The Rover Boys in Camp; or, The Rivals of Pine Island

  CHAPTER II

  NEWS OF INTEREST

  "My boys! my boys!"

  Such was the cry given by Anderson Rover, when he caught sight of theoccupants of the carriage, as the turnout swept up to the piazza of thecomfortable farm home.

  "Home again! Home again Safe from a foreign shore!"

  sang out Tom, and leaping to the ground, he caught his father around theshoulders. "Aren't you glad to see us, father?" he went on.

  "Glad doesn't express it, Tom," replied the fond parent, as he embracedfirst one and then another. "My heart is overflowing with joy, and Ithank God that you have returned unharmed, after having passed throughso many grave perils. How brown all of you look!"

  "Tanned by the tropical sun," answered Sam. "Oh, here is Aunt Martha,and Uncle Randolph!"

  "Sam!" burst out the motherly aunt, as she kissed him. "Oh, how youmust have suffered on that lonely island!" And then she kissed theothers.

  "We've certainly had our fill of adventures," came from Dick, who wasshaking hands with his Uncle Randolph. "And more than once we thoughtwe should never see Valley Brook farm again."

  "We were real Robinson Crusoes," went on Sam. "And the girls wereRobinson Crusoes, too."

  "Are the girls well?" questioned Mrs. Rover.

  "Very well, auntie. If they hadn't been we shouldn't have parted withthem in San Francisco. They went back to Santa Barbara to finish theirvacation."

  "I see. Well, it certainly was a wonderful trip. You'll have to tell usall the particulars this evening. I suppose you are as hungry as bearsjust now. Tom is, I'm sure."

  "Oh, Aunt Martha, I see you haven't forgotten my failing," piped inthe youth mentioned, with a twinkle in his eye. "And do I get pie fordinner?"

  "Yes, Tom, and all you care to eat, too. We are going to make yourhome-coming a holiday."

  "Good!"

  They were soon in the house, every nook and corner of which was sofamiliar to them. They rushed up to their rooms, and, after a brushingand a washing up, came down to the big dining room, where the tablefairly groaned with good things.

  "Gosh! this is a regular Christmas spread!" observed Tom, as he lookedthe table over. "Tell you what, Aunt Martha, I'm going to be cast awayevery week after this."

  "Oh, Tom, don't speak of it! After this you must stay right here.Neither your father nor your uncle nor myself will want to leave youout of sight."

  "Pooh! We can't stay home. But we'll be careful of our trips in thefuture, you can be sure of that."

  "Have you heard anything about Putnam Hall since we went away?" askedDick, during the meal.

  "The academy opened again last week, Dick," answered his father. "Wereceived a circular letter from Captain Putnam. The scarlet fever scaredid not amount to much, for which the captain is very thankful."

  "I sent him a telegram, stating we were safe," said Sam. "I knew hewould like to hear from us. The captain is a brick."

  "The best ever," said Tom, with his mouth full of chicken.

  "And ditto, Mr. Strong," put in Dick, referring to the head assistantat the Hall.

  "Exactly, Dick. But no more Jasper Grinders in mine," went on Tom,referring to a tyrannical teacher who had caused them much trouble, andwho had been discharged from the academy, as already mentioned in "TheRover Boys in the Mountains."

  "Or Josiah Crabtrees," said Dick, referring to another teacher, who hadbeen made to leave Putnam Hall, and who had wanted to marry the widowStanhope, in an endeavor to get control of the money that was coming toDora. Crabtree's misdeeds had landed him in prison, where he was likelyto stay for some time to come.

  While the meal was still in progress the boys began the recital oftheir many adventures, and this recital was kept up until a late hour.It was astonishing how much they had to tell, and how interesting itproved to the listeners.

  "You might make a book of it," said Anderson Rover. "It equals ouradventures in the jungles of Africa."

  "I am going to write it out some day," answered Dick. "And, maybe,I'll get the story printed. The trouble is, I can't end the taleproperly."

  "How is that, Dick?" asked his Uncle Randolph. "You were all saved.Isn't that a proper ending for any book?"

  "Yes, but what of the villain? Baxter didn't show himself, and that isno ending at all. He should have fallen over a cliff, or been shot, orsomething like that."

  "And we should have married the three girls," put in fun-loving Tom."That would make the story even more complete."

  "Well, things do not happen in real life as they do in story books,"said the parent. "It is likely you will never hear of Dan Baxteragain. But we may hear from his father."

  "His father!" exclaimed the three youths in concert.

  "Why, Arnold Baxter is in prison," added Sam.

  "He was, up to five days ago, when they took him to the hospital toundergo some sort of an operation. At the hospital the operation waspostponed for a day, and during the night he slipped away from theinstitution and disappeared."

  "Well, I never!" burst out Dick. "Isn't he the slick one, though!Just when you think you've got him hard and fast, you haven't at all."

  "Haven't they any trace of him?" asked Sam.

  "None, so far as I have heard. There was a report that he had gone toNew York and taken passage on a ship bound for Liverpool, but atpresent the ship is on the Atlantic, so the authorities can do nothing."

  "I hope they catch him."

  "We all hope that, Sam."

  For a few days the three boys did nothing but take it easy. It waspleasant weather, and they roamed around the farm in company with theirfather and their uncle, or with Alexander Pop, the colored man of work.As my old readers know, Pop had been in former days a waiter at PutnamHall, and Dick, Tom, and Sam had befriended him on more than oneoccasion, for which he was extremely grateful.

  "Yo' boys is jes' naturally fust-class heroes," said Aleck one day."Even if dem cannonballs had cum after yo', I don't t'ink da could havecotched yo', no, sirree!"

  "It's a pity you weren't along, Aleck," answered Tom.

  "I can't say as to dat, Master Tom. I got 'bout all de hair-raisin'times I wanted when we was in de jungles ob Africy. I'se only sorry obone t'ing."

  "And what is that?"

  "Dat you didn't jes' go an' frow dat Dan Baxter overboard from dat shipde fust time yo' sot eyes on him. Suah as yo' am born he'll turn upsome day to make moah trouble."

  "Well, if he turns up we'll be ready for him," returned Tom grimly.

  "How can yo' be ready fo' a pusson wot acts like a snake in de grass?He'll sting befo' yo' hab de chance to spot him."

  "We'll have to keep our eyes open, Aleck," answered the youth; and thenthe subject was changed.

  During those days the boys went fishing and bathing in the river, andalso visited Humpback Falls, that spot where Sam had had such athrilling adventure, as related in "The Rover Boys at School."

  "What a lot has happened since those days," said Sam, taking a deepbreath. "Tom, do you remember how you got into trouble with oldCrabtree the very first day we landed at Putnam Hall?"

  "I do, Sam; and do you remember our first meeting, on the boat, withDan Baxter, and how we sent him about his business when he tried toannoy Nellie, and Grace, and Dora?"

  "Yes, indeed. Say, I am getting anxious to get back to the Hall. Itseems almost like a second home."

  "So am I," put in Dick. "Besides, we have lost time enough from ourstudies. We'll have to pitch in, or we'll drop behind our classes."

  "Father says we can return to the Hall next Monday, if we wish."

  "I vote we do so."

  "So do I."

  And thus it was decided that they should return to the academy fourdays later.

  But during those four days something was to happen which would have animportant bearing upon their future actions.