CHAPTER XV STRANGE NEWS
Several days passed and during that time the lads amused themselveshugely, hunting, fishing, swimming and knocking around generally. Oncethey had a snake scare. The reptile got in the tent and held possessionfor nearly an hour, when Dick dislodged it with a stick and Sam ended itslife with a stone.
"Say, I ton't like dot!" cried Hans, when the excitement was at an end.
"I don't believe any of us do," answered Dick, dryly.
"I'll be almost afraid to sleep in the tent tonight," added Fred, with ashiver.
"Oh, I guess there was only one snake," said Sam. "But we can look aroundfor more." Which they did, in as thorough a manner as possible. But nomore reptiles were brought to light.
On Saturday it rained and the rain kept up all day Sunday. This was notso nice, and the boys remained under shelter most of the time.
"I guess I am a fair-weather camper," observed Fred. "I don't like this abit."
"Oh, let's have a song!" cried Tom. "And then each fellow can tell astory."
"And then we can play a little music," added Sam. He had brought along amouth harmonica, and Hans had a jews-harp.
Sunday evening it began to clear, and by midnight the stars were shiningbrightly.
"The weather will be all right by tomorrow," said Dick, who had been outto look around.
"But the woods will be wet," grumbled Fred.
"Never mind, let us go out in the boat. I'd like to explore the creekrunning in from the other shore."
"That will suit me, Dick. Maybe we can get an extra lot of nice fish overthere."
All of the boys slept soundly and it was nearly eight o'clock when theycommenced to get breakfast, and it was almost ten before they were readyto start in the sailboat for the other shore of the lake.
"Hello, here comes a boat!" exclaimed Dick, as he looked down Lake Nasco.
"Two men in it," added Tom. "They seem to be in a hurry, too, by the waythe fellow at the oars is rowing."
"Why, it's Jack Ness in the back of the boat!" exclaimed Sam, as thecraft drew closer. "That is Pete Hawley rowing."
"Jack must have a message," came from Dick. "Wonder what it can be?"
"Hello, boys!" yelled the Rovers' hired man, as soon as he was withinhailing distance. "Got a very particular letter fer you!" And he wavedthe communication in the air.
"What is it, Jack?" demanded Dick, quickly.
"You jess read the letter, and you'll find out as quick as I kin tellyou," answered the man.
"Anybody sick or hurt?" asked Sam.
"Nobuddy hurt--leas'wise not in body, an' nobuddy sick nuther, in theordinary way. But I reckon your friends from Cedarville is putty sick allthe way through, when they think of their loss."
Dick snatched the letter and glanced at it. It was in his father'shandwriting and bore only a few lines, as follows:
"Just received a telegram from Mrs. Stanhope, wanting to know if I hadreceived her money, as asked for? Telegraphed back that I had not askedfor money and had received none. Then she telegraphed that she had sentmoney to a certain place at my request. I don't understand this at all. Ifear something is wrong, and I am going to Cedarville without delay.Better come home and wait to hear from me."
"Mrs. Stanhope's money?" mused Dick, as he handed the letter to hisbrothers. "Can she mean the fortune from Treasure Isle?"
"More than likely," answered Tom. "Before we came away father told me shehas said something about investing it through him. He was to let her knowwhen he wanted the money."
"But he says in this letter that he didn't send for the money," put inSam.
"If the money had been obtained under false pretenses I guess it isSobber's work," murmured Dick.
"More than likely," returned Tom. "Oh, this is the worst yet--and justwhen we were getting ready to enjoy ourselves, too!"
"Well, we'll have to go back, Tom. Father may need us."
"Sure we'll go back. I couldn't stay here and enjoy myself while I knewthat fortune was gone."
"It's too bad on you fellows," said Dick, turning to Fred and Hans. "Butyou can see how it is."
"Oh, that's all right," answered Fred quickly.
"I dink I got enough of camping owid annaway," came from the Germanyouth. "Maype of we stay here much longer von of dem snakes comes andeats us up alretty, ain't it!"
"The telegrams came yesterday, but I waited until this morning to comehere," said Jack Ness. "Your father left for Cedarville on the firsttrain today."
"We'll pack right up and get back," answered Dick.
Although he tried not to show it, he was greatly excited. He was surethat the Stanhope fortune had in some manner fallen into the hands of TadSobber, and he wondered if that rascal would be able to get away with it.
"If he does it will be a sad blow to both the Stanhopes and the Lanings,"he said to his brothers. "They were planning to get much good out of thatmoney."
"It will be especially hard on the Lanings," said Tom, soberly. "For theyare not as wealthy as the Stanhopes."
All of the boys worked with a will, and Jack Ness and the man who hadrowed him to camp aided as much as they could. As a consequence in lessthan an hour the tent was down and packed, and the rest of the campingoutfit placed aboard the sailboat. Then the journey for home was begun.
