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The Rover Boys in the Land of Luck; Or, Stirring Adventures in the Oil Fields

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Title: The Rover Boys in the Land of Luck; Or, Stirring Adventures in the Oil Fields

Author: Edward Stratemeyer


        
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Language: English

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THE ROVER BOYS IN THE LAND OF LUCK

Or

Stirring Adventures in the Oil Fields

by

ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
(Edward Stratemeyer)

Author of "The Rover Boys at School," "The Rover Boys on the Ocean,"
"The Rover Boys on a Hunt." "The Putnam Hall Series," Etc.

Illustrated







New York
Grosset & Dunlap
Publishers
Made in the United States of America




[Illustration: "THEY'VE STRUCK OIL!" YELLED ANDY EXCITEDLY.]




INTRODUCTION


My Dear Boys: This book is a complete story in itself, but forms the
fifth volume in a line issued under the general title, "The Second Rover
Boys Series for Young Americans."

As mentioned in some volumes of the first series, this line was started
years ago with the publication of "The Rover Boys at School," "On the
Ocean," and "In the Jungle," in which I introduced my readers to Dick,
Tom, and Sam Rover and their relatives. The volumes of the first series
related the doings of these three Rover boys while at Putnam Hall
Military Academy, Brill College, and while on numerous outings.

Having acquired a good education, the three young men established
themselves in business in New York and became married. Dick Rover was
blessed with a son and a daughter, as was likewise his brother Sam,
while Tom Rover became the proud father of twin boys. As the four lads
were all of a decidedly lively disposition, it was thought best to send
them to a boarding school, and in the first volume of the second series,
entitled "The Rover Boys at Colby Hall," I related what happened to them
while attending this institution.

From Colby Hall the scene was shifted to "Snowshoe Island," where the
lads went for a mid-Winter outing. Then they came back to Colby Hall,
and what happened to them at the annual encampment of the young cadets
is related in the third volume, entitled "The Rover Boys Under Canvas."

When Winter was once more at hand the younger Rovers thought they would
like to go on another outing with their chums, and in a volume entitled
"The Rover Boys on a Hunt" I related how they came upon a mysterious
house in the forest and uncovered a most unusual mystery.

In the present volume the scene is shifted from stirring doings at Colby
Hall to still more stirring doings in the famous oil fields in the
southern part of our country.

Once more I feel called upon to thank my numerous readers for the many
nice things they have said about these "Rover Boys" books. I earnestly
hope that the reading of the volumes will do them all good.

    Affectionately and sincerely yours,
        Edward Stratemeyer.




CONTENTS


       I OUT IN THE STORM

      II WHO THE ROVER BOYS WERE

     III TO THE RESCUE

      IV IN THE GYMNASIUM

       V THE RIVAL SCHOOL

      VI PLAYING HIXLEY HIGH

     VII NEWS FROM ABROAD

    VIII THE JOKE ON THE SNEAK

      IX THE GAME WITH LONGLEY

       X A GLORIOUS VICTORY

      XI BONFIRE NIGHT

     XII ON BLUEBELL ISLAND

    XIII WERNER'S ATTACK

     XIV BOUND FOR HOME

      XV BACK FROM FRANCE

     XVI DICK ROVER'S HEROISM

    XVII THE GREAT VICTORY PARADE

   XVIII BOUND FOR TEXAS

     XIX IN THE LAND OF LUCK

      XX PLOTTING AGAINST DICK ROVER

     XXI WORDS AND BLOWS

    XXII AMONG THE OIL WELLS

   XXIII A QUEER SUMMONS

    XXIV DICK ROVER'S REVELATION

     XXV DAVENPORT'S ACCUSATION

    XXVI NEWS OF RUTH

   XXVII CAUGHT BY THE ENEMY

  XXVIII AT THE FRANKLIN PLACE

    XXIX DAYS OF ANXIETY

     XXX THE NEW WELL--CONCLUSION




THE ROVER BOYS IN THE LAND OF LUCK




CHAPTER I

OUT IN THE STORM


"Jack, it looks as if we were in for another storm."

"Yes, and it's starting right now," declared Captain Jack Rover, as he
glanced through the trees to the overcast sky. "Don't you hear it on the
leaves?"

"It does beat everything!" declared Andy Rover, his usually bright face
clouding a bit. "It has rained enough in the past two weeks to last a
year."

"Do you know, I like these constant rains less than I liked being
snowbound up at Cedar Lodge," put in Lieutenant Fred Rover.

"Oh, there was some fun in being snowbound," declared Randy Rover. "A
fellow could go out in it and have the best time ever. But what can a
chap do when the rain is coming down to beat the band?"

"Well, you can go out and get a shower-bath free of charge," commented
his twin gaily.

"I'll take my showers in the gym," was the quick reply. "Gee! listen to
that, will you?"

There was no need for any of the four Rover boys to listen, or to look,
either. A blinding flash of lightning had swept the sky, followed almost
immediately by a crash of thunder in the woods behind them. Then
followed another crash, as of falling timber.

"It struck a tree, I'll bet a new cap!" exclaimed Jack.

"Yes, and it was a little bit too close for comfort, too," answered his
cousin Fred.

The thunder and lightning were followed by a sudden rush of wind which
caused the trees of the forest to sway violently. Then the downfall of
rain increased until it was little short of a deluge.

"We've got to get to some sort of shelter!" cried Jack. "And the sooner
we get there the better. If we stay under the trees we'll be soaked to
the skin."

"It's all right enough to talk about shelter," returned Randy quickly;
"but where are you going to find it? I don't know of even a log shack in
this vicinity."

"We might leg it down to the river," suggested his brother. "We can't be
very far from Rocky Bend."

"That's the talk!" burst out Fred Rover. "There is a cliff at the Bend,
and I remember there is a hollow under it which the river washed out
years ago."

"The trouble is you may find that hollow filled with water now, Fred,"
answered Jack. "Remember the heavy rains of the last few weeks have
caused something of a freshet. Even down at our boathouse the water is
unusually high."

Another streak of lightning followed by more thunder interrupted the
conversation. Then the wind seemed to veer around, and the rain came
swishing in under the tree where the four lads had been resting.

The Rover boys had left Colby Hall immediately after the day's lessons
for a tramp through the woods that bordered the Rick Rack River. They
had been kept indoors more or less for over two weeks, it raining nearly
every day. But that morning the sun had come through the clouds, and
they had thought to enjoy a much-desired outing.

All were clad in their cadet uniforms, and in addition wore their
shoulder capes and also their rubbers. They had found the roads and
paths running through the woods very wet, but did not mind this, being
glad to breathe some "real air," as Randy had expressed it.

"I just hate to be boxed in all the time," had been his words. "Give me
an outdoor life every time." And then in the exuberance of his spirits
he had turned what is commonly termed among athletes a cart-wheel. But
when his feet came down again he found the ground so slippery he
promptly landed flat on his back, much to the amusement of the others.

The four Rovers had asked some of their chums to accompany them, but two
of the other cadets had errands to do in town and the others wished to
write letters to their folks at home, so the four had gone off by
themselves. All were good walkers, and they had covered a distance of
several miles before the sky became again overcast.

"If we weren't so far from the school we might make a dash for it,"
suggested Jack.

"We can't run that far!" returned Fred, who was the smallest of the
boys. "We'd be all out of wind and simply get wet through and through.
Let's try for the river. We're sure to find some sort of shelter under
the rocks and bushes at the Bend."

"All right; here we go!" was Jack's quick reply. As the oldest of the
boys and as a captain of the Colby Hall cadets, he was naturally looked
upon as the leader.

He and Fred started side by side and Andy and Randy followed closely.
Their course was along a winding path leading over some rough rocks and
through some small overhanging bushes.

"Wow! What are you trying to do? Give me a shower-bath?" grumbled Randy
presently. Jack had pushed some long and well-saturated brushwood to one
side in passing. Now the bushes swung back into place, catching poor
Randy over the face and breast and showering him with water.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't hold the bushes back," said Jack. "You had
better not stick so close."

"Oh, well, a little more water doesn't count, Jack. We are getting
pretty well soaked anyway."

The wind was blowing so furiously the cadets had all they could do to
hold their capes tight around their shoulders as they progressed. More
lightning lit up the sky, and then they heard the fall of another tree
some distance away.

"It's going to be a humdinger of a storm," remarked Andy.

"Yes, and I'd give as much as two nickels to be safe back at the Hall,"
came from Fred. The constant thunder and lightning was beginning to get
on the smallest youth's nerves.

Presently the four Rovers caught sight of the river through the trees.
The stream, which at this point was nothing more than a mountain
torrent, boiled and foamed as it dashed over the rocks.

"It certainly is getting high," said Jack, as all paused for a moment to
catch their breath. "I can't remember having seen it like this before."

"Just look at the stuff coming down, will you?" remarked Fred. "There is
a whole lot of good firewood going to waste."

"I guess some one will pick it up by the time it reaches the lake,
Fred," said Randy. "There are a lot of poor people down at Haven Point
who get all their Winter firewood from this river."

"Yes, but it's not all driftwood," broke in Jack. "A good deal of the
timber is cut up in the woods and then floated down. That is quite an
industry among some of the old settlers up there."

The four cadets did not pause very long to survey the scene. Their one
idea was to find some sort of shelter from the storm; and with this in
view they hurried on parallel to the watercourse until they came to the
point of rocks commonly known as the Bend. Here the side of the river on
which they were located arose to a height of from twenty to thirty feet.
In one place there was a sheer rocky wall, but at other places the rocks
were much broken up, and consequently, irregular.

"There is the shelter I had in mind," said Fred, pointing with his hand.
"Come on; I think it will be just the place to get out of this storm."

"Any kind of a shelter will be better than standing out here," answered
Randy, and he and Fred set off on a wild scramble over the slippery
rocks with the others following.

"Be careful that you don't sprain an ankle or break a leg," warned Jack.

"Gee! a fellow would have to be a regular grasshopper to jump over these
rocks," grumbled Randy, and he had scarcely uttered the words when he
slipped down, landing with a thump on his chest.

"Hurt?" queried Jack quickly.

"N-no," spluttered his cousin. "B-but I kn-kn-knocked the wind out of
m-me."

In a minute more the boys had reached the shelter of the rocks where
they overhung the Rick Rack River. Here they found a shelter several
feet above the madly rushing torrent. The place was twelve or fifteen
feet in length, and several feet in depth. Above them was a shelving
rock which, while it did not shelter them completely, did much to ward
off the heavy downpour of rain.

"Not as comfortable as a Morris chair in the library at school,"
remarked Andy, as he swished the water from his cap, "but it's a good
deal better than being in the open."

"Provided we do not have to stay here too long," returned his twin.
"What time is it, Jack? I didn't bring my watch with me."

"Quarter to five," announced the young captain, after consulting his
wrist-watch.

"We ought to be on our way to the Hall," said Fred. "I don't know what
Captain Dale will say if we are late."

"Oh, he'll excuse us when he learns the truth," answered Jack. "Just the
same, I'd give a good deal if we were back safe and sound at the school.
We certainly can't stay here all night, and it looks as if this storm
was going to be a lasting one."

"Maybe we are in for another couple of weeks of rain," growled Andy.
"Gee! I wish the Weather Bureau would go out of existence. They have
been predicting clearing weather for over a week, and it never came at
all."

Crouching down in the shelter of the overhanging rocks, the four cadets
made themselves as comfortable as possible. Over them and out on the
river swished the wind and the rain. Just below them the mountain
torrent boiled and foamed with increasing violence, showing that the
heavy downpour was making matters steadily worse.

"I shouldn't want to have a cabin on the edge of this stream," remarked
Fred presently.

"Not much!" exclaimed Andy. "You'd be in danger every minute of having
it floated away."

"Look there, will you?" cried Randy a moment later, as he pointed out in
the stream. "If that isn't a chicken-coop then I miss my guess!"

"You're right! And it's got one or two chickens in it!" burst out Jack.

"That shows that some of the farm lands up the river must be under
water," remarked Andy.

"Maybe we'll see a house or a barn coming down next," cried Fred. "Gee,
this certainly is some storm!" he added, as another flash of lightning
lit up the sky. Then came the thunder, rolling and rumbling along the
river and the mountains beyond.

A quarter of an hour passed, and while the wind blew as violently as
ever, it seemed to the impatient cadets that the rain was slackening a
little.

"Maybe it will let up in the next half-hour or so," remarked Jack
hopefully. "Then, if we strike out for the turnpike, we'll be able to
get down to the Hall in no time."

"Oh, sure! Only three miles through the mud; and of course that's
nothing," remarked Andy airily.

All of the boys were sitting in silence, wondering what their next move
would be, when Jack suddenly raised his hand as if to listen.

"What was it?" queried Randy quickly.

"I thought I heard a yell for help," was the reply. "Listen!"

All did so, and presently above the rushing of the wind heard a man's
voice. Then came a shrill scream as if from a younger person.

"Somebody is in trouble!" cried Fred. "Listen! He is calling again!"

All strained their ears, and once more heard the yells of the man borne
along by the rushing wind. Then came that other shrill cry, as if for
assistance.

"They are in trouble, all right!"

"Where are they?"

"That cry came from up the river. Whoever they are, they must be right
around the Bend."

"Come on! Let's see what it means."

With these and other exclamations the four Rover boys left the shelter
of the overhanging rocks and crawled along a stony pathway leading up
the watercourse. Soon they passed around the Bend, and then came within
sight of a scene which almost appalled them. A mass of wreckage
consisting of a small tree and a quantity of newly cut timber had come
down the stream and become caught among the jagged rocks above the Bend,
and in the midst of this wreckage, with the water rushing and foaming
all around them, were a man and a boy, struggling wildly to save
themselves from drowning!




CHAPTER II

WHO THE ROVER BOYS WERE


"Look there, will you!"

"That man and boy will surely be drowned!"

"Why don't they swim ashore?"

"Most likely the stream is running too swiftly for them."

"Help! Help!" came hoarsely from the man. Evidently his exertions were
beginning to exhaust him.

"Save me! Save me!" screamed the boy, who seemed to be about Jack's age.
"Save me! Don't let me drown!"

The two unfortunate victims had caught sight of the cadets, who had by
this time come as close to them as the rocks on the bank permitted. The
man waved his arm frantically toward them.

"Can't you swim?" yelled Jack, to make himself heard above the wind and
the rushing of the water.

"I'm caught fast!" the man gasped out. "And my son is caught fast too."

"Both of my feet are fast!" screamed the boy. "Oh, please help us! Don't
leave us here to be drowned!"

"It's a couple of logs of wood that are holding us," went on the man in
a hoarser tone than ever. "They are jammed in between us and some rocks
and a floating tree. If you can only start the tree, maybe we can get
out of here."

Both the man and the boy were in the rushing water up to their armpits,
and occasionally the dashing element would fly over them in a spray that
hid them completely from view.

"Oh, boys, this is awful!" groaned Fred. "Can't we do something for
them?"

"We've got to do something," answered Jack. "We can't leave them there
to drown."

"But what are we going to do?" demanded Andy soberly.

"He said something about loosening the tree that has drifted up
alongside them," came from Randy. "Do you think we can do it, Jack?"

"I don't know. But we can have a try at it, anyway. And if we can't push
the tree, maybe we can get at the logs that are holding them down."

Jack was looking up the river as he spoke, and at a distance saw a
series of rocks jutting out for a considerable distance into the stream.

"I am going out on those rocks and then trust to luck to get over to the
other side," he said. "We can't get at that fallen tree from this side."

"All right, I'm with you, Jack," said Randy. And together they made
their way out on the rocks mentioned and the others slowly and
cautiously followed.

I know it will not be necessary to introduce the Rover boys to my old
readers. But for the benefit of those who are now meeting them for the
first time a few words of introduction will not come amiss.

In my first volume, entitled "The Rover Boys at School," I related how
three brothers, Dick, Tom and Sam Rover, were sent to Putnam Hall
Military Academy, where they made a great number of friends, including a
cadet named Lawrence Colby.

After passing through Putnam Hall, the boys attended Brill College, and
then joined their father in business in New York City, with offices on
Wall Street. They organized The Rover Company, of which Dick was now
president, Tom secretary and general manager, and Sam treasurer. The
three youths were married and lived in three connecting houses on
Riverside Drive, overlooking the Hudson River.

About a year after their marriage Dick and his wife became the parents
of a son, who was named John, after Mrs. Rover's uncle, Mr. John Laning.
This son was followed by a daughter, named Martha, after her great-aunt
Martha of Valley Brook Farm. The boy Jack, as he was commonly called,
was a sturdy youth with many of the qualities which had made his father
so successful.

It was around this time that Tom Rover and his wife Nellie came to the
front with a great surprise. This was in the nature of a pair of lively
twins, one of whom was named Anderson, after his grandfather, and the
other Randolph, after his great-uncle Randolph of Valley Brook Farm.
Andy and Randy, as they were always called, were exceedingly active
lads, in that particular being a second edition of their father, Tom.

About the time Tom's twins were born Sam Rover and his wife Grace became
the parents of a little girl, whom they called Mary, after Mrs. Laning.
Then, a year later, the girl was followed by a boy, who was christened
Fred after Sam Rover's old school chum, Fred Garrison.

Residing so close together, the younger generation of Rover boys, as
well as the sisters, were brought up very much as one family. When they
were old enough all were at first sent to private schools in the
Metropolis. But soon the boys, led by Andy and Randy, showed such a
propensity for "cutting loose" that their parents were compelled to hold
a consultation.

"We'll have to send them to some strict boarding school--some military
academy," said Dick Rover.

At that time Lawrence Colby, the Putnam Hall chum of the older Rovers,
was at the head of a military academy called Colby Hall. To this
institution Jack, Fred and the twins were sent, as related in detail in
the first volume of my second series, entitled "The Rover Boys at Colby
Hall." This military school was located about half a mile from the town
of Haven Point, on Clearwater Lake. At the head of the lake was the Rick
Rack River, running down from the mountains and woods beyond.

The school consisted of a large stone building facing the river at a
point not far from where the stream emptied into the lake. Close by was
a smaller building occupied by Colonel Colby and his family and some of
the professors, and at a short distance were a gymnasium and a
boathouse, and likewise bathing pavilions.

On arriving at Colby Hall the younger Rovers found several of their
friends awaiting them, including Dick Powell and Gifford Garrison. They
also ran into Nappy Martell, who had been far from friendly with them
while in New York, and likewise had trouble with an overgrown bully
named Slugger Brown, who was Nappy's crony.

As mentioned, Colby Hall was located about half a mile beyond Haven
Point. On the opposite side of the town was Clearwater Hall, a boarding
school for girls. During a panic at a fire in a motion picture house the
Rover boys became acquainted with several girls from Clearwater Hall,
including Ruth Stevenson, May Powell, Alice Strobell and Annie Larkins.
They discovered that May was Dick Powell's cousin, and the whole crowd
of young people soon became friends. Later on Mary and Martha Rover
became pupils at the girls' school.

Ruth Stevenson had an old Uncle Barney. The Rover boys, while out
hunting one day, did the old man a great service, and for this he was so
grateful that he invited them to spend their Winter holidays with him;
which they did, as related in "The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island."

On this island the lads met their former enemies, Nappy Martell and
Slugger Brown, as well as Asa Lemm, a discharged teacher of Colby Hall.
The boys exposed a plot against old Uncle Barney, and in the end caused
the old hunter's enemies to leave Snowshoe Island in disgust.

"I guess we haven't seen the last of Nappy and Slugger," said Jack; and
he was right. Those two unworthies turned up once again, as related in
the volume entitled "The Rover Boys Under Canvas." In that book I told
how the cadets went into their annual encampment and how after a Spring
election for officers Jack was made captain of Company C and Fred made
first lieutenant of the same command.

Among the cadets who wished to become a captain was one named Gabe
Werner, a great chum at that time of a lad named Bill Glutts. Having
failed of election, Werner did all he could to make things uncomfortable
for the Rovers, and in his actions he was aided by Glutts. But these two
young rascals were discovered in some of their nefarious doings, and,
becoming alarmed, Gabe Werner left the school camp and did not return.
Glutts was brought before Captain Dale, the teacher in charge of the
camp, and received a stern lecture and was deprived of many liberties.

While the Rover boys were at Colby Hall the great war in Europe opened
and our country was overrun with German spies and sympathizers. During
their time under canvas the boys made several surprising discoveries,
and in the end helped the secret service men to capture a hidden German
submarine. They likewise helped to round up the fathers of Nappy Martell
and Slugger Brown. Mr. Martell and Mr. Brown were sent to prison on the
charge of aiding the enemy, while Nappy and Slugger were marched off to
a detention camp in the South. When being taken away Nappy and Slugger
were very bitter against the Rovers, and vowed they would square
accounts the first chance they got.

"And they will do it, too. You'll see," was Fred's comment. "They are as
mad as hornets, and they will do everything they can think of to make
trouble for us."

When the call for army volunteers came Dick Rover and his brother Sam
had lost no time in enlisting. At first Tom Rover had been unable to get
away. But soon the business in New York City had been left in reliable
hands, and the three fathers of the boys had gone to the trenches in
Europe to do their bit for Uncle Sam. They had been in several
engagements, and Tom and Sam had received shell wounds, while Dick Rover
had suffered somewhat from a gas attack.

"Well, we can be thankful that it is no worse," had been Jack's comment
on receiving this news from abroad. "Just the same, I wish this awful
war was at an end."

