CHAPTER IV
AT THE FARM
The others considered Sam's advice good, and after another look aroundfor Dangler, they turned in the direction of home. They were a goodthree miles from the farm and had to cross the river above the falls,thus adding half a mile more to the journey. It was wet and muddywalking and they had not covered over a mile when Tom called a halt.
"I am about fagged out," he announced. "Wonder if we can't hire a buggyat the next farmhouse."
"We can try anyway," answered Dick.
Directly after crossing the river they came to a small farmhouse, andwalked around to the kitchen, where they saw an old woman shelling peas.
"We can't let you have any carriage," she said. "The men folks are totown and they've got the horses."
The boys were about to turn away when Dick thought of something.
"By the way, do you know a man named Dangler?" he asked.
"Sure, I do," was the answer.
"Does he live around here?"
"I guess he lives where he pleases. He is an old bachelor and comes andgoes as he likes. He used to have a cottage down the pike, but it burntdown last winter."
"Then you haven't any idea where he is stopping now?"
"No."
"Do you know a man named Merrick and another man named Pike?" went onthe eldest Rover boy.
At this the old woman shook her head.
"Never heard tell of them," she said.
"Has this Dangler any relatives around here?" asked Tom.
"None that I know of."
"Do you know what kind of man he is?" asked Sam.
"I never talk about my neighbors," answered the old woman, and drew upher thin lips and went on shelling peas.
Feeling it would be useless to ask any more questions, the three boysjourneyed wearily on to the next farmhouse. This belonged to a fatGerman named Gus Schmidt, who knew the Rovers fairly well.
"Yah, I let you haf a carriage alretty," said Gus Schmidt. "Put you mustpring him back to-morrow, hey?"
"We will," answered Dick.
"I vos hear some putty goot stories apout you Rofer poys," went on Mr.Schmidt, while he was hooking up his horse. "You vos on der MississippiRifer, hey?"
"We were," answered Sam.
"Und you vos go owid on der blains und catch some counterfeiters, hey?"
"Yes, we had something to do with it," came from Tom.
"Und den you vos go py der Gulluf of Mexico alretty und find a steampoatvos has nopotty got on it," pursued Gus Schmidt. "Ach, it vos vonderfulvot vos habben to somepody, ain't it?"
"Didn't you ever have anything happen to you, Mr. Schmidt?" asked Sam.
"Only vonce, und dot vos enough. I peen in New York, und der poys callme names. Den I run after dem, und da vos go py a cellar full of vater.I vos run on a poard, und der poys turn dot poard----"
"And you fell into the water," finished Tom.
"Not much! I chumped back to der sidevalk," answered Gus Schmidt, andthen laughed heartily at his little joke.
The three Rover boys were soon in the carriage and on the way to thefarm. The horse that had been loaned to them was a speedy animal andthey made good time despite the muddiness of the road. The brief stormhad been a severe one, and in one spot the roadbed was considerablywashed out.
The boys took the carriage around to the barn and left it in charge ofJack Ness, the man of all work. Then they hurried to the house.
"Oh, boys, I am so glad that you are back!" exclaimed Mrs. Rover, onseeing them. "I suppose you are wet through. Better dry your clothing atonce, or change them, and I'll get you some hot tea to drink."
"We are all right, Aunt Martha," answered Dick. "We were under shelterduring the worst of the storm. Is Uncle Randolph around?"
"No, he went to Carwell on business. I am worried about him, for I amafraid he got caught in the storm, for he drove over."
"What did he go for?" questioned Tom, quickly.
"Oh, it was a private matter."
"About some traction company bonds?" asked Sam, who could not hold backhis curiosity.
"Yes. But how do you happen to know about it?" demanded his aunt, inastonishment.
"We found something out to-day, aunty," said Dick. "It's a queer pieceof business. Do you know where Uncle Randolph was going?"
"You mean in Carwell?"
"Yes."
"I think to the hotel."
"Hum," mused the eldest of the Rover boys. "Wonder if I can get him onthe telephone?" For a telephone line had been put up from Oak Run to thefarm.
"Why, Dick, is there anything wrong?" demanded Mrs. Rover, turning pale.
