"Can we go up now?" questioned Tom.

"Yes, but remember, do not say anything to excite him

"All right, we'll be careful," came from Sam. And then both lads cast
aside their caps and hurried up the stairs.

Mr. Anderson Rover sat in an easy chair, attired in his dressing gown.
He looked thin and pale, but his face lit up with a smile as his eyes
rested on his two sons.

"Dad!" was the only word each could utter. And then they caught him by
either hand, and looked at him fondly.

"I am glad to see you back, boys," said their father, in a low but
clear voice. "It seems like a long while since you went away."

"And we have missed you a great deal!" broke out Sam. It's too bad you
don't feel better."

"Oh, I think I'll get over it in time," answered Mr. Rover. "But the
doctors tell me I must go slow. I wouldn't mind that so much, if it
wasn't for Dick. I think he ought to have some help."

"Now, don't you worry, Dad," interposed Tom, gently. "You just leave
everything to us. We are both going to New York to help Dick
straighten out matters, and it will be all right, I am sure." And he
stroked his father's shoulder affectionately.

"But you'll have to go back to college----" began the invalid.

"Sam is going back. I am going to help Dick, and stay with him. Now,
don't say anything against it, Dad, for it is all settled," went on
Tom, as his father tried to speak again. "I don't care to go back. I
think Dick and I were cut out for business men. Sam is the learned
member of this family."

"Well, boys, have your own way; you are old enough to know what you
are doing." And now Mr. Rover sank back in the chair, for even this
brief conversation had almost exhausted him.

  CHAPTER XIV

 A STARTLING SCENE

"Dear old dad! Isn't it awful to see him propped up in that chair,
unable to leave his room!"

"You are right, Sam. And yet it might be worse-- he might be confined
to his bed. I hope we didn't excite him too much."

"He was very much surprised at your determination to give up Brill,
and join Dick. I guess he was afraid Dick would have to shoulder the
business alone. And by the way, Tom," went on the youngest Rover,
earnestly, "somehow it doesn't seem just right to me that I should put
all this work off on you and Dick."

"Now, don't let that bother you, Sam. You can go to New York with me
this Summer, and then you go back to college, and come out at the head
of the class. That will surely please us all."

This conversation took place while the two boys were retiring for the
night. They had not remained very long with their father, fearing to
excite him too much. Aunt Martha had, as usual, had a very fine repast
prepared for them, and to this, it is perhaps needless to state, the
youths did full justice.

"It's a grand good thing that we have Aleck Pop with us," went on Sam,
referring to the colored man, who, in years gone by, had been a waiter
at Putnam Hall, but who was now firmly established as a member of the
Rover household. "Aunt Martha says he waits on dad, hand and foot;
morning, noon and night."

"Well, Aleck ought to be willing to do something for this family in
return for all we have done for him," answered Tom.

Despite the excitement of the day, the two boys slept soundly. But
they were up at an early hour, and, after breakfast, took a walk
around the farm in company with their Uncle Randolph, who wished to
show them the various improvements he had made.

"We have a new corncrib and a new root hovel," said their uncle, as
they walked around. "And next week we are going to start on a new
pigsty."

"Going to have one of those new up-to-date, clean ones, I suppose?"
returned Sam.

"Yes. I do not think that it is at all necessary to keep pigs as dirty
as they are usually kept," returned Uncle Randolph.

"Say, Uncle," put in Tom, with a sudden twinkle in his eye, "are you
going to sell pork by the yard after this?"

"By the yard?" queried Uncle Randolph, and then a faint smile
flickered over his face. "Oh, I see! You mean sausage lengths, eh?"

"Not exactly, although that is one way of selling pork by the yard,"
returned Tom. "I was thinking of what happened in our college town.
One of the boys went into a butcher's shop, and asked for a yard of
pork, and the butcher handed out three pig's feet."

"Oh, what a rusty joke, Tom!" exclaimed Sam.

"Well, I didn't ask for the yard of pork; it was Dobson who did that,"
returned Tom, coolly.

Having inspected the various improvements, the boys returned to the
house, and then went upstairs for another short talk with their
father. In the midst of this, the family physician arrived. When he
had waited on the invalid, the boys called the doctor to one side, and
asked him to tell them the truth regarding their parent.

"Oh, I think he'll pull through all right," said the doctor. "But as I
have told your uncle and your aunt, he must be kept quiet. If you talk
business to him, or excite him in any way, it is bound to make matters
worse."

"Then we'll keep him just as quiet as possible," returned Tom. "If
anything unusual occurs in his business, we won't let him know
anything about it."

"That would be best," answered the doctor, gravely; and took his
departure.

Several days passed, and by that time the boys felt once more quite at
home. Once they went out in the touring car, taking their aunt and
uncle along.

"It's too bad we can't take dad," was Sam's comment, "but the doctor
says it won't do. We'll have to leave him in charge of Aleck." The
ride proved a most enjoyable one, and the older folks were much
pleased by it.

"What do you say, Tom, if we go down to the river and have a swim?"
proposed Sam, the next morning. It was an unusually hot day, and the
thought of getting into the cool water of the old swimming hole
appealed strongly to the youth.

"Suits me," returned his brother. "We haven't had a swim down there
since last year."

"You young gents want to be careful about that there swimmin' hole,"
put in Jack Ness, who had heard the talk.

"Why, what's the matter now, Jack?"

"I dunno, exactly, but I hear some of the fellers sayin' as how that
swimmin' hole wasn't safe no more. I think it's on account of the tree
roots a growin' there."

