"All right, just as you say," answered his cousin, and then he began
some horseplay with Fred, which came to a sudden end when the youngest
Rover tripped him up and sent him plunging into a snowbank on the side
of the narrow stream.

"Now let up, I tell you!" warned Jack. "You never want to try any
horseplay when you are tramping or skating along with a loaded gun.
It's too dangerous. Remember what Colonel Colby said," and then Andy
sobered down a little.

All too soon for the boys, the skating on the river came to an end.
Beyond, the stream was little better than a rocky watercourse, now
thickly covered with ice and snow.

"Why can't we leave our skates here until we come back?" suggested
Randy.

"We could if we were sure we were going to return this way," answered
Jack. "But we had better take them along, for we may return to the Hall
by an entirely different route. We'll place our skates in our game bags
for the present;" and this advice was followed.

After this the Rover boys trudged along through the woods bordering the
stream. Soon they came upon some rabbit tracks, and less than a minute
later Jack suddenly raised his double-barreled shotgun and blazed away.

"Hurrah! you've got him!" cried Fred, and all of the boys rushed forward
to where the game lay--a big, fat rabbit.

"Say, Jack, you're the lucky one!" cried Andy. "Now you know what you
promised?" he added.

"All right--it's your turn now to have the shotgun," answered his
cousin, for that was the bargain which had been made. "I'll carry the
rifle."

On and on went the young hunters, getting deeper and deeper into the
woods. Here they managed to stir up more game, and Andy had the pleasure
of bringing down the second rabbit, while the others laid low several
squirrels.

"This is pretty rough ground around here," remarked Jack, after they had
wound in and out around some exceedingly rough rocks and through some
thick underbrush.

"We had better keep close to this stream," was Randy's suggestion. "If
we don't, we may become hopelessly lost in these woods."

"Huh! I guess we could find our way out sooner or later," retorted his
twin. To Andy, getting lost in the woods would seem nothing more than a
big joke.

The young hunters continued to advance, and, during the course of the
next hour, brought down several more rabbits, and also another squirrel.
Then, just as Andy had handed back one of the shotguns to Jack and the
weapon had been reloaded, they heard a strange noise coming from back of
some bushes not a great distance away.

"Now what do you suppose that is?" whispered Fred.

"I think I know, Fred," was Jack's reply; "and if I am right, get ready
to fire as soon as I do."

The two boys with the shotguns went in advance, and soon reached a point
where they could look beyond the bushes. Then came a sudden whirr, and
up into the air went a small flock of pheasants.

Bang! bang! rang out Jack's fowling piece, and bang! bang! came the
report of Fred's firearm.

The strange whirring continued, but then three of the birds were seen to
drop to the ground, one dead and the other two seriously wounded.

"Hurrah! we've got three of them!" cried Fred excitedly, and then ran
forward, to quickly put the wounded birds out of their misery.

"Say, that's some luck!" exclaimed Randy. "If I----"

Randy stopped short, and so did some of the others who had started to
speak. A strange sound from a distance had reached their ears.

"Help! help!" came in a low cry. "Help! For heaven's sake, somebody come
and help me!"




CHAPTER V

UNCLE BARNEY STEVENSON


"What is that?"

"It's somebody calling for help!"

"It's a man's voice; and he must be in pretty bad shape to call like
that!" burst out Jack.

"Hello there!" yelled Randy. "Where are you?"

"Here! Under the fallen tree!" came in a faint cry. "Help me, quick!"

"I think the cry came from that direction," said Andy, pointing with his
hand.

"And I think it came from over there," added his twin, pointing off at a
right angle to the first direction given.

"I think Andy is right!" exclaimed Jack. "Anyway, he and I can go off in
that direction, while you, Randy, and Fred can see if you can locate him
over yonder."

Neither of the boys had been exactly right in locating the cry for
assistance, which had come from a point about midway between the two
places suggested, but it was Jack who saw a large fallen tree from a
distance and ran quickly toward it, yelling for all of the others to do
likewise.

The sight which met their gaze filled them with a pity and a strong
desire to be of assistance. There, in the snow, lay an elderly man, clad
in the garb of a hunter or lumberman, with a shotgun and a well-worn
game bag beside him. Over the man's legs and one outstretched arm,
rested the upper portion of a large pine tree, which had evidently
crashed down because of the weight of snow upon it but a short time
before. The man lay on his chest, and it was all he could do to raise
his head to cry for aid.

"Say, this is tough!" exclaimed Andy, as he reached the spot. "What can
we do to help him?"

"We've got to pry up that tree somehow," answered Jack.

"Come on; let us see if we can't lift it!" exclaimed Randy, and took
hold of one of the numerous branches.

The others did the same, and all pulled upon the tree with their utmost
strength. Yet, it was too heavy for them and could scarcely be budged.

"We've got to get some kind of pry and pry it up," announced Jack. "I
wish we had brought a hatchet along. I meant to bring one, so that we
could make firewood, but I forgot it."

"Help me! Help me!" moaned the man. "Don't leave me here pinned down
like this;" and then he seemed to faint.

Alarmed by the condition of the sufferer, the boys ran around the spot
looking for something which might aid them in releasing the man. They
found several flat stones, and then discovered a sapling which they
succeeded in pulling up by the roots. Piling up the flat stones close to
the fallen tree, they placed the sapling upon them, using it as a lever,
and by this means Jack and the twins managed to raise the fallen pine
just high enough to allow Fred to haul the hurt man from under it. Then
they let the pine slip back to its original position.

