Books: The Rover Boys out West
A >>
Arthur M. Winfield >> The Rover Boys out West
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 Scanned by Sean Pobuda (jpobuda@adelphia.net)
THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST
Or
The Search for a Lost Mine
By Arthur M. Winfield
INTRODUCTION
My Dear Boys: This book, "The Rover Boys Out West," forms the
fourth volume of the "Rover Boys Series," a line of up-to-date
stories for Young Americans. Like the other books of the series,
this tale's complete in itself.
In "The Rover Boys at School "we were introduced to Dick, Tom, and
Sam, and their amusing and thrilling adventures at Putnam Hall, a
military academy for boys situated in the heart of Now York State;
in "The Rover Boys on the Ocean "we followed our young heroes
during a most daring rescue; and in "The Rover Boys in the jungle"
we learn what true American courage can do, even in the heart of
the Dark Continent.
In the present tale our young herm are taken at first back to dear
old Putnam Hall, and then to the heart of the great mining district
of Colorado.
All trace of a valuable mine has been lost, and the boys start out
on a hunt for the property, little dreaming of the many perils
which await them on their quest. How they overcome one obstacle
after another, and get the best of their various enemies, will be
found in the story itself.
The success of the first Rover Boys books has gratified me beyond
measure, and my one hope is that my numerous readers will find this
and future volumes of equal interest.
Affectionately and sincerely yours,
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.
June 20, 1900
CHAPTER I
RETURNING FROM A GREAT GAME
"Zip! Boom! Ah!"
"Hurrah for Putnam Hall!"
"Let her go, Peleg, lively now, and mind you don't upset us, or
we'll use you worse than we did the football."
"All right, young gents. All in? Hold fast, everybody, or I won't
be responsible, nohow, if you drop off. Git along, Jack; up with
ye, Sally!"
And with a crack of the whip, a tooting of tin horns, and it mad
yelling and cheering from the students, the long Putnam Hall stage
left the football enclosure attached to the Pornell Academy grounds
and started along the lake road for Putnam Hall.
The stage was packed, inside and out, with as merry and
light-hearted a crowd of boys as could be found anywhere; and why
should they not be merry and light-hearted, seeing as they had just
won a great football match by a score of 16 to 8? Tom Rover, who
was on the top of the stage, actually danced a jig for joy.
"That's the third time we have done them up, fellows!" he cried.
"My, but won't there be gloom around Pornell Academy to-night! It
will be thick enough to cut with a knife."
"They were never in it from the start," piped up Sam Rover. "And
they were all heavier than our team, too," he added, proudly.
"It was science, not weight, that won the match," said Frank
Harrington.
"Yes, it was science," broke in Larry Colby. "And for that science
we have to thank Dick Rover. Oh, but didn't that rush to the left
fool them nicely!"
Dick Rover's handsome face flushed with pleasure. "We won because
every player did his full duty," he said. "If we--" He broke off
short. "Great Scott, what a racket on top! Who's that capering
around?"
"It's me, thank you!" yelled Tom, with more force than good
grammar. "I'm doing an Indian war dance in honor of the victory.
Want to join in, anybody?"
"Stop it; you'll be coming through the roof. We had only one man
hurt on the field; I don't want a dozen hurt on the ride home."
"Oh, it's safe enough, Dick. If I feel the roof giving way I'll
jump and save myself," and Tom began a wilder caper than ever. But
suddenly George Granbury, who sat nearby, caught him by the foot,
and he came down with a thump that threatened to split the stage
top from end to end.
"It won't do, nohow!" pleaded Peleg Snuggers, the general utility
man attached to Putnam Hall Military Academy. "Them hosses is
skittish, and --"
"Oh, stow it, Peleg," interrupted George. "You know those horses
couldn't run away if they tried. You only want us to act as if we
were a funeral procession coming --"
A wild blast of horns from below drowned out the remainder of his
speech, and this finished, the football team and the other cadets
began to sing, in voices more forceful than melodious:
"Putnam Hall! Putnam Hall!
What is wrong with Putnam Hall?
Nothing, boys! Nothing, boys!
She's all RIGHT!
Right! right! Right! Right! RIGHT!"
Through the woods and far across the clear waters of Cayuga Lake
floated the words, followed by another blast from the horns and
then continued cheering. And their cheering was answered by others
who passed them, some in carriages and others oil bicycles. It was
a clear, sunshiny day, and nearly all of the inhabitants of
Cedarville, as well as of other villages along the lake, were out
in honor of the occasion. It had been a general holiday both at
Putnam Hall and at Pornell Academy, and the whole neighborhood had
taken advantage of it.