"We'll be on our guard," answered Sam, and a little later the two lads
set off. It was a long walk over the fields and through the patch of
woods skirting the stream, and on arriving at the old swimming hole,
Sam and Tom were glad enough to rest awhile before venturing into the
water. As my old readers know, the stream was a swiftly-flowing one,
and the water was rather cool.

"Remember the day we flew over this way in the biplane?" said Tom.
"That sure was some adventure!"

"Yes, but it wasn't a patch to the adventure we had when the biplane
was wrecked," returned his brother, referring to a happening which has
been related in detail in "The Rover Boys in New York."

Having rested awhile, the two boys started to get ready for their
swim. Both had just thrown off their coats, when there came a sudden
cry from up the river.

"What's that, Tom?" questioned Sam.

"Somebody is calling. Listen!" and then both boys strained their ears
for what might follow.

"There! Stay where you are! Don't move!"

"I can't stay here," said another voice.

"Shall I shoot him now?" put in a heavy bass voice.

"No, wait a minute, I am coming over," said still another voice, and
then there was silence. The Rover boys looked at each other in
amazement. What did the talk mean?

"Say, sounds to me as if somebody was in trouble!" exclaimed Sam.

"Perhaps we had better go and see," returned Tom.

"All right, but we don't want to get into trouble ourselves. Those
fellows, whoever they are, or at least one of them, seems to be
armed."

"We'll take a few stones along, Sam, and a couple of sticks, too, if
we can find them."

Stones were to be had in plenty, and having picked up several of them,
and cast their eyes around for a couple of clubs, the lads lost no
time in making their way towards the spot from whence the voices had
proceeded. This was at a point where the river made a turn and was
divided by a long, narrow island into two channels. The island was
covered with brushwood, while the banks of the stream were lined with
overhanging trees.

"Now, I am going to shoot him!" cried one of the voices which the boys
had heard before.

"No, don't do it, just wait a minute!" answered some one else.

"Maybe they have got some poor fellow, and have robbed him," suggested
Sam, as he and his brother hurried forward as quickly as the trees and
tangled brushwood would permit.

"One thing is certain, that fellow, whoever he is, is in trouble,"
returned Tom. "Perhaps we had better yell to those other fellows to
stop."

"If we do that, they may shoot the poor chap, and then run away."

"That's so, too! Well, come ahead, let's hurry and see if we can catch
sight of them." And then the two boys pushed ahead faster than ever.

Presently the youths came to where there were a number of high rocks
covered with trailing vines. As, to avoid these, it would have been
necessary to wade in the stream, and thus get their shoes and
stockings wet, they began to scramble over the rocks with all possible
speed.

"Listen! They are talking again!" exclaimed Sam.

"Grab him! Grab him by the throat!"

"That's all right, Jim, but I don't want the boat to upset," growled
another voice.

"Say, you fellows make me tired!" roared the heavy bass voice. "Do you
want to keep us here all day?"

"What do you know about this gun? Maybe it will explode."

"Say, Sam, I don't know what to make of this!" panted Tom, who was
almost out of breath from the violence of his exertion.

"Maybe they are tramps, and are holding somebody up. Anyway, it sounds
bad," returned his brother.

Hauling themselves at last to the top of the rocks, the Rover boys
looked ahead. Down in the swiftly-flowing stream, they saw a
flat-bottom boat containing two men. One man, a tall, burly
individual, had a much smaller fellow by the throat, and was bending
him backward. Close at hand, on the shore, stood another man, gun in
hand, and with the weapon aimed at the burly individual.

"Now then, shoot!" yelled somebody from the shore of the island
opposite, and an instant later the gun went off with a bang. As the
report died away, the burly man in the boat relaxed his hold on the
other fellow, threw up his arms, and fell over into the river with a
loud splash.

  CHAPTER XV

 A TELEGRAM OF IMPORTANCE

The Rover boys were horrified by what they saw, and for the instant
they neither moved nor spoke. They saw the small man in the boat look
over the side into the stream where his assailant had plunged from
sight, then this fellow caught up a single oar that remained in the
craft, and commenced to paddle quickly to shore.

"Oh, Tom, they have killed him!" gasped Sam, on recovering from the
shock.

"It certainly looks like it, Sam," returned Tom. "If he wasn't shot
dead, he must be drowned. Come on!" and, heedless of possible danger,
Tom scrambled down from the rocks and hurried towards the men, with
Sam close behind him. They had not yet reached the pair. on the river
bank, when, to their amazement, they saw the burly individual who had
gone overboard, reappear at a point further down the stream. He was
swimming lustily for shore.

"Hello! He can't he so badly hurt!" exclaimed Tom. "Look at him strike
out!"

"Maybe he was only scared, and went overboard to escape a second
shot," suggested Sam.

"Hi! you fellows over there!" yelled the man who carried the gun. "Was
that all right?"

"It looked so to me, although you were a little slow about it," came
from the shore of the island; and now, glancing in that direction, Sam
and Tom saw two men. One had what looked to be a megaphone in his
hand, and the second stood behind a high, thin camera with a handle
attached, set on a tripod. At the sight of the camera, both youths
stopped short. Then Tom looked at his brother and began to snicker.

"Sold! What do you think of that, Sam?"

"Why, they are only taking a moving picture!" exclaimed the younger
Rover. "Talk about a sell, Tom! That's one on us."

"Don't let them know how we were sold," returned the brother, quickly.
"If it leaked out we'd never hear the end of it."

"Right you are! Mum's the word!" And it may be added here that the
boys kept their word, and said nothing to those at home about how they
had been fooled.

