The Rover Boys Down East: or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune

“Why – I – er – that is – they were here!” stammered Ricks.

“Where?”

“On the end o’ the cigar.”

“Then where are they now?” demanded Tom. “Give me one, till I examine it.”

“Why they – they are – er – gone now.”

“Gone?”

“Yes. Say, I don’t know about this!” And the old station master commenced to scratch his head. He looked at the cigar wonderingly. But no more “worms” were forthcoming, for the reason that the pellets Tom had placed within had burnt themselves out.

“You certainly ought to see a doctor – or else give up smoking cigars,” said Tom, as soberly as ever.

“Tom Rover, ain’t this no trick o’ yours?”

“Trick? Do you think I am a wizard? I find you smoking a cigar and you go and see worms, or snakes, just as if you had been drinking. Maybe you do drink.”

“I don’t. I ain’t teched a drop in six months.”

“Well, you had better do something for yourself,” said Tom, as he backed away from the ticket window.

“I don’t understand this, nohow!” muttered the old station master. “But I ain’t goin’ to smoke thet cigar no more!” he added, and threw the weed out on the railroad tracks.

When Tom got to the wagon he was shaking with laughter. The joke was too good to keep, and as they drove along he told Jack Ness about what had occurred.

“It’s one on Ricks,” said the hired man, with a broad grin. “He’s kind o’ a superstitious man an’ he’ll imagine all sorts o’ things!”

“Well, if it cures him of smoking it will be a good job done,” answered Tom. “I’ve seen him with a pipe in his mouth when a lady wanted a railroad ticket, and he would blow the smoke right into her face.”

It made Randolph Rover somewhat nervous to have so many fireworks and so much powder around the premises – and there was a good reason for this, for the facilities for fighting fire at Valley Brook were very meager. So, to please his uncle, Tom stored the stuff in a small building at the bottom of one of the fields, where some farming implements and berry crates and boxes were kept.

The cannon Tom had mentioned was a rather old affair. But it seemed to be in good condition and the boys spent some time in cleaning it out and putting it in condition for use. It was mounted on a big block and set in the middle of the lawn.

“Now, I reckon we are ready to celebrate!” cried Sam, after all the preparations were complete. “And we ought to have a dandy time.”

“We will have,” answered Dick.

“Best ever!” chimed in Tom.

CHAPTER X

WHEN THE CANNON WENT OFF

The boys went down to the railroad station in the new touring car to meet Mrs. Laning and the three girls, and possibly Mrs. Stanhope. The car was a fine seven-seat affair, of forty-horse power, and Dick ran it.

“It’s the slickest thing in cars I’ve seen!” cried the eldest Rover boy, enthusiastically. “A tour in it would be great.”

“Well, we’ll have to take a tour in it before the summer is over,” returned Sam.

The train was late and the boys waited impatiently for it to put in an appearance. When it did arrive they were delighted to see that Mrs. Laning had induced Mrs. Stanhope to come along.

“I wanted her to come for two reasons,” whispered Dick to Dora, after the first greetings were over. “I wished her here, and I was afraid, if she remained behind, Josiah Crabtree might try to visit her.”

“He did try, Dick,” answered the girl.

“What, again?”

“Yes, and what do you think? We had another visit from Tad Sobber.”

“And what did he say?”

“He wanted us to give him half of the fortune. Said that if we didn’t he would never rest until he got the money.”

“What did your mother do?”

“She had two hired men, who happened to be at the house, put him out.”

“Good! That’s the best way to treat him.”

“Mamma was very much upset, as you can imagine. And the very next day Josiah Crabtree called, and what do you think he said? He sent word by the maid that he had called not alone on his own behalf, but also on behalf of Sobber.”

“Oh, so that’s the way the wind blows, eh? They are going to form a sort of partnership, to see if they can’t get hold of your money, by one way or another.”

“It looks that way, Dick, and I am worried to death.”

“I’d like to run Sobber down and put him in prison. He has done a number of things for which he might be arrested.”

“I am trying to get mamma to take a trip somewhere. I want her to go in secret, so that Sobber and Mr. Crabtree can’t follow her.”

“That might be a good thing, Dora,” answered Dick, and then he had to turn his attention to running the touring car. Although the automobile was built for but seven, all had crowded in, Sam sitting in front on Tom’s lap, and the ladies and girls occupying the tonneau.

The run to the farm took but a few minutes, Dick “letting the machine out” in a manner that made the ladies gasp.

