The Rover Boys on the Farm | Page 2

himself," returned his
younger brother.
"I don't see why he doesn't answer us, if he's all right," was the
unsatisfactory reply. "Come on, or the storm will overtake us before we
get down from the mountain and we'll be soaked by the time we reach
home."

Side by side the brothers retraced their steps--a hard task, for it is much
easier to climb down a steep mountainside than to climb up.
To those who have read the previous volumes in this "Rover Boys
Series," the two brothers just mentioned will need no special
introduction. The Rover boys were three in number, Dick being the
oldest, fun-loving Tom coming next, and Sam bringing up the rear. All
were bright, lively, up-to-date lads, and honest and manly to the core.
They lived on a farm called Valley Brook, in New York state,--a
beautiful spot owned by their uncle, Randolph Rover, and his wife,
Martha. Their father, Anderson Rover, also lived at the farm when at
home, but he was away a great deal on business.
From the farm the boys had been sent, some years before, to Putnam
Hall, an ideal place of learning, of which we shall learn more as our
tale proceeds. What the lads did there on their arrival has already been
related in "The Rover Boys at School," the first volume of this series.
A short term at Putnam Hall was followed by a trip on the ocean, and
then a long journey to the jungles of Africa, in search of Anderson
Rover, who had disappeared. Then came a grand outing out west, and
another outing on the great lakes, followed by some stirring adventures
in the mountains of New York state.
Coming from the mountains, the three youths had expected to go back
to Putnam Hall at once, but fate ordained otherwise and they were cast
away in the Pacific Ocean, as related in "The Rover Boys on Land and
Sea." They had a hard task of it getting home, and then returned to the
school and had some splendid times while in camp with the other
cadets.
When vacation was once more at hand the boys soon solved the
problem of what to do. Their Uncle Randolph had taken a houseboat
for debt. The craft was located on the Ohio River, and it was resolved
to make a trip down the Mississippi.
"It will be the best ever!" Tom declared, and they started with much
enthusiasm, taking with them "Songbird" Powell, a school chum

addicted to the making of doggerel which he called poetry, Fred
Garrison, a plucky boy who had stood by them through thick and thin,
and Hans Mueller, a German youth who was still struggling with the
mysteries of the English tongue. With the boys went an old friend, Mrs.
Stanhope, and her sister, Mrs. Laning. With Mrs. Stanhope was her
only daughter Dora, whom Dick Rover considered the sweetest girl in
the whole world, and Mrs. Laning had with her two daughters, Grace
and Nellie, especial friends of Sam and Dick.
The trip on the houseboat proved a long and eventful one, and during
that time the boys and their company fell in with Dan Baxter, Lew
Flapp and several other enemies. On the Mississippi the craft was
damaged, and while it was being repaired the party took a trip inland,
as related in "The Rover Boys on the Plains." Then the houseboat was
stolen, and what this led to has been related in detail in "The Rover
Boys in Southern Waters." In that volume they brought to book several
of the rascals who had annoyed them, and they caused Dan Baxter to
feel so ashamed of himself that the bully made up his mind to reform.
Tired out from their long trip, the Rover boys were glad enough to get
back home again. For nearly a week their friends remained with them at
Valley Brook farm and then they departed, the Stanhopes and Lanings
for their homes and Fred, Hans and Songbird for Putnam Hall.
"Of course you're coming back to the Hall?" Fred had said on leaving.
"Coming back?" had been Tom's answer. "Why, you couldn't keep us
away with a Gatling gun!"
"To be sure we'll be back," answered Dick Rover.
"And we'll have the greatest times ever," chimed in Sam. "I am fairly
aching to see the dear old school again."
"And Captain Putnam, and all the rest," continued Tom.
"And have some fun, eh, Tom?" and Sam poked his fun-loving brother
in the ribs.

"Well, when we go back we've got to do some studying," Dick had put
in. "Do you know what father said yesterday?"
"No, what?" came simultaneously from his brothers.
"He said we were getting too old to go to Putnam Hall--that we ought
to be thinking