The Rover Boys on the Farm | Page 7

it was evident they meant to accomplish something unlawful.
"They are going to play Uncle Randolph some trick," whispered Sam. "We must get home and warn him."
"What we ought to do is to have the whole crowd arrested," answered Tom. "They are all implicated in the theft of freight."
"That's the talk," said Dick. "The question is, How can we do it? We are no match for those three men, and more than likely they are armed."
After this the three men conversed in such a low tone the boys could not hear a quarter of what was said. But they learned enough to know that Merrick and Pike were going to meet their uncle and play him false in some way, and they heard the words "traction bonds" and "coupons" several times.
"Uncle Randolph had ten thousand dollars' worth of traction company bonds," said Dick. "He bought them only a short while ago. They pay five and a half per cent. interest and he thought them a first-class investment."
"Oh, we'll have to warn him," said Sam. "He is so open-hearted he would trust most anybody."
Merrick had descended from the runabout and gone out of the cave. Now he came back, said something to the others, and started up the auto. In another moment he had the machine turned around. Then it spun out of the cave and down a fairly good road in the direction of Carwell. The man named Dangler followed the runabout to the road and watched it disappear around a turn bordered by trees. The storm was now rolling away to the westward and the rain had ceased.
"They have gone!" cried Tom. "Where to?"
"Perhaps to our farm--to see Uncle Randolph," answered Sam. "We ought to follow them as quickly as we can."
"I think we had better capture the fellow left behind," said Dick. "We ought to be able to do it."
"That's the talk," said Tom. "Sure we can do it, being three to one."
Dangler watched the runabout and then gazed up and down the mountain for several minutes. Then of a sudden he started in a direction opposite to that taken by the machine.
"He is going away!" cried Sam.
"Come on after him!" called his big brother, and ran from the cave with the others at his heels. Just as he did this Dangler glanced back and saw them.
"Hey, you!" he cried in consternation.
"Stop!" called out Dick. "We want you."
At this command Dangler was more amazed than ever. But of a sudden he appeared to realize something of what had happened and commenced to run.
"Stop!" cried Tom and Sam, but at this the man only ran the faster.
"Come on--we've got to catch that rascal!" exclaimed Dick, and started to sprint. The others followed as quickly as they could, and a rapid chase along the mountain road ensued. But if the boys could run so could the freight robber, and he made the best possible use of his legs until he gained a side trail. Then he darted into this, and when the Rover boys came up he had disappeared.
"Where is he?" panted Sam.
"He took to this path, but he isn't in sight," answered Dick. He was almost winded himself.
"Come on, he must be somewhere around," put in Tom, and ran down the path several hundred feet. Then he tripped over a fallen log and went headlong in the bushes and wet grass. He got up looking tired out and cross.
"We've missed him," announced Dick, rather dismally. "It's a pity, too. He deserves to be put under arrest."
"I think we had better get home and warn Uncle Randolph," returned Sam. "If we don't there is no telling what that fellow Merrick and that Pike may do."
CHAPTER IV
AT THE FARM
The others considered Sam's advice good, and after another look around for Dangler, they turned in the direction of home. They were a good three miles from the farm and had to cross the river above the falls, thus adding half a mile more to the journey. It was wet and muddy walking and they had not covered over a mile when Tom called a halt.
"I am about fagged out," he announced. "Wonder if we can't hire a buggy at the next farmhouse."
"We can try anyway," answered Dick.
Directly after crossing the river they came to a small farmhouse, and walked around to the kitchen, where they saw an old woman shelling peas.
"We can't let you have any carriage," she said. "The men folks are to town and they've got the horses."
The boys were about to turn away when Dick thought of something.
"By the way, do you know a man named Dangler?" he asked.
"Sure, I do," was the answer.
"Does he live around here?"
"I guess he lives where he pleases. He is an old bachelor and comes and goes as he likes. He used to have