THE ROVER BOYS IN NEW YORK
The more the Rover boys talked about the treasure hunt the more
enthusiastic they became, until, as Tom expressed it, they were "simply
boiling over with enthusiasm."
"It will be a grand thing for the Stanhopes and the Lanings if we do
locate that treasure," said Sam. "Mr. Laning has some money, but I know
he'd like more, so he wouldn't have to farm quite so hard."
"And Dick wants to get all he can for Dora, I'm certain of that," said
Tom, with a merry glance at his elder brother.
"How about you getting the Laning share for Nellie's benefit?" retorted
Dick, his face growing red. "I reckon the boot is as long as the shoe."
As the Rovers had plenty of money it was an easy matter to arrange for
the expenses of the trip. Mrs. Stanhope wanted to pay a share, but
Anderson Rover said she had better wait until the treasure was found.
Inside of three days word was received from all those who had been
asked to participate in the search. Mr. Laning said that he could not
leave his farm very well, but that his wife and two daughters would go.
Mrs. Stanhope and Dora said they would pack immediately. Fred Garrison
was visiting Hans Mueller and the two sent a telegram as follows:
"You couldn't hold us back if you tried. Where shall we meet you?"
"That's like Fred," said Dick. "I am awfully glad he is to be with
us--and glad Hans will come, too."
The last telegram to come in was from Songbird Powell. The reply of the
would-be poet of Putnam Hall was characteristic:
"Tell me where
And I'll be there,
On the run
For lots of fun."
"If that isn't Songbird!" exclaimed Sam, laughing, as he read the
telegram. "Had to talk in rhyme even over the telegraph wire!"
It was finally decided that the whole party should meet in Philadelphia
about the Fourth of July, which was now less than a week off. They
should go directly to the steam yacht, and the voyage was to begin as
soon as all arrangements were completed.
"I wish to stop off at New York for a day," said Anderson Rover. "If
you boys want to go with me you may do so."
"That will suit me," answered Dick, and his brothers said the same.
It had been agreed that no outsiders should be told of the treasure
hunt, so nothing was mentioned but a summer trip on a steam yacht. The
day the Rovers and Aleck Pop left the farm was a clear one, and all
were in the best of spirits. The colored man drove to the depot with
Jack Ness and the trunks and dress-suit cases, and all of the others
went in the carryall, Randolph Rover driving and Mrs. Rover giving the
boys final instructions about taking care of themselves.
"I shall miss you very much," she said, with tears in her eyes. Her
lively nephews were as dear to her as if they were her own sons.
"You'd better go along, Aunt Martha," said Dick.
"We'd like it first-rate," added Sam.
"It might help us to keep out of mischief," came from Tom, with a
bright smile.
"No, I'll stay at home with your uncle, boys. But do take care of
yourselves, and come home safe."
"Oh, there will be no danger in this trip," said Dick, but he was
mistaken--there was to be great peril and of an unusual kind. If the
treasure hunters could have seen what was before them they would not
have started off in such a confident frame of mind.
The train was a little late, but presently it rolled into the station
and the trunks and other baggage were hoisted aboard. Then came the
final embraces and the boys climbed up the steps, followed by their
father and Aleck.
"Hurrah, we are off at last!" cried Tom, and waved his cap
enthusiastically. The others did the same, and then the train started
and Oak Run quickly faded from sight. As the boys settled down in their
seats a lad came from another car and moved swiftly toward them.
"Songbird, by all that's lucky!" cried Dick, and caught the other by
the hand.
"I thought you'd be on this train," answered Songbird Powell. "I got
your wire last night that you would stop off at New York. I am going to
stop, too--to see an uncle of mine on a little business."
"Then you'll travel with us to Philadelphia?" queried Sam.
"Sure."
"Good! Tom was just saying he'd like some of the others along."
"When I got your invitation I danced a jig of delight," went on
Songbird. "I just couldn't help it. Then I sat down and wrote----"
"A piece of poetry about it thirty-five stanzas long," finished Tom.
"No, Tom, there are only six verses. You see I couldn't help it--I was
so chuck full of enthusiasm. The poem begins like this:
"'Twas a peaceful, summer night,
When all the stars were shining bright,
There came a rap on our house door
Which made me leap from bed to floor.
To me had come a telegram
From my old chums, Dick, Tom and Sam
Asking if I had a notion
To sail with them upon the ocean.
To skim along on waters blue----"
"And then and there get seasick, too," finished Tom. "Don't forget to
put in about the seasickness, Songbird--it always goes with a voyage,
you know."