"Looks to me as if he might have his two legs broken, and maybe his
arm," announced Jack, after they had placed the man on his back with his
head raised on some pine boughs stripped from the trees. The sufferer's
eyes were closed, and he breathed heavily.

"We ought to get a doctor for him just as soon as possible," said Randy.
"But where to go for one, excepting back to Haven Point, I don't know."

While the young hunters were wondering what they had better do, the man
slowly opened his eyes and gave a gasp.

"Help me! Please help me!" he cried feebly.

"Don't excite yourself, you're all right now," answered Jack kindly.
"Take it easy. We'll do what we can for you."

The man had closed his eyes again, but now he opened them and tried to
look around him.

"You got me clear of the fallen tree, did you?" he murmured. "Good! I
was afraid I'd have to stay there until I froze to death."

"How about it? Can you use your left arm?" questioned Jack.

"I don't know. I guess so," answered the man, and then tried to raise
the arm in question. He held it up for a few seconds, but then let it
drop heavily by his side.

"It's pretty well lamed I reckon," he said. "You see, I had it right
under one of the tree limbs."

"What about your legs? Can you move them at all?" went on the oldest
Rover boy. He did not have the heart to mention that the man's lower
limbs might be broken.

Feebly, the man raised up first one leg and then the other. The limbs
had not been broken, but they were much bruised and swollen, and the
movements caused the sufferer to give a groan.

"I'm afraid I'm done up so far as walking is concerned," he said
dolefully. "You see, I'm getting old," he went on. "If I was a younger
man, maybe this wouldn't affect me quite so much. But as it is----" He
shook his head dismally.

"I guess you had better let us carry you out of the woods," said Jack.
"You can't walk, and you certainly can't stay here alone."

"Do you know where the nearest house is located?" questioned Randy.

"Let me see----" The man mused for a moment, shutting his eyes while he
did so. "Unless I'm greatly mistaken, Bill Hobson lives on the edge of
the woods just to the north of this spot."

"Is he a farmer?" questioned Fred.

"No, he's a lumberman, like myself," was the reply. The man looked from
one to another of the youths. "May I ask who you are?"

"We're the Rover boys," answered the oldest of the four. "I am Jack
Rover, and these are my cousins, Fred, Andy, and Randy."

"Glad to know you, boys; and doubly glad to think you were up in this
section of the woods just when I had this accident. I sha'n't forget
your kindness. My name is Stevenson, but most all the folks that know me
call me Uncle Barney. I take it from your uniforms that you belong at
Colby Hall."

"We do," answered Andy.

"I don't belong in this neighborhood. I just came over early this
morning to see what the hunting looked like around here. My home is on
Snowshoe Island, in the middle of Lake Monona, about ten miles north of
here."

"I think you had better rest on some of these pine boughs while some of
us try to locate the Bill Hobson you mentioned," said Jack. "Can you
point out the general direction of his place?"

"It's up along this mountain stream," and Barney Stevenson indicated the
Rick Rack River. "You just follow that watercourse for about a quarter
of a mile, and I'm pretty sure you'll come to it."

"Well, if you're sure it's along this stream, we might as well try to
get you there first as last," announced Randy. He turned to his cousins.
"Why can't we take turns in carrying him, either on our backs or on a
litter?"

"I think we had better try to make some sort of litter of pine boughs,"
answered Jack. "It will be much easier for the four of us to do the
carrying than for one."

"I've got a hatchet in my game bag, and you can cut some pine boughs
with that. And you will find some cord in my game bag, too."

"How did the accident happen, if I may ask?" questioned Randy, while
Jack began to trim several large boughs from the fallen pine.

"It came quicker'n lightning," was the old lumberman's answer. "I had
just spotted a fine, fat rabbit, and was taking aim, when, without
warning, the tree gave a sudden snap like the report of a gun, and down
it came right on top of me. Of course, I tried to jump out of the way,
but my foot caught on a tree root, or a rock, or something, and down I
went, and the next minute the tree came down on top of me, right across
my legs and my left arm, like when you found me. I tried to pull myself
loose, but my legs and my arm seemed to be wedged down between the tree
and some stones, and I couldn't budge nary a one of 'em."

"I guess you can be thankful that you didn't break your arm or your
legs."

"I suppose that's true, my boy. Just the same, I suppose this will lay
me up for a week or two, and maybe longer," answered Barney Stevenson,
dubiously.

Having cut several pine boughs that looked as if they might answer the
purpose, the four boys lost no time in twisting them together and then
tying them into a rude litter. Across this they laid additional pine
boughs, and upon these placed the form of the hurt man. When they moved
him he shut his teeth hard, evidently to keep from crying out with
pain.

"I know it must hurt you, Mr. Stevenson," said Jack kindly. "We'll be
just as careful as possible."

"I know you'll be, my lads. I suppose I ought to have a doctor, but if I
can get to Bill Hobson's cabin, I guess I'll be all right. Bill will
most likely have some liniment, and that will fix me up."

With the old lumberman resting on the litter and the four youths
carrying this as carefully as possible, the party made its way along the
Rick Rack River, which at this point was little better than a mountain
torrent. They had considerable difficulty in climbing over the rocks and
in making their way through the heavy brushwood, but finally they came
out to a cleared space, beyond which there were only scattered patches
of trees.

"I see some smoke!" cried Fred presently.

"That must be the smoke from Bill Hobson's place," announced the old
lumberman, and then he closed his eyes once more and lay back on the
litter, for the pain he was suffering was great.

Keeping on in the direction where they had seen the smoke, they soon
came in sight of a fairly large cabin with a lean-to attached. They
marched up to the place, and Jack rapped upon the door, which was opened
a moment later by a burly man, well along in years.

