CHAPTER XI
AT THE FARM
"Oak Run! All out for Oak Run!"
It was the familiar cry of the brakeman of the train, as the carsrolled into the little station at which the Rover boys were to alight.The ride from Ashton had been without incident. They had had to maketwo changes, and had fretted not a little over a delay of half an hourat one junction point.
"There's old Ricks!" cried Sam, motioning to the station master, whowas looking after some baggage. "Remember the fun we had with him onour last trip here, Tom?"
"Indeed, yes," was the reply, and the fun-loving Rover grinned alittle.
"No time for fun now," put in Dick, quickly. "We want to get home justas soon as possible."
From one of the telegraph offices along the line the boys had sentword ahead, and at the station they found Jack Ness, the hired man,who had brought the family touring car.
"Glad to see you back," said the hired man, touching his cap.
"Any news, Jack?" asked the three, in one voice.
"You mean from your father?"
"Yes."
"No," and Jack Ness shook his head slowly "Not a line for severaldays. Your aunt an' uncle are worried 'most to death."
The boys leaped into the touring car, Dick taking the wheel and Samgetting in beside him. Tom and the hired man occupied the tonneau,with the baggage. Away they went, in a cloud of dust, over the frailbridge that spanned the river and through the village of Dexter'sCorners. Then they struck the country road leading to Valley Brookfarm, their home. Dick increased the speed to thirty miles an hour--allthe car would stand on such a highway.
"Say, we'll have an accident!" cried Jack Ness, in alarm. "It ain'tsafe to run so fast, nohow!"
"Sit still, Jack; Dick knows what he is doing," commanded Tom. "Wewant to get home just as soon as we can."
"Well, I don't blame ye fer wantin' to git home,--but I don't want togit kilt!" murmured the man of all work.
Farm after farm was passed and also a patch of timber land. Then theyswept around a turn and came in sight of Valley Brook, with its broadfields and its gurgling brook flowing down to Swift River.
"There's Aleck!" shouted Sam, pointing to a colored man who wasstanding at the entrance to a lane. He waved his hand and AlexanderPop, one of the servants, and a man who had made many trips with theRovers, took off his hat and waved in return.
As he swung up to the broad piazza of the house, Dick honked theautomobile horn. At once the door flew open and Mrs. Rover ran out,followed by her husband.
"Oh, boys! I am so glad to see you!" cried Mrs. Rover.
"How are you, Aunt Martha!" returned Sam, leaping out and kissing her,an example speedily followed by his brothers.
"Very glad you came," said Randolph Rover, a tall, thin, andstudious-looking man, wearing big spectacles. He shook hands allaround. "Come right into the house."
"You haven't any word from dad?" questioned Sam.
"Nothing, boys--and I do not know what to make of it."
"It is a fearful state of affairs," burst out Mrs. Rover, and tearsstood in her motherly eyes. "We cannot imagine what has happened toyour father."
"I sent another telegram to that hotel," said Dick. "I asked themanager to send his reply here."
It was a rather sad home-coming, and even Tom felt much depressed inspirits. All filed into the house and to the sitting-room, leavingJack Ness and Aleck Pop to look after the automobile and the baggage.
"We ought to get a message from New York soon," remarked Dick, afterhis uncle had related the little he had to tell about how AndersonRover had gone away on the trip to the metropolis. Evidently RandolphRover knew little about the business that had taken his brother to thecity. He was no business man himself--being wrapped up in what hecalled scientific farming--and probably the boys' father had notthought it worth while to take him into his confidence.
Dinner was on the table, and the boys went to the dining-room to eat.But nobody had any appetite, and the fine repast prepared by the cookunder Mrs. Rover's directions, was much of a failure. Once thetelephone rang and the boys rushed to it. But the call was only alocal one, of little consequence.
"I think the best thing I can do will be to go over dad's privatepapers," said Dick, presently. "They may give me a clew of where tolook for him in New York."
"That's the talk!" cried Tom. "Come on, let's get busy." He hated tosit still at any time, and just at present inactivity was doublyirksome.
During the past year a room had been added to the house and this wasused as a library and sort of office combined, being provided with asubstantial safe and two roller-top desks. One of the desks was usedexclusively by Anderson Rover for his private letters and papers. Whensick the man had given Dick the extra key to the desk, telling him tokeep it. The father trusted his three sons implicitly, only keeping tohimself such business affairs as he thought would not interest them.
The boys sat down and, led by Dick, began a careful inspection of themany letters and documents which the roller-top desk contained. Alarge number of the papers and letters they knew had no bearing on theaffair now in hand. But presently Dick took up some letters of recentdate and scanned them with interest.
"I guess this is what we are after!" he cried.
"I was afraid it might be that."
"What is it?" asked his brothers.
"That old irrigation scheme--the one run by Pelter, Japson & Company,of Wall Street, New York."
