In the first volume of this line, entitled “The Rover Boys at School,” I introduced three brothers, Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover, and told how they were sent to Putnam Hall Military Academy where they made a number of chums, including a cadet named Lawrence Colby.
Passing through Putnam Hall successfully, the three brothers next attended Brill College, and then went into business in New York City, where they organized The Rover Company, with offices on Wall Street.
During their school days the Rover brothers had fallen in with three very nice girls, Dora Stanhope and her cousins, Nellie and Grace Laning. The three young couples became married and settled down in connecting houses on Riverside Drive, New York City.
About a year following their marriage Dick and his wife Dora became the parents of a son, who was named John, and this son was followed by a daughter Martha. The boy Jack, as he was usually called, was a sturdy youth with many of the independent qualities which had made his father so successful.
Shortly after the birth of Jack, Tom Rover and his wife Nellie came forward with a great surprise in the form of a pair of lively twin boys, one of whom was named Anderson and the other Randolph. Andy and Randy, as they were invariably called, were exceedingly active lads, in that particular being a second edition of their fun-loving father, Tom.
About the time Tom’s twins came upon the scene, Sam Rover and his wife Grace became the parents of a little girl, called Mary. Then, a year later, the girl was followed by a boy who was christened Fred.
Residing side by side, the younger generation of Rover boys, as well as their sisters, were brought up very much as one large family. At first they were sent to private schools in the Metropolis, but the boys, led by Andy and Randy, showed such an aptitude for fun and horseplay that their parents were compelled to hold a consultation.
“We’ll have to send those kids to some strict boarding school—some military academy,” said Dick Rover.
“I guess that’s right,” his brother Tom had answered. “Although how my wife is going to get along without having the twins around is more than I know.”
At that time Lawrence Colby, the Rovers’ former Putnam Hall chum, was at the head of a military academy called Colby Hall. To this institution Jack, Fred, and the twins were sent. And what they did upon their arrival there is told in detail in the first volume of my second series, entitled “The Rover Boys at Colby Hall.”
The 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 hills and forests beyond. The school consisted of a large stone building facing the river, and 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, a boathouse, and likewise bathing pavilions.
On arriving at Colby Hall the younger Rovers found several of their friends awaiting them, including Dick Powell, usually called Spouter because of his occasional desire to make long speeches, and Gifford Garrison. Spouter and Gif were the sons of Songbird Powell and Fred Garrison, men who in their boyhood days had been close chums of the older Rovers while at Putnam Hall. The Rovers made a number of other friends, and, likewise, a few enemies, many of whom will be heard of later.
As mentioned, Colby Hall was located about half a mile beyond Haven Point, and on the opposite side of the town was Clearwater Hall, a boarding school for girls. During a panic 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 Spouter 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, and one day, while out hunting, the Rover boys did the old man a great service. For this he invited them to spend some winter holidays with him, which they did, as related in another volume, called “The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island.”
On this island the boys met two of their former enemies, Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown, as well as Asa Lemm, a discharged teacher of Colby Hall. The Rovers exposed a plot against old Uncle Barney and caused the hunter’s enemies to leave Snowshoe Island in disgust.
Some of the boys hoped they had seen the last of Nappy and Slugger, but Jack was doubtful; and how those two unworthies turned up again to cause more trouble is related in the book entitled“The Rover Boys Under Canvas.”
This was at the time of the annual encampment, and at an election of officers Jack was made captain of Company C and Fred made first lieutenant.
While the Rover boys were at Colby Hall the great war in Europe opened. When the call for army volunteers came Dick Rover and his brother Sam lost no time in enlisting, and as soon as he could get away Tom Rover followed; and the three fathers of the boys went into the trenches in Europe to do their duty for Uncle Sam.
During the following winter at Colby Hall Gif Garrison received a letter from an uncle, stating that he and his chums might use a bungalow up in the woods. Gif at once invited the Rover boys and Spouter to become his guests, and what a glorious time the lads had is related in a volume entitled “The Rover Boys on a Hunt.”
The return of the older Rovers from Europe at the conclusion of the great war in which they had served gallantly brought something of a surprise. Dick Rover had saved the life of a man from Texas, and in return had been given the deed to some property located between Texas and Oklahoma and said to be in a region containing oil. He decided to go to Texas and Oklahoma to investigate, and the four boys begged to go along. How they went to the oil fields and what stirring adventures they had there are related in detail in the volume preceding this, called “The Rover Boys in the Land of Luck.”
Here they fell in again with Nappy Martell, Slugger Brown, and another good-for-nothing lad named Gabe Werner, and also with a man named Carson Davenport, who did his best to do Dick Rover great harm. Davenport and some of his cohorts were finally placed under arrest. As a result of this Gabe Werner’s father took hold of some wells that were being sunk by the Davenport crowd. But in the end he and the Martells and the Browns lost a great deal of their money, so that they were left almost penniless.