"What do you want?" began the man, and then looked past Jack to the
litter and the old lumberman lying on it. "What's this? Why, it's Uncle
Barney, I declare! What's happened?"

"I got hurt by a falling tree, Bill," was the reply. "And if it hadn't
been for these cadets, I might be layin' down in the woods yet."

"He is quite a bit hurt," explained Jack. "You had better let us carry
him in and place him on a couch or a bed of some kind."

"Surest thing you know, young man," answered Bill Hobson. "Fetch him
right in," and he turned to make a bunk ready for the sufferer.

Fortunately the cabin was well warmed, so that as soon as they had
Barney Stevenson safe inside, they lost no time in taking off some of
his clothing and examining his hurts. The other old lumberman, assisted
by Jack, did this, and Hobson examined the condition of his friend with
care.

"I can't see that anything is broken," he announced; "but those bruises
are pretty bad. I think I'll bathe 'em with hot water, and then put on
some liniment and bind 'em up."

"I guess I'll have to stay right where I am for a spell, Bill," said the
hurt man.

"That's what, Uncle Barney. And you're welcome to stay as long as you
please," announced the owner of the cabin. The boys had brought along
the old lumberman's game bag and shotgun.

Bill Hobson wanted to know the particulars of the affair, and the Rover
boys related how they had come up into the woods to hunt and heard
Barney Stevenson's cries for assistance, and how they had liberated him
and brought him along on the litter.

"I'm very thankful indeed to you," said Barney Stevenson, and his face
showed his gratitude. "If I can ever do you boys a good turn, believe
me, I'll do it."

"Didn't you say you lived on Snowshoe Island?" queried Jack.

"Yes."

"I've heard of the place, but I don't know exactly where it is located
or why they call it Snowshoe Island."

"It's a big island located almost in the middle of Lake Monona,"
answered the old lumberman. "I own the place, and it's called Snowshoe
Island because some years ago a number of Indians lived on it and made
their living by making snowshoes. The Indians are all gone now."

"I guess, Uncle Barney, you've lived on that island a good number of
years," put in Bill Hobson.

"Twelve years coming this Christmas," was the reply. "I went there the
day after my wife was buried," and the old lumberman's face clouded as
if the memory of what had happened was still bitter.

"Do you do any lumbering there?" questioned Randy, more to change the
subject than for any other reason.

"Oh, yes; I do quite some lumbering during the season. I have a firm in
the city that sends up there every year for all the stuff I cut. At this
time of year. I like to go out hunting. It's the one sport that I
thoroughly enjoy. And I reckon you boys enjoy it, too, or you wouldn't
be out with your guns."

"Yes, we like to go hunting once in a while."

"Well, now, listen to me, boys. You saved my life out there in the
woods, and if I was real well off, I'd try to reward you for it. But, as
it is----"

"We don't want any reward," broke in Jack quickly.

"I know you don't--you're not that kind. And I'm not going to offend you
by offering it. Just the same, if you ever feel like coming over to
Snowshoe Island and paying me a visit, I'll treat you as well as I know
how."

"Maybe we might be able to go over there and do some hunting some
time," suggested Andy.

"Yes, you come over some time and stay a few days or a week with me, and
I'll give you the best time hunting I can," answered Barney Stevenson.

"By the way, Mr. Stevenson," said Jack curiously, "do you know a Mr.
Frederic Stevenson?" Jack had learned from Ruth that that was her
father's name.

At this unexpected question, the old lumberman opened wide his eyes and
glared at the young cadet.

"Yes, I know him--very well," he growled. "But I don't want to hear
anything about him--not a word! Is he a friend of yours?"

"He is the father of one of the young ladies who is a pupil at
Clearwater Hall."

"Oh, I see! Humph! Well, I don't want to hear anything about Fred
Stevenson, and if you want to be friends with me, you needn't mention
his name to me again," went on the old lumberman, much to the surprise
of the Rover boys.




CHAPTER VI

DEEP IN THE WOODS


"What do you suppose was the reason that old lumberman didn't want to
hear Mr. Stevenson's name mentioned?" questioned Randy of Jack, about
half an hour later, when the four cadets were tramping through the woods
again to resume their hunting.

"I'm sure I don't know, Randy," was the slow reply. "Evidently he was
very bitter over something."

"Having the same name, it looks to me as if this Uncle Barney, as they
call him, might be some relative of Ruth's family," said Fred.

"More than likely."

"Maybe he's some cast-off relation, who got into trouble with them and
then took himself off to that Snowshoe Island," was Fred's comment.

"I'd have asked him some more questions if he hadn't acted so ugly about
it," went on Jack.

"Yes. But he seemed to be a very nice sort of man otherwise," put in
Andy quickly.

"I agree with you there." Jack gave a little sigh. "There must be some
mystery to it."

"Why don't you ask Ruth about it some time?"

"I will, when I get a good chance to do it. Of course, if it's some sort
of family affair, I'm not going to butt in."

Before the Rover boys had left the cabin of Bill Hobson, they had been
assured by old Uncle Barney that he was feeling fairly comfortable and
that the owner of the place would look after him until he recovered.
Barney Stevenson had mentioned Snowshoe Island several times, and had
told the boys again that he was sorry he could not reward them for
coming to his assistance, but that if they ever cared to visit his
island, he would do his best to make them feel at home and show them
where the best hunting in that vicinity was to be had. He had also
mentioned the fact that there was a vacant cabin close to his own on the
island, and that they would be welcome to camp out there at any time
they chose to do so.