"I hope not, Aunt Martha. We'll soon know. Don't worry, please."
"Your uncle was very much disturbed when he went away."
"I am going to try to telephone to him at once," said Dick.
The telephone was on a landing of the stairs, where the bell couldreadily be heard upstairs and down, and Dick lost no time in taking downthe receiver and calling up the office at Oak Run.
"I want to get the hotel at Carwell," he told the operator. "This is 685W," he added.
"I cannot give you Carwell," was the answer.
"Why not?"
"The lightning struck down some of our poles and the line is out ofcommission."
This was dismaying news and for the moment Dick was nonplussed. Then hespoke to the operator again.
"Can you reach Farleytown?"
"Yes, but the line from Farleytown to Carwell is down, too," came overthe wire.
"Can you reach Deeming's Corners?"
"No. Can't get to Carwell in any way at all," was the decided answer,and Dick hung up the receiver much crestfallen.
"The storm has knocked the telephone service into a cocked hat," heexplained to the others. "The only way for us to reach Carwell is todrive there."
"Then let us do that, and right away!" cried Tom, who had been talkingto his aunt. "Uncle Randolph took those ten thousand dollars worth oftraction company bonds with him, and Aunt Martha says the bonds wereunregistered, so anybody could use them."
"Do you think somebody is going to steal the bonds?" asked the aunt.
"Two men are up to some game,--that is as much as we know," said Dick,thinking it unwise to keep his aunt in the dark any longer. "And we knowthe men are rascals," he added.
"Oh, will they--they attack your uncle?"
"I don't think they are that kind," said Sam. "I think they'll try toget the bonds away by some slick game."
The aunt hated to see the boys go on a mission of possible peril and yetshe wanted to have her husband warned. The lads ran down to the barn andhad Jack Ness hitch up a fresh team to a buckboard. It was now growingdark.
"Take good care of yourselves," cried Mrs. Rover, as they drove off. "Ifthe telephone and telegraph poles are down on the road see that you donot run into any of them."
They were driving to the gateway of the big farm when they saw AlexanderPop running after them, flourishing something in his hand. Aleck was acolored man who had once worked at Putnam Hall, but who was now attachedto the Rover household.
"I was jess a-thinkin' that maybe yo' boys wasn't armed," he said. "Ifyo' ain't, don't yo' want dis pistol?" And he held up a weapon he hadpurchased while on the river trip with them.
"I didn't think there would be any shooting," answered Dick. "But nowyou've brought it, I might as well take the pistol along," and he placedthe weapon in his pocket.
"Perhaps yo' would like to hab dis chicken along?" went on the coloredman. He delighted to be with the Rover boys on every possible occasion.
"No, the buckboard is crowded now," answered Dick. "You do what you canto quiet Mrs. Rover."
"Yes, tell her not to worry about us," added Tom.
"And don't mention the pistol," called Sam, as the turnout moved onagain.
After leaving the vicinity of the farm, the boys had a distance ofthirteen miles to cover. Part of the road lay through the valley whichhad given the fa
rm its name, but then it ran up and over a series ofhills, and through several patches of woods. Under the trees it wasdark, and they had to slacken their speed for fear of accident.
"Danger ahead!" cried Sam presently, and Dick, who was driving, broughtthe team to a halt. Across the road lay an uprooted tree.
"Can't drive around that," announced Sam, after an inspection. "And itwill be hard work dragging it out of the way."
"We'll drive over it," announced Dick. "Hold tight, if you don't want tobe bounced off."
He called to the horses, and the team moved forward slowly. They had notbeen out of the stable for several days and were inclined to dance andprance. They stepped in among the tree branches and then one animalreared and tried to back.
"Get up there, Dan!" cried Dick. "None of that tomfoolery! Get up, Isay!"
The other horse wanted to go ahead, and he dragged his mate deeper intothe tree limbs. Then, without warning, the balky animal made a leap,cleared the tree, and started down the road at breakneck speed.
"Look out, the team is running away!" yelled Sam, and then stoppedshort, for he as well as the others were in danger of being thrown fromthe buckboard.
The Rover Boys on the Farm; or, Last Days at Putnam Hall Page 5