CHAPTER X
JOLLY OLD SCHOOLMATES
Evidently the swindler had dropped from the roof to the upper landing ofthe fire escape. He was now almost to the bottom.
"Stop!" cried Tom, but he knew the command was a useless one. At thesound of his voice Merrick looked up and muttered something the boycould not catch. Then he swung himself from the bottom landing of thefire escape and dropped to the ground.
"If he can get down that way, so can I," thought Tom, and in anothermoment he was descending the escape in the same fashion as the swindlerhad done. As he reached the second landing of the escape he saw Merrickturn the corner of the alleyway and disappear on the street beyond.
When Tom came out on the street he almost ran into the arms of two burlymen who had come out of the tenement. Both caught him by the arms.
"What does this mean, young fellow?" asked one, savagely. "Doing thesneak-thief act?"
"I am after a thief," was the answer. "Did you see a man running away?"
"No, and we don't think there was a man," answered one of the tenementdwellers.
"Well, there was a man," said Tom. "Come, if you will help me catch himI will reward you well."
"What did he steal?"
"Some bonds worth ten thousand dollars--they belonged to my uncle,"explained Tom, hastily.
The promise of a reward made the men attentive and they soon agreed toassist Tom as much as possible. Then Dick and Sam came in sight, and hadto be told of what had happened.
The two men knew the tenement and factory district well, and they led ina hunt lasting over half an hour, and a policeman was likewise calledinto service.
"I've heard of that bond case," said the policeman. "I'd like to lay myhands on Merrick."
But the hunt was a useless one, for Merrick could not be found. Fortheir trouble Tom gave the two men from the tenement a dollar each, withwhich they had to be satisfied. The policeman promised to report thematter at headquarters, and as there seemed to be nothing else to do,the three Rover boys walked down to the steamboat dock, first, however,sending a telegram to Randolph Rover, relating briefly what hadoccurred.
"It's a great pity we didn't catch this Merrick," sighed Tom, when theywere steaming along the lake shore. "Perhaps we'll never see or hear ofhim again."
"Well, we don't want Merrick as much as we want Uncle Randolph'straction company bonds," answered Dick. "If he has disposed of the bondsit won't do much good to catch him,--unless, of course, he can get thebonds back."
"And he may not have had the bonds," put in Sam. "That fellow Pike mayhave handled them."
"That is true, too,--although I somehow think Merrick is the prime moverin this swindle."
"I think that, too," said Tom.
The _Golden Star_ was a trim little side-wheeler with a fair-sized deckfore and aft. The boys sat on the forward deck, and as the boat ranalong the shore of the lake they pointed out many localities known tothem.
"There is where we went on the paper chase," said Sam.
"Yes, and that is where we went on one of the encampments," added Tom.
"We came fishing down here once," put in Dick. "One of the boys wentoverboard."
"It was John Fenwick, the fellow we used to call Mumps," said Tom. "Bythe way, I wonder what has become of him?"
"Went west, I think," answered Sam. "One of the boys said he was in theinsurance business with some relative."
"He was a great toady to Dan Baxter."
"So he was, but he had some good points, too."
So the talk ran on, until Cedarville was reached. On account of thedelay it was dark, and the boys wondered if they would find anyconveyance to take them to the Hall.
"Hullo, here is Peleg Snuggers with the carryall!" cried Sam, as thegeneral utility man of the school appeared. "How are you, Peleg?"
"Fust rate," replied the man, grinning. "Been waiting a long time foryou."
"Sorry, but we couldn't make the captain hurry the boat," answered Dick.
"Peleg, you're a sight for tired optics," said Tom, giving the man'shand a squeeze that made him wince. "How's your grandmother?"
"Why, Master Tom, I ain't----"
"And your great-granduncle? Is he over the shingles yet?"
"Why, Master Tom, I ain't got no----"
"And your second cousin by your first wife's sister? Did she get overthe heart failure she had when the canary took a fit?"
"Now, see here, Master Tom, don't you go for to joking an old man----"
"Joking, Peleg?" returned Tom, solemnly. "Why, you know I never joke."And he took on an injured look.
