The Rover Boys on the Farm; or, Last Days at Putnam Hall

company was at stake. He did not want the public at large to know that bogus bonds were on the market." "Uncle Randolph, do you know this Mr. Jardell personally?" asked Dick. "Why--er--not exactly. But his letters----" "How did he look?" As well as he was able Mr. Rover described the man and also his companion. The boys exchanged glances. "Merrick and Pike," muttered Tom. "What is that you say, Thomas?" "We think those men were swindlers," said Sam. "Swindlers! Oh, my dear Samuel, impossible!" cried Randolph Rover aghast. "Why, they were very nice gentlemen, very nice. They asked me how my scientific farming was getting along, and both had read my article in the _Review_ on the grafting of grape vines, and----" "But we know these chaps," said Dick, "and they are called Merrick and Pike." "And they talked about getting the best of you," added Tom. "That is why we followed you to Carwell. Where are the men now?" "They have gone away. But----" "Were they in a green runabout--an auto runabout?" "They had a runabout, yes. I do not remember what color it was." "The same fellows!" cried Dick. "Uncle Randolph, unless we are very much mistaken, you have been tricked, swindled! They have robbed you of the ten thousand dollars worth of bonds!" CHAPTER VI WAITING FOR NEWS It took Randolph Rover several minutes to comprehend the various statements made by the boys. That he had really been swindled by such nicely-spoken men as he had met at the Carwell hotel seemed extraordinary to him. "I understand the bonds were not registered," said Dick. "That is true," groaned his uncle. "Then anybody could use them." "Yes, although I have the numbers,--on a sheet in my desk at home." "Well, that will make it more difficult for the rascals to dispose of them," said Sam. "I'd like to catch that Merrick and that Pike, and punch their heads for them," commented Tom. It angered him exceedingly to see how readily his open-minded relative had fallen into the swindlers' trap. "But there may be some mistake," said Randolph Rover, in a forlorn tone. "Would that Merrick dare to impersonate Mr. Jardell?" "Swindlers will do anything," answered Sam. "We can make sure of that point by sending word to the traction company offices," answered Dick. "You are sure Mr. Jardell is the treasurer?" "Yes--Mr. Andrew D. Jardell." "Let us go back to town and see if we can catch him by long distance 'phone or by telegraph." Shaking his head sadly, Randolph Rover turned his buggy around and followed the boys to the central office of the telephone company. Here all was activity on account of the broken-down wires, but communications were being gradually resumed. They looked into the telephone book, and at last got a connection which, a few minutes later, put them into communication with Andrew D. Jardell's private residence in the city. "Is Mr. Jardell at home?" asked Dick, who was doing the telephoning. "Mr. Jardell is away," was the answer. "Is he at or near Carwell, New York state?" "No, he is in Paris, and has been for two weeks." "You are sure of this?" "Yes." "Who are you?" "I am Mrs. Jardell. Who are you?" "My name is Richard Rover. My uncle, Randolph Rover, has been swindled out of some traction company bonds by a man who said he was Mr. Jardell." "Mercy me! You don't say so! Well, my husband had nothing to do with it, you may be sure. He went to London first and then to Paris, and in a day or two he is to start for Switzerland. His health is very poor and the doctor said he needed the trip." Some more talk followed, and Mrs. Jardell advised Dick to communicate with the traction company at once, and he said he would do so. "It wasn't Mr. Jardell at all, Uncle Randolph," said the youth, as he hung up the receiver. "The whole thing was a cleverly-planned swindle, and unless you can get the bonds back you'll be out the money." At this announcement Mr. Rover nearly collapsed--for he was rather a retired man, and had had little to do in a business way since his trip to Africa with the boys, as related in "The Rover Boys in the Jungle." He did not know what to do, and stood rubbing his hands nervously. "The swindlers!" he murmured. "Really, it is getting so that nobody can be trusted!" "The best thing we can do is to send word to the various towns to stop the runabout with the two men in it on sight and have the rascals held by the authorities," said Dick, who felt he must take charge of affairs. "That's the talk!" cried Tom, "and the sooner we get at it the better." "Let us find out where that side road leads to," added Sam, "I mean the road on which we heard the auto." Inside of an hour various messages had been sent by telephone and telegraph. It was now growing late and the Rovers hardly knew what to do next. From their uncle the boys got the whole tale concerning the bonds, but the new light shed on the subject did not help matters. They also told the authorities about the cave and the boxes stored there, and some men were at once sent off to investigate and take possession of whatever could be found. "I think some of us ought to go home," said Sam. "Aunt Martha won't go to bed until we get back, and she will be greatly worried." It was finally decided that Tom and Dick should remain at the Carwell hotel over night and Sam and his uncle should go home in the buggy. The team was put up at the hotel barn, and then all hands went to the dining room for a late supper. "I'm as hungry as two bears," announced Tom. "Well, I shan't say no to a good feed," answered Sam. Randolph Rover could eat but little. Now that he realized what had occurred, he upbraided himself bitterly for having been so deluded. "They talked about scientific farming just to get me into good humor," he