"I believe Captain Putnam is as proud as any of us," remarked Dick
Rover, when the excitement had calmed down a bit. "When Tom kicked
that final goal I saw him rise up and nearly pound the life out of
the railing with his gold-headed cane. "I'll wager the cane is
split into a dozen pieces."
"Oh, that's nothing," put in Harry Blossom slyly. "When Tom did
his little act I saw Nellie Laning actually throw him a kiss from
the grand stand. If she --"
"Hi, below there! Who's taking my name in vain?" came from Tom,
and suddenly his head appeared at the top of one of the openings on
the side of the stage.
"I was just telling what Nellie Laning did, Tom. When you made
that splendid kick--"
"Stow it, you moving-picture camera!" cried Tom, his face growing
suddenly red. "You see altogether too much."
"Do I?" drawled Harry dryly. "Maybe. And then when Dick made his
run, pretty Dora Stanhope just put out her arms as if she wanted to
hug -- Whow!"
Harry Blossom's banter came to a sudden ending, for, as red in the
face as his brother, Dick Rover reached forward and thrust a banana
he was eating into the tormenter's half open mouth. Harry gulped
once or twice, then the fruit disappeared as if by magic.
"All right, Dick, I accept the bribe and will henceforth be
silent," he said solemnly, as soon as he could speak.
"That's right, tie up your tongue, unless you want to be lifted
from the stage," said Tom.
"It's all right," put in Dave Kearney, another cadet. "Dora
Stanhope and the Laning girls are nice folk and I don't blame
anybody for being sweet on them."
"Yes, but you keep out of their cornfield, or you'll have all three
of the Rovers after you," came from Harry warningly.
"What are we going to do to-night?" asked Dick abruptly, and in
such a tone that the others felt the bantering must come to an end.
"Is it feast, or fireworks, or both?"
"Make it both!" came in chorus from a dozen cadets. "Captain
Putnam is just in the humor to let us do anything to-night. And
Mr. Strong's in the same good humor. Let us make the best of it."
"All right; feast and fireworks it is," said Dick. "But both will
cost money. Who'll pass around the hat?"
A groan went up, as is generally the case when an academy boy is
asked to part with some of his spending money. But the groan
counted for nothing, and the passing of the hat brought in over ten
dollars.
"Ten-sixty for this load," announced the cadet who had made the
collection. "And there are two other loads following, besides
those who were on their wheels. We ought to be able to collect at
least thirty dollars, and that will buy out half of Cedarville."
"If only old Carrick has some of his Fourth of July fireworks
left," said Sam.
"Chust so!" grinned Hans Muelle, the German cadet who had joined
the academy the season before. "Vot is von celebration midowit
firevorks, hey? He vos chust noddings!"
"Do you want another pistol explosion?" asked one of the others,
referring to an incident between Tom Rover and Hans which had
nearly ended in a tragedy.
"Mine cracious, no!" howled the German lad. "I go me not py a
hundred feet mid an old pistol again alrietty! I vould radder sit
town on von can of dynamite to sleep, yes I vould!" And he shook
his curly head earnestly.
"We won't have any pistols in this," broke in Tom, who felt like
shuddering every time the incident was mentioned. "We'll just have
skyrockets, and Roman candles, and pin-wheels, and all of the rest
of the good old-fashioned things -- that is for the celebration on
the outside."
"And for the celebration on the inside let us have cake, ice-cream,
fruits, and nuts," put in Larry. "At this minute I feel hungry
enough to eat the captain out of house and home."
"Ditto myself," came from another student.
"Perhaps the captain will be glad enough to have us celebrate -- at
our own expense," suggested a cadet in one corner, yet he did not
mean what he said, knowing that bluff Captain Putnam, the owner and
headmaster of Putnam Hall was whole-souled and generous to the
core.
The stage had already covered over a mile of the road, and now the
turnout left the lake shore and began to climb a long hill leading
to the heights upon which the academy was located. But there was
still a little valley to cross, at the bottom of which dashed a
rocky mountain torrent on its way to the placid waters beyond.
At the top of the first long rise Peleg Snuggers stopped the team
for a few minutes' rest. Here the view was magnificent, and many a
cadet stopped his idle talk to gaze at the mountains to the
westward and the sparkling lake winding along in the opposite
direction. It was early fall, and nearly every tree was tinted
with red and gold, while here and there the first frosts had
covered the ground with leaves and nuts.
"Don't wait too long, Peleg," urged Tom impatiently. "It will take
some time to get ready for our celebration to-night, you know."
