CHAPTER VII DREAMS OF YOUTH
"Mr. Sanderson!"
"Why, if it ain't Mr. Rover!" cried the old farmer. "Glad to see ye!Bound fer hum, I suppose?"
"Yes." Dick stepped close to the old farmer's side. "Mr. Sanderson do youwant to do me a great big favor and do it quick?" he went on, earnestly.
"O' course. Wot is it?"
"Do you see that train coming?"
"Well, as my eyesight is putty good, I do," and the old farmer chuckled.
"And do you see that carriage on the road?"
"Yes--it's one of them turnouts from the gals' school."
"Some of our friends are in that carriage and I want to hold that traintill they get here," continued Dick, quickly. "The station agent won'thold the train for me--so I want you to do it."
"Me? I ain't got nuthin' to do with the railroad."
"I know that. But you can hold the train, nevertheless. The train willstop just below this crossing--it always does. When it is about ready tostart you drive on the track--and then your horse balks, see? You try tostart him but he won't start. You fuss and pull, but the horse don'tbudge until those young ladies are on the train."
"By gum! I'll do it!" exclaimed the fat farmer, with a twinkle in hiseyes. "This hoss is jest the one to balk, too."
"I can depend on you?"
"You kin, Mr. Rover."
"Thank you a thousand times!" returned Dick; and then he went off torejoin his brothers and Grace.
The train had already rolled in and passengers were getting off and on,and the agent was loading on the trunks and handbags.
"Oh, if they would only hurry!" cried Grace.
"You can get aboard," said Dick. "This train won't leave just yet."
"But it is going to go before they get here," declared Sam. "It's ashame! Two minutes more would fix it--and they could hold the train aswell as not."
"All aboard!" sang out the conductor, as the last of the baggagedisappeared into the baggage car.
Dick looked ahead. Mr. Sanderson's farm wagon had just started to crossthe tracks. He was sawing on the reins and the horse was acting in astrange manner, not knowing what to make of it. He turned part way aroundand faced the locomotive.
"G'lang!" sang out the old farmer. "Consarn ye! What's the matter of ye,Franky?"
"Oh, Dick, he'll be killed!" burst out Sam, in horror.
"Looks as if the horse wanted to climb over the engine," came from Tom.
"It's all right," answered the elder Rover boy in a whisper. "Theengineer sees him and won't start the train. Mr. Sanderson is doing it onpurpose."
"On purpose?" came from Sam and Tom, and then of a sudden theyunderstood, and both had to turn away to hide the grins that broke out ontheir faces.
"Go ahead!" cried the conductor, and then he saw the trouble and ranforward to watch proceedings.
From the antics of the horse in front of the locomotive, the Rover boysturned their attention to the carriage that was approaching. As it camecloser they saw Dora and Nellie waving their hands frantically.
"Wait! Wait for us!" cried out Dora, and as the carriage came to a stopshe leaped out, followed by Nellie and the other girl students.
"Just in time!" sang out Dick, loudly. "Come on, here is our car!"
"Oh, what made you so late?" asked Grace. "We have been worried to deathabout you."
"One of the girls forgot her pocketbook and we had to drive back for it,"explained Nellie. "Oh, we thought sure we would miss the train, when wesaw it stop. We were so far off."
"I'll explain why you caught it later on," whispered Dick. "Now excuse mea moment," and he ran towards the locomotive.
A crowd had commenced to collect, and several folks were offering Mr.Sanderson advice. But though he seemed to try his best, his horse andwagon remained in front of the train.
"Here, let me aid you, Mr. Sanderson," cried Dick, and gave the farmerthe wink. "It's all right," he added, in a whisper. "I'm your friend forlife after this."
"Glad to be of service," answered the old farmer, in an equally low tone."G'lang, Franky!" he roared suddenly, and touched the horse with hiswhip. At once the animal turned partly around and ran off the tracks anddown the country road as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Confound that fool nag!" muttered the conductor of the train, as heconsulted his watch. "Here we've lost six minutes more. Tom, can you makeit up?"
"I can try," answered the engineer.
"All right! Let her go!" And Dick and the other passengers who had goneforward hopped on the train in a hurry, and the conductor followed. Thetrain official did not suspect that the "blockading" had been donepurposely, and Dick did not enlighten him.
The Rovers had secured seats for the girls and themselves in one of theparlor cars, and all were together. As the train rolled onward Dickrelated the particulars of the trick that had been played with the aid ofMr. Sanderson.
"Oh, Dick, how could you think of such a thing?" cried Dora.
"Oh, it just popped into my mind," he answered. "And Mr. Sanderson actedhis part to perfection. Aren't you glad we did something to hold thetrain?"
"Indeed yes!"
"Would you have gone on without us?" asked Nellie.