During the Winter Gif Garrison had received a letter from his uncle
stating that he and his chums might use a bungalow up in the woods known
as Cedar Lodge. Gif at once invited Dick Powell, often called "Spouter"
because of his fondness for long speeches, and the Rover boys to become
his guests on an outing to the lodge. And how all of the lads went to
that place has been related in detail in the volume previous to this,
entitled "The Rover Boys on a Hunt." In that book they came upon a house
in the forest, and there uncovered a most unusual mystery. They found
that some Germans were getting ready to establish a wireless telegraph
station, and aided in the round-up of these men by the United States
authorities.

Mixed up with the German sympathizers were Gabe Werner and Bill Glutts,
and these badly scared youths had all they could do to convince the
authorities that they were really patriotic. Glutts and Werner
considered that they had been brought into ill repute by the connivance
of the Rovers and their chums, and they were exceedingly bitter against
the cadets.

"We are certainly making some real enemies," was the way Jack expressed
himself. "First Nappy and Slugger, and now Glutts and Werner. Every one
of those fellows will do all he can to injure us."

"Well, all we can do is to keep our eyes open for them," was Randy's
reply. "Personally, I'm not afraid of any of them."

"They are all sneaks, and sneaks are always cowards," added Fred.

Having finished their outing at Cedar Lodge, the four Rovers and their
two chums had returned to Colby Hall, there to plunge once more into
their studies and their other duties as cadets. It was now early Spring,
and talk of baseball filled the air, but with so much rain outdoor
practice was practically impossible.

Then had come a ray of sunshine, and the four Rovers had ventured forth
that afternoon thinking to have a pleasant little outing. But the
sunshine had quickly passed, and now they found themselves out in a
furious storm and face to face with a situation that was as appalling as
it was dangerous.




CHAPTER III

TO THE RESCUE


"Don't leave us! Don't leave us!" shouted the man in the middle of the
river, as he saw Jack and the others crawling over the rocky shore up
the stream.

"We're not going to leave you," answered the young captain of the Colby
Hall cadets. "We are going to try to get to that tree and move it. Keep
up your courage."

"Oh, please hurry!" screamed the boy in the stream. "The water is
getting higher every minute, and it's flying right into our faces!"

"We'll do what we can," shouted back Randy, and the others added similar
words of encouragement.

It was no easy task for the Rovers to make their way over the wet rocks,
covered here and there with slippery grass and weeds. More than once one
or another went down, and Fred gave his left elbow a bump, while his
cousin Andy received a scraping of the shins.

Fortunately, the downpour of rain was abating, so that they had a chance
to dash the water from their caps and faces and see better what they
were trying to do. They soon reached the last of the rocks jutting out
from the shore, and here the four came again to a halt to view the
situation.

"There is no help for it--we've got to jump right in and trust to luck
to reach the other side," said Jack.

"Let us take hold of hands. Maybe we can brace ourselves better,"
suggested Randy.

This plan was carried out, and a moment later found the four cadets in
water up to their knees. So swift was the current they had all they
could do to keep their feet, and Andy would have gone down had not his
brother and Fred held him up.

It was lucky for the lads that they had chosen a spot where the stream
was rather broad and shallow, widening out on the side opposite to the
rocky bluff. Nevertheless, at one point they found themselves in water
up to their waists, and here they had to struggle with might and main to
keep from being swept down to where the man and the boy were held
prisoners.

"Say, this is awful!" gasped Fred, when he at last found himself on a
safer footing.

"This river is running like a mill-race," was Randy's comment.

When they had reached a spot where the water was less than a foot deep
they stopped once more to regain their breath, and then, led by Jack,
moved cautiously down the river to the point where was located the
drifting tree the man had mentioned.

"Just see if you can't pull it toward the shore," directed the man. "But
be careful that you don't get hit when it swings around."

It was now that the young cadets' lessons in bridge building while in
camp came into good play. Jack gave orders as to just how the swinging
around of the tree might be managed. Then all took hold and pulled with
might and main.

"I don't see that it has budged any," gasped Fred, after half a minute
of the hardest kind of effort.

"Try it again, boys!" shouted Jack encouragingly. "Now then--all
together! One--two--three!"

Again the four sturdy boys exerted all their strength on the tree, and
this time they felt the lower end, which had been wedged in between some
logs and rocks, give way. Then, as they hauled the tree still farther
from the center of the river, it suddenly swung around and, caught by
the current, went dashing along on its course.

"Hurrah! There she goes!" shouted Randy, as the tree disappeared in a
veil of foam and spray.

"How about it?" shouted Jack to the man and boy. "Can you get loose
now?"

Both of the prisoners were exerting their utmost to release themselves
and did not answer. But their efforts were in vain, and soon they ceased
to struggle.

"It's no use! One of the logs is holding our feet right against the
rocks!" gasped out the man. "We don't seem to be able to budge it."

"I'm afraid it is going to break my leg!" screamed the boy. "I can't
stand the pressure much longer."

"I'm going out there and see what I can do," said Jack.

"If you go, so will I," returned Randy promptly.

"You can count me in, too," announced Andy and Fred simultaneously.

"Look out that you don't get drowned," went on Jack quickly.

"We'll be as safe as you'll be," returned Fred.

All went up the river a short distance so that they might not be carried
past the spot where the man and the boy were located. Then they struck
out bravely for the place where the logs were jammed in a heap. Some of
the sticks seemed to have been cut for railroad ties, while others
looked like fence rails, and there were not less than two dozen of them
in a jumble among the jagged rocks.

In a few seconds the cadets found themselves in this jam with the
furious current of the river trying to sweep them to one side or the
other. But they held fast, and as rapidly as possible loosened one log
or rail after another.

"Look out there!" yelled Andy presently, and all heeded his warning.
Then several of the logs bobbed up and went flying down the river.

This released the log holding the man and the boy, and the pair came up
spluttering.

"Do you think you can swim ashore?" questioned Jack.

"I guess I can make it," answered the man somewhat weakly. "Look after
my kid, will you?"

"We sure will!" answered Jack.

With Fred and Andy beside him, the man struck out for the shore, and all
were soon carried down the stream and under the rocky bluff. In the
meanwhile, Jack and Randy did what they could to aid the boy, and then
followed the others.

The swiftly flowing current of the Rick Rack carried the entire party
well past the overhanging rocks and then onward to a point where the
river widened considerably. Here they managed to get a footing.

"Thank fortune we are out of that!" exclaimed Fred, as he and the others
made their way over the sand and rocks and through the bushes to where
there was a grassy slope backed up by a number of trees.

"It was a mighty close shave for me and my kid," returned the man. "I
thought sure at one time we would be drowned."

"And we would have been if it hadn't been for these fellows coming to
save us," added the boy gratefully, and he shot an admiring glance at
the four dripping cadets.

"Are you soldier boys?" questioned the man, as the whole party gathered
under the shelter of a tree. By this time the rain was nothing more than
a fine drizzle.

"Not exactly," answered Jack. "We are cadets attending Colby Hall
Military Academy."

"Oh, yes, I've heard about that school," said the man. "They tell me
it's a very fine place. Well, all I've got to say is, if all the boys
there are as brave as you lads you certainly must have a bang-up crowd,"
and he smiled broadly. Then he clapped Jack on his shoulder. "I thank
you from the bottom of my heart for what you did for us. It was a nervy
thing to do--to risk your lives in that river. I shall never forget it.
If I were a rich man I'd want to reward you, but I must admit I'm just
about as poor as they make 'em."

"We don't want any reward," answered Jack. "I'm glad to be of service to
you."

"I guess we're all glad," added Randy, and the others nodded.

Then the young cadets introduced themselves and the man and the boy did
the same. The man said his name was John Franklin.

"This is my son Phil," he added. "We don't belong around here--that is,
not exactly. You see, I used to own a farm which was mostly in Texas and
partly in Oklahoma, a pretty big farm, though it wasn't very productive.
Some oil sharpers came along and made a sort of three-cornered deal, the
particulars of which I need not give you, but as a consequence almost
before I knew it I was done out of my farm and had next to no money in
my pocket. Then I came up here expecting to see some friends who might
help me in fighting those rascals, but the friends had moved away, and
nobody knew where to, so I was almost stranded. Then Phil and I got work
up in the woods, cutting timber and doing other odd jobs, and we had
steady employment until this rainy season set in."

"So you came all the way from Texas, did you?" said Randy to Phil
Franklin, with a smile. "It's a pretty long distance."

"Oh, we got sick of it down there after dad was done out of his farm by
those oil sharpers," answered Phil Franklin.

"Did they find oil on your farm?" questioned Fred.

"No. That is, they hadn't up to the time we left. You know it takes a
lot of time and money to sink an oil well. But they did us out of our
farm, and that's bad enough."

"Some day, if I ever get on my feet again, I'm going back to Texas and
have it out with those rascals," announced John Franklin. "They claimed
that their dealings with me were perfectly legal, but I don't look at it
that way. However, boys, that affair has nothing to do with you. As I
said before, I wish I could reward you, but all I can do is to give you
my very best thanks."

"And you can bet I'm thankful, too!" added Phil Franklin earnestly.

"Isn't it rather strange that you should be up here in such a storm as
this?" questioned the man from Texas.

"We got tired of staying indoors on account of the rain," answered Jack;
"so when it seemed to break away we thought we saw a chance to take a
hike just for the fun of it."

"And now we're glad we did take a hike," put in Randy.

"We were trying to cross the stream by the aid of a rope," explained
John Franklin. "The rope broke, and Phil was swept down the stream and I
went after him to make sure that he didn't get drowned. Then we got
mixed up in the logs and the tree, and you know the rest."

"You say you belong up the river?" questioned Andy.

"Yes. We've been stopping at Bossard's camp. I suppose we ought to be
getting back there now, or he'll be wondering what has become of us.
Besides that, we'll want some dry clothing. And you fellows will want
some dry clothing, too. Otherwise you might catch cold."

"Yes, we'll hike back to the school as fast as possible," answered Jack.
He held out his hand. "Good-bye to you, and good luck."

"You won't mind if I come down to see you some time, will you?"
questioned the man. "I want your teachers to know how brave you have
been."

"Come down, by all means," answered Jack. "But don't pile on the bravery
stuff, please. We did only what any healthy young fellows would do."

"I don't know about that. I guess I know real heroes when I see 'em,"
answered John Franklin, with a grin.

"I'd like to see you fellows drill. It must be great," put in his son
Phil.

"Come down any time and ask for us," answered Fred. He was rather taken
by Phil Franklin's open manner.

A few words more passed, and then the Franklins hurried up the river in
the direction of the lumber camp from which they had come. Then the
Rovers turned in the direction of Colby Hall.

"I'm glad we went to the rescue," remarked Andy, when on the way. "They
seem a pretty decent sort."

"All the way from Texas," mused his twin. "That's certainly some
distance."

As the Rovers hurried to the Hall they talked the matter of the rescue
over in all of its details.

"It was certainly a queer meeting," was Fred's comment. But little did
he or his cousins dream of the still queerer meeting with the Franklins
that was to come in the future.




CHAPTER IV

IN THE GYMNASIUM


"Company attention! Carry arms! Present arms! Shoulder arms! Forward
march!"

Captain Jack Rover, assisted by Lieutenant Fred Rover and his other
officers, was drilling Company C in a corner of the gymnasium of Colby
Hall. It was two days after the adventure on the Rick Rack River, and it
was still raining, so that drilling in the open was almost out of the
question.

The four cadets who had taken part in the rescue of John Franklin and
his son Phil had explained the situation to Captain Dale on their return
to the school and had been warmly praised by that old West Point
military man for their bravery.

It may be mentioned here that Captain Dale had been in charge of the
school since Colonel Colby had volunteered for the war and gone to
France to fight.

Many of the cadets hated the rain and hoped it would soon clear. They
loved drilling in the open far more than when held indoors, and they
also wished to get at baseball and other Spring sports.

"It's a shame it doesn't let up," remarked Gif Garrison, after the
drilling had come to an end and the rifles had been put away in their
cases along the wall. Gif was a big youth, and the recognized head of
many of the athletic sports.

"Well, we have to take such matters as they come," returned Spouter
Powell, running his hand through his heavy brush of hair. "Were it not
for the gentle rains, and the dews later on, the fields and slopes of
the hills would not be clothed in the verdant green which all true
lovers of nature so much admire. Instead we might have a bleak
barrenness, a dissolution which would appall----"

"Gee, Spouter is at it again!" broke in Will Hendry, usually called
Fatty by his chums because of his rotundity. Fatty was extremely
good-natured, and as a consequence nearly every one admired him.

"Nothing gentle about this rain!" exclaimed Dan Soppinger, another
cadet. "It's coming down in bucketfuls. Say, that puts me in mind--I've
got an essay to write on moisture. Can any of you tell me why
condensation takes place when----"

"Hurrah! the human question-box is once more with us," broke in Andy
Rover. "Dan, I think you'd die if you couldn't ask questions."

"Humph! how is a fellow going to learn anything if he doesn't ask
questions?" retorted Dan.

"You might walk around with a set of encyclopedias in your pocket,"
proposed Randy.

"That's it, Dan. Get a regular thirty-volume set while you are at it.
You've got about thirty pockets in your suit, haven't you? You could put
one in each pocket."

"I wish it would clear off to-morrow, at least enough to go to Haven
Point," said Fred. "They have a dandy moving picture at Mr. Falstein's
place."

"Oh, I know the piece you mean, Fred," cried Andy slyly. "It's entitled
'Meeting the Girls; or, The Great Conspiracy.'"

"Did the girls say they were going to see the pictures, Fred?"
questioned Jack quickly.

"Mary telephoned that they might go," answered Fred. "That is, she said
she and Martha might, and if they go probably some of the others will go
too."

"Then we must get down to see the pictures by all means," answered Jack.
"That is, if the storm lets up. If it keeps on raining I don't think any
of them will show up."

"Let's go in for a little gymnastic work," cried Randy, and had soon
shed his cap and his coat. He leaped up to one of the turning-bars, and
was soon busily going through various gymnastic evolutions. His twin
joined him, and then they did a little team work, much to the admiration
of some of the others present.

"How about a swing from one bar to the next?" called out Ned Lowe. Ned
was known as the chief singer of the school and was very handy with a
mandolin.

"All right, Ned; I'll swing against you," called Andy quickly.

"Not much!" was Ned's ready reply. "I know you can beat me. See what you
can do against Walt Baxter."

Walt Baxter was a clean-cut athletic youth who had made good in various
contests in the gymnasium and on the baseball and football field. He was
the son of Dan Baxter, who at one time had been a bitter enemy of the
older Rovers. But the senior Baxter had reformed, and his son was well
liked by the younger Rovers.

"All right, Walt," called out Andy. "Do you want to swing against me or
against my brother Randy?"

"I'll swing against both of you," answered Walt pleasantly.

The details of the little contest were quickly arranged, and it was
decided that Randy should make the first swing, Walt the second, and
Andy should come last. The swing was to consist of a flying leap from
one bar to the next, and then to a large pad spread beyond the second
bar.

"One try only now, remember!" cried Dan Soppinger. "Do your best,
everybody."

It did not take Randy long to get into position, and then he made a
swing and a leap which were gracefulness itself. He landed on the pad
lightly, but quite close to the second bar.

"I'm sure I can do better than that!" cried Walt Baxter; and in less
than a minute he too had made the swing, landing half a foot beyond the
mark set by Randy.

Andy eyed the distance carefully, and then prepared to make the swing.

"Here's where I do the flying-fish act!" he cried merrily.

"What's going on here? A contest? Let me see it!" came a voice from
behind the crowd that had assembled to see the performance. Then Henry
Stowell, a small cadet who was a good deal of a sneak, pushed his way to
the front of the gathering.

"Hi, Codfish, what are you trying to do?" exclaimed Ned Lowe, who had
been elbowed rather rudely by the small cadet.

"I want to see what's going on," cried Stowell.

"All right, Codfish, take it in for all you're worth," called out Fatty
Hendry, and then put out his foot and pushed the sneak of the school
forward.

It was a vigorous shove, and in order to keep himself from pitching
headlong Henry Stowell took half a dozen quick steps forward. Andy was
just in the act of launching himself from one bar to the next when
Stowell's forward movement carried him to a point directly between the
two bars. As a consequence Andy's feet struck the smaller cadet in the
shoulder, and both went down in a heap on the floor.

"Stop! Stop! What are you trying to do--kill me?" yelled Stowell, as
Andy came down on top of him in anything but a gentle fashion.

"I'd like to know what you are trying to do, Codfish?" demanded Andy,
using a nickname for Stowell which the latter abhorred.

"I didn't do a thing! Fatty Hendry tried to trip me up."

"And you shoved your way in where you had no business to be," retorted
Fatty. "Just the same, I'm sorry he got in your way, Andy," he added.

"Are either of you hurt?" questioned Jack quickly.

"He spoiled my jump," answered his cousin.

"And he kicked me in the shoulder and knocked me down," whined Stowell.
"I've a good mind to report him."

"What! After all we did for you in the woods last Winter?" demanded
Fred. They had found Stowell with Werner and Glutts and had rescued the
little cadet from the bullies and seen him safe on his way home.

"I don't care! My shoulder hurts terribly," whined Stowell.

"Never mind, Codfish, we'll give you a mustard plaster to put on it,"
cried Ned Lowe. And then in some confusion the sneak of Colby Hall
withdrew from the crowd.

"I don't suppose you feel like trying the swing now," remarked Walt
Baxter to Andy. "If you want to call it off, all right."

"Not much!" was the quick reply. "I got pretty well shaken up by hitting
Codfish, but just the same, I'm going to make the swing." And a moment
later Andy did so.

"And he wins!" declared Dan Soppinger, after measurements were made.
"He's a good six inches ahead of anybody!"

"Well, some time we'll try it again, and then maybe I'll be able to do
better," remarked Walt Baxter good-naturedly.

"I'm afraid you've made Codfish sore on us once again," remarked Jack to
Andy, after the little contest had come to an end and the cadets were
breaking up into various groups.

"If he is going to get sore over that he can do it," retorted Andy.

"I supposed he would be real friendly after all we did for him up in the
woods last Winter," remarked Fred.

"Well, that shows what's in a fellow is bound to come out sooner or
later," answered Randy. "Codfish always was a poor stick, and I suppose
he always will be. Just the same, I did hope he would turn over a new
leaf."

When the cadets awoke on Saturday morning a pleasurable surprise awaited
them. The storms of the weeks previous had completely passed, and the
sun was shining over the hills most gloriously.

"Oh, but isn't this the best ever!" cried Randy, after glancing out of
the window.

"It's simply scrumptious," retorted his twin; and then to show how good
he felt, Andy turned a flip-flap over his bed. Then he caught up a
pillow and threw it through an open doorway at Fred, who had just
started to dress.

"Hi, you! what's this--a bombardment by the Huns?" yelled Fred, and
promptly returning by sending a sneaker at his cousin. But the footwear
struck Randy, who promptly returned the missile and followed it up with
a book and a wadded-up towel.

"Hi, you fellows! stop the rough-housing!" shouted Jack. "Do you want to
be reported?"

"Who's going to report us--you?" questioned Andy.

"No. But some monitor will, or some teacher. And then a fat chance
you'll have of going to Haven Point this afternoon."

"Oh, that's so. We don't want to have our off-time cut off," put in
Randy quickly. "The war's over, the armistice is signed, and everybody
can go home and get washed up," he added, with a grin.

But while he was speaking Andy had advanced upon Fred, and now the two
started to wrestle. Jack tried to stop them and in the confusion the
three upset a small stand, sending a dozen or more books to the floor
with a thump. Almost immediately came another thump on one of the doors
leading to the corridor.

"Now we've done it," whispered Fred, in sudden alarm.

"Pick up those books! Quick!" answered Andy, and got down on his knees
to do so while Jack righted the stand which had held the volumes. At the
same time Randy leaped to pick up the pillows and otherwise straighten
the connecting rooms which the Rovers occupied.

"Ho, you fellows! aren't you up yet?" came from the corridor in the
voice of Gif Garrison. "Let me in. I've got some important news to tell
you."

"Oh, it's only Gif!" murmured the twins in relief.

"He said he had important news," put in Jack. "I wonder what it can be."




CHAPTER V

THE RIVAL SCHOOL


One of the doors to the rooms occupied by the Rovers was quickly swung
open and Gif Garrison strode in, followed by Dick Powell. Gif held a
morning newspaper in his hand, one which had been delivered to the
school only a short while before.

"You said you had important news, Gif," said Jack. "What is it?"

"There is an item here in the newspaper Gif wants to show you," put in
Spouter. "I am sure it will interest every one of us."

"It's not much of an item so far as size goes," said Gif. "But it
certainly is important--or at least it may be, especially to you
Rovers--seeing that none of us has ever been particularly friendly with
Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown."

"What! have you news of those two rascals?" demanded Randy.

"Did they run away from that detention camp in the South?" broke in
Fred.

"They'd be fools to do that," returned Andy. "The military authorities
would round them up in no time. It's no easy matter to keep out of the
clutches of Uncle Sam if he wants you."

"No, they haven't run away. They have simply been given their freedom,"
answered Gif. "Here--you can read the news for yourselves."

The item he referred to was only twelve lines long and located at the
bottom of a column on one of the inside pages of the newspaper. It was
dated from a well-known detention camp in the South, and gave a list of
six prisoners who had had another hearing and been given their freedom.
Two of the names were Napoleon Martell and Slogwell Brown, Jr.

"Well, they're loose, all right enough," was Andy's comment, after they
had perused the item. "I wonder what they'll do?"

