CHAPTER IV
THE LAST DAY AT THE FARM
"What does this mean?"
It was Gilbert Ponsberry, the chief constable of Oak Run, whospoke, as he strode up to the grocery wagon, all out of breath.
"Hullo, Ponsberry, you are just the man we want to see!" criedJoel Darrel. "Did you notice who boarded that train?"
"No; I wasn't at the depot. Anything wrong?"
"I have been robbed of a gold watch and chain," answered Dick, andrelated the particulars.
"Gee shoo! No wonder you drove fast," ejaculated the constable."I would have done so myself. How did that fellow look?"
As well as he was able, Dick gave a description of the thief.
"I saw that tramp yesterday," said the constable, when he hadfinished. "He was in the depot, talking to a tall, thin man. Iremember him well, for he and the other fellow were quarreling. Ihung around rather expecting a fight. But it didn't come."
"You haven't seen the thief since yesterday?"
"No."
"You remember the tall, thin man he was with?"
"Oh, sure, for he had a scar on his chin that looked like a knifecut."
"Is he anywhere around?"
"I haven't seen him since. Let us take a walk around, and we canask Ricks the station master about this."
"We had better ask Mr. Ricks first," said Dick.
All hands, even to the grocery boy, hunted up the station master,an elderly fellow who was well known for his unsociabledisposition.
"Don't know anything about any thief," he snapped, after hearingthe story. "I mind my own business."
"But he may have taken the train," pleaded Dick. It made hisheart sink to think that the watch, that precious memento fromhis father, might be gone forever.
"Well, if he did, you had better go after him--or telegraph toMiddletown," was the short answer, and then the station masterturned away.
"You telegraph for me," said Dick to the constable. "I will paythe costs."
"All right, Dick. My, but old Ricks is getting more grumpy everyday! If this railroad knows its business it will soon get anothermanager here," was Gilbert Ponsberry's comment, as he led the wayto the telegraph office.
Here a telegram was prepared, addressed to the police officer onduty at the Middletown station, and giving a fair description ofthe thief.
The train would reach the city in exactly forty-five minutes; andas soon as the message had been sent, Dick, Darrel, and theconstable went off on a tour of Oak Run and the vicinity.
Of course nothing was seen of the thief, and in an hour word cameback from Middletown that he was not on the cars.
This was true, for the train had stopped at a way station, havingbroken something on the engine, and the thief had left, to walkthe remainder of the distance to Middletown on foot.
It was not until nightfall that Dick returned to his uncle'sfarmhouse.
Here he found that Sam and Tom had already arrived. Tom was lyingon the sofa in the sitting room, being cared for by his AuntMartha, who was the best of nurses whenever occasion required.
"Didn't find any trace of the villain?" queried Randolph Rover,with a sad shake of his head. "Too bad! Too bad! And it wasyour father's watch, too!"
"I never wanted to see Dick wear it," put in Mrs. Rover. "It wastoo fine for a boy."
"Father told me to wear it, aunty. He said it would remind me ofhim," answered Dick, and he turned away, for something like a tearhad welled up in his eye.
"There, there, Dick, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," criedhis aunt hastily. "I would give a good deal if you had your watchback."
Supper was waiting, but Dick had no appetite, and ate but little.Tom braced up sufficiently to take some toast and tea, anddeclared that he would be all right by morning and so he was.
"Here is a letter for Tom from Larry Colby," cried Dick during thecourse, of the evening.
"I declare, I forgot all about it, Tom, until this minute."
"I don't blame you, Dick," was the reply, with a sickly smile."You read it for me. The light hurts my head," and Tom closed hiseyes to listen.
Larry Colby was a New York lad who in years gone by had been oneof Tom's chums. The letter was just such a one as any boy mightwrite to another, and need have no place here. Yet one paragraphinterested everybody in the sitting room:
"Next week I am to pack my trunk and go to Putnam Hall MilitaryAcademy [wrote Larry Colby]. Father says it is a very finemilitary, school, and he has recommended it to your uncle."
"Putnam Hall Military Academy!" mused Tom. "I wonder where itis?"
"It is over in Seneca County, on Cayuga Lake," replied RandolphRover, and something like a smile appeared on his face.
"On Cayuga Lake, uncle!" cried Sam. "Why, that's a splendidlocation, isn't it?"
"Very fine."
"And is that where we are to go?" put in Tom eagerly.
"Yes, Thomas; I might as well tell you, although I wanted tosurprise you. You are to go to Putnam Hall, and there you willhave with you Lawrence Colby, Frank Harrington, and several otherlads with whom you are all acquainted."
