“I do not wish her to think of him,” he said to Percival, “and I do not wish to think of him myself.  Never mention him, Dick.”

“You may be sure I won’t!” replied Dick with emphasis.

There were some of the boys who did not escape seasickness on the way back, for all they had been on the water so long, but the run home was, on the whole, most pleasant, and Jack, Dick, young Smith and some others enjoyed it thoroughly.

“We shall have enough to think of and to talk about for a long time,” remarked Jack to Percival when they were at last on the train going back to the Highlands, “and it is all the better that the trip was not what it was originally planned to be.  The very unexpectedness of our adventures gave them all the greater charm.”

“I suppose so,” said Dick, “but I generally like to know what is coming, and then if I don’t like it, I can get out of the way.”

“Well, we are all of us richer in experience.”

“And you in pocket,” laughed Dick.  “Don’t forget that, my boy.”

“Oh, I have something that is worth a good deal more than the money that I happened to get,” said Jack, smiling.

“What is that?” asked Percival.

“The friendship of a lot of good fellows, and of one or two who are a good deal more than mere good fellows, real friends, in fact.”

“Well, that is worth a good deal, of course, but it seems to me that one always has plenty of friends if he has money.”

“If he keeps them when he has no money, then they are friends, indeed,” said Jack, “and I think that I can count upon mine in any case.”

“Then you are lucky, Jack.”

For all that they had enjoyed themselves while afloat, the Hilltop boys were glad to be back at the Academy again among the old familiar scenes, and the work of the school went on with renewed vigor, Jack, in particular, giving his entire attention to it so as to be as high as possible in his classes at the end of the term.

The greater part of the boys at the Academy, as well as the doctor and all of the professors, were his friends, and the fact that some of the boys were not, and did all they could to injure him did not worry him, for he thought little or nothing of it.

At the end of the term he was at the head of his class, and was so close upon Percival that the latter said with a good-natured grin: 

“You’ll be up with me next term, Jack, whether I look out for myself or not.”

“Well, we generally have pretty good times together, Dick,” Jack replied, “so I don’t think you will be sorry.”

“Not a bit of it,” said Dick.

Those who have been interested in following the fortunes of the Hilltop boys may be glad to continue their acquaintance with Jack Sheldon and his friends and enemies in the next volume, “The Hilltop Boys on the River,” which, in addition to giving an account of many aquatic sports, contains also a number of thrilling incidents, which serve to bring out the characters of the boys to good advantage.