Randolph Rover

“ This was a serious question, for Anderson Rover knew well the risk he was running, knew well that many a white man had gone into the interior of Africa never to return. At last it was settled that Randolph Rover should become Dick, Tom, and Sam's temporary guardian. ”

“ Give me that ball."
"Oh, let me keep it, Uncle Randolph! I won't throw it against the house again, honor bright."
"You'll forget that promise in ten minutes, Thomas; I know you well. Throw the ball up," and Mr. Randolph Rover held out his hands.
"All right, then; here you go," answered Tom, somewhat put out to thus lose a ball which had cost him his week's spending, money; and he sent the sphere flying upward at a smart speed. Mr. Rover made a clutch for it, but the ball slipped through his hands and landed plump on his nose. ”

“ They will surely kill themselves!" groaned Mrs. Rover. "They know nothing about airships!"
"Say, dar ain't nobuddy in dat contraption!" came suddenly from Aleck Pop. "It am flyin' all by itself!"
"By itself?" repeated Randolph Rover. "Impossible, Alexander! A flying machine cannot run itself. There must be somebody to steer, and manipulate the engine, and——"
"Oh, maybe whoever was in it fell out!" screamed Mrs. Rover, and now she looked ready to faint. [23]
"We must find out about this!" returned her husband quickly. "They had the machine in the shed back of the barn." ”

“ But they will take care of themselves, I feel that more and more every day," concluded Randolph Rover; and there, for the time being, the subject was dropped.
"I wonder what has become of old Josiah Crabtree?" remarked Dick Rover, as he and his brothers walked around the parade ground to inspect several improvement which Captain Putnam had caused to be made.
"I'm sure I can't guess," answered Tom.
"Like as not he became scared to death. I suppose you'll be satisfied if he keeps away from Dora and her mother in the future?"
"Yes; I never want to set eyes on him again, Tom. ”

“ May be away from home several days or a week. Very important to see man—trip this summer depends upon it.
"ANDERSON ROVER." "Wonder who the man can be?" mused Dick, after reading the message twice.
"He has something to do with this matter father was going to tell us about," returned Sam. "It's certainly a mystery."
"Well, this relieves our anxiety," said Randolph Rover. "So long as I know nothing has happened, your father can stay away as long as, he pleases."
"But I am dying to know what it is all about," burst out Tom, who was always impatient to get at the bottom of things. ”

“ I tell yo, Massah Tom, we don't know wot we is comin' to!"
"You are quite right, Alexander," said Mr. Rover, who had overheard the talk. "Science is making wonderful strides. Some day I expect to grow com and wheat, yes, potatoes and other vegetables, by electricity," and then Randolph Rover branched off into a long discourse on scientific farming that almost took away poor Aleck's breath.
"He's a most wonderful man, yo' uncle!" whispered the colored man to Sam afterward. ”

“ Randolph Rover raised his voice. "Cujo! Cujo! They have discovered us! Take care that they do not spear you."
No reply came back to this call, which was several times repeated. Then came a crash, as a big stone was hurled down, to split into a score of pieces on the rock which sheltered them.
"They mean to dislodge us," said Dick. "If they would only show themselves—"
He stopped, for he had seen one of the Bumwos peering over a mass of short brush directly over the cave entrance. Taking hasty aim with his pistol be fired.
A yell of pain followed, proving that the African had been hit. ”

“ Taking the Rovers into one of the apartments of the dilapidated building they tied each to the logs of the walls, one several yards from the other.
"Now you must wait until Captain Villaire returns," said the leader of the party in French. "He will be here before daylight."
"But what does this mean?" demanded Randolph Rover.
"He will tell you what it means," grinned the brigand, and walked away to another part of the hut, which was built in a long, rambling fashion, and contained a dozen or more divisions.
"We are in a pickle," remarked Dick dismally. ”