By the time they reached the man in the boat and the fellow with the
gun, the individual who had gone overboard was coming up the river
bank, dripping water with every step.

"Say, was that all right?" he demanded, as he stripped off his coat
and wrung the water from it. "I hope it was, because I don't want to
go through that again, not even for the extra five dollars."

"So you are taking moving pictures," remarked Tom, pleasantly. "That
was sure a great scene."

"Oh, so you saw it, did you?" returned the man with a gun. "I thought
we were here all alone," and he did not seem to be particularly
pleased over the boys' arrival.

"Going to take some more pictures here?" questioned Sam.

"That's our business," answered the man in the boat, crustily.

"Well, maybe it's ours, too," returned the youngest Rover, quickly,
not liking the manner in which he had been addressed. "This land
belongs to my folks."

"Oh, is that it?" cried the man, and now he looked a bit more
pleasant. "Are you the Rovers?"

"Yes."

"No, we are about done with our picture taking in this vicinity,"
continued the man in the boat. The next picture in this series is to
be at the railroad station at Oak Run."

"Say, I would like to get into some of those movies," remarked Tom. "I
imagine it would be a lot of fun."

"Not if you've got to go overboard as I did," grumbled the man who was
wet. "Talk about the strenuous life, this takes the cake! Why, in the
past ten days, I have gone over a cliff, rescued two women from a
burning tenement house, climbed a rope hanging from a burning balloon,
and fallen off a moving freight car. Can you beat that for action?"

"Certainly some stunts!" answered Tom. "But one must get a lot of fun
out of it."

"Oh, sure! Especially when one of the women you are saving from the
burning house gets nervous for fear the flames will reach her, and
grabs you by the ear and nearly pulls it off," growled the moving
picture actor.

"Say!" yelled the man with the megaphone. "Aren't you coming over here
to get us?"

"Of course," returned the man in the boat, hastily. "Bill, give me
that other oar," he went on, and having secured the blade, he lost no
time in rowing over to the island. In the meanwhile, the fellow with
the camera had dismounted the moving picture machine and folded up the
tripod, and was ready to depart.

"Would you mind telling me what this picture is going to be called?"
asked Sam. "We would like to know so, if we see it advertised
anywhere, we can take a look at it."

"This is scene twenty-eight from 'His Last Chance,'" answered the man
with the gun.

"All right, we'll take a chance on 'His Last Chance' when we get the
chance," answered Tom with a grin, and at this play on words the
moving picture men smiled. Soon they had packed all their belongings,
and, getting into the boat, they started down the stream for a landing
some distance below.

"We're a fine set of heroes," remarked Sam, grinningly, as he and Tom
walked back in the direction of the swimming hole. "Wouldn't it have
been rich if we had rushed in to save that fellow in the boat, and
spoiled the picture."

"Don't mention it, Sam," pleaded Tom. "That sure was one on us." And
then both laughed heartily over the way they had been fooled.

Reaching the swimming hole, it did not take the youths long to get
into the water. Remembering what Jack Ness had said about being
careful, they moved around cautiously.

"Here is a tree root that ought to be removed," remarked Sam, after
diving down. "A fellow could easily catch fast on it."

"Maybe we had better put up a danger sign," suggested his brother, and
getting out a note book he carried, he tore a page from it and wrote
as follows:

                               DANGER!

                     Look Out for the Tree Roots!

"There! That ought to do some good," he went on, as he pinned the
notice fast to the nearest tree trunk. The boys enjoyed their swim
thoroughly. They indulged in many monkey-shines, and also had a little
race to the opposite bank and back. This race was won by Tom, but Sam
proved a very close second.

"Now then, I guess we had better hurry home, or we may be late for
lunch," said Sam, after consulting his watch. "It is quarter of
twelve."

Much refreshed, the lads started back for the farmhouse. They were
still some distance away when they saw Jack Ness hurrying towards
them.

"I say, gents!" called out the hired man. "You're wanted at the house
right away."

"What's the matter, Jack?" demanded Tom, quickly. "Is father worse?"

"No, it ain't that, Master Tom. It's a telegram what come for you."

"A telegram?" repeated Sam. "Do you know where it is from?"

"Your uncle said it was from Mr. Dick."

"Then there must be important news," said Tom, and without further
words both youths started on a swift gait for the house. Their aunt
and uncle saw them coming, and ran out on the back porch to meet them.
Their aunt held up her hand warningly.

"Now don't make any noise, boys," she pleaded. "We must not disturb
your father."

"What is it? What's the news?"

"It's a telegram from Dick," answered their Uncle Randolph. "I can't
quite make it out, but, evidently, it is very important. Here it is."

He fumbled in the pocket of his coat, and brought forth the yellow
envelope and handed it to Tom. Taking out the telegram, the youth read
it, with Sam looking over his shoulder. It ran as follows:

  "If possible, I want Sam and Tom to come to New York at once. Very
  important. Do not alarm father.

                                                     "Richard Rover."

"What do you make of this, Tom?" asked Sam, after he had read the
telegram several times.

"I don't know what to make of it, Sam. But one thing is certain: Dick
needs us. Something out of the ordinary has happened."

"That is just what I think, boys," put in their uncle. "Maybe I had
better go with you," he added, nervously.

"No, no, Randolph. You stay here with me," pleaded his wife. "The boys
can attend to the New York matters better than you can." She knew her
husband well, and realized that he was decidedly backward when it came
to the transaction of business matters of importance. He was wrapped
up in his books and his theories about scientific farming and was a
dreamer in the largest sense of that word.

