CHAPTER XIII
AT THE FARM
"All aboard who are going! We haven't any time to spare if you want tocatch that nine-fifteen train."
"Good-bye, Tom, don't forget to write."
"Say, Spud, when you get down to the Maine coast, don't eat too manylobsters."
"And that puts me in mind, Stanley. When you reach the Grand Canyon,send me a piece of rock; I want to see how the Canyon looks."
"Say, whose baseball mitt is this anyway?" And following thisquestion, the mitt came sailing through the air, to land on the floorof the Brill carryall.
"Please get off of my feet!" The wail came from William PhilanderTubbs, who was sitting in a corner with another student partly on hislap.
"Everybody shove, and we'll be off!" cried another student, merrily.
Then came a great mixture of cries and whistles, intermingled with thetooting of horns and the sounding of rattles, in the midst of whichthere moved from the Brill grounds several carriages and an equalnumber of automobiles.
The term had come to an end, and the students were preparing toscatter. The majority were going home, but others had planned to godirectly to the summer resorts where they were to spend theirvacations.
"Good-bye, Brill!" sang out Tom, and, for once, his voice was a triflehusky. Now that he was leaving the college not to return, a suddenqueer sensation stole over the youth. He looked at his brother, andthen turned his gaze away.
"Never mind, Tom," said Sam, softly. "If I come back, as I expect,you'll have to come and visit me."
Hope Seminary was not to close until the week following, and theevening before the Rovers had visited Grace and Nellie. From them, Samand Tom had heard news that interested them greatly. This was to theeffect that Dora had invited her cousins to visit her in New York Citysome time during the vacation.
"That will be fine!" Tom had cried. "You come when Sam and I arethere, and we'll do all we can to give you the best kind of a time."And so it had been arranged.
The boys and their friends were in the Rover touring car. Thismachine, it had been decided, was to remain at the college garage, incare of Abner Filbury. Abner was now driving, so that the boys were atliberty to do as they pleased.
"Let's give 'em a song," suggested Stanley, and the boys sang onecollege song after another, the tunes being caught up by those in theother turnouts. Thus they rolled up to the railroad station in Ashton.Then the train came in, and all the young collegians lost no time ingetting aboard.
"Where are you going, my dear William Philander?" asked Tom, of thedudish student, who sat in front of him.
"I am going to Atlantic City," was the somewhat stiff reply, forWilliam Philander had not forgotten the ducking in the river.
"Atlantic City!" exclaimed Tom. "Of course, you are not going inbathing?"
"To be sure I am! I have a brand new bathing suit ordered. It is darkblue, with pin stripes running----"
"But see here, Billy! If you go in bathing at Atlantic City thisseason, you'll be chewed up."
"What do you mean?" And now the dudish student seemed interested.
"Haven't you heard about the sea serpents they have seen at AtlanticCity?" demanded Tom,--"four or five of them." And he poked Sam, whosat beside him, in the ribs; and also winked at Spud, who was in theseat with William Philander.
"That's right, Tubbs," put in Sam. "Why, they say some of those seaserpents are twenty feet long."
"Oh, yes, I heard about them, too," added Spud, and now he bracedhimself for one of his usual yarns. "Why, they tell me that oneafternoon the sea serpents came in so thickly among the bathers thatit was hard for them--I mean those in bathing--to tell which wassand and which was serpents. Some of the serpents crawled up on theboardwalk, and even got into some of the stores and hotels. They hadto order out the police, and then the fire department, and, finally,some of the soldiers had to come down from the rifle ranges with aGatling gun. You never heard of such a battle! Somebody said theykilled as many as ninety-seven sea serpents, and not less than threehundred got away. Why, William Philander, I wouldn't go withintwenty-five miles of Atlantic City if I were you," concluded Spud.
"Oh, how ridiculous!" responded the dudish student. Nevertheless, helooked much worried. "Of course, they do report a sea serpent now andthen."
"Well, you haven't got to believe it, Billy," answered Tom. "At thesame time, you'll be a fine specimen of a college boy if you come backnext Fall minus an arm and a leg. How on earth are you going to any ofthe fashionable dances in that condition?" And at this, there was ageneral snicker, in the midst of which William Philander arose, caughtup his dresssuit case, and fled to another car.
"You can bet that will hold William Philander for awhile," remarkedSam. "He won't dare to put as much as a toe in the water at AtlanticCity until he is dead sure it is safe."
"Humph! William Philander isn't one of the kind to go into the water,"sniped Tom. "He belongs to the crowd that get into fancy bathingcostumes, and then parades up and down on the sand, just to beadmired."
It was not long before the Junction was reached, and here the Rovershad to part from a number of their friends. A fifteen-minute wait, andthen their train came along. It was not more than half full, so thestudents had all the room they desired.