said, bitterly. "I see it all! Oh, if I can only get my hands on them!" After Mr. Rover and Sam had departed, Dick and Tom wandered around the hotel and the vicinity for three hours. They anxiously awaited some message regarding the two swindlers, but nothing came. Then, worn out by the strenuous day they had put in, they went to bed and slept soundly until morning. Before having breakfast they asked for messages. There was one from a village called Bahan, saying a green runabout with two men had passed through there about midnight. But the men had not been captured, and it was not known what had become of them. At noon the telephone line between Oak Run and Carwell was in working order once more, and the boys sent word home. Then they left directions at the hotel, so that any messages coming in might be transmitted to the Rover farm. "Well, I never!" cried Dick, suddenly. "What now?" asked his brother. "That freight thief, and that stuff in the cave----" "Humph! it slipped my mind entirely. I was thinking only of Uncle Randolph's bonds." "Let us find out if anything has been done." At the local police headquarters they found that a wagon had just come in, loaded with the three full boxes of goods located at the cave. A search was still in progress for Dangler, but so far he had not been located. "This clears up the mystery of the freight thefts," said an officer to the boys. "I only hope we can get our hands on Bill Dangler." "You know him?" asked Dick. "Oh, yes. Years ago he used to work for the freight division of the railroad." "Do you know anything of this Merrick and the fellow called Pike?" "No, but our idea is that the three men were in the deal together. Probably this Merrick and this Pike pulled off this affair of the traction company bonds as a side issue." "Have the freight robberies been large?" asked Sam. "Not so large at one time, but they have been going on for months, and the total from four different stations along the line foots up to a good many thousand dollars." "Well, I hope we catch all three of the men--and any others who may be in league with them," said Dick, and then he and Tom walked off. A little later they were on the buckboard and bound for home. When they arrived at the farm they found that their uncle had sent a long letter to the officers of the traction company, relating in full what had occurred. In return the officials of the concern said they would put a private detective on the case, and this was done. But weeks went by and nothing was seen or heard of Merrick and Pike, and what had become of the missing bonds remained a mystery. "I am anxious to take a look at that cave where the stolen freight was stored," said Sam one day. "Supposing we drive to it?" "That will suit me," answered Dick. "I want to learn about something else--that red tin box I saw hanging from a tree." "Oh, yes, I had forgotten about that," put in Tom. "Well, shall we walk or drive over?" It was decided to drive as far as the cave, and not knowing how long they would be gone, the boys took a lunch along. "Now, take care of yourselves," warned Randolph Rover. "Don't fall into any more holes." "We'll try to watch out!" sang out Tom. Then Dick cracked the whip, and off the team started at a good pace, the eldest Rover, however, holding them well under control. It was a clear and beautiful day. The boys did not dream of the odd adventure in store for them. CHAPTER VII A STRANGE LETTER BOX "It won't be long now before we'll have to get back to Putnam Hall," observed Sam, as they drove along. "Dear old school! How I love it!" "It's too bad that we are getting too old to go there," said Tom. "But we can't be boys always." "I shall be glad to see the other fellows again," came from Dick. "Do you know what I think?" declared Tom. "I think the Putnam Hall cadets are the finest lot of boys in the world!" "Throwing bouquets at yourself, Tom?" said Sam, with a laugh. "Well, don't you agree with me?" "I certainly do, Sam, and Captain Putnam is the best teacher in the world. My, but won't we have fun when we get back!" "We'll have to have a feast in honor of our return," said Dick, and smiled that quiet smile of his which meant so much. The distance to the cave was soon covered, and the boys tied their team to a tree in that vicinity. They went inside and found that everything, even to the empty boxes, had been taken away. The place had been explored by a number of curiosity seekers. "It is queer that this cave wasn't discovered before," was Dick's comment, after they had spent half an hour in walking around. "Perhaps the opening to the road wasn't so large formerly," suggested Tom. "Dangler may have enlarged it, so he could drive in." "That is true. Well, it will be a regular picnic place after this. Its fame will spread for miles around." And Dick was right, and the cave is a well-known spot in that portion of New York state to this day. The boys had brought with them two electric pocket lights, as they are called--lights they had purchased while on their river outing--and with these turned on they walked to the extreme rear of the cave and along the various passageways running up the mountainside. "Here is where we dropped in," said Dick, pointing out the spot. "I wish we could drop out--and land up on the mountain outside," returned his youngest brother. "Then, maybe, you could locate that tin lunch box, or whatever it was." "I'd get up, Very soon If I had, A big balloon!" sang out Tom, merrily. "But as there doesn't seem to be a balloon handy, what's the matter with trying to climb up?" he added. "And pull down several tons of dirt and rock on your head," said Dick. "Better go slow. We already know how treacherous these holes are. You'll get out of one by getting into another that's worse."