t Mr. Rover, on leaving the closing exercises at Putnam Hall, had declared that he would take the last train home that nigh

f anybody was here when the

and crabbed individual, who disliked the boys for the jokes t

he grunted. "I was home an' in bed, an'

he station, that you

N

ram come in fo

Jackson would send i

aph office. The telegraph receiver was ticking away at a lively rate, and J

. Randolph Rover hot off the wire. It won't take long to deliver it," and he handed it

read the communicatio

be away from home several days or a week. Very im

RSON

be?" mused Dick, after r

r father was going to tell us about," r

Rover. "So long as I know nothing has happened, y

ho was always impatient to get at the bottom of things. "Uncle

ng a sea trip, but w

go along?" queried

eve so,

like a sea tr

e to. It's some kind of a secret-very important, I imagine -something to do wi

out it when we got home from the Hall,"

it can be?"

t question, and in a th

eir uncle to the carri

away they whirled, out

n the direction of

ountry looked finer. As they swept along the well

ellow feel new all

said Tom. His uncle had studied scientific farming for years, but had never made any tremendous

ear on some Mexican melons said to

s me in mind when I was over to Albany last I saw a pumpkin in a

ed Randolph Rover, gazing

od, too. They had a lot of pumpkin pies

you measure t

hy sho

it was eight feet high

en feet across. I said I saw it in a restaurant window eight feet high a

the worst eve

de to walk home for

Rover, with a sigh. "But I might have been on my

n his relative's shoulder. "I really couldn't help it-I am just bubbling over to think t

o tie you down to kee

e me down if I go on

the Pacific, and being wrecked in the Gulf of Mexico? It seems to me eve

de up with care and all charges paid,"

ey turned into the lane their Aunt Martha came to the front piazza and waved her hand. Down in the roadway stood Jack Ness; the hired man,

e again! Safe fr

rriage, rushed up the steps and gave his a

ther! How do you do, Sam, and how are you, Dick?" And she kissed them also. "I am glad y

l be back in

' boys back heah!" came from Aleck Pop. "It's

k, we'll cheer you

yo'll turn dis place upsi

never do anything so ras

eves?" asked Jack Ness, as he took char

f dem chicken thieves," put in Aleck Pop.

out the chicken thieve

" asked Dick, remembering that they had suf

ah on Saturday, an' two on Monday. Jack he laid f

t, see if I don't,"

d Sam. "If so, we ought to go on a fo

nts of two men,-tramps, I reckon. If I catch sight of 'e