The Rover Boys in the Jungle | Page 5

there was going to be a contest, although
they knew nothing of the wager made, and half a dozen other matches
were arranged.
Saturday proved to be cool and clear with a stiff breeze blowing
directly from the west. This being so, it was decided, in order to get
clear of the woods in front of the Hall, to hold the contests on Baker's
Plain, a level patch of ground some distance to the westward.
The cadets were soon on the way, shouting and laughing merrily over
the sport promised. Only a few remained behind, including Jim Caven,
who gave as his excuse that he had a headache.
"I'm glad he is not with us," said Dick. "I declare, for some reason, I
can't bear to have him around."
"Nor I," returned Frank. "It's queer, but he gives me the shivers
whenever he comes near me."
"It's a wonder he came here at all. He doesn't belong in our style of a
crowd."
To reach Baker's Plain the cadets had to make a detour around a high
cliff which overlooked a rocky watercourse which flowed into Cayuga
Lake. They moved slowly, as nobody wished to damage his kite, and it
was after two o'clock before all hands were ready for the first trial at
kite-flying.
"Gracious, but it is blowing!" cried Tom.

"Sam, have you a good strong cord on your kite?"
"The strongest I could get," answered the youngest Rover. "I guess it is
stronger than what Fred has."
"My kite won't pull like yours," said Fred Garrison. "All ready?"
"Yes."
"Then up they go -- and may the best kite win!"
Soon a dozen kites of various kinds were soaring in the air, some quite
steadily and others darting angrily from side to side. One went up with
a swoop, to come down with a bang on the rocks, thus knocking itself
into a hundred pieces.
"Mine cracious, look at dot!" burst out Hans Mueller. "Mine Gretchen
kite vos busted up -- und I spent me feefteen cents on him alreety!" and
a roar went up.
"Never mind, Hans," said Dick. "You can help sail the Katydid. She
will pull strong enough for two, I am sure."
The Katydid was a wonderful affair of silver and gold which Dick had
constructed on ideas entirely his own. It went up slowly but surely and
proved to be as good a kite as the majority.
A number of girls living in the neighborhood, bad heard of the
kite-flying contests, and now they came up, Dora Stanhope with the
rest, accompanied by her two cousins, Grace and Nellie Laning. As my
old readers may guess, Dick was very attentive to Dora, and his
brothers were scarcely less so to the two Laning sisters.
"And how is your mother?" Dick asked of Dom, during the course of
their conversation.
"She is much better," replied Dora, "although she is still weak from her
sickness."

"Does she ever mention Josiah Crabtree?"
"She mentioned him once. She said that she had dreamed of him and of
you, Nick."
"Me? And what was the dream?"
"Oh - it was only a silly affair, Dick, not worth mentioning."
"But I would like to know what it was."
"Well, then, she dreamed that both of you were in a big forest and he
was about to attack you with a gun or a club, she couldn't tell which.
She awoke screaming and I ran to her side, and that is how she told me
of the dream."
CHAPTER III
AN OLD ENEMY TURNS UP
"That was certainly an odd dream," said Dick, after a short pause. "I am
sure I never want to meet Josiah Crabtree under such circumstances."
"It was silly, Dick -- I'd forget it if I was you."
"And she never mentioned the man at any other time?"
"No. But I am certain she is glad he has left for parts unknown. I never,
never, want to see him again," and the girl shivered.
"Don't be alarmed, Dora; I don't think he will dare to show himself,"
answered Dick, and on the sly gave her hand a tight squeeze. They
were warmer friends than ever since Dick had rescued her from those
who had abducted her.
The kite-flying was now in "full blast," as Sam expressed it, and the
boys had all they could do to keep the various lines from becoming
tangled up. His own kite and Fred's were side by side and for a long
time it looked as if neither would mount above the other.

"Run her up, Fred! You can win if you try!" cried several of the cadets.
"Play out a bit more, Sam; you haven't given your kite all the slack she
wants," said others. So the talk ran on, while each