The Rover Boys Down East; or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune

  CHAPTER VIII HOME ONCE MORE

  "And now for Oak Run and home!"

  It was Dick who spoke, as he and his brothers boarded another train atCartown. The girls had gone on in the first train and the boys had had towait half an hour for the one on the line which would take them close toValley Brook farm.

  "Home it is!" returned Sam. "And I'll be glad to see dad again--and therest of 'em."

  "Right you are, Sam," joined in Tom. "After all, there is no place likehome."

  "Remember how you used to hate the farm, Tom?"

  "Well, that was when we got too much of it. I don't like all farm andnothing else."

  "I wonder if Uncle Randolph has any new fads this summer?" came fromDick. Their uncle was more or less of a scientific farmer, and was alwaystrying new ways, and usually losing money on them.

  "He's got bees in his bonnet," answered Tom.

  "What's that?" demanded Dick, indignantly. "Tom, Uncle Randolph is nomore crazy than you are. He has a right to experiment if he wants to."

  "Who said he was crazy?"

  "You said 'he has bees in his bonnet.' It's the same thing."

  "Not much," answered Tom dryly. "He's got bees on the brain--if thatsuits you better. Aunt Martha wrote me that he had invested in half adozen hives of bees, and got a queen bee worth I don't know how much toboss the colony."

  "Oh, so he's going into bee culture!" murmured Dick. "I hope he doesn'tget stung."

  "He'll be stung right enough," answered Sam. "If not in one way then inanother. He never makes his experiments pay. Say, I rather think I'llsteer clear of those bees."

  "Maybe we can have some fun with them," mused Tom, and immediatelycommenced to lay plans for that purpose.

  They had a three hours' ride to Oak Run and on the way made several stopsof more or less importance. At one place, near the depot, was a cigarstore, and Tom left the train and came back with three cigars of largesize in his hand.

  "What are you going to do with those," questioned Sam, "learn to smoke?"

  "No, I am going to treat some of my particular friends," answered Tom,and winked one eye, suggestively.

  "Oh, let me in on the joke!" pleaded his younger brother.

  "Here it is then," answered Tom, and brought from his pocket a smallround wooden box. Taking off the cover he disclosed to view some pelletsthat were coated with what looked like silver.

  "What are they?" questioned Sam.

  "The fireworks catalogue called them Serpent's Eggs. You light one andthe first thing you know it commences to swell up----"

  "Oh, yes, and then pushes out just like a great big worm, or snake!"finished Sam. "I had a box of 'em last year. And are you going----"

  "To put them in the cigars. They are harmless, but we can get some funout of 'em," concluded Tom.

  It was an easy matter to cut out a portion of the tobacco from thesmoking end of each cigar, and this done Tom inserted three of thepellets in each. Then he placed the cigars carefully in his pocket.

  On the way to Oak Run the three lads discussed the doings at Brill, andalso the news concerning Tad Sobber and Josiah Crabtree.

  "Both of these rascals would like to get their hands on the Stanhopefortune," said Dick.

  "Yes, but in different ways," returned Sam.

  "Well, neither of 'em shall get his hands on a dollar--if I can help it,"answered Dick.

  "I should think Crabtree would be ashamed to show himself," went on Sam."If I was in his place, I'd travel to some new part of the globe, changemy name, and make a new try at living."

  "In one way I am sorry for him," was Dick's comment. "A man coming out ofprison hasn't much chance to get work. Nobody will trust him, no matterif he does want to be honest."

  "Do you suppose Crabtree has any money?" asked Tom.

  "I don't know, I'm sure."

  At last they were only a few miles from Oak Run, and they gathered up thefew things they were carrying, fishing rods, cameras, and a small valise.

  "Oak Run!" cried the porter.

  "Here we are!" exclaimed Tom, the first to get off. "I don't see anythingof Jack Ness," he added, mentioning the hired man from the farm, whousually came for them with the team.

  "He may be a little late--Jack often is," answered Dick.

  "Well, I shan't mind it," said Tom. "I want to see my old friend Mr.Ricks," and he winked at Sam.

  The station master at Oak Run was a crabbed old individual who rarely hada pleasant word for anybody. But he was faithful and probably that waswhy the railroad continued to employ him.

  "Why, how do you do, Mr. Ricks, I am real glad to see you!" exclaimedTom, as he rushed up after the train had gone and caught the stationmaster by the hand. "It seems like old times to get back here."

  "Huh! Got back, eh?" muttered Mr. Ricks sourly. "Thought you boys went tocollege."

  "So we did. We are back for the summer holidays. You are looking well,Mr. Ricks."

  "I ain't very well, I've got dyspepsy."

  "Is that so. Why don't you smoke more?"

  "Smoke?"

  "Sure. Smoking is the best thing in the world for dyspepsia. Cured theking of England and the emperor of Germany. Here, have a cigar, and seehow much better you feel after smoking it."

  Now, as it happened, Ricks loved cigars, although he usually smoked apipe, that being cheaper. He took the big cigar that Tom handed out andstarted to place it in his pocket.

  "Here, light up," cried Tom, and produced a match.