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can, Master Tom," was the reply. "Git
up, Jack! git up, Sally!" And once more they moved off, and again
some of the boys tooted their horns. At this Sally picked up her
ears and gave a little start to one side of the narrow road,
dragging her mate along.
"Whoa! Steady there!" cried Peleg Snuggers, and tried to pull the
team in. Failing in this He grabbed the brake handle and pushed it
back vigorously. He was so nervous that he gave the handle a
mighty wrench, and in a twinkle the brake bar snapped off, close to
the wheel. Onward bounded the stage, hitting the team in the
flanks, and away leaped both horses on a dead run!
"The brake is broke!"
"Stop the team, Peleg, or they'll upset us sure!"
"Whoa, there, Jack! Whoa, Sally! Don't you know enough to stop?"
Such were some of the cries which rang out. Peleg Snuggers grasped
the lines and pulled with might and main. But then came an awful
bump, and away flew the driver into a bush along the roadside, and
the reins fell to the horses heels, scaring them worse than ever,
"We are in for it!" gasped Tom. "I don't see how we are going to
stop them now."
"The bridge! The bridge across the gully!" screamed another cadet,
in terror-stricken tones. "They were mending it this morning.
Supposing they haven't the new planking down?"
"There is the bridge!" burst out another, pointing ahead. "Oh,
Heavens, boys, we are lost!"
All strained their eyes ahead to see what he meant, and then every
face grew pale. The bridge was torn up completely, not a single
plank of the flooring remained.
CHAPTER II
SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROVER BOYS
The Rover boys were three in number, Dick being the oldest, Tom
coming next, and Sam the youngest. In their younger days they had
resided with their parents in New York, but after the death of
their mother and the disappearance of their father they had gone to
live with their uncle, Randolph Rover, and their Aunt Martha, on a
farm called Valley Brook, near the village of Dexter Corners, on
the Swift River.
Those who have read the previous volumes of this series, entitled
respectively, "The Rover Boys at School." "The Rover Boys on the
Ocean," and "The Rover Boys in the jungle," know that our three
heroes had already passed through many trying experiences and
thrilling adventures. From home they had been sent to Putnam Hall,
a military academy of high standing, and here they had made many
friends, including those already mentioned, and several enemies,
among the latter being one Dan Baxter, who was known as the school
bully, and John Fenwick, better known as Mumps, the bully's toady.
They had also made a bitter enemy of Josiah Crabtree, the
headmaster of the Hall.
But since those first days at the school many things had happened
and many changes had occurred. It was discovered that Dan Baxter
was the son of one Arnold Baxter, a rascal who had, years before,
tried to swindle the Rover boys' father out of some valuable mining
property in the West, and that the son was little better than his
parent. Dan had left the school in a hurry, and soon after this
his father had been arrested in Albany for a daring office robbery,
and was now in jail in consequence.
The disappearance of Dan, and Josiah Crabtree's yearning for
wealth, had led to further complications. Near Putnam Hall resides
the widow Stanhope and her pretty daughter Dora, and Crabtree, who
exerted a sort of hypnotic power over the widow, tried to get the
lady to marry him, so that he might obtain the fortune she held in
trust for her daughter. But how the Rover boys fooled the grasping
teacher, and how Dora was saved from the plot Crabtree and Dan
Baxter hatched up against her, has already been told in "The Rover
Boys on the Ocean."
Anderson Rover had gone to Africa to locate certain mines in that
country, and when many years passed and no word came from him the
three boys grew worried and wanted to go in search of him. At last
came a strange letter written by a sea captain, containing some
important information, and acting on this the Rover boys,
accompanied by their Uncle Randolph, set out for the heart of the
Dark Continent to find the long-lost. On the way they fell in with
one Alexander Pop, who had formerly been a waiter at Putnam Hall,
who proved a valuable friend when it came to dealing with men of
his own ebony hue. In this hunt they likewise ran across Josiah
Crabtree, who was out with an exploring party from Yale, and with
Dan Baxter, and both of these rascals tried to do them much harm.
But the schemes of the rascals fell through, and Crabtree only
escaped after a severe whipping at the hands of Dick Rover, while
Dan Baxter fared little better. Soon after this Mr. Rover was
found, as a prisoner of a savage African tribe, and rescued, and
then the entire party returned to the United States. Alexander Pop
remained in the employ of the two elder Rovers, and the three boys
returned to finish the term at Putnam Hall.
These are a few of the things that had happened. But there were
countless others, which space will not permit being mentioned here.
There had been many contests, in baseball, football, and other
sports, and jokes that seemed to have no end, and there had also
been a disastrous fire, which none of the Putnam Hall cadets were
likely ever to forget--a fire as thrilling as the scene now being
enacted on the road. But I am afraid I have already left the boys
in the runaway stage too long, so we will return to them without
further delay.