"I'd like to visit his place some time," said Fred, "just to see how the
old fellow lives. I'll bet he's got quite a comfortable outfit there."

"He may live in very queer style," returned Randy. "According to what he
says, and what that Bill Hobson told me, he must be a good deal of a
hermit."

"Maybe he committed some sort of crime and the other Stevensons cast him
off," suggested Andy.

"Oh, I can't think that! He didn't look to be a criminal," returned
Jack. "Don't you remember what he said about taking up his residence on
the island after his wife died? Maybe that loss made him feel as if he
didn't want to mingle with the rest of the world."

The boys talked the matter over for some time, but could reach no
conclusion whatever regarding the way the old lumberman had acted when
Frederic Stevenson's name had been mentioned. Then, however, they
stirred up some more squirrels and rabbits, and in the excitement of the
chase that subject, for the time being, was forgotten.

They had brought a lunch with them, and at noon they found a convenient
spot and there built a small campfire, over which they made themselves a
can of hot chocolate, and this, with some sandwiches and some doughnuts,
constituted the repast. Andy wanted to take time to clean a couple of
the squirrels and cook them, but Jack and the others were afraid this
would take too long, and so the idea had to be abandoned.

"Gee! but this tramping through the woods gives a fellow an appetite!"
cried Andy, after he had eaten his second sandwich and his third
doughnut. "I could eat a whole rabbit or a squirrel myself." And then,
feeling in fine fettle, he proceeded to pull himself up on a near-by
tree limb and "skin the cat," as it is called by acrobatic boys.

"You look out, young man, that you don't tumble down on your head,"
warned Jack. "This ground around here is frozen pretty hard."

"If I tumble, I know where I'll land," cried Andy gleefully; and,
swinging himself back and forth on the tree limb, he suddenly let go and
came down straight on Jack's shoulders. Both went down in the snow, and
there rolled over and over, each trying to get the better of the other.
Then Fred commenced to snowball the fallen pair, and Randy joined in;
and a moment later there began a snowball fight on the part of all four
which lasted about ten minutes.

"Cease firing!" cried Fred at last, as he dug some of the snow out of
his left ear. "If this is going to be a snowballing contest, all right;
but I thought we were out to do some hunting."

"Fred surrenders, and the war is over!" cried Jack.

"Hoist the milk-blue flag and call it off!" burst out Andy gleefully.
"Throw the snowballs into the ice-cream freezer and season to taste!"

After that the four young hunters packed up their belongings and saw to
it that the campfire was completely extinguished. Then they continued on
their tramp in the vicinity of the Rick Rack River.

"I'm getting tired of hanging around this watercourse," said Fred
finally. "I believe the reports of our guns have driven all the
remaining game away. Why can't we strike off into the woods yonder and
come in on the other side of Haven Point?"

They noted the position of the sun with care, and then struck off at
right angles to the river. Soon they found themselves going up hill and
presently struck a lumberman's trail leading down in the direction of
the town. Here, however, after two hours of hunting, they failed to find
any game whatever.

"We didn't improve things by coming over here," grumbled Andy.

"Now I guess we had better be thinking of getting back to the school,"
said Jack, as he consulted his watch. They had been told that they must
return in time for the evening meal.

"All right, I'm ready to go," came from Fred. "Gosh! I wish I had a
horse to ride, or something." The many miles of tramping had wearied him
greatly.

"My left foot is beginning to hurt me a little," put in Randy. "I
slipped on the rocks this morning when we were carrying that old Uncle
Barney. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now it's growing
quite lame."

"You can walk on it, can't you?" questioned Jack anxiously.

"Oh, yes, I can walk; but I can't go any too fast--or any too far,
either."

The boys had done their best to keep track of where they were going, and
now they turned in what they thought was the direction of Haven Point.
But, as my young readers may have heard, it is an easy matter to lose
one's sense of direction in the woods, and before they knew it, they
found themselves in a locality that was entirely strange to them.

"We don't seem to be getting much closer to town," announced Fred
presently. "I don't see a farmhouse of any sort in sight."

They had gone but a short distance when they stirred up several more
rabbits, and had the pleasure of bringing two of the creatures down.
Then they came to a small clearing, and beyond this some farm fields.

"Now we must be getting to somewhere," announced Randy; and a few
minutes later a turn of the road brought them in sight of a farmhouse.
Here they saw a farmer coming from a cowshed with a pail of foaming
milk, and accosted him.

"Sure, you're on the road to Haven Point," answered the farmer, in reply
to their question. "It's about two miles and a half from here. But do
you want to go to the Point or to Colby Hall?" he went on, noticing
their uniforms.

"We want to get to the Hall--and by as short a route as possible,"
answered Jack.

"Then the best thing you lads can do is to come right through my lane
here and go across the back field. Then you will come out on the road
that runs from the Hall to Carwell. I guess you know that?"

"Oh, yes; we know that road," returned Randy.

The cadets thanked the farmer for his information, and lost no time in
following his directions. Soon they came out on the other highway, and
then started forward as rapidly as their somewhat weary legs would
permit.

When they reached the vicinity of Colby Hall Jack found, by again
consulting his watch, that they were almost three-quarters of an hour
late.

"Let's see if we can't slide in without any of the teachers seeing us,"
suggested Andy.

"Oh, I don't know that we've got to do that, Andy," returned Jack. "We
haven't done anything wrong."

"Well, we are late, and you know some of the teachers won't stand for
that."

"We had permission to go hunting, and we couldn't help it getting lost
up there in the woods," answered his twin.