"One thing is certain, being detained that way by the Government will
certainly prove quite a stigma," said Jack. "I shouldn't like to have
anything of that sort against me."

"I suppose they'll have it in for us," said Randy. "They always loved us
a lot--I don't think!"

"Do you imagine they would dare show themselves around here?" questioned
Fred quickly.

"Why not?" queried Spouter.

"I don't think they'll come here," answered Jack. "It's too slow for
them around Haven Point. You know how sick they got of it the last time
they were here. They'll probably head for some big city, where they can
have a good time on whatever money they can get hold of."

Gif and Spouter passed on, to carry the news to other cadets who might
be interested in it, and the Rovers hurried to get ready for roll-call
and breakfast. While they were finishing their dressing they continued
to discuss the news.

"I was hoping that we had seen and heard the last of Nappy and Slugger,"
said Fred; "just as I was hoping that we had seen the last of Werner and
Glutts."

"They are like bad pennies--ready to turn up when you least expect it,"
said Andy. "Just the same, they had better keep out of my way if they
don't want to get into trouble," he continued, his eyes flashing.

During the morning the boys had to attend a drill and then prepare a
number of their lessons for the following week. But directly after lunch
they had the time to themselves, and the four Rovers hurried off to
town, and Gif and Spouter went with them.

As has been mentioned before, Haven Point possessed a first-class motion
picture theater, run by a man named Felix Falstein, who on more than one
occasion had shown his friendship for the cadets. Jack and Fred had
communicated with their sisters, and Martha and Mary had agreed to meet
them at a certain hour at the theater entrance.

"Not here yet," said Jack, when the crowd arrived.

"You can't expect girls to be on hand always," said Andy gaily. "You've
got to give 'em a chance to get the hair-buns over their ears."

"And fourteen hooks hooked up on the shoulder where you can't reach
'em," added his twin, grinning.

"Here they come now!" interrupted Fred. "Do you want me to tell them
about the hooks and the hair-buns?" he added slyly.

"You say a word, Fred, and you'll be killed in cold blood!" retorted
Andy, while Randy shook a playful fist at his cousin.

In the crowd of girls coming around the corner of the street were not
only the two Rovers and May Powell, the cousin of Spouter, but also Ruth
Stevenson, Annie Larkins, and Alice Strobell.

"Have we been keeping you long?" questioned Martha Rover, as she came up
to her brother.

"Only a couple of minutes, Martha," answered Jack.

"We haven't even had a chance to read the billboards," put in Andy.

"I was so glad to see it clear off," remarked Ruth Stevenson, as she
quite naturally paired off with Jack, while May Powell turned to talk to
Fred. And then she added, as she gazed admiringly at the young captain
in his neat-fitting uniform: "I understand you and your cousins have
been doing the hero act again."

"Who told you that?" questioned Jack quickly.

"Never mind who told me. We've heard all about how you rescued a man and
his son from the Rick Rack River. Oh, Jack! it was a grand thing to do."

"But who told you, Ruth?"

"It was Mr. Franklin himself, if you want to know it."

"Where in the world did you meet Mr. Franklin?"

"Why, he works up at Bossard's lumber camp, and Bossard supplies our
school with cordwood. Mr. Franklin and his son brought down a load of
wood, and he told someone how the Rovers had come to their rescue. Then
those folks pointed Martha and Mary out to them, and as we happened to
be with your sister and your cousin at the time we heard the whole
story. Mr. Franklin said it was a very brave thing to do, and he was
awfully sorry that he couldn't offer you some reward--not but what I am
sure, Jack, you wouldn't accept it," the girl continued quickly.

By this time all the boys and girls had paired off and soon the cadets
had purchased tickets and all entered the showhouse. They found seats
together, and sat down to enjoy themselves. A comic picture was being
thrown on the screen, and at this the young folks laughed so heartily
that it put all of them in the best of humor. Then came a slight
intermission, and they had a chance to talk over their personal matters.

"I heard something a few days ago that interested me quite a good deal,
Jack," said Ruth. "It was from that new school at Darryville, the
Longley Academy."

The girl referred to a school which had been opened the Fall previous.
It was supposed to be something of a physical culture academy where as
much attention was paid to athletics as to mental studies. The school
had been inaugurated too late to do anything in football, but had given
out that they would be in the baseball field the following Spring.

"What did you hear about Longley, Ruth?"

"Why, there is a boy there I used to know quite well, Tommy Flanders. He
says they have organized a first-class baseball club, and that they are
going to put it all over Colby Hall--those are his exact words."

"Humph! that remains to be seen, Ruth."

"Have you received a challenge from them?"

"Not yet. But Gif Garrison is expecting one every day. We heard
something of the talk. Do you know if this Tommy Flanders is much of a
player?"

"He used to be considered quite a pitcher. In fact, he was so good as a
boy pitcher that some of the local fans wanted him to sign up in one of
the minor leagues. But of course they wouldn't let him do that because
he was too young to leave school."

"That certainly sounds interesting, especially if this Flanders pitches
for Longley."

"Tommy told me that they had not less than a dozen first-class baseball
players at their academy. He boasted that they would wipe up the diamond
with your school--I am now quoting his words."

"Evidently Tommy knows how to blow."

"Oh, but, Jack, he really is a first-class player. And you must remember
that they have advertised Longley Academy as given over especially to
athletics and gymnastics. Probably they'll pay more attention to
baseball and football than they will to their studies."

"Well, if we get beaten we'll get beaten, Ruth, that's all. We'll do our
best."

"And I certainly hope you win, Jack," said the girl, giving him a warm
glance. "I would like to see you take some of the conceit out of Tommy
Flanders."

After the performance was over the young folks adjourned to a nearby
ice-cream parlor where they indulged in that dainty to their hearts'
content. While eating their cream and munching the cake they had ordered
with it, Jack mentioned what Ruth had told him regarding the boys at the
new rival school.

"Yes, they said they were going to send a challenge soon," said Gif.
"And I've been warned by others that they intend to put a first-class
nine on the diamond to beat us."

"Then it will be up to you, Gif, to show them what Colby Hall can do,"
said Spouter. He himself was not much of a ball player, although he had
been on the nine occasionally.

The young people had almost finished their ice cream and cake when they
saw two girls and two boys come in. As they entered Ruth clutched Jack
by the arm.

"There is Tommy Flanders now!" she whispered, pointing to the larger of
the two youths.

Tommy Flanders showed that he was a good deal of a sport. He was dressed
in a loud-looking suit, had pointed shoes, and he wore a cap set well
back on his head. His face was rather red, and his forehead was
overshadowed by a heavy mop of reddish-brown hair.

"Hello, Ruth! How are you?" he called out pleasantly, when still at a
distance. "Glad to see you," and he smiled at all of the girls and
bowed.

After this there was nothing to do but to introduce the newcomer, and he
promptly introduced the two girls, who proved to be residents of Haven
Point, and then introduced his friend, Pete Stevens.

"Pete is going to be my backstop on our nine," explained Tommy Flanders.
"You know, I suppose, that I am the pitcher," he added in an off-hand
manner.

"And he's one wonder pitcher, believe me!" piped in Pete Stevens. He was
a stocky youth with small ferret-like eyes.

"I understand you're going to have quite a nine," remarked Jack
politely.

"Say, it will be the finest baseball aggregation this part of the
country has ever seen--that is, for a school nine," boasted Tommy
Flanders. "You know, our school is long on athletics. We intend to put
it over everything within traveling distance."

"That is, provided the other schools are not too scared to accept our
challenges," added Pete Stevens.

"You won't find Colby Hall afraid to accept any reasonable challenge,"
retorted Gif, somewhat disgusted with the boasting manner of the
newcomers.

"We've waxed a few schools around here, and maybe we can take a round
out of Longley Academy," Fred could not help but add.

"You'll never take a round out of Longley, believe me," sneered Pete
Stevens. "We'll put it all over you fellows just as sure as you're
born."

"Well, we'll see," remarked Jack, and his face showed that he did not
admire having this discussion before the girls.

"Say, I'll tell you what I'll do, Rover," said Tommy Flanders, advancing
close to the young captain. "I'll bet you ten dollars that we win the
first game of ball we play with you."

"You'll have to excuse me, Flanders, but I'm not betting," answered
Jack.

"Afraid, are you?"

"I said I was not betting. And now if you'll excuse us, we'll finish our
ice cream and cake," added the young captain coldly.

"Oh, well, if you're afraid to bet, we'll let it go at that," responded
Tommy Flanders carelessly. Then he and his companion and the girls with
them moved off to a table in the rear of the ice-cream parlor.

"Of all the conceited fools----" began Andy, when Jack caught him by the
arm.

"Drop it, Andy," and Jack looked at his cousin and then at the girls,
all of whom had been much disturbed over the possibility of a quarrel.

"Oh, sure, let's drop it," was Andy's quick answer. And then to change
the subject he began a funny story and soon he had the girls shrieking
with laughter. Then they finished their ice cream and cake and left the
place.

"Oh, Jack, if you do play them I hope you beat them good," said Ruth,
when the girls and the cadets were ready to separate.

"We'll do our best," was his reply.

"I hope when that match comes off we'll be able to see it," said Martha.

"Of course you'll all have to be on hand," answered her brother quickly.
"We'll want you girls to encourage us."

"I want to see you beat Longley Academy," declared Mary.

"So say we all of us!" came in a chorus from the others.




CHAPTER VI

PLAYING HIXLEY HIGH


"Now for some real baseball practice, boys!"

"Right you are, Jack! I'm mighty glad it has cleared off at last."

"If we are going to have our annual game with Hixley High two weeks from
to-day we had better get busy," put in Gif Garrison. "I had no idea they
would ask for a match so early in the season."

"It's on account of the game they expect to have this year with Longley
Academy," remarked Walt Baxter. "You see, they are to play the new
school too."

"Yes, and I heard that those Longley fellows were boasting they were
going to do up Hixley, just the same as they were going to do us up."

"Gee, but that Tommy Flanders makes me sick!" broke in Fred. "I really
think he's the most conceited fellow I ever met."

"Just the same, I've heard he's a pretty good player," remarked Gif. "He
is not only a good pitcher, but quite a good batsman. And they say that
his crony is also quite a good all-around player."

The regular nine, minus two players who had left the school the term
previous, were out on the diamond practicing. A little later, with two
substitutes, they were to play a match of five innings against a scrub
team picked from the most available of the ball players left.

Jack Rover was in the box and was putting some swift ones over the
plate. As yet he did not have perfect control of the horsehide, and as a
consequence it occasionally went over the catcher's head.

Three games of baseball had been arranged for Colby Hall, one with
Hixley High, another with Columbus Academy, and a third with Longley.
They were to take place in the order named and at intervals of one week.

The practice soon came to an end, and then the five-innings game with
the scrubs started. This proved to be quite a contest, and Fred Rover
distinguished himself by knocking a three-bagger, while Jack struck out
six batsmen, much to his satisfaction. When the contest came to a close
the regular nine had won by a score of 11 to 3.

"Well, that shows the old nine is still in the running," remarked Dan
Soppinger, when the boys were rushing to the gymnasium to get under the
showers.

"Right you are, Dan," answered Jack. "Just the same, that scrub team
isn't Hixley High, or Columbus or Longley, either, please don't forget
that."

"Oh, I know that just as well as you do, Jack. We've got to play much
better than we did to-day if we expect any victories in the regular
games."

"Don't forget that we'll be up against Dink Wilsey again," said Gif.

"I don't believe that any of us are likely to forget it," grinned Dan.
All remembered Dink Wilsey very well. He was the pitcher for Hixley High
and a fellow who was destined to become talked about in baseball
circles. He had a puzzling delivery, and sometimes struck out even the
best of the batsmen with ease.

From that day forth Jack and the other members of the ball team put in
every spare moment at practice. Gradually the young pitcher obtained
better control of the sphere, and then he did what he could to increase
his speed and make his curves more puzzling.

The contest with Hixley High was to take place on the latter's grounds,
and almost all the pupils at Colby Hall made the journey to see the
game. Many girls were also present from Clearwater Hall and from the
town.

"Oh, Jack, I hope you win!" said Ruth Stevenson, as he strode forward to
greet her and the others who had arrived from the girls' school.

"We're going to do our best, Ruth," answered the young pitcher. And
then, as he noticed something of a cloud on her face, he added jokingly:
"You don't have to look so glum about it."

"I'm not glum over the game, Jack. I was thinking of something else,"
she answered soberly.

"Why, what's the matter, Ruth--has anything gone wrong?"

"Yes, Jack. But--but maybe I'd better not tell you anything about it,"
she faltered.

"Has anybody been annoying you?"

"I can't tell you now--I'll tell you after the game if I get a chance,"
whispered Ruth, as several of the other boys and girls came closer.

At that moment came a blare of tin horns and the noise of many rattles,
and then the Hixley High boys let out a wild yelling:

"Hixley High! Hixley High! Hixley High forever!" and this was repeated
over and over again.

"Wake up, fellows!" came suddenly in a bellow from Ned Lowe. "Everybody
wake up for Colby Hall!" And then there boomed out this refrain:

    "Who are we?
     Can't you see?
     Colby Hall!
     Dum! Dum! Dum, dum, dum!
     Here we come with fife and drum!
     Colby! Colby! Colby Hall!"

"That's the stuff! Give it to 'em again!" yelled Fatty Hendry, wiping
the perspiration from his forehead, and once more the school refrain
boomed forth.

"Oh, isn't that grand!" remarked Mary Rover.

"The best ever!" answered her cousin Martha.

"It makes me feel just as if I was being raised off my feet," remarked
May Powell.

The game began with Hixley High at the bat. There was a wild cheering
for Rigby, the center-fielder, when he came up, stick in hand, and also
yells of encouragement for Jack.

"Put him out in one-two-three order, Jack!"

"Don't let him get a smell at first!"

"Knock the cover off it, Rigby! Make a homer!"

After two strikes, one of them a foul, Rigby managed to get a safe hit
to first. But then Jack tightened up and presently the side was retired
without a run.

"That's the stuff! Hold 'em to goose eggs all the way through!"

"Now, then, Colby, go to it and make a couple!"

But alas for this hope! One player got as far as third, but there the
inning ended.

Goose eggs also went up for both sides in the second, third and fourth
innings. Then two players of Hixley High managed to make singles, and on
a fumble by one of the new men playing for Colby one of these hits was
turned into a run.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! That's the stuff! Score one for Hixley!"

"Hold 'em down! Hold 'em down! Don't let 'em score again!" came from the
Colby Hall supporters. And the players from the military school did
"hold 'em down" to the single tally which had been made.

With the score 1 to 0, the game ran along to the eighth inning. Then Dan
Soppinger managed to knock out a two-bagger, and he was followed at the
plate by Randy. Two men were already out, so it was a crucial moment in
more ways than one.

Dink Wilsey was still in good form, although the strain was evidently
telling upon him. He sent in two swift balls, which were called strikes,
one being a foul. Then came two wide ones, which were put down as balls
by the umpire.

"Hit it, Randy!" sang out Gif. "Paste it for all you know how!"

Randy was on the alert, and although the next ball pitched was a bit
low, he swung for it, sending it down toward right field.

"Run, Dan! Run!"

"Leg it, Randy!"

And both players did run for all they were worth. Dan had started as
Randy swung for the sphere, and consequently touched third a few seconds
later. Then, as he saw the ball was still down in right field with the
fielder chasing madly after it, he came in to the home plate. Randy had
meanwhile reached first and was halfway to second, which he reached
safely by sliding.

"Hurrah! One run for Colby Hall!"

"And Randy Rover made it a two-bagger!"

"Some playing, I'll say!"

The excitement was now intense as Colby Hall saw a chance to win. But
this chance went glimmering a few seconds later when a pop-fly was
gathered in with ease by the Hixley pitcher.

"Never mind, we've tied the score, and that's something," said Gif. "Now
all we need do is to hold them down and make one more run."

In the ninth inning Hixley High fought desperately to score, and Colby
Hall did the same. But neither side got further than first.

"A tie game! A tie game!" was the cry.

"Now, then, it takes only one run to win!"

The excitement was now at a fever heat, and this continued through the
tenth and eleventh innings. By this time it was growing dark, so that
the fielders had difficulty in seeing the ball.

"I think we had better call it a tie and let it go at that," said the
Hixley captain to Gif. "What do you think about it?"

There was a brief consultation, and several of the regular school
coaches were called in. In the meanwhile it grew darker rapidly, and
presently the contest was called off.

"It's too bad we couldn't finish it," remarked Jack, as he shook hands
with Dink Wilsey.

"We'll have to finish it next year," said the rival pitcher, with a
grin.

There was a good deal of talk about the contest, but gradually the crowd
dispersed, and many of the Colby boys started for the Hall. The Rovers
and some of their chums rejoined the girls, and walked with them to the
automobiles which were to take Martha and Mary and the others back to
Clearwater Hall.

"I'm so sorry you fellows didn't win that game," pouted May Powell, on
the way.

"Well, we did our best," answered Fred. "And believe me, it's something
to hold down a school like Hixley with such a pitcher as Dink Wilsey."

"You don't mean to say he can pitch any better than Jack!" put in Ruth
quickly.

"Oh, I'm not saying anything against Jack," answered Fred. "Just the
same, Dink's a great pitcher, and Jack will say so himself."

"He certainly is," was the reply from the oldest Rover boy. "He'll be on
one of the professional teams one of these days. If Longley Academy has
any such pitcher in Tommy Flanders, we've got our work cut out for us."

Most of the boys and girls went on to where the automobiles were in
waiting, but Jack kept to the rear until the whole crowd were out of
hearing.

"Now, then, Ruth, tell me what is troubling you," he said in a low
voice.

"Oh, Jack, I don't believe I ought to tell you! I should have torn it up
and forgotten all about it," returned the girl.

"Torn it up? What do you mean? Was it a letter?"

"Yes, a letter that came yesterday. It is nothing but a scrawl, and it's
unsigned. It was sent from New York."

"What did the letter say? Did somebody threaten you, Ruth?"

"No, Jack. Somebody threatened you. If it hadn't been for that, I
wouldn't think of bothering you about it."

"Humph! this is interesting. Have you got the letter with you?"

"Yes. Here it is," and the girl brought forth the letter from her
handbag. As she had said, it was postmarked New York City, and was
addressed to her at the school. The envelope was a plain one, and inside
was a single sheet of plain white paper. On this, evidently in a
disguised hand, had been scrawled the following:

     "RUTH STEVENSON: If you know when you are well off you won't
      have much to do with Jack Rover or his cousins. They are a bum lot
      and some day you will be ashamed of every one of them. Jack Rover
      never treated anybody square, and some day you can take it from me
      that I intend to pound his handsome face into a jelly. Better
      listen to my warning, or you will be very sorry you had anything
      to do with that crowd.

     "A FRIEND."




CHAPTER VII

NEWS FROM ABROAD


"That's a fine letter, I must say!" remarked Jack, after perusing the
scrawl a second time. "Evidently the writer loves me a whole lot."

"Of course it must have come from one of those fellows who used to go to
school with you," said Ruth. "Perhaps that Martell boy or that Brown
boy."

"I don't think Nappy Martell would dare send such a letter," answered
the young captain of the cadets. "It would be more like Slugger Brown to
do it. But you must remember that those fellows have just been released
from that detention camp." Jack mused for a moment. "This looks more
like the work of Gabe Werner to me."

"Oh, Jack! suppose he should attack you some time when you weren't
aware?"

"That's a risk a fellow has to run. Of course, I expect to keep on my
guard, not only against Gabe Werner but also against Martell, Brown and
Glutts. The whole four don't like any of our crowd."

"But just read the dreadful thing he says," continued the girl, as she
caught Jack tightly by the arm. "He says he'll pound your face into a
jelly! Oh, Jack! don't you ever give him a chance to do that," and
Ruth's face showed her solicitude.

"There is one thing you have to remember, Ruth, and that is the writer
of an anonymous letter is generally a coward," Jack answered as lightly
as he could, more to ease her feelings than anything else. "So don't you
worry about this letter. Have you mentioned it to any of the others?"

"No; I didn't want to worry them."

"I'm glad you didn't say anything to Martha and Mary. I know it would
upset them a good deal, and maybe they would think they'd have to write
to their mothers about it. Just keep it to yourself. And please don't
destroy that letter; it might come in useful some time. Maybe we can
trace the handwriting."

"But you'll tell your cousins at the Hall, won't you?"

"Yes; I think I had better, so that they can be on their guard, too. We
don't want to run any unnecessary chances when it comes to those
rascals." And there the talk on this subject came to an end.

It was not until late that evening, when the four Rovers were retiring,
that Jack got a chance to mention the anonymous letter to his cousins.
All were tremendously interested, and speculated on who the writer could
be.

"My opinion is it was either Gabe Werner or Slugger Brown," said Randy.
"Neither Nappy Martell nor Bill Glutts would have the nerve to do it."

"I'll side with Jack and say it was Werner," said Fred.

"And I'll side with my brother and say it was either Slugger or Werner,"
added Andy.

Two days later came word which filled the Rover boys with joy. It was
announced that, as the war in Europe was at an end, Colonel Colby might
be expected home any day.

"Hurrah! that means that our folks will be coming home too before long!"
cried Fred, throwing up his cap. "Isn't this the best ever!"

"Maybe we'll get word from our fathers in a day or two," returned Andy.
"Anyway, I hope so."

"My! what a grand old time we ought to have when they do get home," said
Randy, his eyes glistening.

