ABOUT THE ROVERS
The attack upon Jack Rover was so unexpected that he had no chance to
save himself from going down into the snowbank. He went down so hard and
the snow was so soft that for the moment he was almost covered and had
to flounder around quite some to regain his feet.
"See here, Bill Glutts! what do you mean by attacking my cousin?" cried
Randy, leaping forward and catching the bully by the arm.
"He had no right to talk to me the way he did," retorted Glutts. "Let go
of me!" and he shook himself free.
"What Jack said was true," put in Fred quickly. "I was on the back of
our bobsled and watched you nearly all the time. You came over on our
side of the road at least three different times."
By this time half a dozen of the cadets were speaking at once, Carncross
and several others upholding Bill Glutts. In the midst of the discussion
Jack managed to regain his feet, and, leaping forward, he caught Bill
Glutts firmly by both wrists.
"Glutts, you listen to me," said he sternly, looking the bully in the
eyes. "If I wasn't an officer at the Hall, I'd give you a sound
thrashing for what you just did. As it is, I expect you to apologize or
else take the consequences."
"Huh! I suppose you mean by that you'll play sissy and report me," said
the bully.
"No, I won't report you, but I'll see to it that you get what is coming
to you," answered Jack.
"Knowing he is an officer and can't fight you, you took a mean advantage
of Jack," broke in Gif Garrison. "You ought to be thrashed for it,
Glutts."
"I don't think Bill meant to shove him down into the snow," put in
Codfish, somewhat timidly.
"He did mean to do it!" said Jack quickly. "And he'll either apologize
for his actions or he'll take the consequences."
"Well, I'll take the consequences, whatever they are," retorted Bill
Glutts, with a sickly grin. "I know that race wasn't a fair one. Come
on, fellows, let's get back to the Hall, it's almost supper time," and
with that he trudged away, he and his cronies pulling the _Yellow
Streak_ behind them.
"He sure is one sweet-tempered fellow," was Spouter's comment.
"Jack, why didn't you pitch into him, anyway?" questioned Andy
anxiously.
"I didn't have to," returned Jack briefly. "Just the same, I won't
forget the way he has acted. If it wasn't that I am captain of Company
C, and am expected not to fight, I'd have given him the thrashing of his
life."
To the many young folks who have read the former volumes in this series,
the Rover boys will not need an introduction. But for the benefit of new
readers a few words concerning my characters will be necessary.
In the first volume, entitled "The Rover Boys at School," I related how
three brothers, Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover, were sent to Putnam Hall
Military Academy, where they made a great number of friends, including a
cadet named Lawrence Colby.
From Putnam Hall the boys went to Brill College, and, after leaving that
institution of learning, joined their father in business in New York
City, with offices on Wall Street. They organized The Rover Company, of
which Dick was president, Tom, secretary and general manager, and Sam,
treasurer.
During their cadet days at Putnam Hall the three Rovers had become
acquainted with a number of charming girls, including Dora Stanhope and
her cousins, Nellie and Grace Laning. When Dick went into business he
made Dora Stanhope his life partner, and a short while after this Tom
married Nellie Laning and Sam married Grace. The three brothers
purchased a fine plot of ground on Riverside Drive overlooking the
Hudson River, and there they built three connecting houses, Dick and his
wife living in the middle house, with Tom on one side and Sam on the
other.
About a year after their marriage Dick and his wife became the proud
parents of a little son, who was named John after Mr. Laning. This son
was followed by a daughter, named Martha, after her Great-aunt Martha,
of Valley Brook Farm. Little Jack, as he was commonly called, was a
manly lad with many of the qualities which made his father so successful
in life.
It was about this time that Tom and Nellie Rover sprang a great surprise
on all the others. This surprise was in the shape of a pair of very
lively boy twins, one christened Anderson, after his grandfather, and
the other Randolph, after his Great-uncle Randolph of Valley Brook Farm.
Andy and Randy, as the twins were always called, were decidedly active
lads, taking after their father, "who was never still a minute," to
quote Grandpa Rover.
Shortly after the twins were born, Sam and Grace Rover came along with a
beautiful girl, named Mary, after Mrs. Laning. Then, a year later, the
girl was followed by a sturdy boy, who was called Fred, in honor of Sam
Rover's old and well known school chum, Fred Garrison.
Residing so close together, the younger generation of Rovers were
brought up very much like one big family. They usually spent their
winters in New York City, and during the summers often went out to
Valley Brook Farm, where their grandfather, Anderson Rover, still
resided with Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha.
When the boys and girls grew old enough they were at first sent to
private schools in the Metropolis. But soon the lads, led by Andy and
Randy, showed a propensity for "cutting loose" that their parents were
compelled to hold a consultation.
"We'll have to send them to some strict boarding school--some military
academy," said Dick Rover; and so it was decided.