"Very well, my dear, just as you say," answered the uncle, meekly.

"Boys, you won't disturb your father, will you?" continued their Aunt
Martha, anxiously. "You know the doctor said he must not be disturbed
under any circumstances."

"Have you told him about this telegram?" questioned Sam.

"Not a word."

"Then we had better keep still. We can tell him that we want to go to
New York just to see Dick and Dora," put in Tom. And so it was
arranged.

By consulting a new timetable, the boys found they could make a good
railroad connection for the metropolis by taking a train that left Oak
Run at three-thirty o'clock. This would give them about three hours in
which to get lunch, pack their suitcases, and bid good-bye to their
father.

Mr. Rover was somewhat surprised when his sons told him that they were
going to New York to see Dick and his newly-made wife, but they
smoothed matters over by stating that they found it rather dull on the
farm.

"We'd like to go if you can spare us," said Sam.

"Oh, yes, boys, go by all means if you would like to," returned Mr.
Rover, quickly. "I can get along very well. Your Aunt Martha is a
splendid nurse-- and you mustn't forget that I have Aleck."

"An' you can depend upon Aleck, ebery time, sah," put in the colored
man, with a broad grin that showed all of his ivories.

"We are going to try to surprise Dick," said Tom. "We are going to
take the afternoon train." And then, after a few more words with their
father, and without letting him suspect in the least why they were
going to New York, the two lads bade him an affectionate farewell and
left the room.

"Better take a good supply of clothing along, Sam," remarked Tom, when
they were packing up. "There is no telling how long we'll have to
remain in the city."

"What do you suppose it is all about, Tom?" questioned the younger
brother, anxiously.

"It's about business, that's certain. More than likely Dick has run
into more trouble." But how great that trouble was, neither of the
boys realized.

  CHAPTER XVI

 THE MOVING PICTURE

When the two Rover boys arrived at the railroad station at Oak Run,
they were a little surprised to find themselves once more confronted
by the moving picture people they had met on the river.

"Hello! So you are following us up, are you?" said the man who had
handled the gun. But he smiled as he spoke, because he saw that the
boys carried dresssuit cases and were equipped for traveling.

"Have you taken your picture of the railroad station yet?" questioned
Tom.

"We've had one scene in front of the ticket office," returned the man.
"But our main scene we shall pull off when the train comes in-- or
rather, when it pulls out."

"Perhaps you'll want us in it, after all," broke in Sam.

"See here! If you fellows want to get in this picture, just say so and
I guess I can arrange it," said the man who had handled the megaphone
in the scene on the river, and who was, evidently, the director of the
company.

"That depends on what you want us to do," declared Tom.

"Oh, you won't have much to do. You see, it's like this," went on the
manager. "This man who did the shooting wants to escape. He runs up to
the railroad station here and buys his ticket-- we have that part of
it already. Then he is supposed to be in hiding behind yonder
freighthouse. When the train comes in, he waits for all other
passengers to get on board, then, as the train pulls out, he rushes
forward and catches on the last car. At the same time one of the other
fellows rushes out as if to catch him, but he is too late. Now, if you
want to get into the scene, you get on the train just before she
starts and stand on the back platform."

"Let's do it, Tom; it will be quite a lark!" exclaimed Sam.

"I'm willing," answered his brother; and so the matter was arranged.
Then the boys hurried into the ticket office, to get their tickets to
New York.

In the office they found old man Ricks, the station agent, grumbling
to himself.

"Wot ye want?" he demanded, sourly, as he looked at the Rovers.

"Two tickets to New York, Mr. Ricks," returned Tom. "What's the
matter?"

"Wot's the matter, huh? A whole lot, I should say!" declared old
Ricks, as he began to make out the tickets. "A lot o' them movin'
picter fellers been in here cuttin' up like mad."

"What did they do?" asked Sam, curiously.

"Huh! what didn't they do?" retorted the station master. "Come in
here, an' knocked over a box an' a basket, rushed up to the winder,
an' the next thing I knew, he had planked down a lot o' money, an'
when I stuck my head out the winder here, that feller pretended to
grab up a ticket wot I didn't give him at all, an' took up his money
and dusted out the door. At the same time while this was goin' on,
'nother feller had a light turned on this here winder wot nearly
blinded me, and the feller with that funny lookin' camera was
a-turnin' the crank to beat the cars!"

"They were only taking a moving picture, Mr. Ricks," declared Sam.
"You shouldn't object to that."

"Huh! I ain't hired by the railroad company to get in no movin'
picter," growled the station master. "I'm here to 'tend to the
railroad business, and nothin' else."

"Never mind, Mr. Ricks, if they've got you in the picture you ought to
be proud of it," declared Tom. "Think of the millions and millions of
people all over the world who will be looking at you when they visit
the moving picture theaters."

"Huh! I ain't no movin' picter actor, I ain't," snorted old Ricks.
"I'm a decent, respectable member o' this community, an' I'm a church
member, too. I ain't got no use for them movin' picter shows. It's a
waste o' good money, that's jest wot it is," and then Ricks shuffled
off to attend to some baggage that had come in.

With their tickets in their pockets, the two Rover boys rejoined the
moving picture company on the railroad platform. They were quite
interested in watching the camera man set up his machine, and asked
him several questions regarding its operation. Then they heard a
well-known whistle down the track, and knew that their train was
coming.

"All ready, there!" cried the manager of the moving picture company.
"Now, don't make a fizzle of it, Jake."

"I won't, unless the train pulls out too quickly," returned Jake. "I
am not going to get killed, though."

"Well, you've got to take some chances in this business," said the
manager, coolly.