"Hurrah, Uncle Randolph!" came from Sam, and rushing up, he caughthis relative around the shoulder. "You're the best kind of uncle,after all."
"Putnam Hall is an institution of learning that has beenestablished for some twenty years," went on Mr. Rover, pushingback his spectacles and laying down the agricultural work he hadbeen perusing. "It is presided over by Captain Victor Putnam, anold army officer, who in his younger days used to be aschoolmaster. He is a strict disciplinarian, and will make youtoe the mark; but let me say right here, I have it from Mr. Colbythat there is no schoolmaster who is kinder or more considerate ofhis pupils."
"Is it a regular military institution like West Point?" asked Tom.
"Hardly, Thomas, although the students, so I am informed, dresslike cadets and spend an hour or so each day in drilling, and inthe summer all the school march up the lake and go into anencampment."
"That just suits me!" broke in Sam enthusiastically. "Hurrah forPutnam Hall!"
"Hurrah!" echoed Tom faintly, and Dick nodded to show he felt asthey did. At the cheer, Sarah the cook stuck her head into thedoor.
"Sure an' I thought Tom was out of his head, bedad," she observed.
"Sarah, I'm going away soon--to a military academy. I won'tbother you any more," said Tom.
"Won't yez now? That will be foine." Then the cook stoppedshort, thinking she had hurt the boy's feelings. "Oh, MasterTom, don't moind me. You're not such an--an awful bother as wethink," and then at a wave of Mrs. Rover's hand she disappeared.
After this the evening passed quickly enough, for the boys wantedto know all there was to be learned about their future boardingschool. Mr. Rover had a circular of the institution, and theypored over this.
"Captain Victor Putnam is the head master," said Dick, as he read."He has two assistants, Josiah Crabtree and George Strong, besidestwo teachers who come in to give instructions in French andGerman if desired, also in music. Uncle Randolph, are we to takeup these branches?"
"I am going to leave you to select your own studies outside of theregular course, Richard. What would be the use of taking upmusic, for instance, if you were not musically inclined."
"I'd like to play a banjo," said Tom, and grinned as well as thebandage on his head, would permit.
"I doubt if the professor of music teaches that plantationinstrument," smiled Mrs. Rover. Then she patted Tom's shoulderaffectionately.
Now the boys were really to leave her, she was sorry to think oftheir going.
"They will not take more than a hundred pupils," said Dick,referring to the circular again. "I should say that was enough.The pupils are divided into two companies, A and B, of about fiftysoldiers each; and the soldiers elect their own officers, to serveduring the school term. Tom, perhaps you may turn out captain ofCompany B."
"And you may be Major Dick Rover of the first battalion,"
returnedTom. "Say, but this suits me to death, Uncle Randolph."
"I am glad to hear it, Thomas. But I want you to promise me toattend to your studies. Military matters are all well enough intheir way, but I want you to have the benefits of a goodeducation."
"Oh, I fancy Captain Victor Putnam will attend to that," put inSam.
The circular was read from end to end, and it was after teno'clock before the boys got done talking about it and went to bed.Certainly the prospect was a bright one, and if poor Dick had onlyhad his watch the three would have been in high feather. Littledid they dream, of all the startling adventures in store for themduring their term at Putnam Hall.
It must not be supposed that Mr. Randolph Rover intended to allowthe theft of Dick's watch to pass without a strong effort beingmade to recover the article. Early in the morning he drove to theCorners, and to Oak Run and another village called Bender's, andat each place had a notice posted, mentioning the loss andoffering a reward of fifty dollars for the recovery of theproperty and of one hundred dollars if the thief was captured inaddition. This offer, however, proved of no avail, and Dick hadto leave for Putnam Hall wearing his old silver watch, which hehad put aside upon the receipt of the gold timepiece.
It was a clear, sun-shiny morning when the boys started off. They hadpaid a last visit to the various points of interest about the placeand bid good-by to Sarah, who shook hands warmly, and said farewell tothe hired men, both of whom hated them to leave, for they had madematters pleasant as well as lively. Their three trunks were loaded ina farm wagon, and now Jack, one of the men-of-all-work, drove up withthe two seated carriage to drive them over to Oak Run by way of theriver bridge, half a mile up the stream.
"Good-by, Uncle Randolph!" cried one after another, as they shookhands. "Good-by, Aunt Martha!" and each gave Mrs. Rover a hug anda kiss, something which brought the tears to the lady's eyes.
"Good-by, boys, and take good care of yourselves," said RandolphRover.
"And if you can't stand it at boarding school, write, and we willsend for you to come back here," added his wife; and then, with acrack of the whip, the carriage rolled off, and the farm was leftbehind. It was to be many a day before the boys would see theplace again.