“Never rode so fast in my life, on a country road!” declared Mrs. Laning, on alighting. “It was like a train!”

“Oh, that was nothing,” answered Tom. “We can go twice as fast if we want to.”

“Not with me in the car!” declared the lady, firmly.

“It’s a splendid automobile,” said Mrs. Stanhope. “But I shouldn’t care to travel at racing speed in one.”

The visitors were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Rover and her husband and by the boys’ father, and soon all were made to feel at home. The best rooms in the farmhouse were given over to the guests, and Mrs. Rover had placed a beautiful bunch of June roses in each apartment.

“What lovely roses!” cried Mrs. Stanhope. “We have some, but not as grand as these!” And her face showed her satisfaction.

“It’s great to have you girls here!” declared Sam. “What a jolly family we would be if we all lived together!”

“Oh, what an idea!” cried Grace, but she smiled even as she spoke.

Of course the boys had to show the girls all over the farm, and Uncle Randolph took the ladies around, showing them the big barns and the cattle, the chickens, the horses, the pigs, and the orchards, and broad fields of corn, wheat, and other products. Then they came back to look at the neat vegetable garden, and Mrs. Rover’s flower plots, and also at the bees.

“I hope for great things from my bees,” announced Randolph Rover. “I have taken up the study of them with care, and I think I can produce a variety that will give us extra fine clover honey.”

“I thought you had your bees all in one place, Uncle Randolph,” said Dick, as he noticed a hive set apart from the others.

“That is a new family I bought last week,” was the explanation. “I am keeping them apart for the purpose of studying them. But they are rather wild as yet, and I do not dare to disturb them very much.”

“Oh, I can’t bear bees!” whispered Nellie to Tom. “Let’s get out of here,” and she walked away, and the others followed.

Although the young folks remained up rather late on the night before the Fourth, Tom, Dick and Sam arranged among themselves to get up early the next day, to fire a salute from the old cannon.

“We’ll surprise them all,” said Tom. “We’ll show ’em we can make a noise even if we are in the country.”

The boys crept downstairs at five o’clock and hurried out to the shed where the powder had been left. Bringing the box forth they took it to where the old cannon had been placed on the lawn. The piece was pointed towards an apple orchard, so that it might do no damage.

“Now, fill her up good!” cried Tom. “We want to make as much noise as we can with the first shot.”

“Don’t put in such a load that she bursts,” cautioned Dick.

The powder was measured out and put in, and then this was followed by a wad of paper Sam brought from the kitchen. They rammed the paper in good and tight.

“Now, I guess she’s ready to set off,” said Tom.

“Tom, don’t you stand too close,” said Dick. “That cannon might explode. Light the slow match and then run behind a tree, or the corner of the piazza.”

“All right, Dick. But I don’t think she’ll explode,” was the reply.

“Hello, goin’ to fire her off, eh?” came a voice from the fence, and Jack Ness appeared.

“Yes, Jack,” answered Sam. “But keep still – we want to surprise the folks.”

“Good enough,” murmured the hired man. “You’ll do it right enough. Thet old cannon always was a snorter fer noise.” And he backed away towards the orchard to get behind a tree, out of the way of possible harm.

All being ready, Tom lit a match and applied it to the slow match of the cannon. Then he ran for the corner of the piazza, to join his brothers.

A few seconds passed – they seemed unusually long just then – but nothing happened.

“The slow match must have gone out,” murmured Tom.

“Don’t go back! – it may go off, yet,” answered Dick. “Sometimes – ”

Bang! went the cannon, and the tremendous report echoed and re-echoed throughout the hills surrounding Valley Brook. The charge had been so big that the piece had “kicked back” about a yard.

“Say, that was a noise!”

“If that didn’t wake the folks up nothing will!”

“I’m glad she didn’t burst.”

“So am I.”

“By gum, you’re celebratin’ all right!” came from Jack Ness, as he poked his head from behind a tree. “I guess they must have heard that clear down to the Corners.”

“Further than that!” replied Tom.

“Oh, Tom, did you do that?” came a voice from an upper window, and Nellie showed her face.

“What an awful noise!” came from another window, as Dora appeared.

“Did it wake you up?” cried Tom.

“It made me bounce right out of bed!” declared Nellie. “I thought I was shot.”

“I thought the house had been hit,” said Dora.

“Did your cannon burst?” questioned Grace, as she appeared beside Nellie.

“Not a bit of it!” declared Tom. “Just listen, while we fire another shot.”

