“It’ll come in stomachicly, to coin a new word,” declared Ned. “Chunky, if ever I say anything again about your eats, just you remind me of this occasion.”
“Well, we won’t starve, that’s sure,” Jerry said. “But the question is which road are we to take?”
“Neither one of these, I vote,” said Bob. “They don’t go where we want to go. I say, let’s go back until we get to another cross highway, and that may have a sign on that we didn’t notice before which will direct us to Fordham.”
“I guess Bob’s right,” conceded Jerry. “Back we go.”
“And we can eat on the way,” Bob went on; and neither of his chums joked him this time.
Somewhat disappointed and chagrined at the outcome of their automobile trip, or rather, at the prospective outcome, the boys put back. They had counted on arriving at Boxwood Hall in some “style” with their big car. Not that the three chums cared so much about showing off, but they felt they had a right to make a certain impression, since, according to present plans, they were to remain at the college for some time.
But now they would arrive after dark, and they would be met by strange professors and college officials (all save Professor Snodgrass), they would be late for supper, and would have no chance to view the college until morning.
“Hang that farmer, anyhow!” murmured Jerry.
“I wish he had to go without his suppers for a week,” added Ned.
“Oh, we’re not so badly off,” declared Bob, as he was munching a sandwich.
“Bob wouldn’t want any one condemned to go without food,” said Jerry. “Well, I suppose it was my own fault in a way. I should have consulted the map after that fellow told us which turn to take. We’ll know better next time.”
“There’s a house,” remarked Ned. “Suppose we inquire there.”
“No!” decided Jerry. “That’s a farmer’s house, and I won’t trust any more farmers. I’ll go on back to the last turn we made. There’s a garage not far from there, and they’ll know the road, that’s sure.”
It was not a long ride back to the place where Jerry felt they had made the wrong turn, and a few minutes more took them to the garage. But it was now quite dark.
“Fordham--um, yes,” said the garage man, reflectively. “I should say you _did_ take the wrong turn!”
“Well, please tell us how to take the right one,” begged Jerry.