"Not a step!" answered Tom, and spoke the words so quickly and earnestlythat everybody in the party laughed.
"I didn't want to miss this train for two reasons," went on Dick. "In thefirst place, we'd lose our parlor-car seats, and in the second place,we'd have to wait four hours for another train, and that nothing but aslow accommodation."
"Well, I shouldn't mind a slow train--while we have such good company,"observed Sam, and for this remark Grace gave him a warm look ofappreciation.
"Have you had any further news from home?" asked Dick, of Dora, a littlelater.
"I got a letter from mamma yesterday. She says Professor Crabtree calledagain. But she had the maid go to the door, and she refused to see him."
"That's good. Did he say anything to the maid?"
"She says he went away looking very angry and muttering something aboutmaking mamma see him. Mamma watched him from an upper window and shewrote that he hung around the garden about half an hour before he wentaway."
"The rascal! You had better get Mr. Laning to look into this for you. Ifhe bothers you any more he ought to be locked up."
"Just what I think. But mamma is too timid to go to the police, oranything like that."
"I wish I was there when old Crabtree called--I'd give him a piece of mymind!"
"Oh, Dick, maybe he would want to--to--shoot you, or something!"
"No, Josiah Crabtree isn't that kind. He belongs to thesnake-in-the-grass variety of rascals. But perhaps he won't comeagain--now that your mother has refused to see him."
"I wish I could be sure of it," sighed the girl.
"What have you done about the fortune, Dora?"
"Mamma has everything in the vault of a safe deposit company in Ithaca.We don't know just what to do--thinking Tad Sobber may tie the money upagain in the courts."
"I don't see how he can do that--unless he brings up some new evidence toprove that the fortune belongs to Sid Merrick's estate."
"Uncle John thought it might be best to buy Tad Sobber off--just to endthe matter. But Sobber wanted too much."
"I'd not give him a cent--he doesn't deserve it--after the way he treatedyou, and us. I don't believe Sid Merrick ever had a right to one dollarof the fortune."
"I believe that, too."
"I suppose Crabtree came around because he heard that you had more moneythan ever. Gracious, Dora, some day you'll be real rich in your ownname!"
"Well, won't you like it," she demanded brightly.
"I'll not complain. But I'd take you just as quickly if you were poor,"added Dick earnestly.
"Would you, Dick?"
"Do you doubt me?"
"No, Dick, I don't. I know you don't want me for my money," and Doraleaned fo
rward to let her hand rest for a moment on his shoulder.
"I've got a little money of my own," he went on, after a pause, in whichthey looked straight into each other's eyes.
"A little! Oh, Dick, I guess you've got a good bit more than I've got."
"Are you sorry for that, Dora?"
"Sorry? Oh, no, but--but----" And Dora suddenly turned very red.
"What, dear?" he whispered.
"Why--I--that is--you said you would take me just as quickly if I werepoor. Well--I--I'd take you that way, too!" And now the girl hid herblushes in her handkerchief.
"Dora, you're a darling, and true-blue!" whispered Dick, fervidly. "We'llpull together, rich or poor, and be happy, see if we don't!"
"First call for lunch!" announced a waiter, coming through the car.
"Say, that hits me!" came from Tom. "I had such a slim breakfast I amhollow clear to my shoes!"
"A slim breakfast!" sniffed Sam. "Fruit, sawdust and cream, fried eggswith bacon, half a dozen muffins, and coffee!"
"Get out! You're thinking of your own breakfast!" retorted Tom. "Come on,let's lead the way--before the dining car fills up." And he caught Nellieby the arm.
"All right, we're coming!" cried Sam, and followed with Grace. "Come on,Dick!" And he motioned to the others. Soon all were moving towards thedining car.
"Might as well do a little practicing," was Tom's comment, on the way,and linking his arm into that of Nellie, he began very softly to whistlea well-known wedding march.
"Oh, Tom Rover!" cried Nellie, giving him a playful poke in the side. "Ofall things! And in a railroad car! I've a good mind not to walk withyou."
"All right, I'll change the tune," cried Tom, cheerfully, and commencedto whistle a funeral dirge, at which all of the girls shrieked withlaughter.
It was a jolly crowd that sat down to the tables in the dining car, andthe Rover boys saw to it that the girls were provided with whatever theydesired on the bill of fare. They took their time over the meal, and thefun they had made even the waiters smile broadly.
"We'll get to Cartown in an hour," said Sam, after they had returned tothe parlor car. "And then we'll have to say good-bye."
"Oh, it's too bad!" pouted Grace. "I wish you were going through toCedarville with us."
"So do I."
"Well, the best of friends must part, as the oyster said to the shell,"observed Tom, and at this joke the others smiled faintly. But now thatthey were to separate so soon all felt rather sober. Little did theydream of the exciting occurrence that was to bring them together again.