“Oh, Tom, wait till I put some cotton in my ears!” cried Mrs. Rover, as she showed herself, followed by the others.

“Boys, you didn’t shoot off anything in the cannon, did you?” asked Randolph Rover, nervously.

“Nothing but powder and paper, Uncle,” answered Sam.

“That ain’t so!” suddenly shouted Jack Ness. “By gum! You hit the bee hive, an’ here come the bees! Gee, shoo! Git out! Oh, my! I’m stung!” And he started to run from the orchard.

The boys stared for a moment. Down in the orchard was the hive which their uncle had set apart from the others. It seemed to be torn at the top, and a swarm of angry bees were flying around. Part of the swarm had made for Jack Ness, and now the hired man was running for his life.

“Why, I don’t see how we hit the hive – ” commenced Dick, when a yell from Sam interrupted him.

“The bees! The bees! Some of ’em are heading this way!”

“Hi! hi! don’t let ’em fly away!” screamed Randolph Rover. “They are very valuable! Stop them! Make them go back in the hive!”

“Excuse me from touching any bees!” murmured Tom. “I’m going to get out of here!” And he started to run.

“Don’t go to the house!” cried Dick. “We don’t want the ladies and the girls to get stung. Head for the barn!”

His brothers understood, and they scampered at top speed for the nearest barn. In the meantime they could see poor Jack Ness slashing around wildly with a coat he was carrying.

“Git out o’ here, you troublesome critters!” screamed the hired man. “Lemme alone, consarn ye! Oh, my nose! Oh, my eye!” And then he pelted for the vegetable garden. Here he fell over a hot-bed frame and went sprawling. But he soon picked himself up, and then he streaked it down the garden to a patch of corn, gradually outdistancing his little tormentors.

“Say, this is the worst yet!” groaned Tom, and he and his brothers watched the bees from a distance. “However did we happen to hit that hive?”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” replied Dick, “unless you put something in the cannon. Did you use stones?”

“No. Did you, Sam?”

“Not a thing but that paper. But we rammed that down rather hard.”

“I don’t think paper would reach to the orchard. Maybe there was something in it. Did you look?”

“No. Come to think of it, it did feel a little hard,” answered Sam.

In a few minutes Randolph Rover appeared, followed by the boys’ father. The man who was making a study of bees had placed a net over his head and donned gloves, and thus equipped he went down to look at the hive. A small corner of the top had been torn away.

“I fancy the bees will settle down before a great while,” said he. “The hive is not much damaged.”

“I am glad to hear that, Uncle Randolph,” said Tom. “I didn’t think that shot would reach so far.”

“Next time you had better point the cannon into the air,” replied the uncle.

“That’s a good idea; we will.”

The cook slept at the top of the house, and awakened by the noise came down to the kitchen to start up the fire. She heard the others discussing the discharge of the cannon and mention the damage done to the bee hive. Then she looked around the kitchen and suddenly gave a scream.

“My pocketbook! Where is my pocketbook?”

“Your pocketbook?” asked Sam, who had come around to the kitchen to wash his hands. “Where did you leave it?”

“I had it on that side table. It was wrapped in an old newspaper. I was going to take it up to my room last night and hide it, but I forgot.”

“That newspaper!” ejaculated Sam, and turned slightly pale. “If you had it in that newspaper it was your pocketbook that shot the top off that bee hive!”

CHAPTER XI

A DAY TO REMEMBER

“Great Cicero, is it possible we have shot the cook’s pocketbook to pieces!” murmured Dick, who had come up in time to hear the conversation.

“Shoot it! Did you shoot at my pocketbook?” demanded Sarah.

“We didn’t shoot at it, Sarah,” answered Sam. “I stuffed that paper in the cannon for wadding.”

“What, with my pocketbook in it!” screamed the cook. “Oh, dear! Was ever there such boys!”

“I didn’t know there was anything in the paper. It looked all crumpled up.”

“It was the best paper I could find and I thought it would do,” groaned Sarah. “Oh, dear, what am I to do? Where is the pocketbook now?”

“Blown to kingdom come, I reckon,” murmured the youngest Rover. “But never mind, I’ll buy you a new one.”

“The pocketbook couldn’t have been a very large one,” said Tom, who had come up to learn the cause of the excitement in the kitchen.

“It wasn’t – it was quite small. My sister sent it to me from Chicago, for a birthday present.”

“What did you have in it?” asked Sam anxiously.