"Seasick!" snorted the would-be poet. "Who ever heard of seasickness in
a poem? The next line is this:
"And see so many sights quite new,
To rest in quiet day by day
And watch the fishes at their play."
"That's the first verse. The second begins----"
"Save it, Songbird, until we're on the yacht," interrupted Sam. "We'll
have more time to listen then."
"All right," answered the would-be poet cheerfully. "I want to fix up
some of the lines anyhow. I've got 'harm' to rhyme with 'storm' and it
doesn't quite suit me."
"Never mind--a storm often does great harm," said Dick. "You can easily
fix it up by throwing out both words, you know."
After that the talk drifted around to the matter of the treasure hunt
and Songbird was given some of the details, in which he became much
interested. He declared that he thought the trip on the steam yacht
would be even more interesting than the one on the houseboat had been.
"We're after something definite this trip," he said. "We've got
something to look forward to--especially if that Sid Merrick starts a
rival hunt."
"We want to get ahead of Merrick," answered Dick. "We want to locate
Treasure Isle and get the gold and jewels before he knows what we are
up to."
"What's the name of the steam yacht?"
"The _Rainbow_."
"That's a good name, for a rainbow is a sign of good promise," was
Songbird's comment.
The party had to make one change of cars and had their dinner on the
train. They arrived at the Grand Central Depot at half past two o'clock
and the Rovers went to a nearby hotel, taking Aleck with them, while
Songbird hurried off to transact his business with his uncle.
Mr. Rover had to meet some men who were interested in his mining
ventures in the far west, and so, after accommodations had been
obtained, he hurried off, leaving the boys to their own devices.
"Let us take a stroll down Broadway," suggested Sam, to whom the sights
of this busy thoroughfare were always interesting.
The others were willing, and they passed through Forty-second street to
Broadway and then turned southward. The street was filled with wagons,
trucks and trolley cars, and the sidewalk appeared to "overflow with
folks," as Sam said. At one point a man was giving some sort of an
exhibition in a store window and here the crowd was so great they had
to walk out into the gutter to get past.
"I can tell you one thing," remarked Dick. "There is after all but one
New York and no other city is like it."
The boys walked slowly as far as Union Square and then sat down on one
of the park benches to rest. Nearly all the benches were filled with
people and in idle curiosity Dick began to scan the various types of
men present, from bright, brisk clerks to fat and unshaved bummers, too
lazy to work.
"Hullo!"
Dick uttered the exclamation so abruptly that Sam and Tom were
startled.
"What do you see?" queried both.
"Look there!"
They gazed in the direction Dick pointed out and on a distant bench saw
a youth of about Tom's age, but heavier-set, talking to a man who wore
a rusty suit of brown and a peculiarly-shaped slouch hat.
"Why, that's Tad Sobber!" cried Tom.
"So it is," added Sam. "Who is that fellow with him?"
"I don't know, although his figure looks somewhat familiar to me,"
answered Dick.
"What can Tad be doing in New York?" questioned Tom. "Do you suppose he
is down here with Sid Merrick?"
"Perhaps."
"Let's go over and see what he has to say for himself," suggested Sam.
"Maybe he'll run away when he sees us."
All of the boys were curious to know what the former bully of Putnam
Hall might have to say for himself and they strode over to the bench
upon which Sobber and the man in brown were sitting. They came up
behind the pair.
"I can't give you any money, Cuffer," they heard Tad Sobber say.
"You'll have to wait till my Uncle Sid gets here."
"When will he get to New York?"
"To-morrow."
"That fellow is Cuffer, the man who ran away from us at the old mill!"
cried Dick.
"Let us catch him and hand him over to the police," returned Tom.
In his excitement he talked rather loudly and this attracted the
attention of Cuffer and Tad Sobber.
"The Rovers!" cried Sobber, leaping to his feet in consternation. "How
did they get down to New York?"
"Who did you say?" questioned Cuffer, and then looking at the three
youths his face blanched. "We must get away from here, and be quick
about it!"
He started to run and Dick and Sam went after him. The chase led to the
lower end of the little park, and then Cuffer crossed Fourteenth
street, and amid the crowd bound homeward for the day, pushed his way
in the direction of the Third Avenue elevated railroad station.
In the meantime Tad Sobber started to run in another direction. But
before he had taken a dozen steps Tom was on him and had him by the
arm.
"Stop, Sobber," he said shortly.
"I won't! You let me go, Tom Rover."
"I'll not let you go," answered Tom, firmly. "And if you don't stand
still I'll call a policeman and have you arrested."