“It’s a terrible blow for those three families,”said Dick Rover, when this occurred. “It will make Mr. Werner quite a poor man.”
“Well, I don’t particularly wish them any hard luck,” remarked Andy. “Just the same, I guess Nappy, Slugger, and Gabe got what was coming to them.”
Before going down to Texas and Oklahoma the Rover boys, while along the Rick Rack River during a violent storm, had succeeded in rescuing a man and his son who were caught between some rocks and a drifting tree in the middle of the swiftly flowing stream.
The man, John Franklin, was exceedingly thankful for what had been done for him, and so was his son Philip. It developed later that the Franklins owned a tract of land in Texas. And when it was discovered that the tract inherited by Dick Rover from the soldier in France was practically worthless, Jack’s father made an arrangement to work the Franklin place on shares. Two oil wells were bored, and both of these paid handsomely, making the Rovers richer than ever and also placing a substantial amount in the bank to John Franklin’s account.
“Do you know I can scarcely believe it’s true,” Phil Franklin had said to the Rover boys. “Why, my father will have more money than he ever dreamed of.”
“We’re as glad as you are, Phil,” Jack had answered.“Glad on your account as well as our own. Now maybe you can go to Colby Hall with us.”
“Say, that would be immense!” Phil had returned with pleasure. And that fall he had joined the crowd at the military academy and soon made for himself a host of friends.
“Gee, I never thought going to school could be so nice,” declared Phil Franklin to the Rover boys one day. “I a
lways considered going to school a hardship. But this is bang-up in every way.”
“I guess you haven’t made any enemies yet, Phil,” remarked Fred. “Don’t forget that Nappy Martell, Slugger Brown, and Gabe Werner all hailed from here.”
“I’ve met only one fellow that I don’t like,” returned Phil Franklin. “That’s a fellow who came in the day I did, a big, tall, lanky chap named Lester Bangs.”
“Oh, you mean Brassy Bangs,” broke in Randy.“I know that fellow only too well. I had quite a set-to with him one day in the gym.”
“For a new cadet he’s certainly pretty forward,” answered Jack. “I’m glad he isn’t a member of my company. If he was I think I’d have to call him down more than once.”
“I guess Colby Hall is bound to have its bullies,”Andy had remarked on hearing this. “No sooner do we get rid of one group than another appears. They seem to grow like weeds.”
During the fall there had been the usual football season at the military academy, and the boys had acquitted themselves quite creditably, winning seven games out of twelve. Then had come the brief Christmas holidays. And following this the lads had settled down once more into the grind, resolved to do their best at their lessons. But, of course, they were only boys, and they had to have their fun, and occasionally the fun went a little too far and brought forth rather disastrous results, as we have just seen.
CHAPTER III
WHAT THE SNEAK TOLD
“I certainly didn’t think that snowball would go down the stairs so easily,” remarked Andy, when he and the other Rovers were alone.
“Keep quiet,” warned Jack, who had remained at the partly-opened door. “I want to hear what takes place.”
“This is outrageous, simply outrageous!” they heard in Snopper Duke’s high-pitched voice.“How dared you roll such a snowball down these stairs? And how came you to get that snowball up there anyway?”
“Excuse me, Professor, but I don’t know what you’re talking about,” answered another voice; and at this Jack gave a slight start, for he recognized the words as coming from Brassy Bangs.
“What is that? You do not know anything about the big snowball that just came hurtling down these stairs?” stormed Professor Duke.
“No, sir. I just reached the top of the stairs,” answered Brassy Bangs. “I came out of my room not ten seconds ago.”
“What do you know about this, Stowell?” went on the professor, who had now come slowly to the top of the stairs, followed by Professor Grawson, who had come out of Colonel Colby’s private office where he had been looking over some reports when the big snowball had landed with a thump against the desk at which he had been seated.
“Me? What do you mean?” stammered the youth who was known to the cadets as Codfish and who had always been more or less of a sneak.
“Somebody just rolled a big snowball down the stairs. It struck me and nearly knocked me flat,”returned the irate teacher.
“Yes, and it rolled all the way into the private office,” added Professor Grawson.
“I don’t know anything about any snowballs,”said Codfish. “I noticed the floor was all wet and I wondered what it meant.”
“I saw some fellows rushing around the corner,”came from Brassy Bangs.
“Who were they?” demanded Snopper Duke.
“I don’t know.”
“Which way did they go?”
“That way,” and Brassy pointed out the direction.
By this time the two professors had reached the top of the stairs and Grawson was looking at the water marks on the polished floor.
“Here is where they brought that big snowball in,” he remarked, pointing to the track that led to one of the windows. “They must have brought it up on the fire-escape.”
“Here are several other tracks. I think we had better follow them,” returned Snopper Duke quickly.
The track leading to the bathroom was most in evidence, and the two professors quickly discovered the big snowball resting in the bathtub.