Lawrence Colby, their old Putnam Hall chum, had since that time become a
colonel in the state militia and had then opened a military academy
called Colby Hall. To this institution, Jack, Fred and the twins were
sent, as related in detail in the first volume of my second series,
entitled "The Rover Boys at Colby Hall."
This military school was located about half a mile from the town of
Haven Point on Clearwater Lake, a beautiful sheet of water about two
miles long. The school consisted of a large stone building facing the
lake. It was a three-storied structure and contained the classrooms and
the mess hall, and also dormitories and private rooms for the students.
Besides the main building, there was a smaller structure occupied by
Colonel Colby and his family and some of the professors, and also an
up-to-date gymnasium and boathouses and bathing pavilions.
On arriving at the academy the younger Rovers found several of their
friends awaiting them, one of these being Dick Powell, the son of
Songbird Powell, a former schoolmate of their fathers. Dick was always
called Spouter because of a fondness for long speeches. Another cadet
was Gif Garrison, a son of Fred Garrison, after whom Fred Rover had been
named. There was also Walter Baxter, a son of Dan Baxter, who, years
previous, had been an enemy of the older Rovers, but who had since
reformed and who was doing well.
As mentioned, Colby Hall was situated about half a mile from Haven
Point. On the opposite side of the town was located Clearwater Hall, a
boarding school for girls. During a panic in a moving picture theatre
Jack and his cousins became acquainted with a number of these school
girls, including Ruth Stevenson, May Powell, Alice Strobell and Annie
Larkins. They soon found out that May was Spouter Powell's cousin, and
the whole crowd of young people became friends. Later on Mary and Martha
Rover became pupils at Clearwater Hall.
Ruth Stevenson had an old Uncle Barney, who in times past had had a
bitter quarrel with Ruth's parents. The Rover boys, while out hunting
one day, had occasion to save the old man's life. For this the old
fellow was exceedingly grateful, and as a result he invited them to
spend their winter holidays with him, which they did, as related in "The
Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island."
On this island the lads met two of their former enemies, Nappy Martell
and Slugger Brown, as well as Asa Lemm, a discharged teacher of Colby
Hall. The boys exposed a plot against old Uncle Barney, and in the end
caused the old fellow's enemies to leave in disgust.
"I guess we haven't seen the last of Nappy and Slugger," said Jack when
he and his cousins had left Snowshoe Island.
And he was right. Nappy and Slugger turned up once more, as related in
the volume previous to this, entitled "The Rover Boys Under Canvas." In
that volume I told how the cadets went into their annual encampment,
this being after a spirited election for officers in which Jack Rover
had been elected captain of Company C and Fred had been elected first
lieutenant of the same command.
Among the cadets who wished to become a captain was one named Gabe
Werner, a great chum at that time of Bill Glutts. Having failed of
election, Werner did all he could to make things uncomfortable for the
Rovers, and in his actions he was seconded by Glutts. But in the end
Werner and Glutts were discovered in some of their nefarious doings,
and, becoming alarmed, Gabe Werner left the school camp early in the
morning and did not return. Glutts was brought before Captain Dale, the
teacher in charge of the camp, and received a stern lecture and was
deprived of many liberties he might otherwise have enjoyed. He laid his
troubles at the door of the Rovers and vowed that sooner or later he
would pay them back for the way he had been treated.
While the Rover boys were at Colby Hall the great war in Europe had
opened and our country was now overrun with German spies and
sympathizers. During their time at the encampment the boys made several
surprising discoveries, and in the end helped the Secret Service
officers to capture a hidden German submarine. They also rounded up the
fathers of Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown. Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell
were sent to prison, while Slugger and Nappy were marched off to a
detention camp in the South, and that, for the time being, was the last
the Rovers heard of them.
"Well, one thing is certain--we're well rid of Slugger and Nappy and
their fathers," remarked Jack, as this news was brought to them.
"Yes, and I guess we're rid of Gabe Werner too," said Fred. "He seems to
have dropped out completely." But in his remark concerning Werner the
young lieutenant was mistaken. Gabe Werner was destined to turn up in
their path unexpectedly and cause them not a little trouble.
When the call for volunteers came, Dick Rover and Sam had lost no time
in enlisting. At first Tom Rover had been unable to get away. But now
the business in New York City had been left in reliable hands, and all
three fathers of the boys were in the trenches in Europe doing their bit
for Uncle Sam. They had been in several small engagements, and so far
had come through unwounded.
"But there is no telling if they will come through every time," was the
way Fred expressed himself anxiously.
"Right you are," answered Jack. "Do you know, I dread to look at the
lists of the killed and wounded in the newspapers for fear I'll see one
of their names."
"Oh, if only this awful war was over!" put in Randy.