"We'll tear the woodpile down!" announced his twin, and then turned a
handspring just to ease his feelings.

The talk among the cadets at the Hall was now divided between the return
of Colonel Colby and the baseball game with Columbus Academy. In the
meantime Hixley High played a game with Longley Academy and lost by a
score of 3 to 7.

"Gee! that doesn't look good to me," announced Gif soberly, when the
news came in. "All we could do this year was to hold them to that tie."

"That score would seem to prove that the Longley nine is just about
twice as good as the Hixley nine," remarked Dan.

"I see by the score that Tommy Flanders struck out nine men. He
certainly must have been going some," came from Fred, who was studying
the score sheet with interest.

"Yes, and the Longley fellows made two home-runs and three two-baggers,"
put in Spouter. "I must say they didn't do a thing to Hixley High but
punch holes into them."

"We've certainly got our work cut out for us," announced Jack, and then
went to practicing harder than ever.

But if the score between Longley and Hixley had been a disappointment to
the Colby Hall team, there was quite a little comfort for them in the
game with Columbus Academy. The Columbus boys did their level best to
win, and yet when the game came to an end Colby Hall was the victor by a
score of 8 to 3.

"Well, that shows we are still in the running!" cried Gif that evening.
"Those Columbus fellows certainly put up a stiff game."

"They certainly did!" answered Randy. "Their pitcher wasn't such a
wonder, but their fielding was certainly great and they have some very
good batsmen."

"Yes, and their shortstop is as good as you can find them," added
Spouter.

"I've got one complaint to make about that game," said Ralph Mason, who
was the major of the school battalion. "I don't know whether I ought to
speak to you fellows about it or to Captain Dale."

"What is that, Major?" questioned Gif quickly.

"It has to do with little Henry Stowell," answered the young major
seriously.

"Oh, I think I know what you mean!" cried Ned Lowe. "Isn't it the way in
which he was talking to some of those Columbus players?"

"It is," was Ralph Mason's reply. "Then you heard it too, did you?"

"I heard a little. I hoped to hear more, but just then somebody came up
and took me away."

"If it was about the ball game, Major, I think I ought to know of it,"
said Gif.

"The trouble is, Gif, I don't really know whether Stowell meant anything
by it or not--or rather if he understood what he was doing. He is so
very innocent in some things I hate to accuse him of actual wrong-doing.
But one thing is certain: Those Columbus Academy fellows pumped him as
much as they could about our players, and especially about Jack Rover's
style of pitching. And they also asked a great number of questions about
the two new players on the nine."

"Codfish is a sneak, and always was!" burst out Dan Soppinger. "Oh, I
know you fellows feel inclined to stick up for him," he added, looking
at the Rovers; "and once in a while I feel sorry for him myself. But,
just the same, he isn't to be trusted."

"If you'll excuse me for saying something, Major, I don't think I'd take
the matter to Captain Dale--at least not just yet," put in Jack. This
conversation took place during the cadets' off time, and the young
captain felt he could talk freely to his superior officer. "If we find
that Stowell really tried to injure us, I guess we can take care of
him," and he smiled suggestively.

"All right, we'll let it go at that," answered Ralph Mason; and then
walked away, satisfied in his own mind that he had said quite enough to
the other boys.

By careful inquiry it was ascertained that several other cadets had
noticed Stowell talking to some of the Columbus students and had
overheard some of the remarks. All were of the opinion that the little
cadet had told altogether too much, although it was possible that he was
innocent in the matter.

"We certainly ought to teach him some kind of a lesson," remarked Andy.

"I wonder where Codfish is now?" questioned his twin quickly.

"I don't know, but I think we can soon find out. Come on--let us look
him up."

"Hi! what are you up to?" demanded Jack, feeling that something was in
the air.

"Oh, let them go, Jack!" cried Fred. And then he added to the twins: "If
it's anything worth seeing, let us know about it."

"We will!" called back Andy gaily.

The twins hunted around the school, and at last found Henry Stowell in
the gymnasium, where he was sitting on a bench watching some other
cadets going through their athletic exercises.

"If we can only manage to keep him here a while we might be able to fix
up something in his room for him," suggested Randy.

"I guess that would be easy," answered his twin. "There is Walt Baxter.
We'll get him to engage Codfish's attention for a while."

Walt was called to one side and the situation explained to him. He
readily consented to see to it that Stowell was kept from going up to
his room for some time. Then the twins hurried off in the direction of
the Hall.

"We must teach him a lesson that he won't forget in a hurry," remarked
Randy.

"Right you are!" was his brother's reply.

Half an hour later the other Rovers, along with Gif, Spouter and Dan,
were coming up to their rooms when they were met at the head of the
stairs by the twins.

"We're all ready for Codfish," announced Randy, somewhat excitedly.
"Just wait until I go down to the gym and tip Walt Baxter off."

"Walt and Codfish are in the school library. They just came over,"
announced Dan. "Ned Lowe is with them. They were asking Codfish a lot of
fool questions in history, as to when Hannibal discovered the south pole
and things like that."

Randy ran down and in a minute more was in the school library. He caught
Walt Baxter's eye and nodded to let the other cadet know that everything
was all right. Then Walt did the same to Ned.

"Well, I'm getting sleepy, Stowell," said Walt, stretching himself. "I
think I'll go and hit the hay."

"Ditto here," came from Ned.

"I'm real tired myself, and I'd have gone to bed some time ago if you
hadn't asked me so many questions," answered Henry Stowell, with a yawn.

"Then you don't really know much about who discovered the south pole?"
said Ned seriously. "You see, I want to put it in a composition I'm
writing about cats."

"I don't see what cats have to do with the south pole," said Stowell
innocently.

"Oh, that's easy, Codfish," said Walt. "Cats like to climb poles, and
the south pole is the south pole, isn't it?" And then he and Ned walked
off and joined Randy, and all hurried upstairs to the Rovers' rooms.

As luck would have it Henry Stowell this term was occupying a room by
himself. It was a fairly large apartment and furnished with a single
bed, a chiffonier, a table, and several chairs. In one corner was a
closet in which he kept most of his clothing and also a handbag.

"Well, what have you done?" questioned Fred, as the twins appeared.

"We fixed it up so Codfish is going to spend a real pleasant night,"
answered Andy, with a grin.

"But what did you do?" came from Jack.

"Just you fellows wait and see. Walt, will you go out and let us know
when Codfish comes up?"

"I will," answered Walt Baxter, and hurried to a corner of the corridor
where he might see without being seen.

In less than five minutes he came back hurriedly with the information
that Stowell had just entered his room.

"All right, then, fellows, come with me and maybe you will see or hear
something worth while," announced Randy gleefully.

"How are we going to see anything when he shuts his door on us?"
questioned Dan.

"His window is right next to the platform of the new fire-escape,"
answered Andy. "We'll go out on that, and then maybe we'll see
everything that goes on. He always keeps a bright light in his room and
always pulls down the shade. But we fixed it so the shade will come down
only so far, leaving a crack that we can look through with ease."

"I hope you haven't done anything to get us in bad with Captain Dale,"
remarked Jack.

"Oh, this isn't as bad as all that, Jack," answered Andy. "It's just
something to wake Codfish up."

Led by the twins, the other Rovers and their chums hurried down the side
corridor to where there was a red light and a sign, "Fire Escape." Then
they threw open a window, and in a moment more stood on the escape
mentioned. It was of steel, fairly wide, and ran along past several
windows, the second of which belonged to the room occupied by Stowell.

As they stepped out on the fire escape they saw a light flash up in the
sneak's room and a few seconds later the window shade was pulled down.

"Just as I told you!" Andy exclaimed. "I knew the shade would come down.
And see! there is the crack we mentioned. Now, then, line up under the
window and we'll see what happens next."




CHAPTER VIII

THE JOKE ON THE SNEAK


The window of Stowell's room had been left open so the boys outside
could hear, as well as see, what went on within. They saw the sneak of
the school yawn and stretch as if he was tired, and then he lost no time
in preparing to retire.

In one of his pockets he carried a piece of cake, and this he ate with
satisfaction while undressing. Then, when clad only in his pajamas, he
turned off the light and moved in the semi-darkness toward the bed.

"Now watch," murmured Andy, somewhat excitedly.

All outside did so, ranging their heads close together at the open slit
of the window. They heard Stowell throw back the covers of the bed and
then sit down. An instant later came a cry of surprise.

"What's this? Oh, dear me! something is in the bed!"

The sneak of the school bounced to his feet so hurriedly that he tipped
over a chair standing alongside of the bed and pitched forward headlong
to the floor.

"Hi! Leave me alone! Get away from me! Scat!" they heard him ejaculate
and then give a little squeal of terror as he scrambled once more to his
feet. Then they heard him rush to the side of the room and once more
make a light.

As the rays filled the apartment those outside saw something of what had
taken place. Not less than half a dozen mice were doing their best to
hide themselves here and there under the bed and the chiffonier and in
the corners of the room. One or two scampered directly past Stowell, who
set up another squeal of alarm and then leaped up on the nearest chair.

"He's enjoying it, all right," murmured Randy.

"Shut up!" came promptly from Fred. "If he sees us we'll have to dust
for it."

But the eyes of the sneak were not turned toward the window. He was
looking only at the mice, two of which were still scampering across the
floor trying to find some hole of escape.

"Somebody's been playing a trick on me," murmured Stowell to himself.
"Just wait till I find out who did it, I'll fix him!"

He remained standing on the chair, not caring to venture on the floor in
his bare feet and with the mice still at liberty. He had placed his
shoes under the head of the bed.

"I've got to clear them out somehow," he muttered to himself. "But I
guess I'd better put my shoes on first. Then I'll get that baseball bat
in the closet and do it."

With extreme caution Codfish descended from the chair and walked
hurriedly across the floor to the head of his bed. He drew forth the
shoes and started quickly to put them on.

His toes were just going down into one of the shoes when he let out a
yell which would have done credit to a wild Indian. One of the mice had
found refuge in the footwear, and now it gave a bound and scrambled up
inside the leg of Stowell's pajamas.

"Hi! Get out of there! Help! Murder! Take that beast away! Oh, my! he'll
bite me sure! Ouch! he's bit me already!" And then the sneak of the
school began to dance around wildly, in the meantime clutching savagely
in the region of the knee where the mouse had found lodgement. Caught,
the little animal had nipped Codfish in the finger.

"Gee, this is the richest yet!" chuckled Walt Baxter.

"Better than a moving picture," was Gif's comment.

"He'll wake the whole school if he makes much more noise," remarked
Jack. "Be prepared to skip out when the time comes."

"I'll have somebody arrested for this," howled Codfish, as he still
struggled with the mouse that was up his leg. "This is beastly! Oh,
dear! what in the world shall I do?"

He gave a savage tug at his pajamas, and the next instant there was a
tearing sound and the cloth parted at the knee. Out leaped the mouse, to
disappear quickly under the bed.

Panting from his excitement, and muttering to himself, the sneak of the
school, making sure that the shoes were now both empty, slipped his feet
into them and then hurried toward the clothing closet located in a
corner. He intended to get a baseball bat with which to either kill the
mice or chase them out into the hallway.

"Now watch," whispered Randy. "Here is where he gets another surprise."

Stowell flung open the door of the closet in a hurry. As he did this he
found himself confronted by the figure of a Colby Hall cadet. The
intruder had a handkerchief tied over his face.

"Hi! what are you doing here?" cried Stowell in sudden surprise. "You're
the fellow who's playing the trick on me, eh? I'll fix you, you see if I
don't!" And then struck by a sudden idea, Stowell slammed shut the door
of the closet and locked it. "Now I've got you, and you'll suffer for
this nonsense--you see if you don't!" he shouted.

"Gee! this is the best yet!" burst out Andy in a low voice. "I didn't
think he'd lock that dummy in."

"We only put it there to scare him," explained Randy. "It's one of his
old suits stuffed out. We thought it might fall out on him when he
opened the door. But I guess it's better the way it is," he chuckled.

"Where did you get those mice?" Gif questioned.

"Oh, that was easy," answered Andy. "I met Pud Hicks, the janitor's
assistant, this noon and he was telling me of a whole lot of mice he had
caught down in the barn during the past week. He had the bunch in a box,
and he said he was going to take them down to the river and drown them.
I knew where the box was, and getting them was easy."

By this time Codfish had slipped into his trousers, and now he put on
his coat.

"He's going downstairs to tell Captain Dale or one of the professors!"
exclaimed Jack in a low voice. "We had better get out of here."

The young captain's advice was followed, and all lost no time in leaving
the fire escape and entering the school building. They were just in time
to see the door to Stowell's room flung open and the sneak hurry
downstairs.

"I must see what he does!" cried Randy, who could never let any portion
of a joke get away from him, and he hurried down the stairs after
Stowell.

Captain Mapes Dale was in the office of the school writing a letter when
Stowell burst in upon him with scant ceremony.

"Oh, Captain Dale, won't you please come quick?" cried the little sneak,
all out of breath with excitement. "Somebody put about a million mice in
my room, and I've got the fellow locked up in my clothes-closet."

"A million mice in your room, Stowell!" exclaimed the captain, leaping
to his feet. "Surely you must be mistaken. You don't mean quite that
many," and a faint smile crossed his features.

"Well, there are a whole lot of them, anyway," returned Codfish. "When I
opened my bed they leaped right out at me and they ran all over the
floor, and then one of them went up the leg of my pajamas and bit me.
See how I had to tear my pajamas to get him out?" and he showed the
spot.

"And you say you have the culprit locked up in your closet?" demanded
Captain Dale.

"Yes, sir. Won't you please come up and see who it is before he has a
chance to break out? Of course he'll try to get away if he can. He won't
want to be caught."

"Yes, I'll go up immediately. Are the mice up there still?"

"Yes, sir. I shut the door on them so they couldn't get away."

"Then I had better call the janitor and his assistant first, so that we
can round up the million mice, more or less."

Fortunately Pud Hicks was not around the building, so could not be
summoned. But Job Plunger, the school janitor, was at hand, and so was
Bob Nixon, the school chauffeur.

"I guess I know where those mice came from," said Nixon, with a grin.
"Hicks caught a lot of them down at the barn. He was going to drown 'em
down at the river to-morrow. Somebody must have got hold of 'em and put
'em in Stowell's room."

Nixon and Plunger followed Captain Dale and Stowell to the cadet's room.
In the meanwhile Randy had rejoined the other Rovers and their chums,
and likewise rapped on half a dozen doors as he passed, and as a
consequence fully a score of cadets were made aware that something
unusual was happening.

"What's the row?"

"Is it a fire?"

"Are they going to celebrate the victory over Columbus Academy?"

"If anything good to eat is being passed around count me in."

"Codfish is holding a celebration!" cried Andy from around a corner and
in a disguised voice. "Everybody watch for something good from Codfish's
room."

The appearance of Captain Dale with Stowell only whetted the curiosity
of the assembled students, and from half-closed doors they watched the
head of the school and the little sneak approach the room. The door was
left open, and a moment later out popped one mouse, quickly followed by
another.

"Hello, there's a mouse!"

"Hi, catch those fellows!" yelled Bob Nixon, who was on hand with a
trap, followed by Job Plunger with a box.

The school janitor was quite deaf, and so could hear nothing of what was
going on.

The escape of the two mice was a signal for the assembling students to
begin a chase after the rodents. Then another mouse came out into the
hallway, and various things were thrown at the scurrying animal.

"Here, here! Stop that noise out there!" commanded Captain Dale. "There
is no sense in making such a racket over a few little mice."

As he spoke the head of the school strode to the closet door and
unlocked it.

"Now come out here and give an account of yourself," he said, as he
threw the door open.

"Now you are going to catch it for playing such a trick on me," exulted
Codfish.

The figure in the closet, of course, did not move, and Captain Dale
reached forth to pull the offending cadet into the room. But then he
stopped short, and something of a smile crossed his face.

"What is the matter with you, Stowell--are you blind?" he demanded.

"Blind?" queried the sneak of the school, bewildered. "What do you
mean?"

"Can't you see that this is only a stuffed figure? And it hasn't any
head on, either; only a handkerchief tied around some underwear with a
cap stuck on top."

"Oh, Captain Dale, you don't mean it!" cried Codfish, and fell back
against the wall, too upset to say more.

"But I do mean it," went on the military man, and reached for the dummy,
which immediately toppled over on the floor, the head and cap rolling in
one direction and the legs and shoes in another. "It's nothing but an
old uniform stuffed out."

"Where's them mice?" cried Job Plunger in a shrill voice. "Where's them
mice, I say?"

"You'll have to find them, Plunger," answered Captain Dale.

"Behind 'em?" remarked the deaf janitor. "Behind where?"

"I did not say behind anything," shouted the captain. "I said you'd have
to find them."

"Oh. Well, I'll find 'em if they're in the room," said Plunger.

By this time the noise and excitement had increased so that nearly half
of the school was out in the corridor in front of Stowell's room. They
saw the remains of the stuffed figure on the floor, and many quickly
surmised that a joke had been played.

"What is Codfish doing with that dummy?"

"Has he been using it for an imitation Hun to shoot at?"

"Maybe he's going to join the football team next Fall and wants to
practice up."

"Has he been taming mice on the sly?"

"Gee! I don't want to stay in a place where a fellow keeps mice in his
room."

In the midst of this talk the janitor and the chauffeur did what they
could to round up the escaped mice. They managed to capture two of the
rodents and kill two others, and that was all that could be found.

"If there were any more, the rest must have gotten away," remarked Bob
Nixon.

"This is simply a practical joke," announced Captain Dale, after a few
more words with Stowell. "Have you any idea who played it?"

"I don't know exactly, sir, but I think maybe I can find out," answered
the sneak. He felt much subdued, especially as he saw the eyes of many
of the other cadets on him.

"Well, you go to bed now, and I'll take this matter up to-morrow
morning," said Captain Dale. "Boys, I want you all to retire, and at
once," he went on with a wave of his hand to those outside. And then the
cadets dispersed to their rooms.




CHAPTER IX

THE GAME WITH LONGLEY


"I guess that will hold Codfish for a while," remarked Randy, when the
Rovers were once more by themselves in their rooms and the excitement
had died away.

"I'll have to make it a point to see Pud Hicks the first thing in the
morning," returned his twin. "Pud might tell somebody that he showed
those mice to me."

"Yes, you'd better do that, by all means," put in Jack.

"And another thing you ought to do, is to let Codfish know why this
trick was played on him," came from Fred. "Otherwise it will be a good
effort thrown away," and he grinned.

"I'll leave a note under his door," said Randy, and a little later
scribbled out the following on a card:

     "This is what you get, Codfish, for giving information to our
     baseball rivals. Be careful in the future to keep your mouth shut.

     "THE AVENGERS."

"I reckon that will hold him for a while," said Randy, and before going
to bed he slipped out into the corridor and placed the card under
Stowell's door.

Early in the morning Andy saw the assistant janitor and easily arranged
for Pud Hicks to say nothing about the mice.

"Why, over a dozen of the cadets saw those mice," said Hicks; "so they
can't blame any of this on you." And it may be mentioned here that the
investigation which followed came to nought.

Two days later Andy burst in on the others like a whirlwind, his face
glowing with excitement.

"Come on downstairs, everybody!" he called out. "Colonel Colby has just
arrived! Come on, and ask him what he can tell us about our fathers."

At this announcement there was a general stampede. All of the others
dropped the textbooks they had been studying and made a simultaneous
rush for the corridor and the stairs. Down, pell-mell, went the whole
crowd, to join a group of cadets in the lower hall, everyone of whom was
doing his best to shake Colonel Colby's hand first.

The owner of the school was dressed in his uniform as a United States
officer, and looked taller and more bronzed than ever. His face wore a
broad smile and he gave each of his pupils a hearty handshake.

"Oh, Colonel, we are so glad to see you back!" cried Jack, with genuine
pleasure as he wrung the officer's hand. "And I hope you have good news
of my father and my uncles?"

"I am as glad to see you as you are to see me, Captain Rover," returned
Colonel Colby. "And it is a genuine pleasure to get back to this school
after having endured such arduous days in France."

"And what about our folks?" added Fred, as he too came in for a
handshake.

"When our troopship left France your folks were expecting to follow in
about ten days or two weeks. Most likely they are already on the way."

"And they were well?" asked Randy anxiously.

"Quite well. Of course, you know that your father and your Uncle Sam
were wounded by some flying shells, and that your Uncle Dick suffered
from a gas attack. But they are all recovering rapidly, and I don't
doubt but what they will soon be as well as ever."

"Somebody said that dad had won a medal of honor," said Jack, his eyes
lighting up with expectancy.

"It is true. He did win such a medal. And he deserved it. Probably he
will give you all the particulars when he arrives."

That was all Colonel Colby could say at the time, because many others
wanted to shake his hand, from Captain Dale down through all the
teachers and the cadets to the school janitor, and even the women
working in the kitchen and the men in the stables. He had been on good
terms with all his hired help, and now they showed a real affection for
him which touched his heart deeply.

"Just think of it! Our fathers may be back in ten days!" exclaimed Andy.
"Isn't it the best ever!" And he commenced to dance a jig just to let
off steam.

The boys lost no time in telephoning to the girls, and it may be
imagined that Martha and Mary were indeed glad to hear the news.

The next day, just as the session was closing, the Rovers were informed
that a man and a boy were out on the campus waiting to see them. They
hurried out and found themselves confronted by John Franklin and his son
Phil.