“Evidently they put this here to have some more fun with,” announced Professor Grawson grimly.“Well, it won’t do much harm here. I’ll turn on a little hot water and it will soon melt and run off,” and he turned on the faucet as he spoke.
From the bathroom the two professors, followed by Codfish and Brassy, followed the water trail into a room occupied by several students who were particularly uppish and whom the Rovers did not like, and here some more of the snowballs were found.
“Here is another trail,” announced Professor Duke, and in a moment more had thrown open the door leading to Stowell’s bedroom.
“Here! what does this mean?” stammered Codfish, as, after the light had been turned on, he and the others saw the two big snowballs resting on either side of the bed.
“Stowell, you must have had something to do with this,” cried Snopper Duke savagely.
“No, sir. Not at all, sir,” answered the sneak in a trembling voice. “I don’t know a thing about it.”
“Where did you come from just now?”
“I—I came up the back stairs. I was just coming through the corridor when I heard the noise and came to see what it meant.”
“The back stairs, eh?” put in Professor Grawson.“What were you doing on the back stairs this time in the evening?”
“I—I was down in the kitchen.” And now Codfish grew pale.
“And what called you to the kitchen?”
“I—I was hungry, and so I asked one of the servants for something to eat.” And now Codfish was fairly whining.
“Humph! didn’t you have any supper?”
“Yes, sir. But I wasn’t feeling extra well just then and I didn’t eat very much, and that made me hungry afterwards. And, oh, say! I guess I can tell you something about those snowballs,”and Codfish’s face lit up suddenly.
“What do you know?”
“When I was passing through the little entryway that leads into the kitchen I happened to glance out of the window and I saw four or five fellows down at the foot of the fire-escape.”
“What were they doing?”
“When I looked at them they were just talking among themselves. I only looked for a moment because I was in a hurry to get to the kitchen and get back again.”
“Did you recognize any of the cadets?”
At this direct question, Codfish hesitated and showed that he felt far from comfortable.
“I don’t like to tell on anybody,” he whined.“If I do that they’ll be sure to lick me later on—I know they will!”
“You tell me who they were and I’ll see to it that they do not harm you,” put in Professor Duke quickly.
“I only saw two of the fellows real plainly,”answered Stowell. “They were standing in the light from one of the windows.”
“And who were they? Tell me! I want no nonsense now,” and Snopper Duke caught the sneak firmly by the shoulder.
“Ouch! Please don’t hurt me!” cried Codfish, in added alarm.
“Then answer me!”
“The two fellows I recognized were Captain Jack Rover and his cousin, Lieutenant Fred Rover.”
“You didn’t know the others?” put in Professor Grawson.
“No, sir. I didn’t see them well enough. They were all in the shadows.”
“I’ll investigate this,” cried Professor Duke.“Stowell, you come with me.”
“Oh, please don’t make me come!” cried the sneak. “They’ll almost kill me if they find I gave them away!”
“They sha’n’t touch you.”
“Oh, I know what they’ll do,” moaned Codfish. He had not forgotten how the Rover boys had sided with him on more than one perilous occasion, and it scared him half to death to think what they might do when they discovered how meanly he was acting.
But there was no he
lp for it, and Codfish was marched along between the two professors, with Brassy and a number of other cadets, who had been attracted by the noise and the talk, following.
Meanwhile the four Rover boys had listened to as much of the conversation as they could catch.
“They went into Codfish’s room—they are following the trail of the water on the floor,” announced Jack.
“Some of the other fellows are coming out and coming upstairs,” announced Fred. “Let us go out too and see what happens.”
“Maybe they’ll accuse Codfish of this,” remarked Randy, with a grin.
The four Rovers had just come out in the corridor and been joined by Gif, Phil, and Spouter when they found themselves suddenly confronted by Professor Duke, with Professor Grawson and poor Codfish directly behind him.
“So this is your work, is it?” demanded Snopper Duke, glaring angrily at Jack and Fred in turn.
“To what do you refer, Professor?” asked Jack, as calmly as he could.
“You know well enough, Captain Rover. It is useless for you to deny it,” stormed the angry teacher. “You and your cousins here are responsible for bringing those big snowballs into the school.”
“Who says so?” questioned Fred. At the same time he gave Codfish a look that made the sneak want to hide himself.
“Never mind who says so. We know it to be a fact,” stormed Snopper Duke. “Will you kindly let me know what you mean by such outrageous conduct?”
“Is it so very outrageous, Professor, to bring a few snowballs into the school?” questioned Randy innocently.
“We’ve often brought snow into the school,”put in Andy. “We used to use it for making a sort of home-made ice-cream—with milk and sugar and a little flavoring, you know.”
“Colonel Colby or Captain Dale never ordered us to leave the snow outdoors,” added Fred, and at this there was a snicker from among a number of the cadets who were gathered.
“I will not listen to such nonsense,” stormed Snopper Duke. “You four brought those snowballs into this school, and some of you kicked that snowball down the stairs on top of me,” he added, glaring at them.
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