E-text prepared by W. R. Marvin
THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP
Or, The Rivals of Pine Island
by
Arthur M. Winfield
1904
INTRODUCTION
My Dear Boys: "The Rover Boys in Camp" is a complete story in itself,
but forms the eighth volume of "The Rover Boys Series for Young
Americans."
As I have mentioned before, when I started this line of stories I had
in mind to make not more than three, or possibly four, volumes. But the
publication of "Rover Boys at School," "Rover Boys on the Ocean,"
"Rover Boys in the Jungle," and "Rover Boys Out West" did not appear to
satisfy my readers, and so I followed with "Rover Boys on the Great
Lakes," "Rover Boys in the Mountains," and lastly with "Rover Boys on
Land and Sea." But the publishers say there is still a cry for "more!
more!" and so I now present to you this new Rover Boys book, which
relates the adventures of Dick, Tom, and Sam, and a number of their
old-time friends, at home, at dear old Putnam Hall, and in camp on Pine
Island.
In writing this tale I have had in mind two thoughts--one to give my
young readers an out-and-out story of jolly summer adventure, along
with a little touch of mystery, and the other to show them that it very
often pays to return good for evil. Arnold Baxter had done much to
bring trouble to the Rover family, but what Dick Rover did in return
was Christian-like in the highest meaning of that term. Dick was not a
"goody-goody" youth, but he was a thoroughly manly one, and his example
is well worth following by any lad who wishes to make something of
himself.
Once more let me thank all of those who have expressed themselves as
satisfied with the previous stories in this series. I earnestly trust
the present volume will also prove acceptable to them, and will do them
good.
Affectionately and sincerely yours,
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.
CONTENTS
I. The Rover Boys at Home
II. News of Interest
III. A Midnight Visitor
IV. A Useless Pursuit
V. On the Way to Putnam Hall
VI. Fun on the Boat
VII. Something About the Military Academy
VIII. A Scene in the Gymnasium
IX. Settling Down to Study
X. An Adventure in Cedarville
XI. A Quarrel and it Results
XII. The Election for Officers
XIII. The Fight at the Boathouse
XIV. Getting Ready for the Encampment
XV. On the March to the Camp
XVI. The First Day on Pine Island
XVII. The Enemy Plot Mischief
XVIII. Hazers at Work
XIX. A Storm in Camp
XX. The Rover Boys and the Ball
XXI. A Tug of War
XXII. A Swim and Some Snakes
XXIII. A Glimpse of an Old Enemy
XXIV. More Rivalry
XXV. Winning the Contests
XXVI. Sam Shows What He Can Do
XXVII. A Prisoner of the Enemy
XXVIII. Dick's Midnight Adventure
XXIX. True Heroism
XXX. Turning a New Leaf--Conclusion
CHAPTER I
THE ROVER BOYS AT HOME
"All out for Oak Run!" shouted the brakeman of the train, as he thrust
his head in through the doorway of the car. "Step lively, please!"
"Hurrah for home!" shouted a curly-headed youth of sixteen, as he
caught up a small dress-suit case. "Come on, Sam."
"I'm coming, Tom," answered a boy a year younger. "Where is Dick?"
"Here I am," replied Dick Rover, the big brother of the others. "Just
been in the baggage car, making sure the trunks would be put off," he
added. "Say, but this looks natural, doesn't it, after traveling
thousands of miles across the Pacific?"
"And across the Continent from San Francisco," put in Sam Rover.
"Do you know, I feel as if I'd been away for an age?"
"It's what we've gone through with that makes you feel that way,
Sam," came from Tom Rover. "Just think of being cast away on a lonely
island like Robinson Crusoe! Why, half the folks won't believe our
story when they hear it."
"They'll have to believe it." Sam hopped down to the depot platform,
followed by the others. "Wonder if the folks got that telegram I
forwarded from Buffalo?"
"They must have, for there is Jack with the big carriage," said Tom,
and walked over to the turnout he mentioned. "Hullo, Jack!" he called
out. "How is everybody?"
"Master Tom!" ejaculated Jack Ness, the Rovers' hired man. "Back at
last, are you, an' safe an' sound?"
"Sound as a dollar, Jack. How are the folks?"
"Your father is putty well, and so is your Uncle Randolph. Your Aunt
Martha got so excited a-thinkin' you was coming hum she got a
headache."
"Dear Aunt Martha!" murmured Tom. "I'll soon cure her of that." He
turned to his brothers. "What shall we do about the trunks? We can't
take 'em in the carriage."
"Aleck is comin' for them boxes," said the hired man. "There's his
wagon now."
A box wagon came dashing up to the depot platform, with a tall,
good-looking colored man on the seat. The eyes of the colored man lit
up with pleasure when he caught sight of the boys.
"Well! well! well!" he ejaculated, leaping down and rushing forward.
"Heah yo' are at las', bless you! I'se been dat worried 'bout yo' I
couldn't 'most sleep fo' t'ree nights. An' jess to t'ink yo' was cast
away on an island in de middle of dat Pacific Ocean! It's a wonder dem
cannonballs didn't eat yo' up."