"I've been promising myself right along that I'd come and see you
fellows," said John Franklin. "But somehow I couldn't get around to it.
But now that my son and I are going back to Texas I felt I'd have at
least to say good-bye and thank you once again for what you fellows did
for us."

"And as my father wasn't able to reward you, I thought maybe you
wouldn't mind if I made each of you something out of wood with my
jackknife," put in Phil Franklin, somewhat awkwardly. "You know,
handling a jackknife is one of my specialties," he added, with a grin.
"So please accept these with our compliments. You can divide them up to
suit yourselves."

He handed over a package done up in a newspaper, and, unfolding this,
the Rovers found four articles carved out of hard wood. One was an
inkstand, another a miniature canoe, a third an elaborate napkin ring,
and the fourth a tray for holding pins and collar buttons.

"Why, those are real fine, Phil," said Jack, as he looked the articles
over.

"You don't mean to say you did all of this work with a knife?"
questioned Andy admiringly.

"Every bit of it," was the reply.

"They are beautiful," was Randy's comment, after an inspection.

"Better than you could buy in the stores," added Fred.

"I'm pleased to know that you like my son's handiwork," said John
Franklin.

"They are real good," said Jack. "But we don't feel like taking these
things without giving you something in return," he added hastily.

"Oh, that's all right!" cried Phil Franklin. "You've done enough for us
already. You keep the things and don't say anything more about it."

"And so you're really going back to Texas?" questioned Fred, after the
presents had been inspected again.

"Yes, we're going to start to-morrow noon," answered John Franklin.
"I've got a little money together now, and I'm going back to see if I
can't put a crimp in those oil-well sharpers who did me out of my farm."

"Well, I certainly hope you get the best of those fellows if they
swindled you," said Randy heartily.

The conversation lasted half an hour longer, and during that time Randy
and Jack excused themselves and slipped off to their rooms. When they
came back they had a small package containing two of their best story
books.

"Here are a couple of books which perhaps you'll like to read on the
trains," said Jack. "We want you to accept them with the compliments of
all of us."

"Oh, story books!" And Phil Franklin's eyes lit up with pleasure. "I
love to read. Are you sure you can spare them?" And when they said they
could he continued: "That suits me immensely."

A little later father and son took their departure.

"Pretty nice people," was Jack's comment. "I certainly hope they get
their rights."

This meeting took place on the day when Longley Academy played Columbus
Academy. The cadets, remembering the score between Hixley High and
Longley, were very anxious to know how the Columbus team would fare
against the new school.

"Well, Longley wins again!" exclaimed Ned Lowe, who came in with the
news.

"What was the score?" questioned Gif with much interest.

"Eleven to two."

"You don't mean it!" cried Spouter. "Why, that's worse than the game
they took from Hixley High!"

"One thing is certain: The Longley team knows how to play," said Jack
decidedly. "We may not like Tommy Flanders and his bunch, but, just the
same, you've got to hand it to 'em for knowing how to put it across."

"It looks to me as if we might be in for a defeat," remarked another
cadet.

"Defeat! Don't talk that way, Leeds," stormed Gif. "Colby Hall is going
to win!"

"Well, I hope so, but I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," answered
Leeds. He was a new pupil, and was of a decidedly pessimistic turn of
mind.

The victories of Longley over Hixley and Columbus served one good
purpose. It caused Gif to call his team together and read them a stern
lecture.

"We are evidently up against a bunch of real ball players," said the
captain. "We've got to buckle down in this contest and do our very best,
and then some. I want every man to practice all he can from now on. And
when the time comes I want every man to play the game with all the
brains and all the nerve that are in him."

Longley Academy being devoted, as mentioned before, very largely to
physical culture and athletics, had an extra fine baseball grounds with
a beautiful new grandstand and bleachers. The new school was anxious to
show off these grounds, and so had insisted that the game be played
there, and this had been agreed to after it was announced that one half
of the stands should be set aside for the cadets of Colby Hall and their
friends.

It had been noised about that this game was to be "for blood," so that
when the time came for the contest the grounds were overflowing with
people. Everybody from Colby Hall and Longley was there, and in addition
quite a respectable crowd from Hixley, Columbus, and from Clearwater
Hall. There was also a scattering of people from the town and the
surrounding districts.

"Oh, Jack, aren't you nervous?" questioned Martha, when he met the girls
from Clearwater.

"If I am I'm not going to show it," he replied to his sister.

"Jack, I'm going to root harder than I ever did in my life," said Ruth,
as she held up a banner marked Colby Hall and another marked Clearwater
Hall.

"We're all going to root," declared May Powell.

The stands were speedily filled to overflowing, and there was a large
crowd assembled behind the foul line on either side of the diamond.
There was a loud cheering when the Colby Hall nine appeared, and a like
cheer when the Longley players put in an appearance.

"Hurrah for Colby Hall!"

"Three cheers for Longley Academy!"

"Here is where the cadets walk off with another one!"

"Not much! Here is where Longley snows you under!"

And so the gibes and comments ran on, while every once in a while wild
cheering rang out, mingled with the noise of horns and rattles.

The toss-up sent Longley to the bat first, and with a cheer from his
friends Jack took the ball and walked down to the box.

"Now then, fellows, swat it good and plenty!" cried Tommy Flanders. "We
want about half a dozen runs the first inning."

"He doesn't want much," murmured Fred.

The first man up was a heavy hitter named Durrick. He had one strike and
two balls called, and then sent a low one to left field which gave him
first base with ease.

"Hurrah, boys! Keep it a-going!" cried Tommy Flanders, dancing around
joyously.

The second man up knocked two fouls and then a short fly to third. But
then came another safe hit to right field which took the batter to first
while the other runner gained third.

"Take it easy, old man," cautioned Gif, as he came up to speak to Jack.
"Don't let them rattle you."

"They are not going to rattle me," answered Jack sturdily.

He gritted his teeth, and then sent in three swift balls so quickly that
the next batsman was taken completely by surprise and was declared out
almost before he knew it.

"That's the stuff, Colby! Two out! Hold 'em down!"

"Knock it out! Bring Durrick in!"

The next player up was a tall, lanky chap named Wilks. He swung savagely
at the sphere as if intending to knock it over the back fence.

"If he ever connects with it it will be a homer with three runs in,"
thought Gif.

Two strikes were called, and then three balls. Then Jack took a sudden
brace and sent in a swift high one. Wilks leaped for it, and the crack
of the bat could be heard all over the grounds.

It looked like a safe hit to center field, but as the crack of the bat
sounded on the air Jack Rover was seen to leap high up with hand
out-stretched. The next instant he came down with the sphere safe within
his grasp.

[Illustration: JACK ROVER LEAPED HIGH UP AND CAUGHT THE BALL.]

"Fly ball! Batter out!"

Longley Academy had played its first inning without scoring.




CHAPTER X

A GLORIOUS VICTORY


"Good for Jack Rover!"

"That was some stop, all right!"

"Maybe it didn't sting his hand!"

So the cries ran on, and when the Colby Hall nine came in from the field
the young pitcher was wildly applauded.

In the meantime, however, Gif ran to him anxiously.

"It was the best ever, Jack, but did it hurt your hand--I mean enough to
stop your pitching?"

"It's not going to stop my pitching, Gif," answered the young pitcher.
His hand stung as if burnt by fire, but he was not going to admit it.

"Oh, wasn't that a glorious play!" burst out Ruth Stevenson, and her
glowing face showed her pleasure.

"I hope Jack wasn't hurt," answered the young captain's sister
solicitously.

There was another cheering when Dan Soppinger stepped to the plate with
his bat in hand. Dan had two strikes called on him, and then sent a fly
to left field which was gathered in with ease.

"One out! Keep it up, Longley!"

"Don't let 'em see first!"

Gif was the next player up, and by hard work he managed to rap out a
single between short and second, which carried him to first in safety.
But the next two players failed to connect with the sphere, and the
goose egg went up on the board for the cadets.

After that there was a good deal of seesawing for four innings, and
without any results so far as scoring was concerned. Longley made four
hits, and so did the Colby boys. But no runner got further than second
base.

Of course the catching of the red-hot liner had done Jack's pitching
hand no good. It was a little swollen in the palm, and this prevented
the fingers from working quite as freely as would otherwise have been
the case.

"Now listen, Jack," said Gif, taking him to one side after Jack had
pitched through the fifth inning. "If your hand hurts you, say so, and
I'll put another fellow in the box."

"Never mind my hand, Gif, as long as I can treat them to goose eggs,"
answered the young pitcher.

"But I don't want you to ruin your hand."

"That's all right. When I feel I can't do any more pitching I'll let you
know."

In the sixth inning there came a break. But this could not be called
Jack's fault. The first Longley player up, a chap named Mason, managed
to dribble the ball toward third, and before either the baseman or the
shortstop could send it over he had reached first. Then, on a wild throw
to second, the runner not only covered that bag, but went on and slid in
to third.

"Now we've got 'em a-going, fellows!" was the Longley yell.

"Right you are!"

"Nobody out, and a man on third! This is the time we wipe up the diamond
with them! Everybody on the job!"

The next player went out on a pop fly. Then came Tommy Flanders, who did
his best to line out a single. This was stopped by the second baseman,
who, however, threw the ball to the home plate, thus cutting off the
possibility of a run.

"Hurrah! Two men on base, and only one out!"

"Here is where Longley does some big scoring!"

"Jack, are you sure you can hold 'em?" Gif questioned anxiously, as he
came up to the pitcher.

"I'll do it or die in the attempt," was the answer, and Jack gritted his
teeth.

It was certainly a trying situation, but the young pitcher refused to
allow his nerves to get the better of him. He gave a signal to the
backstop, and then sent in an outcurve, which the batter swung at in
vain. Then he sent in a straight ball, following this by another
outcurve, and almost before he knew it the batter was struck out.

"Hurrah!" came from Spouter Powell. "That's the way to do it! Two men
out! Now for the third man!"

The Longley player to come up was one of their best batsmen, and Jack
realized that to give him anything like a good ball to hit would be
fatal, so he fed the man nothing but those which were high and wide. As
a consequence the fellow had two strikes called on him and four balls,
and took his base, moving Flanders to second.

"Hurrah! Three men on base!" was the Longley yell. "Now, then, Simmons,
bring 'em all in!"

Simmons came forward with a do-or-die expression on his face. He had one
strike called on him, and then knocked a low one toward centerfield. At
once he started for first, while the fellow on third dashed forward for
the home plate. The ball was gathered in as quickly as possible, and the
runner from first to second was put out. But the runner from third had
come in just before.

"Hurrah! That's one run, anyhow!" shouted the Longley supporters.

"I told you we could do it," said Tommy Flanders. He was glad of the
run, yet tremendously chagrined to think that he had not been permitted
to score.

"Now we've got to tie that score or better," said Gif, when the Colby
Hall boys came to the bat.

All of those who came up, including Fred and Jack, did their best, but
were unable to get further than first or second.

"Hurrah! That's the stuff!" cried Pete Stevens. "Let us hold 'em down to
a whitewash!"

"Sure I'll hold 'em down!" boasted Tommy Flanders. "Not a one of 'em are
going to see the home plate off of me to-day."

"He'll certainly win the game if conceit can do it," murmured Ned Lowe
in disgust.

It must be admitted that so far Tommy Flanders had done wonderfully
well. But there were signs that he was overdoing it by pitching too
hard.

"I think he'll break before the game is over," said Dan.

"Just my opinion," returned Walt Baxter. "No young pitcher can stand up
under such a strain as that."

The break they had looked for came in the eighth inning. By a supreme
effort Longley managed, on a fumble by one of the new players for Colby
Hall, to bring in another run, at which the cheering on their side was
tremendous.

"That's the stuff! Two to nothing! Wallop 'em good and plenty, Longley!"

"We'll wallop 'em all right enough," exulted Tommy Flanders. "They are
going to get the worst whitewashing they ever had--you mark my words."

Alas for the conceited young pitcher! His overconfidence made him a
trifle wild, and almost before he realized it the first Colby Hall
batter had got a safe hit to first and the second man up went to first
on balls, advancing the other to second.

"Tighten up there, Tommy! Tighten up!" called out one of the Longley
sympathizers.

"I'll tighten up, all right enough," answered Flanders, with a scowl.

The next player up got another single, the ball being fumbled by the
fielder, and as a consequence the bases were filled.

"Be careful, Tommy!" cautioned the Longley captain, as he came up to the
pitcher. "Be careful! We don't want to spoil the score."

"They won't get in. You just watch me and see," answered Flanders, and
scowled more than ever.

He did tighten up a little, and as a consequence the next batter up went
out on strikes and the following player on a foul fly.

"Hurrah! Two out! Hold 'em down! Don't let 'em score!"

The next batter up was Fred. So far the youngest Rover had been unable
to get further than first.

"Oh, Fred, line it out! Please line it out!" cried May Powell, and then
she blushed furiously as a number sitting near her began to laugh.

"Don't you care, May," consoled Mary, and then she called out loudly:
"Do your best, Fred! Do your best!"

"Go in and win!" cried Martha.

There had been a tremendous racket, but now, as Fred gripped his ashen
stick and Tommy Flanders prepared to deliver the ball, a deathlike
silence came over the field. Every one of the men on the bases was
prepared to leg it at the slightest chance of being able to score.

The first ball to come in was too high, and the second too low, so Fred
let them go by. Then, however, came a straight ball just where he wanted
it, and Fred swung at it with every ounce of muscle in his body.

Crack! The report could be heard all over the grounds, and then the
sphere could be seen sailing far off into left field.

"Run, boys, run! Everybody run!"

"Leg it for all you are worth!"

"It's a three-bagger, sure!"

"No, it isn't! It's a homer! Run, boys! Run! Run! Run!"

The crowd was now on its feet yelling and cheering at the top of its
lungs and throwing caps and banners into the air, and while the left
fielder was chasing madly after the bounding ball, the three men on
bases came in one after another, followed swiftly by the panting and
blowing Rover boy.

"Hi! Hi! Hi! What do you know about that! Four runs!"

"That's the way to do it, Colby! Keep it up!"

"You've got the Longley pitcher going!" cried Spouter at the top of his
lungs. "Give us a few more home runs! They'll be easy!"

"Take Flanders out!" said one of the Academy boys in disgust. "He's
beginning to weaken."

While the din and excitement continued the Academy captain went up to
talk to the pitcher.

"Don't you think we had better make a change, Tommy?" he questioned
anxiously.

"No, I don't!" roared Flanders angrily. "That home run was a fluke,
that's all. I'll hold 'em down, you wait and see."

There were wild cries to change the pitcher on the part of the Longley
students, while the military academy cadets yelled themselves hoarse
telling their nine to "bat Flanders out of the box."

Walt Baxter was now up, and managed to get to second. Then came Jack
with a single that took him safely to first and advanced Walt to third.

"Say, Tommy, you'd better give it up," whispered the Longley captain, as
he came to the box.

"I'll hold 'em! Just give me one chance more," answered Flanders
desperately.

And then came the real break. The next player up got what would have
been a two-base hit, but the ball was fumbled, and as a consequence the
man got home, chasing the other two runners in ahead of him.

"Hurrah! What do you know about that! Seven runs!"

"That's the way to do it! Hurrah for Colby Hall!"

"You've got 'em a-going, boys, give it to 'em good and plenty!"

The excitement was now greater than ever, and all, including the girls
from Clearwater Hall, were shouting themselves hoarse, tooting tin
horns, shaking rattles, and throwing caps and other things into the air.

"Take him out! Take Flanders out!"

"Out with Flanders! Out with him!"

"He should have been taken out before!"

"All right--finish the game without me!" roared Tommy Flanders in
disgust, and, throwing down the ball, he strode from the field and into
one of the dressing-rooms.

"Gee, but he's sore!" was Randy's comment.

"That ought to take some of the conceit out of him," added Andy.

The new pitcher was a left-hander who had rather a puzzling delivery,
and he managed to retire the side without any more runs, so that at the
end of the eighth inning the score stood 7 to 2 in favor of Colby Hall.

"Now then, pull yourselves together," ordered the Longley captain, when
his side came up to the bat for the last time.

All of those who came to the plate did their best, but Jack was on his
mettle, and though his swollen hand hurt him not a little, he played
with all the coolness, strength and ingenuity which he possessed. As a
consequence, although he allowed two single hits, none of the Longley
boys got further than third.

"Hurrah! Colby Hall wins!"

And then what a celebration ensued among the cadets who had won the game
and their many supporters!




CHAPTER XI

BONFIRE NIGHT


Such a glorious baseball victory as this could not be passed off lightly
by the cadets of Colby Hall. They arranged for a grand celebration that
night, with bonfires along the river front and a generous collation
served in the gymnasium. They were allowed to invite a few of their boy
friends, and all made the most of it.

"It's a pity we can't have you girls," said Jack, when they were parting
with Ruth and the others.

"Never mind, Jack; I'm happy to think that you won the game," answered
the girl.

"Yes, and we're extra happy to think that you got the best of that
awfully conceited Tommy Flanders," added May.

Late in the evening the boys cut loose to their hearts' content, neither
Colonel Colby nor Captain Dale having a mind to stop them.

There were only two boys in the school who did not appreciate the
celebration. One was Stowell, who was caught by some of his tormentors
and dusted from head to foot with flour, and Leeds, who had been so
pessimistic regarding the school winning. Leeds had said altogether too
much, and as a consequence a big fool's cap was placed on his head and
he was marched around the campus riding on a rail and then dumped
unceremoniously into the river.

"And don't you dare swim out until you promise after this to believe in
Colby Hall and root for her first, last, and all the time!" shouted one
of the cadets on the shore.

"All right, I'll promise! I'll promise anything!" spluttered Leeds.
"Only let me get out of this." And then he climbed up the river bank
and, dripping with water, made a wild rush for the back entrance to the
school.

Of course there was a good deal more of horseplay, and it can be
surmised that Andy and Randy went in for their full share of it. Even
Job Plunger was caught by the crowd and hoisted on the top of a barrel
which was waiting to be placed on one of the bonfires.

"Speech, Shout! Speech!" cried Andy gaily.

"Tell us what you know about ball playing in the olden times," suggested
Ned Lowe.

"You let me down off of this barrel!" cried Plunger, in alarm. "You let
me down before this barrel caves in!" and poor Shout, as he was so often
called, looked anything but comfortable as he balanced himself on the
top of the barrel.

"We've got to have a speech, Shout. Come on, you know you are a
first-class talker when you get at it."

"What is it you boys want?" demanded the janitor, with his hand over his
ear.

"Give us a speech, a _speech_!"

"Teach! I never did teach! What are you talking about?"

"We didn't say _teach_!" screamed Andy. "We said
speech--talk--words--sentences--_speech_!"

"Oh, you want me to make a speech," and Plunger looked rather vacantly
at the crowd. "I can't do it. I ain't got nothing to say. I want you to
let me go. I've got a lot of work to do, with cleaning up that mess in
the gym, not to say anything about the mess you fellers made down to the
barn getting that stuff out for them fires."

"If he won't give us a speech, let us give him a ride," cried Dan
Soppinger.

"What shall we ride him in?" questioned Walt Baxter.

"I've got it!" burst out Andy quickly. "Just keep him here a few minutes
longer, fellows. Come on, Randy, quick!"

Sure that something was in the wind, Randy followed his brother out of
the crowd and both made their way toward the back end of the gymnasium.
Here there was a room in which Si Crews, the gymnastic instructor, kept
a number of his personal belongings. Si had been the instructor since
Colby Hall had been opened, and his wife was the matron for the smaller
boys.

"Mrs. Crews has a baby carriage belonging to her sister stored away in
that room," explained Andy, as he and his brother hurried on. "I saw
them put it there only a few days ago. It's a rather old affair, but I
think it is strong enough to give Shout a ride in."

The lads found the door to the storeroom unlocked, and by lighting a
match saw the baby carriage standing there just as left by Mrs. Crews.
It contained a pillow, and also a baby shawl and a cap.

"Hurrah! now we'll be able to dress Shout up for the ride," said Randy
gaily.

It took but a few minutes to haul the baby carriage out and start it on
its way down to where the crowd surrounded the school janitor. A shout
of satisfaction went up when the other cadets saw the little vehicle,
and another shout arose when Andy picked up the shawl and Randy followed
with the baby cap.

"Here you are, Shout!" came from Walt Baxter. "Now we'll be able to
dress you up fine for your ride," and before the astonished and
bewildered janitor could resist, he was hoisted from the barrel and
placed in the baby carriage, where the lads proceeded not only to strap
him in but also to tie him down with a bit of clothesline which was
handy. Then they tied the baby cap on his head and pinned the shawl
around his shoulders.

"Music! Music for the procession!" called out Fatty Hendry. "Somebody
got a drum and fife!" and immediately several of the cadets ran off to
do as bidden.

In a few minutes more the procession started, headed by two boys
carrying torches and followed by a youth with a bass drum and another
with a fife. Back of them came the baby carriage drawn by a full dozen
of cadets and steered in the rear by Andy and Randy. On each side of the
carriage marched a cadet with a torch, so that the curious turnout might
be properly illuminated. In the rear was a motley collection, laughing
and joking and cutting up generally.

"Hi, you! You let me go! I don't want no ride!" cried Plunger wildly.
"This ain't no way to treat me at all!"

"Oh, you need the air, Shout," answered Randy. "Besides, see the
shoeleather you are going to save by getting a ride instead of walking."

The poor janitor struggled to free himself, but all in vain, and to the
noise of the drum and the fife and with many shouts of laughter the
whole outfit moved around the school twice and then around the
gymnasium.