"The bridge is down!" The cry rang through the stage, bringing
every cadet to his feet on the instant.
"Don't jump!" cried Dick, as he saw several preparing to leap.
"You will break your necks!" For now the bushes were left behind,
and on either side of the road were jagged rocks, covered here and
there with withered vines.
As Dick spoke he pushed his way to the front of the stage and
crawled out on the driver's seat.
"The back -- drop off at the back!" came from Frank Harrington, and
he showed how it could be done. But the road was now rougher than
ever, and he landed on his knees and his face, giving himself an
ugly cut on the chin.
Dick was trying to reach the reins when Tom came down beside him.
"Can you make it?" asked Tom.
"I can try," was the desperate answer. "If only we could block
those wheels!"
"Block the wheels!" came from half a dozen, and one boy, who
happened to have a stout cane with him, thrust it out between
several of the spokes of the wheel on the left, in the rear. For
an instant the stick held, then it snapped, and the wheel went
around as before.
The bridge was now less than two hundred feet away, and whatever
was to be accomplished must be done quickly. At last Dick had the
reins, and he began to pull upon them with all of his strength, at
the same time calling upon Tom to hold him to the seat.
"To the right -- turn 'em to the right!" sang out Sam, as he saw a
narrow opening between the rocks.
"Yes, the right!" added Fred Garrison. "It is our only hope!"
Dick did as requested, and at the last instant the heavy stage
swung around. There was a grinding and a splitting of wood as the
front wheels met the rocks and went to pieces, and then Dick came
down on the horses, with Tom on top of him -- and the elder Rover
knew no more.
"Dick's hurt!" gasped Sam, as he scrambled out of the side window
of the turnout. "Don't let the horses kick him."
For the runaway team were struggling wildly, amid the rocks and the
wreck of the harness. But Tom was already up, and he and Larry
Colby dragged Dick to a place of safety. In the meantime some of
the other cadets who were used to managing horseflesh took care of
the team and led them away and tied them fast to a tree.
"Dick, Dick! are you badly hurt?" The question came from Tom, as he
gazed anxiously into his brother's face. There was a nasty cut on
the left check from which the blood was flowing.
Dick did not answer, and Tom asked somebody to run down to the
stream for some water. When this was brought he and Sam bathed
Dick's face, and presently the latter opened his eyes and stared
around him in bewilderment.
"A touchdown -- I claim --" he began, and then stopped. "Wha - what
has happened?" he stammered. "Oh, I remember now!" And he feel back
again.
"He thinks he's still in the football game," whispered Harry
Blossom. "Oh, but he's a plucky one."
All of the other lads had been severely shaken up, but nobody had
been hurt excepting Frank, as before mentioned. Soon he came
limping up, followed by Peleg Snuggers.
"I missed it by jumping," he observed ruefully. "Hullo, is Dick
knocked out?"
"So ye stopped 'em, eh?" cried the general utility man. "It was
prime plucky to do it, so it was! Poor Dick, hope he ain't bad."
By this time Dick was opening his eyes once more, and this time he
kept them open.
"I -- I -- that was a nasty tumble, wasn't it?" he muttered. "I'm glad
I didn't go under the horses' feet."
"How do you feel?"
"I guess I had the wind knocked out of me, that's all." He tried to
get up, but his legs refused to support him. "I'll have to keep
quiet awhile."
"Yes, don't you move," said Sam. "We can't get across the stream
anyway, now the bridge is down. We'll have to go around to the
other bridge."
"It's queer the workmen didn't put up some sort of a sign as a
warning," said Fred Garrison. "I believe they can be held liable
for this disaster."
"To be sure they can be held liable," burst out Peleg Snuggers.
"But a sign wouldn't have kept the brake from breaking," said Tom.
"True, lad, but ye must remember that it was their duty to put the
sign up at the beginning of this road, which is on the top of the
hill. If the sign had been there we would never have started to
come down this way."
"Perhaps we missed the sign," put in another cadet.
"Of dot is so, ve besser run pack und stop udder carriages from
comin' dis vay," broke in Hans Mueller quickly. "Listen to dot!"
They all listened, and heard merry cries of laughter and carriage
wheels rapidly approaching.
"A carriage--with ladies!" gasped Sam. "Come on and stop them!"
And away he, dusted up the hill, as well as his short legs would
carry him. Hans, Larry, and several others followed. They had
barely gained the top of the hill when a large carryall belonging
to John Laning appeared. In the carryall were the farmer and his
two charming daughters, and, Mrs. Stanhope, who was his
sister-in-law, and her daughter Dora. Mrs. Laning was also
present, along with several neighbors.