There were six or eight passengers getting off the train, and about an
equal number to board the cars. As they had been instructed, the Rover
boys got on the rear platform of the last car, and stood in the
doorway looking back on the tracks. Tom pretended that he was waving
his hand to somebody in the distance.

As the train began to move, and while the camera man was taking the
picture, one of the actors, as agreed, rushed across the platform and
got hold of the rail of the last step. Then, as he pretended to have
hard work to pull himself up, the second actor came running down the
platform, shaking his fist at the man who was escaping. Then the train
passed out of sight around the bend, and the little moving picture
scene came to an end.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," declared he actor, as he followed the
boys into the car. "I never like the scenes where I am in danger of
getting hurt."

"You certainly must have a strenuous time of it," declared Sam; and
then he added quickly: "Are you going to New York with us?"

"Oh, no. I'm to get off at the first station and take another train
back to Oak Run. The crowd will wait for me. We have some scenes to do
at a farmhouse." And then, as he had a ride of ten minutes, the moving
picture man told the boys of some things which had happened to him
during his career as a movies' actor.

"How soon do you think they will show that picture?" asked Sam, when
the man prepared to leave the train.

"In a week or two," was the answer. "I don't know the exact date for
the release;" and then the man said good-bye and left them.

"Do you know, if I didn't have anything else to do, I wouldn't mind
going into the moving picture business," remarked Tom, as the train
rushed onward. "It must be lots of fun to be in the different scenes."

"Perhaps so, Tom. At the same time, those fellows must put up with a
great number of inconveniences. Think of plunging into the water when
it is cold, or into a burning building when the thermometer is over a
hundred in the shade."

"Oh, I know that, and, come to think of it, I was reading only
yesterday about a movies' actor who, in a war scene taken out on the
Hackensack meadows, fell into a trench, and broke an arm and also a
leg. Just the same, I wouldn't mind trying it."

"Maybe you'll get a chance some day."

On and on went the train, and, with little else to do, the boys
discussed the situations at home and in the city.

"One thing is sure, Tom," said the youngest Rover, earnestly. "No
matter what happens in New York, we mustn't let father know about it.
I think the worry is worse for him than anything else."

"Oh, I agree on that. Even if we lose a lot of money, he must not know
one word about it."

"Do you think we'll lose any money?"

"I don't know what to think. One thing is sure, something very much
out of the way has happened, or Dick wouldn't have sent that
telegram."

"Perhaps Pelter, Japson & Company haven't been as honest as they
promised to be. Maybe they are holding back some of the securities
that belong to dad."

"That may be so, too. At the same time, you must remember that
Songbird's uncle is our attorney, and I don't think Mr. Powell would
let them get away with very much. You'll remember what Dick wrote some
time ago, that he had taken the office fixtures for part of the debt.
That would seem to indicate that he had gotten everything from the
firm that he could lay his hands on."

"I wonder if we'll ever meet that Barton Pelter again."

"Perhaps, although if he is a nephew of Jesse Pelter, it is more than
likely he will keep out of sight, thinking that a meeting between us
would be very unpleasant."

At one of the stops a dining car was attached to the train, and, as
the boys were hungry, they lost no time in going in for the evening
meal.

"Say, Tom, look there," whispered Sam, during the course of the
repast, and, with a look from his eye, he indicated a man sitting on
the other side of the car. The fellow was a tall, surly individual,
plainly dressed. His face was somewhat flushed, as if he had been
drinking.

"Why, that's the head gardener at Hope!" said Tom. "It is queer that
he should be on this train, Sam!"

"If you'll remember, he lost his job at the seminary."

"He did? I didn't hear anything of that."

"Oh, yes, Grace told me about it. He was a splendid gardener, but
every once in a while he would drink too much, and then get into a
quarrel with the other help, so they had to let him go."

"It's a shame that such fellows can't leave drink alone," was Tom's
comment.

The man had settled himself, and ordered quite an elaborate dinner. He
was in the midst of eating, with the Rover boys paying little
attention to him, when he happened to glance at them. He straightened
up and stared in astonishment, and then looked decidedly
uncomfortable.

"He's looking at us, Tom," whispered Sam.

"Well, let him look if he wants to. It doesn't cost anything," was the
reply. And then Tom turned his head squarely, and stared at the former
seminary gardener. Immediately, the man dropped his eyes, and went on
with his meal. He soon finished, and, paying his bill, left the dining
car in a hurry.

"That's a queer way to do," was Sam's comment. "He acted as if he
didn't want us to see him."

"Maybe he is ashamed of himself for having lost his position,"
returned the brother. "Anyway, it's none of our business." And there
the talk came to an end.

  CHAPTER XVII

 WHAT DICK HAD TO TELL

"Here we are, Sam!"

"And I'm glad of it, Tom. I don't care much about riding in the cars
after it is too dark to look out of the windows," returned the
youngest Rover.

The train was nearing the Grand Central Terminal, in New York City.
The passengers were gathering their belongings, and the porter was
moving from one to another, brushing them and gathering in his tips.
Then the train rushed into the long station, and soon came to a halt.

"I wonder if Dick will be on hand to meet us?" said Sam, as he and his
brother left the car and made their way towards the waiting-room.

"Maybe, although it's pretty late."

There was a large crowd coming and going, and, for the moment, the
lads had all they could do to get through. Then, as they emerged into
the middle of the big waiting-room, they saw two familiar figures
close at hand.

"Hello, Dick! How do you do, Dora!"