"And now for a final celebration!" exclaimed Randy, when the crowd came
to a halt near the river front. "Everybody attention! One--two--three!
Listen to the stillness!"

Wondering what was going to happen next, all came to a standstill and
listened.

_Bang!_

A large firecracker set off directly under the baby carriage flew in all
directions. As it went off poor Plunger gave a shriek of terror and then
tried so hard to free himself that the carriage was overturned and he
found himself snarled up in a bunch on the grass. Then the boys, not
wishing to see the man hurt, rushed forward and released him, and he
lost no time in disappearing inside the gymnasium.

"Hurrah! that was a grand finale," cried Fred. "Where did you get the
firecracker, Andy?"

"It was out of a bunch I bought for the Fourth of July," was the reply.

After this celebration matters moved along swiftly toward the close of
the term. During that time the Rover boys heard from their mothers in
New York that their fathers were expected home in about ten days. They
immediately called up the girls at Clearwater Hall, and learned that
Mary and Martha had received the same news.

"And won't I be glad to go home and see dad!" said Martha to her
brother.

"No more glad than I'll be," he returned quickly.

It was now early Summer, and many of the cadets were in the habit of
spending a part of their off time either bathing or rowing. Before going
to war Colonel Colby had promised to get two motor-boats for the use of
the cadets, but as yet these had not been purchased. But rowboats were
numerous.

"I'll have the motor-boats here by Fall, however," said Colonel Colby,
in speaking of this. "And then you can have a lot of fun with them."

There was one more Saturday to be spent at school before breaking up for
the term, and the Rovers and their chums had decided to spend that
afternoon with the girls in an outing on the lake.

"Mary and some of the others want to go over to Bluebell Island," said
Fred. "They say there are some very fine ferns to be had there, and they
thought maybe they would have a chance to take some of the ferns home."

"All right, we'll take them wherever they want to go," answered Jack;
and so it was arranged.

Bluebell Island was located a distance down the lake, not far from
Foxtail Island, where the young folks had previously had an outing, as
related in the volume entitled, "The Rover Boys at Colby Hall."

At that time a squall on the lake and an encounter with a log raft had
placed all of the young people in great peril, from which Slugger Brown
and Nappy Martell had refused to rescue them.

It had been decided that the boys should row from Colby Hall down the
lake to the dock at Clearwater Hall and there take the girls on board.
They had three boats, one containing Jack and Fred, another the twins,
and a third Gif and Spouter.

"It's certainly one grand day for this outing," remarked Fred, as they
set off. All were good oarsmen, so the rowboats made rapid progress in
the direction of the girls' school.

"I had the day made to order," sang out Andy. And then he added, with a
grin: "It never rains when I go out unless the water happens to be
coming down."

The cadets had informed Martha and the others when they would arrive,
and when they reached the dock they found six girls waiting for them,
each with a carefully-tied-up shoebox under her arm.

"Yum, yum! I smell something good to eat!" exclaimed Andy, on catching
sight of the boxes.

"Got any mustard pie?" added Randy. "Excuse me, I mean custard pie."

"No, we've got straw pie for you, Mr. Smarty," called out Alice
Strobell.

Jack noticed that Martha and Mary looked rather thoughtful when they got
into the rowboat manned by Spouter and Gif.

"Anything wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Not much, Jack," answered his sister. "I'll tell you just as soon as we
get to the island and we have a chance."

"Didn't you boys bring anything?" questioned Mary of the other Rovers.

"Sure we did! But that's a surprise," answered Fred. They had brought
fruit and candy.

"We brought two yeast cakes and a fried-onion sandwich," broke in Andy
gaily, and at this all the girls giggled.

Ruth and May were made comfortable in the boat rowed by Jack and Fred,
and they at once set off in the direction of Bluebell Island. The others
shortly followed, and all made good time across the placid bosom of
Clearwater Lake.

"I hope we don't encounter such a squall as we did before," remarked
Ruth presently.

"Oh, I'm sure it will stay clear," Jack hastened to reassure her.

In less than half an hour the young folks found themselves safe on the
island, which was about thirty acres in extent, with a grassy slope on
one side and rocks, trees and brushwood on the other. They tied their
boats securely, and then proceeded to walk across the island to where
they might take it easy under the trees or hunt for the ferns the girls
desired to get.

"Now then, what is it that is troubling you?" asked Jack of his sister
as soon as he could speak to Martha without the others noticing.

"Oh, Jack, I don't know whether it ought to trouble me or not," answered
Martha. "It was such a surprise. I didn't dream that those two fellows
would show themselves around Clearwater Hall."

"Who are you talking about, Martha?"

"Bill Glutts and Gabe Werner."

"When did you see them?"

"I saw them yesterday, and Mary saw them early this morning."




CHAPTER XII

ON BLUEBELL ISLAND


Jack Rover was much surprised over the statement made by his sister
Martha. Bill Glutts had not returned to Colby Hall after his unfortunate
experiences in the woods the Winter previous, nor had Gabe Werner shown
himself in the vicinity of the military academy.

"Have you any idea what they were doing around Clearwater Hall?" he
questioned.

"I have not, Jack. But I feel sure they were not up to anything good."

"Did they say anything to either of you?"

"Oh, no. As soon as I saw them they sprang out of sight behind some
trees, and this morning, when they caught sight of Mary, they hurried
off in the direction of Haven Point."

"I think I had better tell the others about this, then we can all be on
our guard. Those fellows do not belong anywhere near Haven Point, and in
my opinion they cannot be here for any good purpose." Jack was thinking
of the anonymous letter which had been received and which he now felt
certain had been penned by Werner.

"If you tell the others now it will spoil the whole outing," pouted
Martha. "Why don't you wait until to-night?"

"All right, I'll do that. And when you girls are by yourselves you and
Mary must tell the others." And so it was agreed.

Those ahead had already reached the vicinity of the rocks and trees, and
now began a diligent hunt by all for the rare ferns said to be growing
there.

"Our idea was to empty the lunch from the shoeboxes and then fill the
boxes with ferns," said Ruth.

The girls had brought a tablecloth with them to spread on the ground,
and the entire lunch was placed in this and then wrapped in a newspaper
and placed on a flat rock.

"I wonder if the squirrels will bother the lunch?" questioned Fred. They
had noted several of the frisky little animals flitting from tree to
tree as they walked along.

"The squirrels want nuts. I don't think they care for mustard sandwiches
and onion cake," cried Andy. "Gee! but it feels good to be out here," he
went on, and, leaping up, he grasped the limb of a low-growing tree and
went through the performance generally known as "skinning the cat."

"Oh, Andy, do be careful!" called out his cousin Mary. "First thing you
know you'll twist your arms off."

"Oh, I do this every morning before I wake up," answered the fun-loving
Rover cheerfully.

"I'll get him down!" cried Randy, and, taking up a handful of dead
leaves, he threw them at his twin. Andy promptly gave a swing, let go of
the tree, and landed on his brother's shoulders, and both went down to
the ground, there to roll over and over, kicking the dead leaves in all
directions.

"Hi, you!" cried Jack sternly. "What sort of a ladies' exhibition is
this! Get up there before I yank you up!"

"You'll have those beautiful suits ruined," came from Annie Larkins.

The search for the rare ferns then began in earnest, and this led them
through the woods and around a great number of sharp rocks and a
considerable distance away from where the things to eat had been left.

"Here is one," called Ruth presently, and pointed it out.

The girls had brought trowels with them, and now Jack lost no time in
digging up the fern and placing it in the corner of one of the boxes.
Several other plants were located nearby, and all the boys and girls
were soon busy. Some of the ferns were quite small, but others were of
good size, and all showed up well when grouped together.

"We have a little fernery at home," explained Ruth. "Last winter the
plants did not do so well, and these will therefore come in very nicely.
I'm sure my folks will be pleased to see them."

"I suppose Uncle Barney is now living with you, Ruth," said Jack.

"Oh, yes. And he is very thankful for all you Rovers did for him that
Winter," answered the girl, referring to the happenings which have been
related in detail in "The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island."

"Here is a different kind of fern," announced Martha, a minute later.

"Let me get it for you!" cried Gif, pressing forward to assist her.

"It's right down there between those big rocks, Gif. Be careful that you
don't push one of the stones over on your fingers."

"Don't ruin the whole island getting up one fern, Gif!" exclaimed Andy,
as the athletic student pushed away a couple of rocks which prevented
his getting at the fern.

There was another rock in the way--one that rested partly over the roots
of the fern, which looked like an unusually healthy plant. Gif tugged at
this rock and Fred bent forward to assist him. Then, all of a sudden,
the rock came out from the split in which it lay, and both cadets
slipped and fell on their backs.

"Oh, do be careful! You'll have one of those rocks on your toes, sure!"
cried Ruth.

She had scarcely spoken when there came a scream from May Powell and
Alice Strobell.

"A snake! A snake!"

"He's coming for us!"

"Run! Run, everybody, before the snake bites you!"

Such were some of the cries that rent the air as all of the young people
fell back.

A black snake at least three feet long had suddenly appeared from a
hollow under the last rock to be dislodged, and this was quickly
followed by a second snake equally large.

"Hit 'em, boys! Hit 'em!" exclaimed Jack, as soon as he had recovered
from his surprise, and as he spoke he caught up a stone and flung it at
the nearest snake.

The action of the oldest Rover boy was quickly seconded by the other
cadets, and a dozen or more stones were hurled at the two snakes. One of
the reptiles was quickly killed, but the second received only a bruise
on its tail, and it switched around angrily and then made a dash toward
the fleeing and screaming girls.

"Gee! if we only had a pistol or a gun!" exclaimed Randy.

The snake still left alive was but a few feet from Martha and Ruth when
Jack and Spouter hurled two more stones. Each of these reached its mark,
and with its back crushed the reptile whipped around on the rocks for a
moment more and then lay still.

"Oh, dear! is it dead?" questioned Martha, and her voice trembled a
little as she spoke.

"Dead as a doormat," announced her brother, after a hasty examination.
Then he took a stick and, placing it under the reptile, threw the
remains from the rocks into the lake. Fred and Andy speedily disposed of
the other reptile in the same way.

"Maybe there are more snakes around here!" cried Alice Strobell
nervously.

"If there are, I'm sure I don't want to stay here any longer," added
Annie Larkins.

"Who would dream of digging up snakes on this island?" murmured Martha.
"Oh, it takes away all the fun of gathering ferns."

"Nevertheless, I am going to get that fern for you," announced Gif.

"But, Gif, there may be more snakes around that hole."

"Well, I'll take a chance. I don't think they are very dangerous,
anyhow," answered the athletic cadet.

"Be on your guard, Gif," warned Jack, and then armed himself with
several stones, and the other cadets did the same.

Gif approached the spot with caution and began to dig up the fern Martha
had wanted. The other boys came quite close, but the girls kept their
distance. No other snakes appeared, and soon Gif had the fern, which he
took pleasure in presenting to Jack's sister.

"Thank you, Gif," she said politely. "It certainly is a beautiful fern,
and I'll do my best to preserve it. But I think every time I look at it
I'll remember those snakes."

"Oh, you mustn't mind anything like that, Martha. Why, we've met dozens
of little snakes on our tours. I don't believe they'd hurt you."

"Maybe not, Gif; but they're such awful crawly things!"

"I'm afraid I'd die if a snake touched me," added Alice Strobell, with a
shudder.

For a while the snake episode put a damper on the outing. But the boys
did their best to make the girls forget it, and after a while all were
hunting as diligently as before for ferns. They found a varied
collection, and took delight in filling the shoeboxes with the plants,
filling in the tops of the boxes with moss.

"Oh, my! Half-past three already!" declared Ruth presently, as she
consulted her pretty little wrist-watch.

"As late as that?" returned Martha.

"Perhaps we had better go back and have our lunch," suggested Mary.

All were willing, for climbing around the rocks had made the young folks
hungry. Mary and Spouter led the way back, with the others straggling
behind.

"What are you going to do this summer, Jack?" questioned Ruth on the
way.

"We haven't made any plans yet, Ruth. I want to see my father first of
all."

"I don't blame you for that. You must be glad to think he is coming back
safe and sound. And just to think that he won a medal! Isn't it
perfectly wonderful!" and her eyes beamed with pleasure.

"It sure is! Oh, my dad's a wonderful man--the best in the world!"
answered the young captain enthusiastically. And then he added: "Have
your folks decided to go down on the Jersey shore?"

"It's about settled. I'll know for sure when I get home next week."

"You mustn't forget to write, Ruth."

"And how about yourself?"

"Oh, you'll hear from me, don't worry about that," answered Jack
quickly.

"If you go up to Valley Brook Farm this summer----" began Ruth, when a
sudden cry ahead made her pause. "What was that, Jack?" she asked
quickly.

"I don't know, but I guess something has gone wrong."

"Maybe the squirrels or a fox or some other wild animal got at the
lunch."

"Phew! that would be too bad! Come on and see what is wrong."

The pair had fallen behind the others, and now they ran forward through
the woods and around the rocks as rapidly as they could. As they did
this there came a call from Andy:

"Hi, there, Jack! Where are you? Look out for Gabe Werner and Bill
Glutts! Don't let them get away!"

"Werner and Glutts!" repeated the young captain. "What brought them to
this island?"

"Catch them! Catch them!" came in a scream from Martha. "They are making
off with all our lunch!"

"Drop that stuff, Werner!" Jack heard Randy call out.

"Come on after them, everybody!" yelled Gif. "They sha'n't get away with
those good things--not if I know it!"

There was a rush through the trees, and the calls and cries increased.
The girls did not take part in the chase, feeling that the two former
bullies of Colby Hall might do them harm.

"Oh, dear, Jack! do you really think that they made off with all that
lunch?" sighed Ruth.

"Sounds like it," he answered. "I wonder where they are?" He ran around
some high rocks which cut off a view of what was beyond, and then leaped
over some low bushes. Not to be left alone in the woods, Ruth followed
close at his heels.

The next instant Jack saw Bill Glutts running in one direction and Gabe
Werner legging it in another. Bill Glutts carried the tablecloth with a
good portion of the things to eat still in it, while Gabe Werner held
the newspaper with the remaining things.

"Stop!" ordered Jack, and then, as he saw Gif and Randy chase Glutts, he
made a wild dash after Gabe Werner.




CHAPTER XIII

WERNER'S ATTACK


"Hold on, Bill Glutts!" cried Randy, as he ran after the youth whom he
had not seen since the Winter before.

"You leave me alone!" returned Glutts, and then, in order to run faster,
he dropped the bundle he was carrying.

"Don't let him get away!" burst out Fred, and made a wild dash over some
low bushes in Glutts's direction. In a moment more he had caught Glutts
by the arm.

"Let go of me!" screamed the former cadet, and in alarm he tried to push
Fred away. But the youngest Rover boy clung fast, and then Glutts aimed
a blow with his fist at Fred's face.

Had the blow landed as intended, it would have hurt severely; but the
youngest Rover ducked, and then hit Glutts a stinging blow on the chin.

By this time Randy and Gif were coming up, and almost before he knew it
Bill Glutts was surrounded. Gif caught the former bully of the Hall by
the shoulder.

"This is a nice way to act, Glutts," he said sternly. "What business had
you to touch our lunch?"

"How did I know it belonged to you?" whined Glutts, much crestfallen
over the sudden turn affairs had taken. "We found the stuff on the
rocks."

"You can't play the innocent that way," broke in Randy. "You and Gabe
Werner must have followed us to this island. Gee!" he added quickly,
"where is Werner?"

"Jack went after him," answered Fred; "and so did Andy and Spouter."

"We didn't follow you at all," answered Bill Glutts. "We have as much
right on this island as anybody. We ran across that lunch by accident.
We didn't know that anybody was coming back to get it," he added lamely.

In the meanwhile Jack was hurrying after Gabe Werner, and, strange as it
may seem, Ruth followed close behind him, at the same time calling to
the others for help. She remembered the anonymous note which had been
delivered, and she was afraid that Gabe Werner might try to do the young
captain serious injury.

Gabe Werner was legging it among the trees. He was trying to reach the
shore of Bluebell Island, but became confused among the rocks and bushes
and presently had to swing around in something of a semicircle, and this
soon brought him face to face with Ruth.

"Oh!" cried the girl, in increased alarm. "Don't you dare touch me, Gabe
Werner! Don't you dare!"

"Get out of my way!" roared the bully, and then, as he heard Jack
crashing through the brushwood directly behind him, he brushed Ruth
rudely to one side.

"Jack! Jack! Here he is!" the girl screamed.

The young captain did not need to be told this, for he saw Gabe Werner
just ahead of him. He made a flying leap forward, and was barely able to
catch Werner by the tail of his coat.

"You can't get away! You might as well give it up," he said, and as the
bully kicked out savagely, he caught Werner by the foot and sent him
headlong.

"Oh, Jack! Jack! Do be careful!" cried Ruth in increasing alarm, and
then she set up a call for assistance.

"I'm not afraid of Gabe Werner, and he knows it," answered the young
captain.

"I'll fix you for this!" roared Werner. "I owe you a lot for the way
you've been treating me." And with these words he scrambled to his feet
and aimed a blow at Jack's face.

The young captain moved to one side so that the blow struck him on the
shoulder. He came back quickly with one on Werner's right ear, and
followed this up with another on the bully's nose, which made that organ
bleed profusely.

By this time there was more noise in the under-brush, and Andy and
Spouter could be heard calling.

"This way! This way!" answered Ruth.

While she was calling, and while Andy and Spouter were doing their best
to brush aside some thorny bushes which held them back, the struggle
between Jack and Werner continued. The bully landed on Jack's shoulder
again and then on his chest, and in return received a crack on the chin
which all but keeled him over.

"I said I'd get you, Jack Rover, and I will!" spluttered Werner, after
this last attack. And then, as Jack made a move as if to strike him
again, the bully stepped around to one side, bringing himself once more
close to Ruth. His right hand had gone down into his coat pocket, and
now he brought out something in a small paper bag.

"I said I'd fix you, and this is how I'm going to do it! Look there, if
you dare!" called out Werner, and pointed to a tree limb just over their
heads.

Fearing some trick, Jack gave only the faintest of glances upward, but
Ruth, more innocent, gazed wide-eyed at the limb pointed out. As he
spoke, Werner broke open the paper bag and hurled its contents forward.

"There! Take that, Jack Rover!" he shouted triumphantly. "Take that, and
see how you like it!"

It was a package of pepper which Gabe Werner had carried. As it was
thrown forward a small portion of it went in Jack's face, but the most
of it was sent in a spray over the young captain's shoulder and hit poor
Ruth.

"Oh! Oh!" screamed the girl. "Oh, I am blinded! He threw pepper in my
eyes!"

"You hound, you!" exclaimed Jack, and even though his eyes smarted not a
little from the few grains of pepper that had entered, he managed to
leap upon the bully and give him a swinging crack in the jaw. But then
Werner threw the young captain backward over a rock, and just as Andy
and Spouter put in an appearance he dodged in among some heavy brushwood
and quickly disappeared.

"What did he do?" demanded Spouter.

"He threw something in our eyes. Ruth got the worst of it," answered
Jack. "Go on after him; we'll have to attend to our eyes."

Jack's eyes were bad enough, but Ruth's were much worse. The girl could
hardly keep from screaming with pain, and Jack was just then in no
condition to assist her. Seeing this, Andy and Spouter set up a yell for
some of the others to go after Werner, and then did what they could to
relieve the sufferers.

"Come on down to the lake," advised Spouter. "I guess water will be
about the best thing you can use. Anyhow, you can wash out the pepper if
there is any left."

Both cadets assisted Ruth to the water's edge, and Jack stumbled after
them. Here the eyes, which had already begun to inflame, were washed out
carefully, and then, as Ruth continued to complain of the pain, they
bound up her eyes with their handkerchiefs.

"I think mine will be all right after a while," said Jack. "They smart a
little, but that's all."

"Don't you think Ruth had better see a doctor?" suggested Spouter.

"By all means. We'll get back to town just as soon as we possibly can.
He can probably give her some sort of ointment that will relieve the
pain and take away the inflammation."

By this time the others were coming up. The news that Ruth had received
a dose of pepper in her eyes excited everybody.

"Gabe Werner ought to be put in jail for this," said Martha.

"Isn't it the most dreadful thing you ever heard of!" came from May.

The excitement was so intense that for the time being the boys forgot
all about Bill Glutts. As a consequence when they turned to where they
had left that unworthy, Glutts had disappeared.

"Well, he got a good beating, anyhow," said Randy. "I think that will
teach him to leave our stuff alone after this."

At first some of the boys were inclined to make another hunt for Werner
and Glutts. They knew the bullies must have come to the island in some
kind of a boat.

"If we can find their boat we can take it with us," said Spouter. "Then
they can either stay on the island or try to swim ashore."

"We can't waste any more time," declared Jack. "We must get Ruth to a
doctor. And I'd like to see a doctor myself. My eyes feel terribly
scratchy."

"Yes, yes! I want to see a doctor at once," said Ruth. "My eyes hurt
dreadfully."

Some of the boys gathered up what was left of the lunch, and all made
their way to the water's edge, where the rowboats had been left. As they
did this they heard the sudden put-put of a motor-boat, and a few
seconds later they saw the craft shoot out of a tiny cove at the upper
end of the island and head for the eastern shore of Clearwater Lake.

"There they go! There are Glutts and Werner!" exclaimed Gif.