"Hi, whoa! stop!" yelled Sam. "Stop!"
"Hurrah for Putnam Hall!" cried Grace Laning, waving a tiny flag
toward Sam, which made the younger Rover blush.
"Glad to be able to congratulate you, Sam!" said Dora Stanhope.
"Where are the other members of the football team?"
"Just ahead -- down by the gully. You mustn't drive down here, for
the bridge is down."
"Bridge down!" ejaculated John Laning. "Darwell said he was going
to mend it this week, but I saw no sign up at the cross-roads."
"Neither did we, and we came near to going overboard. As it is, we
had a pretty bad smash up!"
"Indeed!" came from Mrs. Stanhope, in alarm. "And was anybody
hurt?"
"Dick was thrown out and knocked unconscious, and Frank Harrington
had his chin cut, while the rest of us were pretty well shaken up.
Peleg the driver was thrown into some brushwood and that most
likely saved his life."
Mrs. Stanhope grew pale, for she remembered only too well that
fateful ride she had once taken with Josiah Crabtree, which had
almost cost both of them their lives.
"I will go to the poor boy!" she said, and leaped to the ground,
followed by Dora and the two Laning girls. Soon the carryall was
led to the side of the road, and the others alighted, to see what
damage had been done.
CHAPTER III
THE MISSING DANGER SIGNAL
When Sam came back he found Dick sitting on a rock with his cut
plastered up from the out kit taken along to the football match.
Frank had likewise been attended to.
"I am so glad you are not hurt seriously," said Mrs. Stanhope, as
she sat down beside Dick, with Dora close at hand. "All of you
have had a very narrow escape."
"It is a shame that no danger signal was display," said Dora.
"When they are fixing a bridge they usually put a bar across the
road with the sign: 'Danger! Road Closed,' on it."
"Exactly," put in Peleg. "But I haint seen no sign, an' that I can
swear to."
"In that case Contractor Darwell will be responsible for this smash
up," said John Laning. "Are the horses hurt?"
"They are pretty well scratched up around the legs."
"Humph! And the two front wheels of the stage are a total wreck.
I reckon it will take the best part of fifty dollars to fix matters
up."
"Anyway, I don't calculate as how I'm responsible," grumbled the
general utility man, fearing he saw trouble ahead, when Captain
Putnam should hear of the affair.
A creaking on the road was heard, and presently a lumber wagon hove
into sight, piled high with the new planking for the bridge. On
the front sat Darwell the contractor and two of his workmen.
"Hullo, what does all this mean?" cried the contractor, as he
brought his wagon to a standstill, and viewed the wrecked stage.
"It means that Captain Putnam will have a little account to settle
with you, Mr. Darwell," put in Harry Blossom promptly.
"With me? What for?"
"For this wreck."
"And for this cut chin," added Frank.
"And my being knocked out," said Dick.
"I'm not responsible for any wreck," replied Joel Darwell. "I put
up the bar with the danger signal on it, up at the cross-roads."
"We didn't see no sign," interrupted Peleg Snuggers. "Not a bit of
a sign."
"There was no sign when I came along," said John Laning.
"I put the sign up not over three hours ago," insisted Joel
Darwell. "I can show you just where Sandy Long and I dug the post
holes for it."
"Then some rascal took the sign down," said Tom. "What for?"
"Must have done it to wreck the stage," answered Larry Colby. "But
could anybody be so cold-blooded?"
"Yes, there are several people who would do that," answered Dick
promptly. "But I don't think they are within a hundred miles of
Cedarville just now."
"You mean Dan Baxter for one," said Sam.
"And Josiah Crabtree for another," put in Tom. "They are both down
on everybody around here."
"How about Mumps?" asked Larry.
"Oh, he reformed after that chase on the ocean, and I've heard he
is now out West," said Sam. There's another rascal, though -- Mr.
Arnold Baxter. But he is in jail in Albany -- he and that tool of
his, Buddy Girk."
"Well, certainly somebody is responsible," said Frank. "Supposing
we go back and try to find some clew?"
"And find the danger sign and put it up again," said Joel Darwell.
A dozen of the boys went back, and with them Tom and Sam, leaving
Dick with the Stanhopes. As soon as the crowd had left, Dora
Stanhope motioned the elder Rover to one side.
"Oh, Dick, it makes me shiver to hear Josiah Crabtree spoken of,"
she said in a whisper.
"Why, Dora, you don't mean to say that he has turned up again?" he
questioned quickly.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11