The Rover Boys in Business | Page 6

entered Hope, so the young folks met almost as often as
before. A term at Brill was followed by an unexpected trip Down East,
where the Rover boys again brought the rascally Crabtree to terms.
Then the lads became the possessors of a biplane, and took several
thrilling trips through the air. About this time, Mr. Anderson Rover,
who was not in the best of health, was having much trouble with some
brokers, who were trying to swindle him out of valuable property. He
went to New York City, and disappeared, and his three sons went at
once on the hunt for him. The brokers were Pelter, Japson & Company,
and it was not long before Dick and his brothers discovered that Pelter
and Japson were in league with Josiah Crabtree. In the end the boys
found out what had become of their parent, and they managed to bring
the brokers to terms. But, during a struggle, poor Tom was hit on the
head by a wooden footstool thrown by Pelter, and knocked unconscious.
Josiah Crabtree tried to escape from a garret window by means of a
rope made of a blanket. This broke, and he sustained a heavy fall,
breaking a leg in two places. He was taken to a hospital, and the
doctors there said he would be a cripple for life.

"There is no use in talking, Dad," Dick had said to his father, "you are
not in a fit physical condition to take hold of these business matters.
You had better leave them entirely to me." And to this Mr. Rover had
agreed. Then, as Dick was to leave college and spend most of his time
in New York, it had been decided that he and Dora should get married.
There had followed one of the grandest weddings the village of
Cedarville had ever seen.
The blow on Tom's head proved more serious than was at first
anticipated. Through it the poor lad suddenly lost his mind, and while
in that state he wandered away from Brill College, and went on a long
journey, as related in detail in the volume preceding this, entitled "The
Rover Boys in Alaska."
As their father was too ill to take part in any search for the missing one,
Dick and Sam took up the hunt, and after many thrilling adventures on
the ice and in the snow, managed to locate their brother and bring him
back home.
"And now, Tom, you must take a good long rest," his kindly Aunt
Martha had said, and she had insisted upon it that he be put under the
care of a specialist. Tom had rested for several months, and then,
declaring that he felt as good as ever, had returned to Brill. Sam was
already in the grind, and soon Tom was doing his best to make up for
the time he had lost on his strange trip.
Of course, Nellie Laning had been very much worried over Tom's
condition, and his disappearance had caused her intense dismay. Since
he had returned to Brill, she had asked that he either call on her or write
to her at least once a week. Tom preferred a visit to letter-writing, and
as Sam was usually ready to go to Hope to see Grace whenever the
opportunity afforded, the brothers usually took the trip together, as in
the present instance.
Searchlight in hand, the Rover boys peered out over the surface of the
swiftly-flowing river, which at this point was about seventy-five feet
wide. The bridge was built in three sections, and it was the middle span
which had collapsed at the farther end, so that the automobile had

plunged into water which was at least eight feet deep.
"Do you see anything of him?" asked Sam, eagerly, as the rays from the
light flashed in one direction and then in another.
"If he managed to get out of the auto, perhaps he floated down with the
current," responded his brother. "Anyhow, he doesn't seem to be around
here."
"Maybe he was caught under the wheel. If so, we had better get him out
without delay."
"Look! Look!" And now Tom pointed. down the river. There in the
moonlight, both boys saw a form coming to the surface. The fellow was
beating the water wildly with his hands, and now he set up a frantic cry
for aid. Turning the searchlight in that direction, the Rover boys left the
vicinity of the broken bridge, and made their way down to something
of a footpath that ran along the water's edge. Tom was in the lead. Here
and there the bushes hung over the stream, and both lads had to
scramble along as best they could.
"Help! Help!" The cry came faintly, and then the two boys saw