"And in a motor-boat, too!" added Randy. "Too bad! If they were in a
rowboat we might be able to catch them."

"Oh, let them go," said Mary hastily. "I am more worried about Ruth's
eyes than anything else."

"We're all worried about that," answered her brother. "Come on, we'll
get over to Haven Point just as fast as we can. I only hope we find one
of the doctors at home."

They tumbled into the boats, the girls leading Ruth, who still had her
eyes bandaged.

"Do you think you can row, Jack?" questioned Fred.

"Of course I can," replied the young captain. He was not going to admit
that the injury to his eyes was making him feel sick all over.

May sat beside Ruth and did what she could for the sufferer. All of the
boys bent to their oars and a straight course was taken for the town.

"Wouldn't it be dreadful if Ruth was blinded for life?" remarked Alice
Strobell on the way.

"Oh, Alice! don't suggest such a thing as that," came from Annie Larkins
in horror.

"Well, people have been blinded in that way more than once," remarked
Randy. "It all depends on how bad a dose she got."

"Jack said the pepper must have been intended for him," came from Andy.
"I can't imagine that Werner would be wicked enough to try to injure
Ruth that way."

"Maybe he didn't intend to do it when he started," returned his brother.
"But when Werner gets mad he's liable to do almost anything. You know
that as well as I do."

"That's true. When he gets into a rage he goes almost insane."

"What an ending to our outing!" sighed Alice.

"And we didn't eat a mouthful of the lunch!" added Annie. She had spent
over an hour in fixing some fancy sandwiches.

"Was that pepper from some you brought along?" questioned Randy quickly.

"As far as I know we didn't bring any pepper along. We had a saltcellar,
and that's all," answered Alice.

"Then it must have been a deliberate attempt on Werner's part to blind
Jack!" cried Andy. "Oh, what a pity we didn't catch him! Then we could
have handed him over to the authorities."

When the boys and girls reached one of the docks at Haven Point Andy and
Randy ran on ahead and speedily procured a taxicab. Into this Ruth and
Jack were hustled, and then Randy, sitting beside the driver, directed
him to take the sufferers to the nearest doctor.

At the first physician's house they learned that the doctor was away for
the afternoon. Then they hurried to another part of the town, and there
found Doctor Borden, an older man who had occasionally come to both the
girls' school and the military academy.

"Pepper in your eyes! Is it possible!" said the old physician. "Come
into my office at once. Sometimes that sort of thing is very serious."

"You wait on the lady first, Doctor," said Jack. "She is by far the
worse off."

"Very well," said the doctor. "Come this way," and he led Ruth into his
private office.




CHAPTER XIV

BOUND FOR HOME


While the doctor was attending Ruth the others of the party arrived at
the physician's residence. They found Jack walking up and down in the
anteroom while Randy sat in a chair doing what he could to comfort his
cousin.

"What does the doctor say about Ruth?" questioned May quickly.

"He hasn't come out yet. They are in there," and Randy pointed with his
hand to the inner office.

"Oh, Jack, how do your eyes feel?" questioned Martha, coming up and
gazing earnestly at her brother.

"To tell the truth, they don't feel very good, Martha," he answered.
"But I won't mind that so much if only Ruth gets out of it."

The boys and girls sat down, some in the outer office and some on the
piazza of the doctor's residence. They had to wait nearly a quarter of
an hour before the door of the inner office opened.

"I think the young lady will feel much better by to-morrow," said Doctor
Borden, as he led Ruth forth. He had placed a new and heavier bandage
over her eyes. "I'll call at the school to see her the first thing
to-morrow morning. You need do nothing to the eyes until that time." He
looked at the other girls. "I presume you young ladies are with Miss
Stevenson?"

"We are," several of them answered.

"Then there ought not to be any trouble about getting her back to the
school in safety," and the physician smiled faintly.

"I'll get a taxicab," said Randy, and lost no time in doing so.

"I don't want to go back to the school until Jack has been taken care
of," declared Ruth. "I want to know just how bad off he is. The doctor
tells me he doesn't think my eyes will be permanently injured." She was
trying to bear up bravely, even though her eyes hurt her a good deal.
But what the doctor had put on them was gradually allaying the pain.

Jack entered the inner office, and the doctor made a thorough
examination of each eye.

"You were lucky to get off so well, Rover," he announced at the
conclusion of the examination. "I'll give you a lotion to put on
to-night before retiring, and I'll give you a treatment of it now. Then
bathe the eyes again in the morning, and I think in a day or two you
will be as well as ever."

"And what about Miss Stevenson's eyes?" questioned the young captain
anxiously.

"I can't say very much about them as yet. Of course, I didn't want to
worry her, so I did not tell her how bad it might be. Still, I'll know
more about it to-morrow morning."

This was as much as Doctor Borden would say. Jack received the treatment
and was given a small bottle filled with the lotion, and then, after
settling with the physician, he was ready to leave.

"Do you want any of us to go to the school with you?" he asked of Ruth
and the other girls.

"No, Jack; it won't do any good," answered the blindfolded girl. And as
he took her hand and pressed it warmly, she added: "Please don't worry
about me."

"But I'm going to, Ruth," he answered in a low tone. "Somehow, I feel
that your injury is my fault."

"Nonsense! It was Gabe Werner's fault entirely! That boy ought really to
be in jail! But, Jack, you are quite sure that your eyes are all right?"
she went on anxiously.

"Yes, Ruth. The doctor says that I'll be as well as ever in a day or
two. You are the only one to be worried over. I'll tell Martha to
telephone to me to-morrow just as soon as the doctor has seen you." And
so it was arranged.

Randy had obtained a large taxicab and into this all the girls crowded,
taking care, however, to make Ruth as comfortable as possible on the
rear seat. Then the girls of Clearwater Hall started for the school.

"I'll bet Miss Garwood will be surprised when she sees Ruth," was Andy's
comment, as he watched the girls riding away. Miss Garwood was the head
of the girls' school.

"Poor Ruth," murmured Fred. "What a miserable outing this has been!"

Fortunately for the cadets, they found the Colby Hall stage in town, and
all piled in and were speedily taken to the school. Here Jack and Randy
went up to their rooms, while the others reported to Colonel Colby.

"Threw pepper into Jack's eyes, did he!" said the colonel wrathfully.
"What a dastardly thing to do! I am glad that Werner is no longer a
pupil at the school. If he were I should feel it my duty to hand him
over to the authorities. You say he did not come back to Haven Point?"

"No, sir," answered Gif. "They motored over to the other side--over to
where the Hasley ammunition factory used to be located."

"I see. Then probably both he and Glutts will take good care not to show
themselves in the vicinity of Haven Point," said Colonel Colby.

And in this surmise the head of the school was correct. Long afterwards
it was learned that Werner had put the motor-boat into the hands of a
man to bring it back to the party of whom it had been hired, and then he
and Glutts had tramped three miles across the country to a railroad
station where they took a train for parts unknown.

The colonel came up to see Jack and have a look at his injured eyes, and
then sent Mrs. Crews up to the young captain to bathe his eyes with the
lotion the doctor had given him and bind them up.

"It's too bad! too bad entirely!" said Mrs. Crews, who was quite a
motherly woman. "I hope your eyes are as well as ever in a day or two."
And then she added with a twinkle in her own optics: "I suppose that is
what you get for running off with that baby carriage."

"If it is, it's a terrible price to pay, Mrs. Crews," answered Jack, and
then told her about Ruth.

"Now that's too bad entirely," said the matron of the school. "Oh, who
would want to harm a dear young lady like Miss Stevenson? It's awful how
wicked some young men are," and she shook her head dolefully.

Jack took it easy for the rest of the day, and one after another his
chums came in to sympathize with him.

"I can't understand a fellow like Werner," remarked Ned Lowe. "If he
isn't careful he'll land in prison."

"What gets me is that a fellow like Glutts keeps on tagging after him,"
put in Dan Soppinger. "Sooner or later Werner is bound to lead Glutts
into something pretty bad."

Jack passed a restless night, not only because his eyes hurt him, but
because he could not get Ruth out of his mind. What if the girl's eyes
should be permanently injured? The mere thought of such a catastrophe
horrified him.

In the morning he bathed his eyes again, as Doctor Borden had directed.
He had been excused from his classroom, and so sat around where he could
readily be called to the telephone if any message came in for him. It
was not until about eleven o'clock that his sister rang him up.

"The doctor left a few minutes ago," said Martha over the wire. "He was
with Ruth about half an hour, and gave her quite a treatment. He was
very much encouraged, and said he thought she would come around again
all right in a few days, but that she must be careful for several weeks
about how she strained her eyes or went out in the wind."

"But he really thinks she will come around all right?" questioned Jack
anxiously.

"Yes, Jack, he was almost sure of it. And, oh! I am so glad, and so are
all the other girls."

"Well, it's a great relief to me, Martha," he returned, and his voice
showed what a weight had been lifted from his mind.

After that the days to the end of the term passed quickly. There were
the usual examinations, and all of the Rovers were glad to learn that
they had passed successfully. In the meanwhile Jack's eyes continued to
mend, so that on the final day at the Hall they felt practically as good
as ever.

The young captain and Fred had gone over to Clearwater Hall, ostensibly
to call on their sisters, but in reality to find out about Ruth. She
came down to greet them, and they were surprised and delighted to find
that she no longer wore the bandage over her eyes.

"I can't go out in the strong sunlight yet, nor in the wind," said the
girl. "Nor can I do much reading or studying. But the eyes no longer
pain me, and for that I am very thankful."

"Doctor Borden says it will take a week or two before her eyes are
normal again," explained Martha. "But that isn't so bad when you
consider what might have occurred," and she gave a little shiver.

Colby Hall was to close several days before the girls' school, but the
two Rover girls had received permission to go home with their brothers.
This was the last chance Jack had of seeing Ruth, and the last chance
that Fred would have to see May, and both made the most of it.

"I'll write to you, sure, Ruth," said the young captain. "And I hope
your eyes will allow you to reply."

"Oh, I'll send you something, Jack, even if it's only a postal," was the
quick answer. "Please don't worry about me. I am sure my eyes will come
around all right sooner or later."

"If they don't I'll never forgive myself for taking you on that outing,"
said the young captain feelingly.

With the examinations at an end, the Colby Hall cadets were allowed to
do very much as they pleased, and on the last night at school there was
the usual horseplay and cutting up generally. Some boys tried to catch
Stowell, but the sneak of the school outwitted them by receiving
permission to leave the Hall twelve hours early.

"Well, good riddance to bad rubbish!" announced Fatty Hendry, when he
heard of this. "I think Colby Hall could get along very well if Stowell
stayed away for good."

"I'm sure I wouldn't worry if he did stay away," returned Walt Baxter.

"And now hurrah for little old New York!" cried Andy, on the following
morning.

"Little old New York and our dads!" added his twin.

"I wonder if they have arrived yet?" put in Fred quickly. "I don't think
so, or they would have sent us a telegram."

"Either that, or they want to surprise us when we get there," said Jack.

Their trunks had been sent on ahead, and directly after breakfast they
set to work to finish packing their suitcases. Then they went around
saying good-bye to the professors and Colonel Colby, and did not forget
"Shout" Plunger and Bob Nixon, giving the latter some tips to remember
them by.

"Off at last!" cried Fred, as the auto-stage rumbled up to take the
first crowd of boys to the railroad station. In they piled, and were
soon whirled away in the direction of Haven Point.

At the railroad station they were met by Martha and Mary. The other
girls could not come, as all had examinations that morning. Soon the
train rolled in, and the Rovers and a number of the other cadets piled
in, Jack and Fred being accompanied by their sisters.

"I'll be glad to get home again and see mother and Aunt Grace and Aunt
Nellie," remarked Martha, as she settled herself in a seat beside her
brother.

"And how about dad, Martha?" questioned Jack.

"You don't have to ask that question," she returned quickly. "You know I
am just as crazy to see him as you are. And I'm crazy to see Uncle Tom
and Uncle Sam, too."

"I'll bet they'll have some stories to tell about their doings in
France."

"Yes, indeed, Jack. Oh, how they all must have suffered! And how
thankful I am that they are coming back to us whole and hearty. Just
think if they had come back minus an arm or a leg, or frightfully
injured in some other way!"

"I have thought of that, Martha, more than once. I can tell you, when I
think of the thousands of good, strong, healthy young fellows who went
over there and gave up their lives or came back crippled, I feel that
our folks have much to be thankful for."




CHAPTER XV

BACK FROM FRANCE


The journey to New York City was uneventful. They had to change cars at
the Junction, and here a number of the other cadets left the Rovers.
These included Gif and Spouter.

"Sorry you're not going down to the city with us," said Jack; "but I
suppose you are as anxious to see your folks as we are to see ours."

"Right you are," answered Spouter. And Gif nodded his head to show that
he agreed with his chum.

When the train rolled into the Grand Central Terminal at Forty-second
Street the Rovers found two automobiles awaiting them, and in the
turn-outs were the three mothers of the boys and girls.

"What's the news about dad, Ma?" burst out Jack, as he kissed his
parent.

"Have the soldiers come back yet?" was Fred's question.

"They haven't got in yet, but we are expecting them almost any time
now," answered Mrs. Dick Rover.

"We are just as anxious as you are to see them," came from Mrs. Tom
Rover, as both of her sons gave her a warm hug. "There, there! don't
smother me!" she added affectionately.

"Oh, it's so good to be home again!" exclaimed Mary. "Boarding school is
all well enough, but I'd rather be with you folks any time." Mary had
always been a good deal of a home girl.

The young folks piled into the cars, which were run by the Rovers'
chauffeurs, and in a moment more they were picking their way through the
crowded traffic in the direction of Fifth Avenue. They speeded up this
noted thoroughfare and then across town to Riverside Drive.

"What is the matter with your eyes, Jack?" questioned his mother
presently. "They look rather inflamed."

"Oh, I had a little run-in with one of our old enemies," returned the
young captain. "I'll tell you about it later."

"It's poor Ruth Stevenson that got the worst of it," broke in Martha.
"We may as well tell mother," she added. "She ought to know it."

"I wish you boys would stop making enemies," sighed Mrs. Rover. "Sooner
or later they may cause you a lot of trouble."

"Well, I don't consider that it is our fault," returned Jack. "It is no
more our fault than it was dad's fault to make an enemy of Dan Baxter
and his father, Arnold Baxter."

"Well, if only your enemies reform, as Dan Baxter reformed, that will be
something worth while," said his mother.

All of the mothers had made great preparations for the return of the
young people. Their rooms had been placed in order, and there were a
number of pretty and useful gifts for all of them. Then came a grand
reunion in the Tom Rover home, where an elaborate dinner was served that
evening.

"Gee! if only our dads were here to enjoy this with us," murmured Andy,
as he gazed upon the many good things spread before him.

"I'll bet they won't find any fault with home cooking after they get
back from the trenches in France," commented Randy, with a grin. "I'll
bet they've had to put up with all kinds of cooking."

"Yes, and sometimes they had to put up with cooking that wasn't," added
Andy.

"Cooking that wasn't?" repeated Mary, puzzled. "Oh! I know what you
mean--when they couldn't get anything."

A number of their friends came in during the evening to see them, and
the young folks had an enjoyable time dancing and in singing in a group
around the piano, which the girls took turns in playing.

"We'll have to have another and a larger gathering when our fathers get
home," declared Mary.

"Oh, won't we have the bully good time then!" cried her brother.

"Maybe they won't have some stories to tell!" piped in Andy.

"I want to hear all about how Uncle Dick won that medal," came from
Randy.

It was not until after eleven o'clock that the little gathering broke
up, and then Mrs. Dick Rover called her children to her.

"Now you must tell me about your eyes, Jack, and you, Martha, must tell
me about Ruth Stevenson's," she said.

Thereupon the young captain and his sister related the particulars of
what had occurred during the outing on Bluebell Island and what had been
done by Doctor Borden to relieve the sufferers.

"It was a vile thing to do!" exclaimed Mrs. Rover, her eyes showing her
displeasure. "Why, that Gabe Werner is nothing but a criminal! You can
be thankful, Jack, that you escaped as you did. But are you sure poor
Ruth's eyes are not permanently injured?"

"Her eyes looked a great deal better when we came away than they had,"
answered Martha. "Just the same, I'm greatly worried, and I know Jack is
too."

"Ruth is to write to us and let us know how she is getting along," went
on the oldest Rover boy.

"Ruth is such a splendid girl, and so fine looking, it would be a shame
if her eyes were hurt," continued Mrs. Rover. And this remark about Ruth
caused Jack to think more of his mother than ever.

Two days passed quickly, the boys and girls spending their time in
getting settled and renewing old acquaintances. The girls went shopping
with their mothers, while the lads visited the offices of The Rover
Company in Wall Street to see with their own eyes how matters were
going.

"Everything seems to be moving along swimmingly," remarked Jack, when he
and his cousins came away.

"I'll bet it will seem strange to our dads to settle down to the grind
once more after seeing so much fighting," remarked Fred.

"It will be hard for all of the soldiers and sailors to settle down, I'm
thinking," added Randy. "A fellow can't knock around here, there, and
everywhere for months and then come down to a regular routine all in a
minute."

That night the young folks retired rather early. Andy and Randy were
indulging in some horseplay in their bedroom when they heard the
door-bell ring.

"I'll bet it's a telegram from dad!" burst out Andy.

"Maybe it's dad himself!" answered his twin. "Come on down and see."

As they hurried down the stairs they heard their mother's room door open
and heard one of the servants going to the front door. The next instant
there was a cry from below.

"Mr. Rover! Is it really you!"

"It's dad! It's dad!" yelled the twins simultaneously, and fairly leaped
to the bottom of the stairs and ran to greet their father.

"Hello, boys! So you got home ahead of me, did you?" came from Tom
Rover, as he hugged and kissed each in turn. "My, how big you are
getting!"

"Tom! Tom!" cried his wife Nellie. And then she rushed down the stairs
as he rushed up to meet her. He caught her up in his strong arms as he
had been wont to do so many times in the past and fairly swung her above
him. Then he kissed her on each cheek and on the mouth and set her down
with his hands on her shoulders.

"This is what I've been waiting for, Nellie," he declared. "Just waiting
to see you again!"

"And I've been waiting too, Tom--waiting every day," she murmured, with
tears in her beautiful eyes.

In the meantime similar scenes were taking place in the adjoining
houses. Dick Rover, having a key, had let himself in unobserved, and
gave his wife quite a shock when he met her at the door to her room. But
she was overjoyed to see him, as were also Jack and Martha, and all
clustered around to listen to what he might have to say.

"Why, Dad, you are as brown as a berry!" declared the young captain.

"And look how tall and strong he seems to be!" put in Martha.

It was Mrs. Sam Rover herself who answered her husband's ring, and her
shout of joy quickly brought Fred downstairs. Mary had already retired,
but, leaping up, she threw a kimona around her and came flying down in
bare feet.

And then what a reunion there was among the members of all three
families! The doors which connected the three residences were thrown
wide open, and all gathered in the middle house. All seemed to be
talking at once, and boys, fathers and uncles shook hands over and over
again, while the girls and their mothers came in for innumerable hugs
and kisses.

"We are not yet mustered out," said Dick Rover. "But we expect to be
before a great while."

"You ought to be very proud of having done your bit for Uncle Sam," said
Mary to her father and her uncles.

"Well, I think our boys did their bit, too, if I am any judge," was Sam
Rover's fond comment. "First they helped to catch those chaps who blew
up the Hasley ammunition factory, then they aided in rounding up the
crowd who had the hidden German submarine, and lastly they prevented
those Huns from establishing that wireless station in the woods. I
certainly think they did remarkably well."

"But they've made some terrible enemies," broke in Mrs. Dick Rover.
"Just look at Jack's eyes. One fellow tried to throw pepper into them."

"Oh, let's not talk about that now, Ma!" cried the young captain. "I
want to hear all about what dad and Uncle Tom and Uncle Sam have been
doing in France."

"If we started to give you all the details we wouldn't get to bed
to-night," said his Uncle Tom, with a grin. They had already been
talking for quite a while, and the clock hands pointed to nearly one in
the morning.

"Oh, well, this is a red-letter night, Dad," broke out Randy.

"Such a coming together may not happen again in a lifetime," added his
twin.

Then the older Rovers told of many of their adventures, both while in
camp in France and during the time they had been on the firing line.

"We were in some pretty hot fights," admitted Tom Rover. "One in
particular--when we forced the Huns out of a stretch of woods they were
holding--none of us is liable to forget. That's the fight in which Sam
and I were wounded."

"Yes, and the day after they were wounded I was caught in a gas attack,"
said Dick Rover. "My! but that was something pretty nasty! I felt as if
somebody had me by the throat and at the same time was trying to twist
my stomach inside out. I never felt such a sensation in my life," and he
shook his head and sighed deeply over the recollection of what he had
passed through.

"Was that where you won your medal, Dad?" questioned Jack eagerly.

"No, my boy. The medal was won some time later, while your two uncles
were in the hospital trying to recover from their wounds. We made two
advances, and then were told to hold our new line. There was a fierce
bombardment early in the morning, and then, because of a mix-up of
orders, part of our command fell back while another tried to go forward.
One of our men, a fellow named Lorimer Spell, a queer sort of chap who
hailed from Texas, was hit by a piece of shell and knocked partly
unconscious. He was unable to save himself, and as I didn't want to see
him killed I ran out from behind our shelter and brought him in."