  "I'll smoke after I git my ticket money counted up."

  "No, light up now," said Tom, and struck the match. "I want you to getthe benefit of that cigar at once. It's a special brand and I am sure itwill knock that dyspepsia higher than an airship."

  Ricks lit up as desired and took several long whiffs from the cigar.

  "How do you like it?" questioned Tom, while Sam and Dick watchedproceedings closely.

  "Putty good," returned the station master. The cigars had cost Tom tencents each and they were better than those Ricks usually smoked.

  A carriage had rolled up to the station and the boys saw Jack Ness comingtowards them. He shook hands and then went off to get their trunks andbags, to be placed in a farm wagon driven by a neighbor's boy.

  Ricks entered his ticket office and then walked to the back platform ofthe station, where several farmers were congregated, sitting on someempty milk cans, talking crops. The boys continued to watch him.

  "Hullo, where did ye get the smoke?" asked one of the farmers.

  "Ricks is gittin' high-toned," said another. "Fust thing you know----"

  He got no further, for just then Ricks caught sight of the smoking end ofhis cigar and his eyes stared wildly.

  "What's th--that!" he gasped, and took the cigar from his mouth.

  "By gosh! Are ye raisin' snakes, Ricks?" cried one of the farmers.

  "Reckon he's struck a nest o' worms!" commented another.

  "Wha--what do yo--you think it is?" groaned Ricks. He was so amazed thathe could do little but stare at the cigar, from the end of which asnake-like curl was issuing, larger and larger.

  "Where did you buy that cigar?" asked one of the farmers.

  "Didn't buy it--Tom Rover gave it to me!" answered Ricks. "Say, this is aput-up job!" he roared, and dashed the cigar to the ground. "Where isthat imp, anyway?"

  "Good-bye, Mr. Ricks!" sang out Tom from the carriage. "Hope you enjoythat smoke."

  "You come back here!" stormed the station master. "Just you let me get myfingers on you, that's all!" And he shook his fist at the fun-lovingyouth.

  "It's a trick cigar, that's what it is," announced one of the farmers,and commenced to edge away. "Maybe it will blow up soon."

  "If that's so, I'm going to get out!" cried another, and slid from themilk cans in a hurry.

  "Say, you don't suppose he put dynnymite in it, do you?" asked Ricks,fearfully. "He might blow up the whole station. He blew up a fire once Iwas buildi
ng," he added, referring to a joke Tom had once played on him,the particulars of which have already been set forth in "The Rover Boysat School."

  "Better put the cigar in a pail of water," suggested one farmer.

  "You do it, Snell."

  "Do it yourself, if you want it done," answered Snell, and very gingerlyRicks gathered up the cigar and its "worms" on a shovel and cast theminto a tub of rain water that was handy. The others gathered around,joked the station master unmercifully and he vowed that he would getsquare with Tom sooner or later.

  In the meantime the Rover boys lost no time in leaving the railroadstation. They had Jack Ness urge on the team, and soon they were crossingthe Swift River and driving through the village of Dexter's Corners.Several folks of the village saw them and waved them a welcome, for thelads were great favorites. Then they started along the country roadleading to Valley Brook farm.

  "And how are all the folks, Jack?" asked Dick.

  "All fairly well, sir," answered the hired man. "Your uncle, he got 'emrather bad last week."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Some of his new bees stung him--and they stung me, too."

  "Too bad!" murmured Dick. "Any other news?"

  "I don't know of none. The hay crop is going to be heavy, so they say."

  "Well, we need hay for the stock."

  "We miss you boys, so we do," went on the hired man. "When you are awaythe farm is like as if we was havin' a funeral."

  "Oh, we'll warm you up," cried Tom. "Eh, Sam?"

  "We'll try to, anyway," answered the youngest Rover.

  "We are going to have a great Fourth of July celebration," said Tom. "Iordered some fireworks for home at the same time I had those sent to thecollege," he added, to his brothers.

  "Yes, we'll have to celebrate in fine style," answered Dick.

  They went on, and soon a turn of the road brought them in sight of thefarmhouse nestling so cozily among the hills.

  "Home again!" sang out Tom. "Let's give them a call!" And he set up acheer, in which the others readily joined.

  "I see dad!" cried Sam, a moment later, as his father appeared around acorner of the house and waved his hand.

  "And there is Uncle Randolph, down among his bee hives," added Dick.

  "And Aunt Martha is on the piazza!" came from Sam. "And there is AleckPop!" he continued, as the ebony face of a smiling negro showed itselffrom between the trees.

  "Boys, I am glad to welcome you home again!" cried Anderson Rover, as thecarriage rolled up and the lads leaped out in a bunch.

  "And we are glad to see you, dad!" they answered in a chorus, and shookhands. Then Tom made one leap for the piazza and fairly lifted his auntfrom her feet. "How are you, Aunt Martha!"

  "Oh, Tom, yo--you bear!" gasped Mrs. Rover, but with a beaming face. "Myboy, how big you are getting!" And then she kissed him heartily, andkissed the others.

  "Back again! and welcome!" said Randolph Rover, as he walked up quickly.Then he, too, shook hands; and all went into the house.