The Rover Boys on Land and Sea | Page 9

"We almost made up our mind you had missed the train," said Nellie
Laning to Tom, giving him a bright smile as she spoke.
"How fine you are looking," said Grace to Sam. "Traveling must agree
with you."
"Traveling does agree with us," said Sam.
"We would have been here sooner, only we stopped to talk to an old
schoolmate," said Dick, and then he told about Bob Sutter.
"Oh, I remember Bob Sutter," said Nellie. "We went on a straw-ride
together once--before you came to Putnam Hall," she added, to Tom.
"I know him, too," put in Grace. "He's a nice boy."
"Of course he is," said Sam pointedly.
"But he isn't as nice as some boys," went on Grace in a lower tone, and
giving Sam an arch smile that made him feel very happy.
They were soon in the cottage and greeting Mrs. Stanhope, who had
been lying on a couch. The lady greeted them in a motherly way that
made them feel more at home than ever. She thought a great deal of the
Rover boys, and especially of Dick, and did not object in the least to
the marked attention Dick bestowed upon her only child. As my old
readers know, the Rover boys had, in the past, done mother and
daughter more than one valuable service.

The boys were fortunate in obtaining rooms in the hotel close to the
cottage, which would make it possible for them to run in and out as
they pleased.
"It's like old times to be together again," said Tom, when he and his
brothers were retiring that night. "And, as Mrs. Stanhope is feeling so
well, I guess we can have lots of fun."
And fun they did have. There were bathing in the surf, and lawn tennis,
and dancing at the hotel in the evening, and also lovely walks and
drives, and once they went out on horseback to a large fruit farm some
miles away, and were royally entertained by some of Bob Sutter's
friends. Bob Sutter and his cousin, Mary Parloe, went along, and
proved first-class company.
The idea of a trip on Bob's yacht suited everybody, and it was decided
that the whole party should go out early Monday morning, taking old
Jerry Tolman with them. They were to load down well with provisions
and visit not only several points along the coast, but also one or two of
the islands lying twenty-five to thirty miles south of Santa Barbara.
The Rover boys had already inspected the Old Glory and found her to
be a first-class yacht in every respect. The craft was about sixty feet in
length and correspondingly broad of beam. She carried a tall mast, but
the lead in her keel was amply sufficient to keep her from going over
unless under full sail in a very heavy wind. The cabin was fairly large
and richly furnished, for the Sutters were a family of means, and
desired everything of the best.
If the boys liked the yacht they also liked the man who had charge of
her, bluff and hearty Jerry Tolman--Captain Jerry, as Bob Sutter called
him. He was truly an old salt, having sailed the ocean since his tenth
year, on both whalers and merchantmen. Captain Jerry lacked a book
education, but he was naturally shrewd, and far from being a fool.
"Downright glad to meet ye, my hearties," he said, when the boys were
brought on board. And he gave each hand a grip like that of iron. "Want
to look over my lady, eh? Well, she's a putty one to inspect, take my

word on't." And he showed them over the craft with pleasure. They
found the yacht clean "as a whistle," and each particular bit of
brasswork polished like a mirror.
By Saturday evening all was ready for the trip. On Sunday morning the
Rover boys went to church with the Stanhopes and the Lanings, and
rested in the afternoon.
They were just about to go to supper, when a note came for Dick. It
was from Bob Sutter, and ran as follows:

"MY DEAR DICK: My cousin and I have been in an accident. We
went driving to church this morning and the horse ran away and threw
us both out on the rocks. Miss Parloe had her collar bone broken, and I
broke my left ankle. Kindly come and see me if you can."

"An accident!" cried Tom. "That is too bad."
"Let us all go and see him," suggested Sam, and this plan was carried
out.
They found that Bob Sutter was resting easily on his bed. The doctor
had set the broken ankle, and put it in plaster, and he had told Bob that
he must keep quiet for several weeks.
"This