CHAPTER XVI

DICK ROVER'S HEROISM


It can readily be believed that the Rovers did not sleep much that
night. The boys and girls were downstairs by seven o'clock and waited
anxiously for the appearance of their parents in the dining-room of Dick
Rover's residence, where the fathers were to have breakfast before
returning to the troopship which was docked across the river, at
Hoboken.

"We've got to get back by noon," announced Tom Rover, "and Sam and I
want to pay a visit to Wall Street before we go, so we won't be able to
spend much more time here."

"You were going to tell us how you won that medal, Dad," said Jack,
after breakfast was over and his two uncles had said good-bye to
everybody and left. "What about it?"

"Well, if you must have the story, sit down and I'll give it to you,"
answered Dick Rover, with a smile. "As it happens, the death of Lorimer
Spell may make quite a difference in my plans for this Summer."

"Oh, then the poor man died in spite of your efforts to rescue him!"
said Martha in crestfallen tones.

"He didn't die from that shell wound," answered her father. "But I had
better tell the story from the beginning, since you seem to be so
anxious to hear it."

"You must remember, Dick, that Jack is something of a soldier himself.
He is a captain of the cadets, you know," remarked the mother of the
lad.

"Oh, but that isn't like being a real soldier and fighting for Uncle
Sam!" protested the youth.

"This Lorimer Spell, the fellow I saved, was a tall, lanky Texan who
joined our command after we arrived in France. Just how he got in I
can't say. He was rather a quiet sort of man, and some of the soldiers
thought he was decidedly queer. He took a great interest in botany and
geology, and I take it he was something of a student in those lines,
although he was by no means well educated.

"The day that he was knocked out by a fragment of a shell was a misty
one--the kind of a mist that makes it very uncertain to see any great
distance. We did not know how close some of the Huns might be, and as a
matter of fact they were closer than we expected, and some time later
two of our men were shot down while moving from one trench to another
close by.

"When Spell went down I was over a hundred feet away from him. Before he
became unconscious he tried to crawl back to the trench from which he
had come. But evidently he was confused and went down in plain sight of
the Huns.

"I didn't care very much for the man, as I told you before, but I could
not see him remain there exposed to the fire of the enemy, and so
without thinking twice I jumped up out of the trench and ran across the
ground to where he was lying. The shells had torn the soil dreadfully,
so that I had considerable difficulty in reaching him.

"I placed him on my shoulder, and just then several Huns began firing at
us. One bullet grazed my side, giving me a deep scratch, and another
went through the cloth of Spell's coat. I stumbled down into a shell
crater with the man and had all I could do to drag him and myself out.
Then I plunged forward again, and just as the Huns let out several more
shots, both of us stumbled down into the trench, and the rescue, if you
might call it such, was over."

"Well, I think that was a grand thing to do, Dad!" burst out Jack, his
face beaming. "Simply grand!"

"You couldn't beat it for pluck!" said Fred.

"And that's how you won the medal?" broke in Andy. "Fine!"

"You certainly deserved it," added his twin. "Gee! but suppose those
Huns had plugged you when you were carrying the fellow!"

"And that's how I got him back to the trenches," went on Dick Rover. "He
was taken to the field hospital, and there his injuries were found to be
slight, and in a few days he was back on the firing line again."

"He ought to have been mighty thankful," declared Martha, who sat close
by, holding her father's hand.

"He was thankful; and for that reason he did something which may have an
important bearing on my future business dealings," answered Dick Rover.
"He said he had no relatives of any kind, and he then and there made a
will whereby if anything happened to him all that he possessed in this
world should go to me."

"And then he was killed?" questioned Mrs. Rover.

"Yes. Just two days after his return to duty we were making another
advance. Spell was in one part of the field while I was in another.
Suddenly I saw him running off to a place just in front of where our
squad was located. Then he made a turn as if to come toward us, and just
at that instant he threw up his hands and fell forward on his face."

Here Dick Rover paused and dropped his eyes. No one cared to speak, and
for an instant there was utter silence.

"When the skirmish was over we had gained our position, and a few hours
later the body of Lorimer Spell was picked up and carried to the rear,"
went on Jack's father. "A bullet had struck him in the back of the head,
and death must have been instantaneous.

"I confess that I felt pretty bad. A number of the company knew of the
will Spell had made, and two of them were witnesses to the crude
document he had drawn up. As a consequence, Spell's personal effects
were turned over to me. They included a small amount of money, a ring, a
wrist watch, and a number of papers, including an order for a box in a
safe deposit vault in a bank in Wichita Falls, Texas."

"Poor fellow, it's too bad he couldn't have lived to enjoy himself now
the war is at an end," remarked Mrs. Sam Rover.

"Were any of his papers of value?" questioned Jack curiously.

"That remains to be found out, Jack. His papers spoke of a valuable
tract of oil land in Texas close to the boundary line between that State
and Oklahoma."

"Oil lands!" exclaimed Randy. "Why, they may be worth a fortune, Uncle
Dick! They are making immense strikes in oil down in that territory."

"I know that, Randy. Some of the wells are worth a fortune. But, on the
other hand, you must remember that many of the tracts that are supposed
to have oil on them have so far proved to be utterly dry. Men spend ten
to forty thousand dollars in sinking a well only to find in the end that
they have had their labor for their pains."

"Did Lorimer Spell say that his land had oil on it?" questioned Fred.

"From the way his papers and letters read one would think so, Fred. But,
as I said before, Spell was a very queer kind of man. In fact, some of
the fellows in our company thought he was a little bit out of his mind
at times. It is just possible that he only imagined that he possessed
valuable oil land."

"But you are going to investigate, aren't you, and make sure?"
questioned Jack.

"Certainly, Son. I intend to go to Texas and make an investigation just
as soon as I am mustered out of the service."

"Oh, Dad! do you mean that you might go to Texas this Summer?"

"I will if they muster me out."

"If you go, won't you take me along?"

"I'll think about it," and Dick Rover smiled at his son, whose face
showed his eagerness.

"Gee! I'd like to go to Texas myself," burst out Fred.

"Such a trip would suit me down to the ground," announced Andy.

"I've always wanted to see a big oil well in operation," added his twin.

"I'd like to see them shoot an oil well," went on Jack. "They say it is
a wonderful sight, especially if the well happens to be a real gusher."

"The queerest part of it is this," went on Dick Rover. "Before the war
came on I was more or less interested in the oil fields in Texas and
Oklahoma, as well as in Kansas. A good oil well, or series of wells, is
a splendid paying proposition in these days, and I'd like first rate to
get possession of such a holding and then start a first-class oil
company."

"Oh, there are millions in oil! I know that!" burst out Martha. "Why, I
was reading in a magazine only the other day of some folks in Texas who
were quite poor. They had a farm of less than a hundred acres, and could
make barely a living on it. Then the oil prospectors came along and
located a well or two, and now those poor farm people have so much money
they don't know what to do with it."

"Wouldn't it be great if we could go down there and locate a few of
those first-class wells?" said Fred, with a sigh. "I'd just like to know
how it feels to be a real millionaire."

"Can I go, Dad, if you go?" questioned Jack again.

"I'll see about that later. I don't wish to make any promises now."

"If Jack goes I want to go with him," put in Fred sturdily.

"Of course we'll want to go with him!" added Andy and Randy in a breath.

"What's the matter with us girls going along?" demanded Martha.

"What would girls be doing in the oil fields?" asked Fred. "A well might
go off and shoot all your beautiful dresses full of oil."

"Huh! what about it if some oil got on that flaming red necktie you are
wearing, Fred?" questioned his sister quickly. In his haste to get
dressed that morning her brother had donned a necktie which she
detested.

"Never mind my necktie, Mary. If Jack goes to Texas I'm going to see if
I can't go along."

The matter was talked over a few minutes longer, and then Dick Rover
went off with his wife to arrange some private affairs before he should
take his departure for Hoboken. Then he said good-bye all around and was
off.

"The next time you see us I think we'll be in a big parade," said Jack's
father on leaving.

"A parade?" queried several of the others.

"Yes. They are talking of having a big parade of the soldiers on Fifth
Avenue. If they do, of course we'll be in it."

"Hurrah! that's the stuff," cried Andy. "I've been aching to see one of
those big parades ever since war was declared."

"If you do parade, Dad, we'll all be there to see you," declared Martha.

"We'll want front seats in the grandstand," added Mary.

"I don't think you'll get any front seats, Mary," answered her mother.
"More than likely those seats will be reserved for the gold-star
mothers--those who have lost their sons in battle."

"Well, those mothers deserve the front seats every time," said Jack.

"Indeed they do!" came from the girls.

"How soon will this parade come off?" questioned Randy.

"I don't know that the date has been settled exactly," answered Dick
Rover. "But it will undoubtedly be in the near future. You will probably
see all the details in the newspapers. I presume the whole of New York
will have a holiday."

"Yes, and Fifth Avenue will be decorated in great shape from end to
end," declared Mary. "Just see how they have been working on that Arch
of Victory, and the Tower of Jewels, and all the other things."

"It will certainly be a parade well worth seeing," said Dick's wife.

"Yes, and I'll wager folks will come miles and miles to see it," added
Fred. And then he continued quickly: "What's the matter with having
Grandfather Rover down here from Valley Brook Farm?"

"Yes, and Great-aunt Martha and Uncle Randolph, too!" broke in Mary.

"Oh, we must have all of them, by all means!" cried Jack.




CHAPTER XVII

THE GREAT VICTORY PARADE


"My, what a jam of people!"

"Did you ever see such a crowd before in all your life!"

"And look at the flags and other decorations! Aren't they beautiful?"

"This time New York has outdone herself."

It was the day for the great parade of the returned soldiers, and New
York City, especially in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue, was packed with
dense crowds that filled miles of grandstands, windows, and other points
of vantage, and also jammed the sidewalks and the side streets. It was a
holiday for all, and everybody was going to make the most of it.

The Rovers had left their homes early to make their way to the seats
they had obtained on one of the stands. With those who resided in the
city were Grandfather Rover and also Aunt Martha and Uncle Randolph, who
had come down the day previous from Valley Brook Farm.

"This is the greatest day of my life," said Grandfather Rover, his eyes
glistening with pleasure. "To think that my boys have all fought for our
country and come back from the war safely."

"Yes, and to think one of them has won a medal--not but what the others
have been equally brave," responded old Uncle Randolph.

"I hope they never have to go to another war--they or their sons
either," murmured old Aunt Martha.

The girls had invited May and Ruth to come to New York to witness the
parade. May had accepted the invitation, but Ruth had sent word the
doctor did not think a trip advisable at this time, her eyes being still
in bad condition.

"It's too bad Ruth couldn't come," sighed Jack.

"Well, she had better take care of her eyes," answered his sister. "Oh,
dear, why did that horrid Werner have to do such a mean thing!"

The Rovers had all they could do to get to the seats reserved for them.
Each carried a small flag, to be waved as the soldiers passed. There was
quite a wait, and the crowd seemed to grow denser every minute. Then
from a distance came the fanfare of trumpets and the booming of many
drums.

"Here they come! Here they come!" was the glad shout, and soon a platoon
of police on horse-back swept by. Then followed a brass band of a
hundred pieces or more, and the great parade was fairly started.

To go into the particulars of this tremendous spectacle would be
impossible in the limits of these pages. Regiment after regiment swept
by, representing every State in the Union. There were brass bands
galore, with Old Glory everywhere in evidence. The crowd clapped and
cheered, and sometimes shouted itself hoarse as some favorite command
swept by with soldierly precision. Here and there a hero was recognized,
and then the din would increase.

"Some parade, I say!" exclaimed Fred enthusiastically.

"Isn't it wonderful how many soldiers there are?" marveled May, who sat
next to him.

"When are our boys coming?" questioned Grandfather Rover anxiously.

"They'll be coming along pretty soon now," answered Jack, who had been
studying the program closely. "They are in the second regiment after the
one now passing."

The New York State troops were now approaching, and the din became
terrific, the more so as one company after another was recognized.

"Here they come! Here they come!" exclaimed Martha, who was gazing down
the line.

"I see them! They are just at the corner!" added Mary.

"There's dad! I see dad!" screamed Andy, to make himself heard above the
noise. "There he is, in the front row on this side!"

"Yes, and there is my father!" yelled Fred. "See him? Two men away from
Uncle Tom!"

"I see dad," announced Jack. "He's in the middle. See him with that
medal on his breast?"

"Hurrah, boys! Hurrah for you!" yelled Grandfather Rover, and arose
excitedly, shaking his cane in one hand and a small flag in the other.

[Illustration: "HURRAH FOR YOU, BOYS!" YELLED GRANDFATHER ROVER.]

By this time all were on their feet, cheering and waving their flags
wildly. Dick, Tom and Sam Rover saw them, and although they did not dare
to turn their heads, they smiled broadly in recognition. For them the
moment was just as thrilling as it was for those on the stand.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!" shouted the boys and girls, and their parents
and other relatives joined in as strenuously as any one.

Old Aunt Martha was crying openly, and the other women had also to wipe
the tears from their eyes.

"Somehow it chokes me all up," declared old Uncle Randolph, and blew his
nose vigorously.

The company containing the Rovers passed on and the great parade
continued hour after hour until it seemed as if there would be no end to
that grand procession.

"Gracious! I didn't know there were so many soldiers in the whole
world," declared Aunt Martha at length.

"If you are getting tired, Aunt Martha, I'll have somebody take you back
to the house," remarked Mrs. Dick Rover, after they had been watching
the parade for four hours.

"No, no. I am going to see it to the end," declared the old lady. "It
will be something to talk about as long as I live."

"Just think of a lot of soldiers like these fighting all over our farm
at Valley Brook," was Uncle Randolph's comment. "That's what they did
over in France. It must have been terrible, the way things were cut up."

"My dad says you wouldn't believe it if you didn't see it," answered
Randy. "He said some of the shell craters were big enough to dump a
small barn in. Think of holes like that in your pasture lot."

But even the greatest of parades must come to an end, and at last the
final body of soldiers marched by, and then came more police, followed
by a great crowd of people that surged into Fifth Avenue like great
flocks of sheep, hurrying, bustling, and jostling in an effort to get
every way at once.

"Wasn't it perfectly grand?" cried Mary.

"It couldn't have been more wonderful," answered May.

"Now we'll get you back to the house and give you something to eat,"
said Mrs. Dick Rover to the old folks. "You certainly must be hungry as
well as tired."

"Well, a little bit of something to eat wouldn't go bad, Dora," answered
Grandfather Rover, placing an affectionate hand on her shoulder. And
then he added softly: "We're mighty proud of our Dick, aren't we?"

"Proud! I should say we are!" answered Mrs. Rover, her whole face
glowing with keen satisfaction.

It was decided that all of the older folks, as well as the three girls,
should return to Riverside Drive. The boys, however, wanted to remain
out and see what might take place further.

"We can pick up a little lunch somewhere--some sandwiches and pie and
maybe a glass of milk," said Randy.

"Anything will do for me," announced Fred. "I'm almost too excited to
eat."

"If you boys stay out you take good care of yourselves in this awful
jam," warned Mrs. Tom Rover. "And don't you get into any mischief," she
added to her twins.

The four lads saw the others safely to the automobiles, which were
standing down one of the side streets, and then came back to Fifth
Avenue.

"Let's walk down and look at the decorations and at the Arch of
Victory," suggested Jack, and so it was decided.

In many places the sidewalks were littered with boxes which had been
used to sit or stand upon. As a consequence, the best place to walk was
in the street, and down this the boys pushed their way through the
crowds which were gradually beginning to thin out.

"I never imagined buildings could be so handsomely decorated," declared
Jack. "Those flags and banners and all that mass of bunting must have
cost a fortune."

"Yes, and think of the money spent in decorating some of these windows,"
put in Fred.

They were gazing at a large show-window filled with a representation of
American soldiers and sailors from colonial times to the present day.
There were at least twenty-five figures in full uniform, and the display
was as valuable to study from an historical standpoint as it was
interesting to view as a picture.

"Some work to get all those uniforms together and to have everything
exactly right," remarked Randy.

"I like the plain khaki of to-day as well as any of them," announced
Jack. "The others are more gaudy, but when it comes to actual
service--Ouch!"

Jack's remark broke off abruptly as a small but heavy box thrown from
the gutter landed directly on his head. Then another box came flying
through the air, to strike between the three other Rovers. It was
followed by a ball of soaking-wet and muddy newspapers which struck the
show-window with a thud, sending some dirty drops of water into the
Rover boys' faces.

Fred was the first to whirl around in an endeavor to see where the two
boxes and the wadded-up newspapers had come from. He was just in time to
see two young fellows try to lose themselves in the rapidly moving
crowd.

"Gabe Werner!" he ejaculated. "There he goes!"

"Yes, and there is Bill Glutts with him!" added Andy.

"What's that?" questioned Jack. He had received a small cut on one ear
from the flying box and his cap had been knocked over his eyes.

"Werner and Glutts did it," answered Fred. "There they go down the
street."

"If that's the case we've got to catch them," returned the oldest Rover
boy. "Come on, quick!"

All started in pursuit of the two former bullies of Colby Hall. But to
follow them through the rapidly moving crowd was not easy, and several
times they were afraid the rascals would get away from them.

"Here, here! Take your time," said a policeman to Fred, as the latter
brushed by him. "Take your time."

"I'm after a fellow who ought to be arrested," answered Fred quickly.

"Where is he?" demanded the bluecoat with interest.

"There he goes--down around the corner!" And then, as the policeman
showed no disposition to leave his post, the youngest Rover boy hurried
away after the others.

Werner and Glutts had looked back, and seeing that the Rovers were in
pursuit, they had tried to throw them off the trail by passing around
the nearest corner. Now they headed in the direction of the East Side.

"I told you not to bother with them," panted Glutts, who was somewhat
out of breath. "Now, for all you know, they'll have us arrested."

"Oh, shut up your whining, Bill!" growled Werner in disgust. "I wish I
had knocked that Jack Rover's head off with the box."

"You came very near busting the window."

"I wouldn't care if I did bust it," answered the other recklessly.

"It don't look as if that dose of pepper hurt Jack Rover much."

"Never mind. I'll fix him some day, you see if I don't."

The two glanced back once more and to their chagrin saw that the Rovers
had come around the corner and were chasing after them faster than ever.
This caused Bill Glutts to become more frightened than before.

"Oh, what shall we do? They'll catch us sure!" he wailed.

"No, they won't! Come on!" yelled Werner, and caught his crony by the
arm.

He was too excited to notice carefully where he was running, and the
next instant he, followed by Glutts, brought up against a stand on the
sidewalk in front of a small shop. This stand was filled with various
articles of bric-a-brac, and it went down with a crash, carrying dozens
of small articles with it.




CHAPTER XVIII

BOUND FOR TEXAS


"Hi! hi! phat--phat you mean py knocking mine stand ofer?" cried out a
voice from the doorway of the building, and a small, stockily built
foreigner came running forward.

"Get off of me!" spluttered Bill Glutts, who was under Gabe Werner.
"You're pressing some of this broken stuff into my face!"

Werner could not answer, being too surprised by the sudden turn affairs
had taken. But then, as he realized that the four Rovers were close at
hand, he rolled over on the sidewalk, upsetting a small boy as he did
so, and then managed to scramble to his feet.

"Come on, Bill!" he panted, and set off down the street at the best gait
he could command.

What Bill Glutts had said about being pushed into the broken bric-a-brac
was true. His face had come down into the midst of several broken vases,
and one hand rested on a broken bit of glassware. When he arose to his
feet he found himself held fast by the storekeeper.

"You don't vas git avay from me already!" bawled the owner of the place.
"You vas pay for de damages you make."

"You let me go! It wasn't my fault!" stormed Glutts.

By this time the Rovers had come up. Bill Glutts looked the picture of
despair, with blood flowing from several cuts on his face and on one
hand.

"Where is Werner?" questioned Jack quickly.

"There he goes!" exclaimed Randy. "Come on after him before he gets
away."

"Some one had better stay here and see that Glutts doesn't get away,"
suggested Fred.

"All right, Fred, you and Andy stay here until we get back," answered
Randy, and then he sped off after Jack, who was already running at his
best rate of speed in the direction Gabe Werner had taken.

By this time Werner was thoroughly scared. He knew that he was liable to
arrest for smashing the bric-a-brac stand, and he had no desire to fall
into the clutches of the Rovers, feeling instinctively that they might
pummel him thoroughly before handing him over to the authorities.
Besides that, he remembered that they might hold him to account for the
pepper incident.

He had turned down a side street where there were a number of tenements.
He dove through an open doorway and ran the length of the hall, coming
out of the building at the rear. Here there was a small yard surrounded
by a board fence. He leaped the fence with ease, and then dove into the
back end of another tenement and out at the front, and soon lost himself
in a crowd on the other street.

Jack and Randy hunted around for fully a quarter of an hour, and were
then compelled to give up the chase.

"It's too bad," declared the oldest Rover boy, "but it can't be helped.
Let us go back and see what they have done with Glutts."

They soon found their way back to where the bric-a-brac stand had been
smashed. A woman was now in charge, and she was just finishing the
cleaning away of the wreckage. Fred and Andy stood nearby watching her.
Both wore a broad grin.

"What's the matter? Couldn't you catch Werner?" questioned Fred.

"No, he slipped us," answered Jack, and gave the particulars.

"The police just carted Bill Glutts off in a patrol wagon," announced
Andy. "The keeper of the store, a Bohemian with an unpronounceable name,
went along. He declared Glutts would have to pay the bill in full, and
even then he wanted him put in prison for life or beheaded,

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