The Rover Boys on Land and Sea | Page 3

great city
by the lakes, and then come direct to the Golden Gate city.
"I wonder if we will meet anybody we know while we are out here,"
said Tom, as the carriage continued on its way.
"If we get down to Santa Barbara I think we'll meet somebody,"
answered Dick, and he blushed just a trifle. "I got a letter in Chicago, as
you know. It was from Dora Stanhope, and she said that she and her
mother were traveling again and expected to go either to Santa Barbara
or Los Angeles. Her mother is not well again, and the doctor thought
the air on the Pacific coast might benefit her."
"Oh, my, but won't Dick have an elegant time, if he falls in with Dora!"
cried Sam. "Tom, we won't be in it."
"Now don't you start to tease me," returned Dick, his face redder than
ever. "I guess Dora always gave you a good time, too."
"That's right, she did," said Tom. And then he added: "Did she say
anything about the Lanings?" For the Laning girls, Nellie and Grace,
were cousins to Dora Stanhope, and Tom and Sam thought almost as
much of them as Dick did of Dora.

"To be sure she did," replied Dick. "But I guess it's--well, it's a secret."
"A secret!" shouted Sam. "Not much, Dick! Let us in on it at once!"
"Yes, do!" put in Tom.
"But it may prove a disappointment."
"We'll chance it," returned Tom.
"Well then, Dora wrote that if she and her mother could find a nice
cottage at Los Angeles or Santa Barbara they were going to invite
Nellie and Grace to come out and keep house with them for six months
or so."
"Hurrah!" cried Sam enthusiastically. "I hope they come. If they do,
won't the six of us just have boss times!" And his face glowed with
anticipation.
"We can certainly have good times if Mrs. Stanhope's health will
permit," said Dick. "Here we are at the hotel."
He uttered the last words as the carriage came to a stop at the curb. He
leaped out and so did the others; and a few minutes later found them
safe and sound in the hotel. They were assigned to a large room on the
third floor, and hither they made their way, followed by their trunks,
and then began to wash and dress up, preparatory to going down to the
dining room, for the journeying around since breakfast had made them
hungry.
"I think I am going to like San Francisco," said Tom, as he was
adjusting a fresh collar and gazing out of the window at the same time.
"Everything looks so bright and clean."
"They have some pretty tall buildings here, the same as in Chicago and
New York," came from Dick, as he, too, gazed out of the window.
"Oh, all the big cities are a good deal alike," put in Sam, who was
drying his face on a towel.

"San Francisco is a mighty rich place," continued Tom. "They are too
rich even to use pennies. It's five cents here, or a bit there, or two bits
for this and two bits for that. I never heard a quarter called two bits in
New York."
"I've been told that is a Southern expression, and one used in the West
Indies," said Dick. "The early Californians--My gracious!"
Dick broke off short and leaned far out of the window, which they had
opened to let in the fresh spring air.
"What's up?" queried Tom. "Don't fall out." And he caught his elder
brother by the arm.
"I must have been mistaken. But it did look like him," said Dick
slowly.
"Look like whom?" asked Sam, joining the pair.
"Dan Baxter."
"Dan Baxter! Here?" shouted the others.
"I am pretty sure it was Dan Baxter."
"Where is he?" asked Tom.
"He is gone now--he just disappeared around the hotel corner."
"Well, if it really was Dan Baxter, we want to keep our eyes open," was
Sam's comment.
CHAPTER II
THE TURNING UP OF DAN BAXTER
The boys were very curious concerning their old enemy, and on going
below took a walk around several squares in the vicinity, in the hope of
meeting the individual who had attracted Dick's attention.

But the search proved unsuccessful, and they returned to the hotel and
went to dinner, with a larger appetite than ever.
"It would be queer if we met Dan Baxter out here," said Tom, while
they were eating. "He seems to get on our heels, no matter where we
go.
"If he came to San Francisco first, he'll think we have been following
him up," said Sam.
"He must have come here before we did," said Dick. "Our arrival dates
back but three hours," and he grinned.