They were just about to enter one of the side doors of the Hall, when it
was flung open and they found themselves confronted by one of the
younger teachers, accompanied by Professor Lemm. They stepped to one
side to let the teachers pass.

"Yes, as I remarked before, Tompkins, unless you have strict discipline
in that class----" Asa Lemm was saying, when, of a sudden, he happened
to glance at the cadets and recognized the Rovers. "What are you doing
here? Where have you been?" he demanded, coming to an abrupt halt.

"We've been out hunting, sir," answered Jack.

"Hunting, eh?" And as was usual with him, Asa Lemm drew down the corners
of his mouth.

"We had permission from Colonel Colby to go," put in Randy.

"Ah, well, in that case----" Asa Lemm paused for a moment. "Did he say
you could stay out as late as this?" he added suddenly.

"We had permission to stay out until supper time," answered Jack.

"Don't you know it is an hour after that time now, Rover?"

"Three-quarters of an hour, Professor. We might have been on time, only
my cousin here slipped on the rocks and hurt his ankle, and that has
delayed us a little."

"Humph! always some excuse! You boys have got to learn to be on time.
You'll never get through life unless you are punctual. I shall mention
the fact of your being late to Colonel Colby. Now go in at once, and if
you are too late to get anything to eat, it will be your own fault;" and
thus speaking, Asa Lemm moved on with the other teacher.

"Oh, but he's the sourest old lemon that ever grew!" was Andy's comment.

"You never said anything truer than that, Andy," answered his twin.




CHAPTER VII

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING


"Say, fellows, did you ever hear this song?"

It was Ned Lowe who spoke. He sat in one of the rooms belonging to the
Rovers. On his knee rested a mandolin which he had been strumming
furiously for the past ten minutes.

"Sure we've heard it, Ned!" cried Andy. "What is it?"

"For gracious sake, Ned! why don't you let up?" cried Fred, who was in
the next room trying his best to study. "How in the world is a fellow
going to do an example in algebra with you singing about good times on
the old plantation?"

"That is right, Ned. Why don't you sing about good times in the
classroom when Asa Lemm is there?"

"Gee Christopher! what's the use of your throwing cold water on this
camp meeting?" came from Walt Baxter, who sat on the edge of the bed
munching an apple.

"Really, it's a shame the way you young gentlemen attempt to choke off
Ned's efforts to please this congregation!" exclaimed Spouter Powell,
who sat in an easy chair with his feet resting on the edge of a
chiffonier. "Now, when a man's soul is overflowing with harmony, and
beautiful thoughts are coursing through his cranium, and he is doing his
utmost to bring pleasure----"

"Wow! Spouter is at it again! Somebody choke him off!" cried Randy, and
catching up a pillow, he threw it at the head of the cadet who loved to
make long speeches.

"Say, fellows, why won't some of you let me get a word in edgeways?"
came from Dan Soppinger, who stood with his back against the door
leading to the hall. "I've been wanting to ask you a question for the
last ten minutes. Who of you can tell me the names of the fifth, tenth,
and fifteenth presidents of our country?"

"Oh, baby!" wailed Andy, throwing up his hands in comic despair. "Dan is
worse than either Spouter or Ned."

"I thought you were going to put a padlock on that question box of
yours, Dan," remarked Fred.

"I'll bet there isn't one of you can answer my question," retorted Dan
Soppinger.

"Sure! I can answer it!" returned Andy readily. "What was that question?
Who was the first laundryman in Chicago?"

"No; I said, who were the fifth, the tenth, and the fifteenth----"

"Oh! I remember now--the fifth, tenth and fifteenth discoverers of the
North Pole. That's easy, Dan. The fifth was Julius Cæsar, the tenth,
Benjamin Frank----"

"See here! I didn't say a word about the North Pole discoverers!"
ejaculated the Human Question Box. "I said the fifth, tenth and
fifteenth----"

"Men to find out how to manufacture oleomargarine out of pure butter,"
finished Andy. "Now that's a purely scientific problem, Dan, not an
ordinary question. You want to take three pounds of oleomargarine and
divide them by two pounds of unadulterated butter, then----"

"For gracious sake! has that boy gone crazy?" cried Dan Soppinger in
despair. "I come over here and ask an ordinary question in history----"

"How do we know it's an ordinary question in history?" broke in Randy.
"The five, ten and fifteen sounds like a problem in higher arithmetic."

"Say, Dan, just forgive me for what I said, and I'll send you the answer
day after yesterday on a postal card," announced Andy mournfully. "And
I'll prepay the postage, too. Now, be a good boy, Son, and run along,
and maybe some time papa will buy you a lemon stick," and at this
remark there was a general laugh, in the midst of which Dan Soppinger
threw up his hands, turned and left the room.

It was several days after the hunting expedition, and the Rover boys had
settled down once more to their studies. This was the off hour in the
evening, and, as was usual, a number of their friends had dropped in to
see them.

"Only three weeks more to the winter holidays," announced Gif presently.
"What are you fellows going to do with yours?"

"We haven't decided yet, Gif, any further than that we're going home,"
answered Jack.

"If you feel like it, you had better come and pay me a visit. I know my
folks would be only too glad to have you."

"And we'd be glad to have you come down to New York and stay with us,
Gif," was the reply.

During the days that had gone by since the hunt, the Rover boys had had
several little differences with Professor Lemm. The teacher had spoken
to Colonel Colby about their coming in late, but the master of the Hall
had passed this matter over as being of no importance, somewhat to Asa
Lemm's chagrin.

"Oh, how I love that man!" had been Andy's comment.

