The Rover Boys Under Canvas | Page 2

FROM HOME 87
X ON THE WAY HOME 98
XI TOM ROVER'S DILEMMA 109
XII AT THE ROVER COMPANY OFFICES 120
XIII FUN AT A RAILROAD STATION 132
XIV BACK TO COLBY HALL 142
XV THE ELECTION FOR OFFICERS 153
XVI OFF FOR THE ENCAMPMENT 164
XVII A NIGHT ON THE ROAD 175
XVIII ONE SURPRISE AND ANOTHER 184
XIX AT CAMP BARLIGHT 194
XX FIRST DAYS UNDER CANVAS 202
XXI STRANGE NOISES 212
XXII AT THE RIFLE RANGES 221

XXIII GIRL VISITORS 231
XXIV TOM ROVER'S ANNOUNCEMENT 240
XXV AT CAMP HUXWELL 250
XXVI AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY 260
XXVII ON BOARD THE SUBMARINE 271
XXVIII THE CABIN IN THE WOODS 282
XXIX THE FIGHT ON THE SUBMARINE 291
XXX AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE--CONCLUSION 300

THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS
CHAPTER I
A GAME OF BASEBALL
"Now for a home run, Jack!"
"Soak it out over the bleachers!"
"Show the Hixley boys what we can do!"
"Give him a swift one, Dink! Don't let him hit it!"
"Oh, dear, I do hope Jack scores!" came in a sweet, girlish voice.
"Of course he'll score!" returned a youth sitting near the girl who had
made the remark. "He's been holding back for just this chance."
"Oh, do you think so?" asked another girl in the grandstand.
"Surest thing ever was," was the airy rejoinder. "This is the time we're

going to show the Hixley boys what's what."
"Not on your life!" bellowed a heavy voice from the rear. "Here is
where Colby Hall gets snowed under."
Then came a series of yells, followed by the tooting of horns and the
sounding of rattles, making a din that was almost ear-splitting.
The occasion was the annual baseball game between Hixley High and
Colby Hall. It had been scheduled to take place on the high-school
athletic field, but at almost the last minute this field had been declared
out of condition, and it had been decided to hold the contest on the
athletic grounds attached to the military academy.
Hixley High was very anxious to win this game. During the previous
fall, as related in a former volume of this series, the high-school lads
had lost the annual football game with Colby Hall by a single
touchdown. This defeat still rankled in their minds, and they were
determined if possible to take the baseball game by a score that should
be well worth while.
And they had good reason to be hopeful of doing this. While their
football team had always been considered by the other teams of that
locality to be of the "second string variety," the baseball nine was a
remarkably strong organization. At its head was Dink Wilsey, a pitcher
who was destined at some time in the future to show himself in one of
the big leagues.
"Why, Dink alone can walk off with that game," was the way more
than one Hixley High student had expressed himself.
But more than this--Hixley High had an exceptionally good first
baseman and a trio of outfielders whose batting average was high.
"We're going to put it all over Colby Hall this trip," was the way the
manager of the Hixley High ball club declared himself on the day
previous to the match.

The game was now at the second half of the sixth inning, and the score
stood, Hixley High, 4; Colby Hall, 2. Colby Hall was at the bat with
two men out and one man at second.
It was therefore no wonder that the military academy students became
anxious when Jack Rover took up his bat and walked to the plate. A
home run would mean the tying of the score, and with a chance to do
even better.
"Take your time, Jack," said Gif Garrison, who was the manager of the
nine. "Make him give you a ball just where you want it."
"Watch yourself!" yelled one of the coaches to the runner at second, for
the Hixley High pitcher had suddenly whirled around, sending the ball
down to the second baseman. There was a quick drop by the runner,
and he escaped getting caught by a few inches only.
"Close shave! Watch yourself, Dan!" yelled Gif Garrison; and Dan
Soppinger, at second, nodded to show that he understood, and then
danced away in the direction of third base as before.
The first ball pitched to Jack Rover was a slow in-curve, and he stepped
back and allowed it to pass him.
"Ball one!"
At this decision a howl of delight went up from the followers of Colby
Hall, while a corresponding groan came from Hixley High.
"That's the eye!"
"Better get a pair of glasses!"
"Sure! The umpire must be blind! That was a perfect ball!"
"Sure it was a perfect ball! That's the reason he called it a ball!"