“ Evidently Randolph Rover knew little about the business that had taken his brother to the city. He was no business man himself—being wrapped up in what he called scientific farming—and probably the boys' father had not thought it worth while to take him into his confidence. ”

“ I never learned any of the particulars."
"Arnold Baxter and this Buddy spoke about a mining claim, and about some papers," burst out Tom. "I'd like to wager he is the same chap!"
"If he is, you want to beware of him," responded Randolph Rover gravely. "He is your father's deadliest enemy."
"I'll remember that," said Dick, and his brothers nodded. The matter was talked over for several hours, but brought little satisfaction.
On New Year's Day came another fall of snow, and the lads spent the afternoon in a regular snowballing match among themselves and with the hired man. ”

“ 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.
[102]
“Don’t go to the house!” cried Dick. “We don’t want the ladies and the girls to get stung. Head for the barn!” ”

“ Rover, with a sad smile. "It is a big risk. Be sure and come back safe and sound."
"We will," answered Tom. "And you be sure and have Uncle Randolph up and well when we do come back," he added. Poor Tom! little did he think of the grave perils that waited for him in the far West!
The day was a perfect one when they left, the air full of bright sunshine and the music of the birds which had made Valley Brook their summer home for many years. Mrs. Rover saw them to the carriage, while Anderson Rover waved them a serious adieu from his bedroom window. ”

“ The three lads had an early breakfast, and by half-past seven o'clock were in the touring car, bound for Rayville.
"How are you going to get the biplane back here, even if you do find it?" questioned their uncle, before they started off.
"I don't know," answered Dick. "It will depend on what condition the Dartaway is in. She may be so broken up as to be unfit for anything, and then it wouldn't pay to move her."
"Well, better not attempt to fly in the craft," cautioned Randolph Rover.
"Hardly," said Tom. "Maybe we'll telephone for Captain Colby to come and get her." ”

“ I'll tell you what, sailing on the Hudson suits me first-rate."
"And it suits me, too," put in Tom Rover, addressing both of his brothers. "I like it ten times better than staying on Uncle Randolph's farm."
"But I can't say that I like it better than life at Putnam Hall," smiled Sam Rover, as he threw over the tiller of the little yacht. "I'm quite anxious to meet Captain Putnam and Fred, Frank, and Larry again."
"Oh, so am I," answered Tom Rover. "But an outing on the Hudson is just the best of a vacation. By the way, I wonder if all of our old friends will be back?" ”

“ They spent their winters usually in New York City, and during the summer often went out to Valley Brook Farm, where their grandfather, Anderson Rover, still resided with Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha.
At first the boys and girls had been sent to private schools in the Metropolis; but soon the lads, 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 do as Uncle Randolph did with us,” said Dick Rover. “We’ll have to send them to some strict boarding school—some military academy.” ”

“ Andy and Randy declared for a trip around the world or “some kind of an outing somewhere.”
“I think we might as well let the boys rest and think it over,” said Dick Rover to his brothers. “They have been to school steadily for years. It won’t hurt them to let them go their own way for a while.”
So it had come about that the boys, as well as the girls, were allowed to journey from New York City by automobile to the farm at Dexter’s Corners where old Uncle Randolph, Aunt Martha, and Grandfather Rover still resided. ”

“ Jardell advised Dick to communicate with the traction company at once, and he said he would do so.
"It wasn't Mr. Jardell at all, Uncle Randolph," said the youth, as he hung up the receiver. "The whole thing was a cleverly-planned swindle, and unless you can get the bonds back you'll be out the money."
At this announcement Mr. Rover nearly collapsed—for he was rather a retired man, and had had little to do in a business way since his trip to Africa with the boys, as related in "The Rover Boys in the Jungle." ”

“ Rover boys went to Brill College and then entered business in Wall Street, New York City.
During their days at school the Rover brothers fell in love with three 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 in New York City. As the result of his marriage Dick Rover became the father of a son, Jack, and a daughter named Martha; Sam Rover was blessed with a girl named Mary, and then a son, who was christened Fred. ”