“I had four dollars in it in bills, and ten of those new shiny cents, and a ten-cent piece, and a sample of dress goods, and a slip of paper with a new way on it to make grape jelly, and some pills for the headache, and a motto verse, and – and I don’t know what else.”

“Well, that’s enough,” came from Tom. “No wonder the bees kicked at having all that fired at ’em.”

“I’ll give you back the money, Sarah, and get you a new pocketbook,” said Sam. “I’m awfully sorry it happened.”

“Let’s look for the pocketbook,” suggested Dick, and this was done, the boys taking good care, while on the search, to keep out of the range of the bees. All they could find in the orchard were two of the cent pieces and part of the metal clasp of the pocketbook – the rest had disappeared.

“Well, let us be thankful that we didn’t blow the cannon apart, or hit somebody with that charge,” said Dick.

Later the cannon was fired off with more care. It certainly made a loud noise, and a farmer, driving past, said he had heard it away down at Oak Run.

“A feller down there told me he guessed the quarry men were blastin’,” he said. “But I said ’twas a cannon. She kin go some, can’t she!” And he shook his head grimly as he drove on.

The boys and girls spent the morning in firing off the cannon and in shooting off some firecrackers. Mrs. Rover served an elaborate dinner, and had the dining room trimmed in red, white and blue flowers in honor of the national birthday.

“Do you remember how we spent last Fourth,” said Tom, when the meal was about over.

“Indeed I do!” cried Nellie. “Don’t you remember that big imitation cannon cracker you set off on the dining room table of the yacht and how it covered all of us with confetti.”

“Yes, and how Hans Mueller slid under the table in fright!” added Dick; and then all laughed heartily over an affair that I have already described in detail in “The Rover Boys on Treasure Isle.”

“Dear old Hans!” murmured Tom. “I’d like first rate to see him this summer.”

“Let us ask him to the farm for a week,” suggested Sam.

“All right, we will, along with Fred Garrison,” answered Dick.

During the afternoon the boys and girls played croquet and took a short ride in the touring car, and had ice-cream and cake served to them under the trees by Aleck Pop, who wore his waiter outfit for the occasion. Then they sat around until it was dark, and after supper the boys brought forth the fireworks.

“Now, be careful,” warned both their father and their uncle.

“We will be!” they cried, and set off the pieces from a field where they could not possibly do harm. The girls and the ladies, as well as the men, watched proceedings with interest.

“Oh, how grand!” cried Dora, as the rockets curved gracefully through the air.

“Beautiful!” murmured Grace.

“I could look at fireworks all night!” declared Nellie.

The fireworks came to an end with a set piece called Uncle Sam. It fizzed and flared brightly, showing the well-known face of the old man and the big hat. Then Tom commenced to pull a wire and Uncle Sam took his hat off and put it on.

“Oh, how cute!” cried Grace.

“Last act!” cried Tom, and set fire to a slow match that was near. Presently some flower pots commenced to send up a golden shower, and then, from a wire between two trees there blazed forth the words “Good Night.”

“Well, that was very nice indeed!” was Mrs. Stanhope’s comment.

“As nice an exhibition of fireworks as I ever saw,” declared Mrs. Laning.

“Just what I say!” cried Mrs. Rover. “The boys certainly know how to get up a show!”

After the fireworks came darkness, but neither the boys nor the girls seemed to mind this. They paired off, and took walks around the house and down the roadway. Perhaps a good many silly things were said, but, if so, there was no harm in them. The only ones who were really serious were Dick and Dora, and seeing this Tom nudged Nellie in the side.

“Looks like they were getting down to business, doesn’t it?” he observed, dryly.

“Oh, Tom, hush, they might hear you!” she whispered.

“You’ll have Dick for a cousin-in-law some day.”

“Well, I shan’t mind.”

“How about having him for a brother-in-law, Nellie?”

At this suggestion Nellie’s face grew crimson.

“Tom Rover, you’re the limit!”

“Well, how about it?” he persisted.

“You mean if Sam should marry Grace?” she asked archly.

“Not much – although that may happen too. I mean if you should condescend to marry such a harum-scarum chap like me.”

“Oh, Tom!” And now Nellie hid her face.

“Maybe you don’t like me, Nellie.”

“Why, Tom!”

“You know how much I like you. It’s been that way ever since we met on the Cedarville steamer. I know I’m pretty young to talk this way, but – ”

“You’ll get older, eh?”