"Thanks, but we didn't meet any 'cannonballs,' Aleck, I am thankful to
say," replied Dick Rover. "Our greatest trouble was with some
mutineers who got drunk and wanted to run things to suit themselves.
They might have got the best of us, but a warship visited the island
just in the nick of time and rescued us."
"So I heared out ob dat letter wot yo' writ yo' father. An' to t'ink
dat Miss Dora Stanhope and de Laning gals was wrecked wid yo'! It's
wonderful!"
"It certainly was strange, Aleck. But, come, I am anxious to get home.
Here are the trunk checks," and Dick passed the brasses over.
In a moment more the three boys had entered the carriage, along with
Jack Ness. Tom insisted on driving, and away they went at a spanking
gait, over Swift River, through the little village of Dexter's
Corners, and then out on the road that led to Valley Brook farm.
As my old readers know, the Rover boys were three in number, as already
introduced. They were the sons of Anderson Rover, a well-to-do
gentleman, who was now living in retirement at Valley Brook, in company
with his brother Randolph, and the latter's wife, Martha.
While Anderson Rover had been on a hunt for gold in the heart of
Africa, the three boys had been sent by their Uncle Randolph to a
military academy known as Putnam Hall. Here they made many friends and
also a few enemies, the worst of the latter being Dan Baxter, a bully
who wanted his way in everything. Baxter was the offspring of a family
of low reputation, and his father, Arnold Baxter, was now in prison for
various misdeeds.
The first term at school had been followed by an exciting chase on the
ocean, after which the boys had gone with their uncle to the jungles of
Africa, in a search after Anderson Rover. After the parent was found it
was learned that Arnold Baxter was trying to swindle the Rovers out of
a valuable gold mine in the far West, but this plot, after some
exciting adventures, was nipped in the bud.
The trip West had tired the boys, and they hailed an outing on the
Great Lakes with delight. During this outing they learned something
about a treasure located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and
the next winter visited the locality and unearthed a box containing
gold, silver, and precious stones, worth several thousands of dollars.
During this treasure-hunt Dan Baxter did his best to bring the Rover
boys to grief, but without success.
After the winter in the Adirondacks, the boys had expected to return at
once to Putnam Hall to continue their studies. But three pupils were
taken down with scarlet fever, and the academy was promptly closed by
the master, Captain Victor Putnam.
"That gives us another holiday," Tom had said. "Let us put in the time
by traveling," and, later on, it was decided that the boys should visit
California for their health. This they did, and in the seventh volume
of this series, entitled "The Rover Boys on Land and Sea," I related
the particulars of how they were carried off to sea during a violent
storm, in company with three of their old-time girl friends, Dora
Stanhope and her cousins, Nellie and Grace Laning. It may be mentioned
here that Dick thought Dora Stanhope the sweetest girl in the world,
and Tom and Sam were equally smitten with Nellie and Grace Laning.
Being cast away on the Pacific was productive of additional adventures
and surprises. On a ship that picked the girls and boys up they fell in
again with Dan Baxter, and he did all in his power to make trouble for
them. When all were cast away on a deserted island, Dan Baxter joined
some mutineers among the sailors, and there was a fight which
threatened to end seriously for our friends. But as luck would have it,
a United States warship hove into sight, and from that moment the boys
and girls, and the friends, who had stuck to them through thick and
thin, were safe.
Before the warship left the island a search was made for Dan Baxter and
for those who had mutinied with him. But the bully and his evil-minded
followers kept out of sight, and so they were left behind to shift for
themselves.
"Do you think that we will ever see Dan Baxter again?" Sam had
questioned.
"I hardly think so," had been Dick's reply. But in this surmise the
elder Rover boy was mistaken, as later events will prove.
The journey across the Pacific to San Francisco was accomplished
without incident. As soon as the Golden Gate was reached the boys,
and also the girls, sent telegrams to their folks, telling them that
all was well.
Mrs. Stanhope was staying at Santa Barbara for her health. All of the
girls had been stopping with her, and now it was decided that Dora,
Nellie, and Grace should go to her again.
"It's too bad we must part," Dick had said, as he squeezed Dora's
hand. "But you are coming East soon, aren't you?"
"In a month or two, yes. And what will you do?"
"Go back to Putnam Hall most likely--if the scarlet fever scare is
over."
"Then we'll be likely to see you again before long," and Dora smiled
her pleasure.
"It will be like old times to get back to the Hall again," Sam had put
in. "But first, I want to go home and see the folks."
"Right you are," had come from Tom. "I reckon they are dead anxious to
see us, too."
And so they had parted, with tight hand-squeezing and bright smiles
that meant a good deal. One train had taken the girls southward to
Santa Barbara, and another had taken the boys eastward to Denver and to
Chicago. At the latter city the lads had made a quick change, and
twenty-six hours later found them at Oak Run, and in the carriage for
the farm.