“ BIG BEAR LAKE
CHAPTER I
ON THE LAKE
“It’s great, I’ll say!” declared Randy Rover.
“I should say it was!” returned his twin brother, Andy. “Just think of swooping through the air like a bird! Gee, I’d like to own a flying machine myself!”
“Well, our fathers owned one once,” declared Captain Fred Rover, somewhat proudly. “They flew clear to Brill College in their machine.”
“Yes, I’ve often heard them talk about that,” put in Major Jack Rover. “They called the machine the Dartaway. ”

“ Now, however, as Jack Rover and his uncle approached, there was an ominous silence, the spinning wheels of the machine coming to a sudden stop.
“There is one man!” cried the youthful major, and pointed into some bushes where the legs of an individual were floundering around in the air. A few seconds later the man righted himself and struggled to a nearby tree, dazed and bewildered.
“There is another fellow—under the auto!” came from Sam Rover. “Come on! Let us get him out before the machine has a chance to settle down on him.” ”

“ The hundreds of columns printed about him in the papers all over the land, the scores of detectives on the trail of the kidnapers, the thousands of earnest persons in all walks of life who had volunteered to do all in their power to help bring him back—all this he would have found, had he known it, a matter for surprise and great bewilderment. For the Red Rover was, above all, a very humble and modest young man who loved doing things for their own sake, and who thought little of honor or great reward. ”

“ He turned to face one of his twins. "Randy, I ought to give you a thrashing for wetting me like this."
"Don't Fred get half the thrashing?" questioned Randy Rover, quizzically, for he could readily see that his parent was not as angry as his words seemed to imply. "I don't like to be selfish, you know. He can have more than his share if he wants it."
"You'll take your own thrashings—I don't want 'em," broke in his cousin Fred quickly.
"Jack," cried Dick Rover, turning to his son, "turn that water off at once." ”

“ Well, after we have him here we can get him to drink something by hook or by crook, and when he falls asleep we can put an empty bottle in his hand and then somebody can bring Captain Putnam to the spot. That will wipe out Dick Rover's record as a model pupil all in a minute."
"Good!" almost shouted Rockley. "We can dose him easily. You just leave that for me."
"Wish we could get his brothers into it, too," came from Pender.
"Oh, we can serve them out some other way," answered Lew Flapp. "At the start, we don't want to bite off more than we can chew," he added slangily. ”

“ In spite of his fun-loving disposition, Tom Rover was a very wise young man, so as soon as he saw Grace resting on his brother's shoulder he promptly turned away, to interview the farmer and his wife who lived in the farmhouse and who had answered the girl's knock on their door. ”

“ After such a strenuous adventure, the Rover boys were content to take it easy for some time. They sent to the city for a man to come and repair the Dartaway and then settled down to their studies. Then, after the biplane had been repaired, they went after the machine and brought it back to Brill, and it was placed in the gymnasium shed, with Abner Filbury to guard it, as before. ”

“ All was going well with the folks who were taking the steam yacht trip, and for this the boys were thankful. They had a letter from Sam Rover, and from this learned that he and Jack’s father were exceedingly busy in Wall Street. There was also a letter from Dick Rover, but this was for Tom. When the latter received this communication he read it with great satisfaction.
“Your dad is right on the job,” he said to Jack. “He had been communicating with two other stockholders in the Rolling Thunder mine and has got them to put their proxies in my hands. ”

“ While at Colby Hall Jack had worked his way up until he became the major of the school battalion, while Fred became captain of Company C. Andy and Randy had been too full of fun to go in for military honors, but had taken their part in numerous sporting contests. When the time came for graduating from the school all of the boys had passed with flying colors, much to their parents’ delight.
“The kids are all O. K., even if they’re full of fun,” said Tom Rover proudly to his wife, Nellie. ”