"So here you are, Tom and Sam!" cried their big brother, and shook
hands heartily. Then Dora came up to greet the newcomers.

"Did you have a nice trip?" asked Dick's wife, as she smiled at them.

"Oh, yes, it was all right," answered Sam. "And what do you think? We
got in a moving picture!"

"You did!" exclaimed Dora. "That certainly is a new experience."

"We received your telegram, Dick," said Tom, and looked at his big
brother, anxiously. "I hope nothing very serious has happened."

"Well, Tom, I-- I----" Twice Dick tried to go on and failed. He looked
at both of his brothers, and his face showed something that they had
never seen in it before.

"Oh, Dick! Don't say anything here!" interposed Dora, hastily. "Wait
till we get to the hotel." She turned to Sam and Tom. "Don't ask him
any questions now. It won't do to have a scene here."

"All right, Dora, just as you say," answered Tom, quickly. Yet, both
he and Sam wondered greatly what had occurred to so upset Dick.

The oldest Rover boy had a taxicab handy, and into this the whole
party got and were quickly driven across Forty-second Street to Fifth
Avenue, and then, for a number of blocks, down that well-known
thoroughfare. Soon they turned towards Broadway, and a moment later
came to a stop before the main entrance of the Outlook Hotel.

"As you know, we have a suite of rooms here," said Dick to his
brothers. "I have hired an extra room next door, so we can all be
together."

A bellboy had already secured the newcomers' baggage, and, after
signing the register, Sam and Tom followed Dick and his wife to the
elevator and to the third floor.

"It's a fine layout, all right," declared Sam, when they were settled
and the bellboy had been dismissed.

Dick did not make any answer to this remark. He walked over to the
door, to see that it was closed, then he suddenly wheeled to confront
his brothers.

"You've got to know it sooner or later, so you might as well know it
now," he said in as steady a voice as he could command. "Do you
remember that I wrote to you about sixty-four thousand dollars' worth
of bonds that I had bought for dad in place of some securities that he
possessed?"

"Yes," answered both brothers.

"Well, those bonds have been stolen."

"Stolen!" gasped Sam.

"You don't mean it, Dick!" came from Tom.

"I do mean it. The bonds have been stolen, and, try my best, I can't
get a single clew as to where they went or who took them."

"Sixty-four thousand dollars! Phew!" ejaculated Sam. "That's some
loss!"

"But please don't blame Dick," broke in Dora. "I am sure it isn't his
fault."

"How did it happen?" questioned Tom.

"They were taken out of the safe at the offices."

"Stolen from the safe, you mean?"

"Yes."

"When was this?"

"Day before yesterday."

"Of course the safe was locked?" put in Sam.

"Certainly."

"But Pelter and Japson knew that combination, didn't they, Dick?"
questioned Tom, eagerly.

"No, Tom, they did not. When they turned the offices over to me,
Pelter made some sarcastic remark, stating I had better have the
combination changed. I told him I certainly would have it changed; and
the very next day I had the safe makers up to inspect the lock, and
change the combination."

"Humph! Then that lets Pelter and Japson out, doesn't it?"

"But somebody must have taken those bonds," came from Sam. "Did
anybody else have the combination, Dick?"

"Nobody but Dora. I gave her the figures, so she could get the safe
open in case anything happened to me, or I was away."

"I've got the figures on a card in my pocket-book," explained Dora,
"but I don't believe anybody saw them. In fact, the card has nothing
but the bare figures on it, so it isn't likely that any one would
understand what those figures meant. Oh, but isn't it perfectly
dreadful! I-- I hope you-- you boys won't blame Dick," she faltered.

"Of course we don't blame Dick," returned Tom, promptly.

"Why should we blame him?" added Sam. "If he put the bonds in the safe
and locked them up, I can't see how this robbery is his fault. It
might have happened to any of us."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," returned Dick; and his face showed
his relief. "Just the same, boys, we have got to find those bonds. Our
family can't afford to lose sixty-four thousand dollars-- or rather
sixty thousand dollars."

"What do you mean, Dick?" asked Tom. "You said sixty-four thousand
dollars."

"So I did, but four thousand of the bonds were registered in dad's
name, principal and interest, so it's likely the thief won't be able
to use them."

"And all the other bonds were unregistered?" queried Sam.

"Yes, every one of them."

"So they can be used by any one?"

"Exactly-- although, of course, the thief would have to be very
careful how he disposed of them."

"Have you notified the police?" asked Tom.

"Not yet. I wanted to consult you first. Besides, I thought it might
be possible that the thief would put an advertisement in the
newspapers, offering to return the bonds for a reward. But so far, I
haven't seen any such advertisement."

"It isn't likely they'll offer to return them if sixty thousand
dollars' worth are negotiable," returned Tom. "But give us the
particulars of the affair;" and the youth dropped into a seat, and the
others did the same.

"Well, to start with, as I said before, as soon as Pelter and Japson
and their hired help left, I had the lock of the safe investigated,
and then had the combination changed," began Dick. "The fellow from
the safe company showed me how the combination was worked, so I fixed
the new numbers to suit myself, in order that no outsider would know
how to open the safe. I put the numbers down on two cards, and placed
one of the cards in my notebook, and gave the other to Dora. As she
said, the cards had nothing on them but the bare numbers, so that a
person getting one of the cards would not know that the numbers
referred to the safe combination.

"It took me several days to get rid of the old stocks, and while I was
doing that I, from time to time, purchased the bonds, buying them, on
the advice of Mr. Powell, from several bond houses in Wall Street. I
also bought a brand new japanned box with a little lock, and placed
the bonds in that box, and then put the box in the safe. The last I
saw of the bonds was about half-past four in the afternoon, when I
placed the last of the bonds in the box. I came down to the office at
a little before ten o'clock the next morning, and opened the safe
about half an hour later. Then the box was gone."

