CHAPTER XXV
CHRISTMAS AT THE FARM
"What do you think of that?"
"Isn't that the greatest ever!"
"Well, I'm sorry for Tad."
Such were the exclamations from the three Rover boys after listening toBill Dangler's declaration that the lad who had run away from PutnamHall was the nephew of Merrick.
"Are you certain of this?" asked Dick.
"Certainly I am. But why are you so interested in Merrick's sister andher son?"
"I will tell you," answered Tom. "Tad Sobber used to go to school withus, but he ran away a short while ago and we haven't heard from himsince."
"Phew! so that's it! Maybe he's with his uncle."
"Like as not. I wonder if he knows his uncle is a thief?"
"I don't know anything about that. Sid Merrick is a sly one and can puton the most innocent front you ever saw."
"What do you know about Pike?"
"Oh, John Pike is only a tool, same as I was."
After that Bill Dangler seemed anxious to relieve his mind, and herelated many of the particulars of the freight robberies. He said thatall had been planned by Sid Merrick, and that two other men wereimplicated besides himself and Pike and named the men. He said thatMerrick had sold the stolen stuff in various large cities.
"Did he divide with the others?" asked Dick.
"He was supposed to do it, but I don't think any of us ever got our fullshare."
Old Derringham listened to the thief's recital with keen interest. Butpresently he rushed forward and caught Bill Dangler by the arm.
"I want you to go!" he cried, almost fiercely. "I want no thief under myroof!"
"He shall go, and at once," declared Dick. "It is getting late, and itis a long tramp to Oak Run."
"He owes me a dollar for keeping him several days," went on the old man.
"Then he had better pay you," said Tom.
Dangler wanted to demur, but in the end he paid for his board, and thenthe whole party left, the old man gazing after them curiously. That hehad been entirely innocent in the affair there could not be theslightest doubt.
"Now, Dangler, it won't do you any good to try to get away," said Dick,as they tramped along through the snow. "We are four to one and armed."
"I won't try to run away," was the dogged answer.
"If you give the authorities all the help you can, perhaps, when itcomes to a trial, they will be a little easy on you," put in Tom.
"I hope so. I was coaxed into this. I used to be an honest man,"responded the freight thief.
"Well, before you die, you'll learn that 'honesty is the best policy,'"observed Sam.
"I've learned that already. I've lost all my old friends, and I can'tshow myself anywhere any more."
The crowd had to tramp a good mile and a half before they reached afarmhouse where they could procure a team and a sleigh big enough totake all of them to Oak Run. Then they set off at a fast pace and atabout supper time reached the Rover farm.
Those at the farm were much astonished at the "game brought in," asAnderson Rover declared. The boys waited long enough to get a meal, andgave the prisoner something to eat, and then they set off for Oak Runwith their father and Dangler. Here the freight thief was placed in thecustody of the local constable, who locked the man up in the garret ofhis own home.
That night and the next day the telegraph and telephone were kept busy,and some officers of the law from Ithaca visited the old Sobberhomestead. They found the place deserted and no trace of Merrick, Pikeor Tad Sobber was to be found.
"It is too bad," declared Dick, when the news came in. "I thought surewe'd round up the rascals."
From the authorities the boys learned one thing--that the Sobberhomestead was on the same road that ran past the Stanhope cottage.
"That may account for Merrick coming and looking in the window thatnight," said Dick. "Maybe he was traveling past and wanted to see whatwas going on."
"More than likely he was looking for a chance to rob the place," wasTom's grim comment.
On Christmas day the boys received a number of valuable presents andgave everybody presents in return. There was a grand family dinner, suchas only their aunt Martha could prepare, and it is needless to say thatall did full justice to the spread. After dinner the lads went outsnowballing and got Aleck Pop and Jack Ness to do the same. The boyssnowballed the colored man and Jack Ness so vigorously that the pair hadto run for the barn.
"My sakes alibe, boys!" cried Aleck Pop, after he had received asnowball in the ear. "Yo' dun work yo' snowballs lik da was comin' froma Gatling gun!"
During the week between Christmas and New Year, Bill Dangler was removedto the county jail, there to await the action of the grand jury. In themeantime the authorities continued the hunt for Merrick, Pike and theothers, but without success.
"I'd really like to know what has become of Tad Sobber," remarked Dick."It is a pity if he is dependent upon such a fellow as Merrick for hissupport."
"Perhaps his mother left him money," said Tom.
At last came the day when the boys returned to Putnam Hall. On the trainthey fell in with Larry Colby and George Granbury, and told of what theyhad learned.
"I heard from Nick Pell yesterday," said Larry. "He is getting bettergradually, but it will be some time before he is himself again."
"Does he still blame Tad Sobber?"
"Yes, and he says he will never have anything to do with Sobber again."
"Nobody can blame him for that," said Sam.
"I don't believe Sobber will ever return to Putnam Hall," came from Tom."Especially when he finds out that we know he is the nephew of such aswindler as Merrick."
In a few days the boys settled down again to their studies. The Roverswere exceedingly anxious to make records for themselves, and whenever alesson was too hard for Tom or Sam, Dick helped them all he could. Theeldest Rover boy was sorry he had missed his former position by beingabsent, but he was delighted to know that he and his brothers would nowfinish their schooling at Putnam Hall together.
"I couldn't bear to think of being separated from you," he said to Tomand Sam.
"We don't want to be separated," returned Tom.
"That's the talk!" declared Sam. "We'll stick together always!"
About a week after the return to school the snow cleared away and thencame a cold snap that made excellent skating. At once all the boys gotout their skates, and during their off hours they had great fun on thelake.
One afternoon a race was arranged between half a dozen boys, includingDick, Larry Colby and Peter Slade. Slade was sure he would win, and wentaround boasting of it.
"I have been in six races on skates," he declared, "and I won every oneof them."
"He must be a famous skater," said Tom, when he learned of this. "Dick,I don't think you'll stand much show against him."
"I don't know. Do you know what I think of Peter Slade? I think he is abig blower."
"I think that myself. Still, if he has won six races he must knowsomething about racing."
"Well, if I lose I shan't cry over it," said Dick, and there the talkended.
The race was to be for two miles,--a mile up the lake shore and a mileback. At the appointed hour the contestants lined up, and at a word fromGeorge Strong, who had consented to start them, they were off.
It was easy to see that Peter Slade was a good skater, and with hardlyan effort he went to the front during the first quarter of the race. Butthen Larry and Dick began to push him, and when the mile turn was madeLarry was but two yards in the rear, with Dick almost on his heels.
"Go it, Slade, you can win easily!"
"Catch him, Larry!"
"Put on more steam, Dick!" yelled Tom, enthusiastically.
And then the turning point was passed by all the racers and the struggleon the homestretch commenced.