Moreover, though he was for Bridgeboro, once, last and always, his
attitude was uniformly combative toward older boys, high school boys in
particular, and toward high schools generally. He would be chary of
the privileges he granted to these "big fellers" whom he knew so well
how to "handle." But in the light of the camp-fire he saw visions of
huge war profits in these impending combats. While Edgemere and
Bridgeboro fought he would become a war millionaire. The little
island, retired from its wild career at last and with a secure and
fixed abode would still play an important part in world affairs.
"I tell you what we'll do," said Pee-wee; "we'll sell seats for people
to see the races from the island. We'll build a couple of benches out
of this old refreshment board--we'll drive stakes in the ground--and
one of us will go to town--I mean the mainland--with a big sign telling
people they can buy seats for ten cents--because in the boat races when
Sir Thomas Lipton's yacht got beaten lots of people paid to go out on
excursion steamers and this island is better than an excursion steamer,
because they'll go right around the edge of it--right around the coast
and everybody'll get a dandy view."
Thus it was that on Thursday and Friday there appeared in the
_Bridgeboro Evening Record_ an advertisement which read:
See the High School events on the river from Alligator Island, seats
ten cents. Fine view of the races. Free transportation both ways.
Alligator Island belongs to the boy scouts and is in the middle of the
river, commanding a fine view because the boats go around it. Boat
goes back and forth from Gilroy's field. Absolutely safe. Take the
beautiful ride to Alligator Island and see the races for only ten
cents. Children in arms if not accompanied by parents have to pay five
cents.
It will be observed from the advertisement that Merry-go-round Island,
alias the Isle of Desserts, was now masquerading under a new name,
which had been given it in the hope of obliterating all memories of its
wandering past.
Being now a respectable stay-at-home island, stuck fast with each part
of its coast true to its proper compass point, what more natural than
that its roving youth should be treated as a closed book by its owners?
There it sat in the middle of the glinting river, its sturdy
understructure reposing upon Waring's reef.
Even at low tide the shallow water rippled about it. At high tide the
coy reef withdrew entirely within the briny deep, so that the
unromantic and unsightly scow was not visible and the island stood in
all its wild and floral beauty, a vision of picturesque delight for
three or four hours each day at full tide. From the mainland (some
thirty feet distant according to a piece of string) the yellow
dandelions could be seen dotting its geometric coast and occasionally
some drowsy turtle, with neck extended, was visible, sleeping in the
sun.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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