"Wait a minute, Dick," interrupted Tom. "You just said you opened the
safe. Wasn't the door already open?"

"No, the door was shut and locked, just as I had left it the night
before."

"Humph! Then somebody must have worked the combination," ventured Sam.

"So it would seem, Sam, and yet when I had the lock inspected, the
safe company man told me that that was a first-class combination, and
practically burglar proof."

"Is it an old safe?"

"I don't think so-- in fact, the safe man led me to believe it was one
of the newer kinds. It is about five feet square, and the walls are
almost a foot thick. Oh, it is some safe, I can tell you that!"

"But it was not safe in this instance," retorted Tom, who, no matter
how serious the situation, was bound to have his little joke.

"You said Pelter and Japson had gone for good," continued Sam. "Is
there nobody else around attached to the old firm?"

"I took on their old office boy, a lad named Bob Marsh. You'll
remember him," returned the oldest Rover. "He said he wanted work the
worst way, so I thought I would give him a chance."

"Maybe he got the combination, and gave it to Pelter or Japson."

"I don't think so, Sam. The boy is rather forward in his manner, but I
think he is perfectly honest."

"Yes, but somebody opened that safe and took the box of bonds," put in
Tom.

"I know that, Tom, and we've got to get those bonds back, or it will
be a very serious piece of business for us," answered the oldest Rover
boy, soberly.

"Was anything else taken, Dick?" questioned Sam.

"Not a thing. And that's queer, too, because I had a number of private
papers in the safe, and also our new set of books."

"Then that would go to show that all the thief was after were the
bonds," came from Tom. "You say they were in a new japanned box that
was locked?"

"Yes, but the lock didn't amount to much. I think it could easily be
opened."

"Sixty thousand dollars is a lot of money to lose," mused Sam. "Dick,
that will put us in something of a hole, won't it?"

"It may. But don't let us think about that, Sam. Let us try to get the
bonds back," returned his oldest brother, earnestly.

  CHAPTER XVIII

 AT THE OFFICES

After that the three Rovers and Dick's wife talked the matter over for
fully an hour. Dick gave Sam and Tom all the particulars he could
think of, and answered innumerable questions. But try their best, not
one of the party could venture a solution of the mystery.

"I think you had better go to bed," said Dora, at last. "You can go
down to the offices the first thing in the morning, and make up your
minds what to do next;" and this advice was followed.

"No use of talking, this is a fierce loss!" was Tom's comment, when he
and Sam were retiring.

"Yes, and Dick feels pretty bad over it," returned the youngest Rover.
"I am afraid he imagines that we think he is to blame."

"Maybe, but I don't blame him, Sam. That might have happened to you or
me just as well as to him."

It must be admitted that the boys did not sleep very soundly that
night. For a long time each lay awake, speculating over the mystery,
and wondering what had become of the bonds.

"Perhaps Pelter and Japson had nothing at all to do with it," thought
Tom, as he reviewed the situation. "It may have been some outsider,
who watched Dick alter the combination of the safe."

All of the boys were up early in the morning, and accompanied by Dora,
obtained breakfast in the hotel dining-room.

"If you want me to go along, I shall be glad to do so," said Dora,
during the course of the meal. It cut her to the heart to have Dick so
troubled.

"No, Dora, you had better stay here, or else spend your time
shopping," answered Dick. "We'll have to take care of this matter
ourselves."

"I'll tell you what you can do," broke in Tom. "You can write a nice
letter to Aunt Martha, telling her that we have arrived safely, and
that we are going into some business matters with Dick. Of course, you
needn't say a word about the robbery. It will be time enough to tell
her and Uncle Randolph after we have tried all we can to get the bonds
back-- and failed."

As my old readers will probably remember, the offices formerly
occupied by Pelter, Japson & Company were located at the lower end of
Wall Street. The building was an old one, five stories in height,
which had recently been put in repair. The offices were on the fourth
floor in the extreme rear, and had a fairly good outlook.

The Rovers found the office boy, Bob Marsh, already on hand, and doing
some work which Dick had given him. He was a bright, sharp-eyed lad,
his only failing being that he was a bit forward.

"Any one here to see me, Bob?" asked Dick, as they entered.

"Nobody, sir, but an agent that wanted to sell you some kind of a new
calendar. I told him we had bushels of calendars already," and the boy
grinned slightly.

Passing through two small offices, the Rovers came to one in the
rear-- that which had formerly been used by Jesse Pelter.

"Looks a little bit familiar," observed Tom. "Looks like when I
visited it as Roy A. Putnam, from Denver, Colorado, and thought about
taking stock in the Irrigation Company," and he laughed shortly as he
recalled that incident, the particulars of which have been related in
"The Rover Boys in New York."

"You've got pretty big offices for only you and the office boy,"
remarked Sam.

"I took them just as the old concern had them," returned Dick. "But if
business increases, I guess we'll have to have quite some office help.
Anyway, a bookkeeper and a stenographer."

"Hadn't you better send that office boy out for a little while?"
suggested Sam.

"A good idea," returned his oldest brother, and sent the lad on an
errand up to the post-office.

Left to themselves, the Rovers once more went over the details of the
robbery so far as they knew them. Dick opened the safe, showing his
brothers how the combination lock was worked; then the boys looked
inside the strong-box, and into the private compartment which, so Dick
told them, had contained the missing box of bonds.