"Don't joke, eh? Well, if you ain't the greatest joker Putnam Hall eversee then I'll eat my hat," declared Peleg. "Jump in an' don't ask meabout no grandfathers, or wife's sisters, nor nuthing. Ain't youhungry?"
"Hungry? I could eat a brickbat fried in lemon oil."
"Then, unless you hurry, you won't get no supper."
"Oh, Mrs. Green will get something for us, never fear," said Dick,mentioning the matron of Putnam Hall, who was a warm-hearted andgenerous woman, even though a little bit "peppery" at times.
"All the other boys here now?" asked Dick, as they drove off in thedirection of Putnam Hall.
"I reckon the most of 'em are, Master Dick. So many coming an' going Ican hardly keep track of 'em."
"Fred Garrison, Songbird Powell and Hans Mueller back?" asked Sam.
"Yes, an' they told me some wonderful stories of your doings downsouth."
"Are Larry Colby and George Granbury here?" questioned Dick.
"Yes."
"I'll be glad to meet Larry and George again," went on Dick. "I supposethey'll have something to tell of what they did during vacation."
"Every time I come to the Hall I think of the first time I came," saidTom. "Do you remember how I set off that giant firecracker?"
"Yes, and how old Josiah Crabtree put you under arrest for it," addedSam. "Wonder where old Crabtree is now?"
"He is out of prison," answered Peleg Snuggers. "I got that from a manin Cedarville. The man said as how Crabtree went to Canada."
"Hope he stays there and never attempts to bother Mrs. Stanhope again,"was Dick's comment.
About half the distance to the Hall had been covered when there came ashout on the road and Peleg Snuggers had to rein in his team. Thenseveral boys appeared, dressed in cadet uniforms, for Putnam Hall was amilitary academy.
"Whoop! here they are, fellows! Hurrah for the Rovers!"
"Rovers by name and rovers by nature!"
"Say, Tom, how do you like being adrift on the Gulf of Mexico?"
"Sam, don't you want to become a regular cowboy?"
"Dick, when I buy a houseboat I'm going to engage you as captain."
And then the students in the road clambered into the carryall andtumbled all over the Rovers, hugging them and trying to shake hands atthe same time.
"Larry, glad to see you, but please don't smother me."
"I'll love you, George, if only you won't put your elbow through myribs."
"I knew Fred would meet us."
"You gif me der honor of dis," came from Hans Mueller. "I tole demfellers to come along alretty."
"Good for you, Hansy, old boy!" cried Sam, and gave the German cadet atight squeeze.
"Songbird, why don't you turn on the poetry pipe line and let her flow?"queried Larry Colby, who, even though an officer of one of thecompanies, was as jolly as the rest of the students.
"Yes, give us something by all means," said Tom. "Something about'stilly night,' 'fond recollections,' 'starved cats,' and the like."
"Humph! 'stilly night' and 'starved cats'!" snorted Songbird Powell."You must think I'm running a hash mill instead of----"
"By no means, Songbird, dear!" piped Tom. "We all know you're the soleowner of the largest poem factory in New York state. Let her flow by allmeans."
"If you don't recite, we'll sing," said Dick.
"No, don't do that--yet," pleaded Songbird. "I've got a
verse or two allready," and he began, in slow, measured tones:
"Back to dear old Putnam Hall! Back to the days of yore! Back to the good old times we had! May we have many more! Back to our lessons and our books, And to the teachers, too, Back to the drills and hours off----"
"And to the mutton stew!"
finished Tom. "Don't forget to put in Mrs. Green's wonderful muttonstews."
"No mutton stews in this!" snorted Songbird. "The last line was, 'Whendays were bright and blue,'" and then he continued:
"We love to gather here again, And talk of times to come, And plot and plan, and plan and plot---- And plan and plot----and plot and plot---- And plan----and plan----and plan----"
"Songbird, you've plotted and planned too much," interrupted Dick, asthe would-be poet hesitated. "Let's sing a song."
"That's the talk!" cried Fred Garrison, and started up the song wellknown to all of them:
"Putnam Hall's the place for me! Tra la lee! Tra la lee! Putnam Hall's the place for me! The best old school I know!"
And then, as the carryall swung up to the campus, they set up the schoolyell, which brought out a score of students to witness the arrival ofthe Rover boys.