The weather had remained clear, but on Thursday of that week came
another fall of snow, and by Friday this was in good condition for
sleighing.

"I wonder if we can't get up a sleighing party for Saturday afternoon
and take out some of the girls from Clearwater Hall?" said Jack.

"We ought to be able to get some sort of box-sled down at the Haven
Point livery stable," answered Randy. "Suppose we call the liveryman up
on the 'phone and see what he has to say, and then call up the girls?"

This was done without delay, and, as a result, it was arranged that the
liveryman should call at the school early Saturday afternoon for the
four boys and some of their chums, bringing with him a large box-sled
drawn by four horses. Then the boys were to get the girls, and all were
to take a ride until the supper hour. It was arranged that the four
Rovers should go on the ride, and also Spouter Powell, Gif Garrison,
Fatty Hendry, and some others.

"Of course, Fatty, we really ought to make you pay double price,"
remarked Andy to the fat boy, when the arrangements were being made.

"Nothing doing," grunted Fatty. "I don't weigh a bit more than Spouter
or Gif."

"Oh, no, not at all--only about sixty pounds more!" remarked Gif.

Some of the girls attending Clearwater Hall had stated that they wished
to do a little shopping in Haven Point before going on the ride, and so
all had promised to meet the boys in front of the moving picture
theater, which was a resort well-known to all of them.

"Now if the weather only remains good, we ought to have a peach of a
time," announced Randy, after all the arrangements had been settled.

The weather remained good, and promptly on time the liveryman drove up
to the entrance of the Hall with his big box-sled, which he had filled
with straw and robes. Into the sled piled the boys, Fatty Hendry
perching himself up on the front seat beside the driver.

Some of the lads had provided themselves with tin horns, and they set
off on the trip with a grand flourish, a number of the cadets left
behind gazing after them wistfully. But these lads were not utterly
disconsolate, for the reason that skating and coasting were now both
very good around the school.

The horses pulling the box-sled were fine animals, and in a short space
of time they jangled merrily into Haven Point, the boys blowing their
horns loudly to attract attention.

In the meantime, Ruth Stevenson and May Powell, accompanied by Alice
Strobell, Annie Larkins, and some of their chums from Clearwater Hall,
had arrived in the town and gone to several of the stores on various
errands. Then, a few minutes before the time appointed for meeting the
cadets, they hurried over in the direction of the moving picture
theater.

Several of the girls went into a drugstore close to the theater, leaving
Ruth and May standing on the sidewalk, looking at the various gaudy
billboards which were displayed there. The girls were discussing the
picture of a well-known moving-picture actress, when suddenly Ruth felt
some one touch her arm. Turning, she found herself confronted by a tall,
heavy-set youth, rather loudly dressed, and accompanied by another boy,
wearing a fur cap and fur-lined overcoat.

"Excuse me, but this is Miss Ruth Stevenson, I believe?" said the big
youth, with a broad smile on his coarse face.

Ruth was not at all pleased by being thus addressed, for she had
recognized the fellow as Slugger Brown, and also recognized Nappy
Martell. Nappy raised his cap and bowed pleasantly, both to her and to
May.

"We just got back to Haven Point," said Slugger Brown smoothly. "Been
away a short while, you know."

"And we thought we would go into the movies before going back to
school," put in Nappy Martell. "Were you going in, too? If you were,
let's go in together. I'll get the tickets," and he opened his coat to
thrust his fingers into his vest pocket and bring forth a small roll of
bills.

"Thank you, we are not going into the theater," answered May stiffly.
She did not like either Slugger or Nappy, and was sorry the pair had
shown themselves.

"How about it?" broke out Slugger, taking hold of Ruth's arm in a
decidedly familiar way. "Let's go in. You've got time enough."

"Thank you, but we have something else to do, Mr. Brown," responded Ruth
icily.

"You can't do much outside on a cold day like this," went on the bully.
"Come on in--I'm sure it's nice and warm in there, and they've got some
dandy pictures. Come ahead."

"Sure!" broke out Nappy. "I'll get the tickets," and he took several
steps toward the ticket booth.

"Thank you, but I said I didn't want to go with you," said May, quite
loudly and with flashing eyes.

"We pick our company when we go anywhere," added Ruth, giving Slugger
Brown a look which would almost have annihilated any ordinary boy. But
the bully was proof against anything of that sort.

"Oh, you needn't get on your high horse about it, Ruth Stevenson," he
sneered. "Some day maybe you'll be glad to go to a show with me."

"If you won't go, I guess there are other girls just as good, and maybe
better," added Nappy Martell, not knowing what else to say.

It was at this moment that the big box-sled containing the cadets hove
into sight. With a flourish, the driver drew up to the curb with the
boys tooting loudly on their tin horns, but this salute came to a sudden
end when the lads caught sight of their former schoolmates.

"Look who's here, will you!" ejaculated Randy.

"Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell," murmured Fred.

"Say, they are talking to Ruth and May!" broke in Andy.

To all this Jack said nothing. But he lost no time in leaping to the
pavement and walking up to the girls, who came forward to greet him.

"Oh, I'm so glad you got here!" exclaimed Ruth in a low voice, and she
looked at Jack appealingly and then let her eyes rove in the direction
of the bully and his crony.

"Those boys are just too horrid for anything!" murmured May, by way of
explanation.

"What did they do?" demanded Spouter of his cousin, he having quickly
followed Jack from the sled.

"They almost insisted upon it that we accompany them into the movies!"

"Why, they hardly know you!"

"That's true, Dick. And I think it was awful of them, the way they came
up."