"I don't see how they got into this safe," was Sam's comment, after
the door had been closed and the combination turned on. "I can't make
head or tail of how to get it open."

"Let me have a try at it," returned Tom, and he worked for several
minutes over the combination.

"Here are the figures for the combination," said Dick, and he turned
them over to his brothers. But even with the figures before them, they
found it no easy task to open the heavy door of the strong-box. This
door was provided with several bolts, so that to get it open without
either working the combination or else blowing the door open, was out
of the question.

"It's a Chinese puzzle to me. I give it up," declared Tom, at last.
"The only way I imagine, Dick, is that, somehow or other, somebody got
hold of that combination."

"It would seem so, Tom. But I can't see how it could be done, or who
did it," was the answer.

"Do you suppose that boy suspects anything?" questioned Sam.

"He may, because, after I discovered that the box was gone, I
questioned him pretty closely as to who had been in the offices. I
guess he knows something is wrong."

"Let us ask him about Pelter and Japson when he comes back," said Tom.
"It certainly won't do any harm to get all the information possible.
Then, if we can't get any clew by noon, I think the best thing you can
do, Dick, is to notify the authorities."

It was not long before Bob Marsh came back from his errand to the
post-office, and then Dick called him into the inner office.

"Now, Bob, I'm going to tell you something," said the oldest Rover,
coming to the point without delay. "There has been a robbery here."

"Robbery!" exclaimed the boy. "I didn't do it. I wouldn't take
nothin'," he went on, quickly.

"I didn't say you did, Bob. But what I want you to do is to tell me
everything that you know. Was there anybody in this office during my
absence?"

"Nobody went into this office while I was here," declared the office
boy. "I wouldn't let 'em in. But then you must remember, the janitors
come in during the night to clean up."

"Oh, yes, I know that."

"Dick, do you think the janitor of the building could be in this?"
exclaimed Sam.

"As I have said several times, I don't know what to think," answered
Dick. "As a matter of fact, I don't know who the janitor is."

"Say!" broke in the office boy, suddenly. "There was one feller here
that I didn't tell you about. I forgot about him. He was here three or
four days ago-- I don't exactly remember what day it was."

"Who was that?"

"Why, it was a young feller named Barton Pelter. He's a relation to
Mr. Pelter. I think Mr. Pelter is his uncle."

"Barton Pelter!" exclaimed Dick. He looked at his brothers. "That must
be the same fellow that you wrote about-- the fellow you pulled out of
the river."

"What did this Barton Pelter want?" asked Sam.

"He wanted to see his uncle. He knew that the firm had sold out to you
folks, but he was not certain if they had moved away yet. When I told
him that his uncle was gone, he looked kind of disappointed."

"Was he in this office, Bob?" questioned Dick.

"No, sir, he was only in the outside office."

"Did he say anything about bonds or money?"

"No, sir."

"Say, tell me something!" broke in Tom. "Were this Barton Pelter and
his uncle on good terms?"

"They used to be," replied the office boy, "but once or twice they had
some pretty warm talks. This young feller didn't like it at all the
way his uncle treated your father. I heard him tell his uncle once,
that what he was doing was close to swindling. Then Mr. Pelter got
awful mad, and told him he had better get out."

"Good for Barton!" murmured Sam. "He can't be such a bad sort."

"Oh, I guess he was all right," put in the office boy, with the
freedom that seemed natural to him. "Only I guess he was dependent on
his uncle for money. Maybe if it wasn't for that, he would have
pitched into his uncle more than he did. But say! You said something
was stolen. What was it?"

"Sixty-four thousand dollars in bonds," answered Dick.

"What! Say, boss, ain't you kiddin'?" and the boy looked incredulous.

"No, it is the truth, Bob. Somebody took a box out of that safe that
contained sixty-four thousand dollars' worth of bonds."

"Great smoke! I didn't think there was that many bonds in the hull
building!" cried the boy, with emphasis.

"I only expected to keep them here a few days," went on Dick. "Later
on, of course, I would have placed them in a safe deposit vault."

"Say, boss! you sure don't think that I took them bonds?" cried the
office boy.

"No, I don't, Bob. But somebody took them, and we've got to find
them."

"Sure, we've got to find them!" cried Bob. "Say, do you want me to
call the janitor? Maybe he knows something about it."

"Yes, you may call him, but don't tell him what we want him for,"
answered Dick.

  CHAPTER XIX

 THE FIRST CLEW

The janitor of the building was Mike Donovan, an aged Irishman, who
was assisted in his work by his wife and his daughter Kittie, aged
about fifteen.

"'Tis me yez want to see?" queried Donovan, as he shuffled into the
inner office, hat in hand.

"You are the janitor of this building?" questioned Dick, looking him
over carefully.

"I am that, sur."

"Can you tell me who is in the habit of cleaning this particular
office?"

"Well, sur, we are all after takin' a hand at it. I ginerally do the
swapin', and me wife or Kittie, me daughter, do the winder clanin' an'
the dustin'."

"During the past four or five days, have you noticed anything unusual
around this office?" went on Dick.

"Phat are ye after mainin'?"

"I'll tell you. There has been a robbery here, and we want to get at
the bottom of it."

"I haven't touched a thing, sur, an' nather have me family!" cried the
janitor, quickly.

"You look like an honest man, and I can't say that I suspect you,"
continued Dick, for he saw that the old janitor was evidently much
hurt. "I want you to help me all you can, that is all."

"Sure, sur, an' I'll be after doin' that, Mr. Rover. Phat did they be
after takin'?"