"Why, I thought dad had dropped that," said Sam, in surprise.
"He tried to. But they held him to some agreement--I don't knowexactly what. They wanted to get more money out of him--if theycould."
"And you think he went to New York on that account, Dick?" asked Tom.
"It looks so to me."
"But that doesn't account for his disappearance."
"Perhaps it does."
"What do you mean?"
"Those fellows may be holding him a prisoner, or they may even haveput him out of the way altogether--although I doubt if they are asbad as all that."
"Some men would do anything for money," grumbled Sam. "But what goodwould it do to hold him a prisoner?"
"They may want to force him to sign some papers, or give up somepapers he is holding, Sam. One thing is certain, they were veryanxious to see him--these letters show that."
"Hadn't we better telegraph to them and see what they have to say?"suggested Tom.
"Perhaps, Tom--but, somehow, I don't think that would be a wise moveto make. Father did not trust them. He said they were sharpers. If wesent them any word it might put them more on guard than they wouldotherwise be. I think the best thing to do is to go to New York andinterview them personally--if we don't get word from dad before weleave."
"I think----" commenced Tom, and just then the telephone bell rang andall rushed to it. Dick took up the receiver.
"Is this the Rovers' house?" asked a voice over the wire.
"Yes."
"I have a telegraph message for Richard Rover."
"All right, Mr. Barnes," answered Dick. "What is it?" He hadrecognized the voice of the telegraph operator at Oak Run.
"Oh, it's you, is it, Mr. Rover?" returned the operator. "This is fromNew York City, and is signed, 'Thomas A. Garley.'"
"Yes, yes! Read the message!" cried Dick, and all three boys listenedclosely while Dick held the receiver.
"He says: 'No news of Anderson Rover. Better come on andinvestigate.'"
"Is that all?"
"Yes." And the operator repeated the message. "I'll mail the sheet toyou," he added.
"All right, much obliged." Dick turned to his brothers. "Shall I sendword back that we are coming?" he questioned.
"Yes."
"Take this message down, Mr. Barnes," went on Dick, and dictated whathe wished to say. "I'll settle next time I see you," he added, andhung up the receiver.
The uncle and the aunt of the boys wished to know the news, if such itcan be called, and the lads told them. At o
nce Mrs. Rover burst intotears.
"I am sure something has befallen Anderson!" she sobbed. "Oh, whatshall we do, Randolph?"
"I--I think I had better go to New York and--er--makesome--er--inquiries," answered her husband, somewhat helplessly, for avisit to the teeming metropolis always appalled him.
"No, you stay here, and wait for some word, Uncle Randolph," saidDick. "Sam and Tom and I are going to New York."
"Oh, boys!" cried Mrs. Rover. "Going alone?"
"Why not, Aunt Martha?" asked Sam. "We are not afraid."
"I know that. But this is--er--no ordinary trip. You may get intotrouble, and----"
"If we do, we'll get out of it again," put in Tom, grimly.
"Oh, if only we knew what had become of your dear father!" and thelady's eyes filled again with tears, while Uncle Randolph lookeddeeply sympathetic.
"I think we had better start at once," went on Dick. "We can get thefive-thirty train down."
"What, to-night!" exclaimed the aunt. "Why, that will get you to NewYork at midnight!"
"Just about," said Tom.
"You had better start in the morning. What will you do at midnight ina big city like New York!"
"We'll go direct to the Outlook Hotel," answered Dick. "And then, ifwe can't find out anything about father, we can go down to the officesof Pelter, Japson & Company in the morning."
"And if you don't find out anything there?" asked Randolph Rover,timidly.
"Then we'll go to the police, and maybe get a detective or two on thecase," returned Dick. "And we'll have to look up the hospitals--incase he met with an accident. But I don't think he has met with anyaccident," he continued hastily, for he saw how alarmed his aunt wasbecoming. "For if he had an accident, the authorities would find out,from the things in his pockets, who he was, and notify us, or thehotel."
Mrs. Rover heaved a deep sigh, and her husband shook his head slowly.Dick closed the desk again and locked it, and then the three boyshurried to their rooms, to prepare for the trip to the metropolis.
"Say, I dun heah dat you am gwine to New York," came a voice from theentrance to Dick's bedroom, and looking up from the suitcase he waspacking, the oldest Rover boy saw Aleck Pop standing there, an anxiouslook on his ebony face.
"Yes, Aleck, we are going to take the five-thirty train. You can tellJack to get the car ready."
"Want me to go along?" asked the colored man, wistfully.
"No, Aleck, not this trip. You stay here and do what you can for myaunt and uncle."
"Yo' father am missing, ain't he?"
"Yes."
"It's too bad. Hope you find him, Dick, I do, indeed! I'll tell Jackabout dat auto." And Aleck Pop went off, shaking his head in sorrow.He loved all of the Rovers, and their troubles were his own.