ve quit Uncle Vance I haven’t a single person in the world to help me. Not that I could ever expect any real help from him. But then a fellow needs a grown-up friend or two, no matter how cussed mean they are to him at times. But Uncle Vance was dead set against my ever going to school again—said it would make me even lazier than I am. I’m not lazy, am I, Jack?”
“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.
“Why?” queried Ray in surprise.
“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?”