The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island Part 27

"And how do you like Colby Hall?" questioned his sister eagerly.

"Dandy, Martha! It couldn't be beat! I can tell you, we boys are mighty glad that our dads picked out such a bully good school for us," and his face showed his satisfaction.

"And what about Clearwater Hall?"

"That's a dandy place, too,--at least, the girls who go there say it is.

If May Powell comes down with Spouter, she'll tell you all about it."

The home-coming of the Rover boys was a gala occasion. d.i.c.k Rover and his brother Sam had just come up home from the offices in Wall Street, and they and their wives, as well as the twins' mother, greeted the lads affectionately.

"It's been kind of lonely since you went away," said Mrs. Tom Rover, as she caught each of the twins around the waist.

"I suppose you missed our tricks, Ma," returned Andy slyly.

"Maybe I did, Andy. But I wouldn't mind the tricks so much if only you were here," and she gave a little sigh.

"Well, we're going to be here for a week, anyway," put in Randy, and then both of the twins gave their mother such a hug as she had not received for a long time.

Jack was already telling his father and his two uncles something about Colby Hall. All of the men listened with close attention and considerable satisfaction.

"I guess Larry has patterned it pretty closely after Putnam Hall and West Point," remarked Sam Rover. "And that's as it should be, to my way of thinking."

"He'd have to go a long way to do better," answered Tom Rover.

"Everybody knows that West Point is an ideal school, and dear old Putnam Hall was a close second to it."

"I hope you lads haven't been playing too many tricks," went on d.i.c.k Rover, as he gazed from one face to another before him.

"Well, Uncle d.i.c.k, we had to play _some_ tricks," answered Andy, a bit lamely.

"You couldn't expect us to just sit still and hold our hands," added Randy.

"We might as well own up to one thing," said Jack boldly. "We did play a trick on one of the teachers--a fellow named Asa Lemm. n.o.body liked Lemm, and when Colonel Colby had a rumpus with him and made him resign, all of us felt better."

Fortunately for the boys, an interruption came just at that moment in the way of an announcement that dinner was ready. This was served in the d.i.c.k Rover home, and was partic.i.p.ated in by all of the members of the Rover family. It made quite a table full.

"Gee! but it's nice to be here once more!" exclaimed Andy, while he was eating.

"Beats a meal in the mess-room at the Hall all hollow, doesn't it?"

returned his twin.

"And yet you talk about going away on a hunting trip," broke in their father quizzically.

"Oh, yes! But Uncle Tom, we are going to spend a whole week in New York before that!" broke in Fred.

"I want to know a little more about this trip you're planning to Snowshoe Island," remarked d.i.c.k Rover. "I want to make sure that it's a perfectly safe place for you to visit."

"Oh, I'm sure it's safe enough," answered Jack; and thereupon he and the others told what they knew about the island and Barney Stevenson.

"That old lumberman must be quite a character," was d.i.c.k Rover's comment. "Well, we'll see about this trip later," and there, for the time being, the matter was dropped.

The boys had gotten home just two days before Christmas, and they spent their entire time the next day in shopping for presents. In this they were partly aided by Martha and Mary, especially when it came to selecting presents for their mothers. Then, however, they sent the girls away, so that they might buy something for them. Although they did not mention this, Jack also wished to get a little reminder for Ruth, while Fred was equally desirous of obtaining something for May.

Christmas dawned bright and clear, and many were the cries of joy which rang throughout the three Rover households. All the young folks spent over an hour in running back and forth, wishing this one and that one "Merry Christmas!" Then came the distribution of presents.

"Just what I wanted!" cried Fred, as he inspected his pile of gifts.

There was a new watch, some gorgeous neckties, several books, and a splendid little double-barrelled shotgun.

"Don't say a word! It couldn't be better!" came from Randy.

"The best Christmas ever!" echoed his twin. They, too, had numerous gifts, including little diamond stickpins, new skates, some boxing gloves, and bright-colored sweaters, into which their cousins had knitted the initials C. H.

"Now, I presume, you'll be real Colby Hall cadets," said their mother, when they had donned the sweaters and were strutting around in them.

"This sure is one grand Christmas!" said Jack. He, too, had fared well, receiving a beautiful seal ring, a new traveling bag, completely equipped, several sets of books for which he had longed greatly, and also a small, but first-cla.s.s, repeating rifle.

"Now we've certainly got to go on that hunt," remarked Fred, placing his new shotgun beside the new rifle.

"Right you are, Fred!" responded Jack. "But first we're going to have one dandy time down here in New York."

CHAPTER XIX

OFF FOR SNOWSHOE ISLAND

"What an awfully large place New York is!"

It was Ruth who uttered the words while she was taking a ride down Fifth Avenue in company with Jack and his sister and several of the others.

It was the day after Christmas, and Spouter had arrived at noon, bringing his cousin May and Ruth with him. The young folks were taking a ride previous to stopping at the Grand Central Terminal to meet Gif, who was to come later.

"You won't find many places larger," answered d.i.c.k. He felt very happy to think that Ruth was beside him, and more so because Ruth and his sister seemed to become good friends from the very moment they met.

Behind the first auto came a second, containing Spouter, May, Mary, and Fred. They, too, were enjoying themselves, the youngest Rover doing what he could to point out the various places of interest to Spouter's fair cousin.

The Rover boys, aided by Mary and Martha, had laid their plans for the next five days with care. The young folks were to be taken to Central and Bronx Parks, to several well-known theaters, and also to the Grand Opera, and Mrs. d.i.c.k Rover had arranged to give a party at her home in the visitors' honor.

Mary and Martha had been eager to hear about Clearwater Hall, and the two girl visitors were not slow in singing the praises of that inst.i.tution.

"Oh, I think I'd like to go there!" cried Martha. "What do you think, Mary?"

"I think I'd like to go myself, now that we know somebody there," was her cousin's reply. Mary had always been a little shy.

During those days of pleasure in New York only one thing occurred to mar the happiness of the young folks. That was one afternoon when all of them went over to Central Park for a couple of hours to enjoy the skating. There, quite unexpectedly, they ran into Nappy Martell. He favored the Rover boys with a black look, and then lost himself in the crowd of skaters.

"He certainly has no love for us," was Jack's comment. "If he could possibly do us an injury, I think he would do it."