"I must say, the farm will look pretty good to me," remarked Tom, whenthe time came for them to collect their belongings.
"I want to see dad," returned his younger brother.
"Oh, so do I."
"Oak Run! All out for Oak Run!" It was the well-known cry of thebrakeman as the train rolled into the station where the Rovers were toalight.
"Good-bye, everybody!" sang out both Sam and Tom, and, baggage inhand, they hurried to the station platform. Then the train went on itsway, leaving them behind.
The boys had sent a message ahead, stating when they would arrive,and, consequently, Jack Ness, the hired man, was on hand with thefamily touring car.
"Back safe and sound, eh? Glad to see yer!" cried the hired man, asthey approached, and he touched his cap.
"And we are glad to be back, Jack," returned Tom, and added quickly:"How is my father?"
"Oh, he's doin' as well as can be expected, Mr. Tom. The doctors sayhe has got to keep quiet. Your Aunt Martha said to warn both of younot to excite him."
"Is he in bed?" questioned Sam.
"Not exactly. He sits up in his easy chair. He can't do much walkin'around."
While talking, the boys had thrown their belongings into the car. Tomtook the wheel, with Sam beside him, leaving the hired man to get inamong the baggage. Then away they rolled, over the little bridge thatspanned the river and connected the railroad station with the villageof Dexter's Corners. Then, with a swerve that sent Jack Ness upagainst the side of the car, they struck into the country road leadingto Valley Brook Farm, their home.
"Looks good, doesn't it?" remarked Sam, as they rolled along, pastwell-kept farms and through a pleasant stretch of woodland.
"Yes, it looks good and is good," returned Tom, with satisfaction."The college and the city are all right enough, Sam, but I don't goback on dear old Valley Brook!"
"How the country around here has changed since the time when we movedhere," went on Sam. "Do you remember those days, Tom?"
"Do I remember them? Well, I guess! And how Uncle Randolph used to beannoyed at what we did." And Tom smiled grimly.
Another turn or two, and they came in sight of the first of the farmfields. Then they reached the long lane leading to the commodiousfarmhouse, and Tom began to sound the automobile horn.
"There is Uncle Randolph!" cried Sam, pointing to the upper end of thelane.
"Yes, and there is Aunt Martha," added Tom, as a figure stepped out onthe farmhouse piazza. Then both of the boys waved their handsvigorously.
"Back again, eh!" cried Uncle Randolph, when the car had been broughtto a stop. "Glad to see you, boys," and he shook hands.
"Back again, and right side up with care!" exclaimed Tom. He made o
neleap up the piazza steps, and caught his aunt in his arms. "How areyou, Aunt Martha? Why, I declare, you are getting younger and betterlooking every day!" and he kissed her heartily.
"Oh, Tom, my dear, don't smother me!" gasped the aunt. Yet she lookedtremendously pleased as she gazed at him. Then Sam came in for a hugand a kiss.
"You mustn't be too boisterous," whispered Uncle Randolph, when allstarted to enter the house. "Remember, your father isn't as strong ashe might be."
"Where is he?" both boys wanted to know.
"He is up in the wing over the dining-room," answered their aunt. "Wethought that would be the nicest place for him. The window has a fineoutlook, you'll remember."
"Can we go up now?" questioned Tom.
"Yes, but remember, do not say anything to excite him
"All right, we'll be careful," came from Sam. And then both lads castaside their caps and hurried up the stairs.
Mr. Anderson Rover sat in an easy chair, attired in his dressing gown.He looked thin and pale, but his face lit up with a smile as his eyesrested on his two sons.
"Dad!" was the only word each could utter. And then they caught him byeither hand, and looked at him fondly.
"I am glad to see you back, boys," said their father, in a low butclear voice. "It seems like a long while since you went away."
"And we have missed you a great deal!" broke out Sam. "It's too bad youdon't feel better."
"Oh, I think I'll get over it in time," answered Mr. Rover. "But thedoctors tell me I must go slow. I wouldn't mind that so much, if itwasn't for Dick. I think he ought to have some help."
"Now, don't you worry, Dad," interposed Tom, gently. "You just leaveeverything to us. We are both going to New York to help Dickstraighten out matters, and it will be all right, I am sure." And hestroked his father's shoulder affectionately.
"But you'll have to go back to college----" began the invalid.
"Sam is going back. I am going to help Dick, and stay with him. Now,don't say anything against it, Dad, for it is all settled," went onTom, as his father tried to speak again. "I don't care to go back. Ithink Dick and I were cut out for business men. Sam is the learnedmember of this family."
"Well, boys, have your own way; you are old enough to know what youare doing." And now Mr. Rover sank back in the chair, for even thisbrief conversation had almost exhausted him.
The Rover Boys in Business; Or, The Search for the Missing Bonds Page 12