“Yes, and I don’t want any other fellow to come around – when I’m away.”

“How about some other girl coming around when I’m away?”

“There can’t be any other girl, Nellie.”

“Are you sure?” And now Nellie looked quite in earnest.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Well then – ” her voice sank very low. “There can’t be any other fellow! There!”

“Nellie!” he cried. Then he would have caught her in his arms, but she held him back.

“Wait, Tom. I understand, and I am very, very glad,” she said, earnestly. “But mamma – she is a little bit old-fashioned, you know. She made both of us – Grace and I – promise not to – to become engaged until we were twenty or twenty-one.”

“Oh!”

“So we’ll have to wait a little longer.”

“I see. But we understand each other, don’t we, Nellie?”

“Yes, I’m sure we do.”

“And when you are old enough – ”

“We’ll talk it over again,” she answered, and took his arm as if to walk back to the others.

“All right,” he said. Then of a sudden he turned and faced her. “And is that all?” he pleaded.

“Oh, Tom, it ought to be!” she murmured.

“But, Nellie!” he pleaded, and drew her a little closer. Then for just an instant her head went down on his shoulder and she allowed him to kiss her. Then they joined the others, both feeling as if they were walking on air.

An hour later found everybody either in the house or on the veranda. Dora sat down to the piano and the other young folks gathered around to sing one favorite song after another, while the old folks listened. They sang some of the Putnam Hall songs, and tried several that were popular at Brill and at Hope.

“I like that even better than the fireworks,” murmured Mrs. Stanhope, to Anderson Rover.

“Well, I think I do, myself, Mrs. Stanhope,” he answered. And then he drew his rocking-chair a little closer to where the widow was sitting. “It seems to me that Dick and Dora match it off pretty well,” he continued, in a lower tone.

“Yes, Mr. Rover. And Dick is a fine young man – your sons are all fine young men. I shall never forget what they have done for me and for Dora.”

“Well, they are bright lads, if I do say it myself,” answered the father, proudly. “And let me say, too, that I think Dora is a very dear girl. I shall be proud to take her for a daughter.”

“No prouder than I shall be to take Dick for a son, Mr. Rover.”

“I am glad to hear you say that – glad that the idea is agreeable all around,” returned Anderson Rover.

“I shouldn’t be surprised if, some day, Nellie and Grace married your other sons.”

“Possibly. But they are rather young yet to think of that. Dick is older, even though they go to college together. You see, he got behind a little at Putnam Hall because, when I was sick, he had to attend to a lot of business for me. But he is going ahead fast now. He came out at the head of his class.”

“So Dora told me. Oh, he will make his mark in the world, I am sure of it.”

“If he does not, it will be his own fault. I shall give him as much of an education as he desires, and when he wishes to go into business, or a profession, I shall furnish him with all the money he may need. I am going to do that for all of the boys – that is, unless the bottom should drop out of everything and I should become poor.”

“Oh, Mr. Rover, I trust you do not anticipate anything of that sort!”

“No, at present my investments are safe. But one cannot tell what may happen. Hard times come, banks break, railroads default on their bonds, and a man is knocked out before he knows it. But I don’t look for those things to happen.”

“Mr. Rover, before I leave I wish to ask your advice about that fortune we brought home from Treasure Isle.”

“What about it?”

“Do you think I ought to invest the money, or keep it intact and wait to see what that Tad Sobber does?”

“I should invest it, if I were you. I really can’t see how Sobber has any claim.”

“Would you be willing to invest it for me? A large part of it really belongs to Dora, you know. I am not much of a business woman, and I would be glad if you would help me in the matter.”

“Certainly I will help you to invest, if you wish it,” answered Anderson Rover.

“Can I send the money to you?”

“Yes, But wait till I send you word. I want to look over the various offerings in securities first.”

At that moment came a call from the parlor. The young folks wanted the old folks to come in and join in the singing, and they complied. As they left the piazza a form that had been hiding behind some bushes nearby slunk away. The form was that of Tad Sobber.

“Thought I’d hear something if I came here,” muttered that individual to himself. “Going to turn the fortune over to old Rover to invest, eh? Not much! not if I can get my hands on it!”

And then Tad Sobber disappeared down the road in the darkness.

CHAPTER XII

OFF FOR CAMP

All too quickly for the girls and the boys, the visit of the folks from Cedarville to Valley Brook farm came to an end. During the week the boys took the girls on several trips in the touring car, and once all went for a picnic up the Swift river.