The wind was in their favor, so those in the little sailboat had to dolittle rowing, and they helped the other boat along. Arriving at thelanding on Swift River, they found the farm wagon awaiting them and alsoa carriage with the best team of horses the Rover farm afforded.
"Thought you young gentlemen would like to go back that way," explainedJack Ness. "I can drive slower with the wagon. I would have brought theauto, only I can't manage that yet."
"I'm glad you thought of the carriage," answered Dick. "Now we can gohome in jig time."
The boys entered the carriage, and Dick took the reins and touched up thehorses. Away went the spirited team on a gallop, the turnout bouncingfrom side to side over the rocky road.
"Mine cracious!" gasped Hans, as he tried to hold himself down. "Lookowid, Tick, oder we go overpoard alretty yet!"
"Maybe you'd rather ride home with Jack," suggested Tom.
"No, of you can stand him, so can I," answered the German youth, firmly.
Away they went for the Rover farm, up hill and down. Soon they left theriver road and then struck a highway where going was much better. HereDick made the team do their best, and poor Hans was badly scared,thinking the horses were running away.
"Of you can't sthop 'em, ve vos all busted up, so quick like neffer vos!"he bawled.
"They are all right, Hans," answered Sam. "Let Dick alone, he knows howto handle 'em."
"Ain't da running avay?"
"No."
"All right, of you say so," returned Hans, but his face indicated that hethought otherwise.
At last they came in sight of the farm, and drove up to the house by theback way. Their Aunt Martha saw them coming, and ran out to meet them.
"Any more news from the Stanhopes?" asked Dick, quickly.
"Not that I know of," was Mrs. Rover's answer. "Your uncle has gone offto the telegraph office to wait for word from your father."
"I don't think father has reached Cedarville yet," said Sam.
The team was turned over to Aleck Pop and the boys went into the house.There the Rovers read the telegrams which had been received from Mrs.Stanhope. There was also a telegram from John Laning, in which he said hewould look into the matter if he could get around, but that he had fallenfrom the hayloft of his barn and sprained his ankle.
"That will keep him home," said Sam. "Too bad--just when the Stanhopesmay need his aid."
"I wish I knew the particulars of the affair--then a fellow would knowhow to act," said Dick, impatiently.
"Father may send word before night," answered Tom.
"I was sorry to see your father go away," said Mrs. Rover. "He was notve
ry well."
"Not well?" cried Sam. "What was the matter with him?"
"Oh, it wasn't much, but it was enough. You'll remember how he struck hisknee on a rock or something, while you were on that treasure hunt."
"Oh, yes, he fell down in the hole," said Tom. "He was so excited at thetime he didn't notice the hurt."
"Exactly, Tom. Well, lately that has bothered him quite some, and he hadto go to a doctor about it. The doctor told him to be careful of theknee, or it might give him lots of trouble and maybe get stiff."
"Then he shouldn't have gone to Cedarville," said Dick. "We don't wantdad to get a stiff leg."
"Say, do you know what?" cried Tom. "I think we ought to got toCedarville ourselves."
"That's the talk!" cried Sam. "We can't do anything here but suck ourthumbs."
"We'll wait until morning and see if any word comes," answered Dick, whodid not want to do anything hastily. "Perhaps father may want us to workon the case from this end."
"What about Fred and Hans?" asked Tom.
"They'll go along--part of the way," answered Sam. "They said theywould."
"It's too bad to break up their vacation."
"Oh, they understand matters. And, besides, they are both going elsewherenext week," answered Tom.
Impatiently the three Rovers waited for news from their father or fromthe Stanhopes. At supper time Mr. Randolph Rover returned from Oak Run.
"Here is a telegram from your father, stating he arrived safely atCedarville," said the boys' uncle. "We ought to get some word latetonight about this mysterious affair."
A little later Tom was outside, walking around the piazza. He was lookingon the ground, and presently saw something bright lying at the foot of abush, and stooped to pick it up. It was a queer-shaped stone, of blue andwhite.
"I've seen that stone before," he murmured, as he turned it over in hishand. "It doesn't belong to any of our folks. Maybe it is Fred's, orHans'."
With his find in his hand he entered the house, where the others werejust sitting down to the table to eat. He held the stone up to view.
"Any of you lose this?" he asked, and looked at Fred and Hans.
"Dot ain't vos mine," declared Hans, readily. "Vot vos it, a stone from apreastbin?"
"I guess it is from a watch locket," said Tom.
Fred looked at the stone and started.
"Let me see it!" he cried, and held it close to the light. "Well, Ideclare!" he gasped.
"What about it, Fred?" asked Dick and Sam, in a breath.
"I don't know who this stone belongs to, but I do know that Tad Sobberused to wear one just like it, when he went to Putnam Hall!"