"That Brown boy caught me by the arm, and he had no right to do that,"
said Ruth to Jack. "I don't want a thing to do with him."

"You get into the sled, girls, and we'll tend to Brown and Martell,"
announced Spouter, and the tone of his voice showed his anger.

The girls did as bidden, being assisted by the others; and, in the
meantime the remaining girls came from the store and also got into the
sled. Spouter and Jack strode across the pavement, and caught Slugger
Brown and Nappy Martell just as they were on the point of dropping their
tickets into the ticket box.

"Come here a minute. I want to talk to you," said Spouter, catching
Martell by the arm.

"And I want to talk to you," added Jack, as he detained Slugger Brown.

"I won't talk to you," retorted Nappy Martell, and tried to pass.

"Yes, you will!" answered Spouter. "You listen to me, Nappy! After this
you leave my cousin, May Powell, alone. If you don't, you'll have an
account to settle with me."

"And you leave both of those girls alone!" said Jack to Slugger Brown.
"Miss Stevenson doesn't want anything to do with you. Now, you mind what
I'm telling you, or you'll get into trouble the first thing you return
to the Hall!"

"Oh, say, Rover, you make me tired!" sneered the bully, glaring at Jack.
"I'm not going to try to take your girl away from you. There are plenty
of better girls around Haven Point. You go about your business and leave
me alone;" and, thus speaking, Slugger Brown passed into the
moving-picture theater, followed a moment later by Nappy Martell. The
two others watched them out of sight, and then looked at each other
knowingly.

"One fine pair, believe me!" was Spouter's comment.

"I'm mighty sorry Colonel Colby allowed them to return to the Hall,"
answered Jack. "I'm afraid it spells just one thing--Trouble!"




CHAPTER VIII

THE SLEIGHING PARTY


"What did you say to those horrid young men?" asked May, after Jack and
Spouter had returned to the box-sled and the driver had picked up the
reins and started through the main street of Haven Point.

"Oh, we told them to mind their own business after this," answered Jack.

"And if they don't, you let me know, and we'll attend to them," said
Spouter to his cousin.

"It's too bad, Jack, they came back to Colby Hall," remarked Ruth.

"Right you are! But Colonel Colby wanted to give them another chance. He
asked us about it, and we didn't want to stand in the way of Slugger and
Nappy turning over a new leaf."

"Hi there--somebody start a song!" cried Andy, who caught a few words of
what was said, and thought the occasion was getting too serious.

"That's the talk!" exclaimed Alice Strobell.

"What shall we sing?" questioned Annie Larkins.

"Oh, sing something that we all know," came from Jennie Mason. She, too,
had seen Slugger and Nappy, but had refused to recognize them,
remembering well the trouble she and Ida Brierley had had with the pair
when all had gone out on the lake in a motor-boat, the particulars of
which were given in the volume preceding this.

Soon the happy young folks were singing one familiar song after another
and shouting and tooting the tin horns in great glee. In the meanwhile
the turnout had left the vicinity of Haven Point, and was moving swiftly
along in the direction of one of the neighboring towns.

"Oh, isn't this too lovely for anything!" exclaimed May, as one of the
songs came to an end. "I never felt better in my life."

"If I felt any better, I'd have to call in the doctor," announced Andy
with a sudden sober look on his face, and at this little sally all the
girls giggled.

They were soon passing close to a stone wall, and from this some of the
boys scooped handfuls of snow with which they began to pelt each other.
Then they attempted to wash the faces of some of the girls, and a great
commotion ensued.

"Hi you! be careful back there!" cautioned the driver. "First thing you
know, somebody will get pushed out."

"Oh, that will never happen!" cried Gif; but he had scarcely spoken when
there came a wild yell from two of the cadets in the back of the
box-sled, and the next moment Randy was seen to turn over and pitch out
into the snow.

"Stop the sleigh! Stop the sleigh!" yelled Andy. "One man overboard, and
no life-line handy!"

"Oh, dear! do you think he is hurt?" questioned May anxiously.

"He looks it!" answered her cousin. "Look out, or you'll get hit;" for
scarcely had Randy landed in the snow than he picked himself up and
began to make snowballs, which he sent after the sled in rapid
succession. In the meantime, the driver had brought the turnout to a
halt.

"Stop that, Randy," warned Jack. "You might hit some of the girls."

"No more such horseplay," announced Gif. "It's too dangerous, and,
besides that, some of the girls might get hurt. You fellows have got to
act like gentlemen. Ahem!" and Gif straightened himself up in imitation
of Asa Lemm.

"Please, teacher, can't we act like ladies?" piped out Andy in a thin,
effeminate voice.

"You'll remain after school for that, Rover, and recite one hundred
lines of Cæsar backward," commanded Gif.

"You bet your pink necktie, I'll be backward about reciting the hundred
lines!" murmured the fun-loving boy.

The cadets had already arranged it between themselves to stop at a town
about twelve miles away. There all hands trooped into a candy store to
regale themselves with dainty sandwiches and hot chocolate. Some of the
boys also obtained boxes of candy, and also some popcorn and peanuts, as
well as apples, and these were passed around.

So far, Jack had had no opportunity to speak to Ruth in private, but
while the others were still at the little tables in the rear of the
candy shop, he motioned to her, and the pair walked toward the front.

"I want to ask you about the man we rescued in the woods, Ruth," he
said. "Probably you know him. His name is Stevenson, although he said he
was usually called Uncle Barney by all who knew him."

"Why, can that be possible!" exclaimed the girl in astonishment. "Uncle
Barney Stevenson! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I'll tell you why," he answered. "I was afraid that possibly it might
create some sort of scene. By the way this Barney Stevenson acted, I
knew there was something wrong between him and your folks. When I
mentioned your father's name, he said he didn't want to hear anything
about him--not a word!"

"Poor old man! I am so sorry for him;" and Ruth's manner showed that she
spoke the truth.

"Why doesn't he want to hear from your father? But, excuse me,
Ruth--maybe that is a private matter."

"I don't know that it is so very private, Jack. And, anyway, I'd like
you to know the truth,--otherwise you might get a wrong impression--if
you heard the story from outsiders. In a nutshell, the matter is this:
Some years ago my father and his Uncle Barney were connected with a
certain manufacturing company in which both held a considerable
interest. The company went to pieces, and my father and Uncle Barney
both lost their money. But my father had other interests which were
distantly connected with this company, and in some manner poor old Uncle
Barney, who was not much of a business man even though he was a
lumberman, got it into his head that my father had, in some manner,
gotten the best of him, because my father had money and he had not.
Then, in the midst of this trouble, Uncle Barney's wife died. My father
was away in the West at the time with my mother, and could not get back
in time for the funeral. This made Uncle Barney more bitter than ever,
and he refused to listen to any explanations my folks might make. He had
made some sort of deal to get possession of Snowshoe Island in Lake
Monona, and he retired to the island and became almost a hermit."

"Yes, he told us he lived on the island, and he invited us to come over
there, and he would show us some good hunting. I suppose it must be
quite a place."

"My father has tried several times to patch up matters with old Uncle
Barney, but he will not listen to any explanations. He is rather queer
at times, and I suppose he has it strongly fixed in his mind that my
father is in some manner responsible for his poverty, and that we think
ourselves too high-toned to have anything to do with him, when, as a
matter of fact, my folks would be very much pleased to have the old man
become friends and live with them."

"Why doesn't your father send him a letter if he won't listen to his
talk?"

"He has tried that. And mother has written old Uncle Barney some
letters, too, during the last six or eight years. But he is very
peculiar, and the letters come back unopened."

"And you really feel that you would like to be on good terms with him?"

"Yes, Jack. My folks would give a good deal to smooth the whole matter
over. But, instead of becoming reconciled to the situation, old Uncle
Barney apparently is becoming more bitter as time goes by."

"If you and your folks feel that way about it, I'd like very much to
meet the old man again and have a talk with him. Of course, he told me
that he never wanted to hear your father's name mentioned; but if I got
a good chance I might be able to get him to open up and tell me his side
of the story. And after he had done that, he might be more willing to
listen to what I had to say."

"Oh, Jack! if you ever do get the chance, try to talk to him, by all
means, and do what you can to impress it on his mind that my father had
nothing to do with the loss of his money, and that my folks would have
gone to Mrs. Stevenson's funeral had they been able to do so. And tell
him, too, that my father and my mother, and also myself, would be very
glad to become friends once more, and that our house will be open to him
at any time."

The others of the sleighing party were now coming up, so there was no
chance of saying anything further regarding the strange affair.

"Let's return to Haven Point by some other route," suggested Spouter.

"We'll have to ask the driver about the roads first," said Gif.

The driver had gone out to look after his horses. When questioned, he
stated that they might return by a roundabout way through the village of
Neckbury, but that it might take half an hour or so longer.

"Oh, I guess we've got time enough," said Fred, consulting his watch.
"The girls haven't got to get back to Clearwater Hall until supper time,
and we can get from one school to the other in a jiffy in the sleigh."

The liveryman was anxious to please the boys and girls, being desirous
of getting more business from them in the future, and he readily agreed
to take them home by the way of Neckbury, and he also agreed to get them
back by the required time.

Once more all bundled into the turnout, and then, with a crack of the
whip and a loud tooting of the horns, they started on the return.

"Another song now!" cried Andy, and commenced one of the ditties which
at that time was popular at Colby Hall. In this the girls joined, most
of them having heard it; and thus the crowd continued to enjoy
themselves.

So far, they had met but few turnouts on the road, but now they found
that the other route toward Haven Point was more popular, and they
passed several farm sleds, and also a number of cutters, and even two
automobiles, the latter ploughing along through the snow, using their
heavy chains for that purpose.

They were soon mounting a small hill, and the driver allowed the horses
to drop to a walk. From the top of the hill they could see for many
miles around, with farms dotting one side of the roadway and the other
sloping down gradually toward the distant lake.

"I'm afraid we're going to be a little late, after all," announced Gif,
as he looked at his timepiece. "You'll have to shake it up a bit, old
man," he added to the driver.

"Oh, I'll get you there in time--don't worry," was the ready reply, and
then the driver cracked his whip and sent his horses down the other side
of the hill at a good rate of speed.

About half way down the long hill there was a turn to the right. Here,
on the outer edge of the road, was a gully which the wind of the day
previous had partly filled with snow. Just before this bend was gained,
those in the box-sled heard the toot of an automobile horn.

"Somebody coming up the hill," said Fatty Hendry, who had resumed his
seat beside the driver.

"Confound 'em! and I've got to take the outside of the turn," muttered
the liveryman.

"Better be careful--it's none too wide along here," cautioned the fat
youth.

The driver was already reining in his steeds, but the slope was
considerable, and it was hard to hold them back. The box-sled struck the
rear horses in the flanks, and away they went as fast as ever, crowding
the horses in front and urging them onward also. Then the on-coming
automobile hove in sight, and passed so closely that the driver of the
box-sled had to pull still further over to the edge of the highway.