The Rover Boys on Treasure Isle | Page 3

and later spent a fine time hunting in the mountains.
They likewise spent some time in camp with their fellow cadets, and
during the summer vacation took a long trip on land and sea. Then they
returned home, and during another vacation sailed down the Ohio River
in a houseboat, spent some time on the plains, took an unexpected trip
to southern waters, and then came back to the farm.
On getting back home, as related in the twelfth volume of this series,
called "The Rover Boys on the Farm," the boys had imagined that
adventures for them were a thing of the past. They were willing to take
it easy, but this was not to be. Some bad men, including a sharper
named Sid Merrick, were responsible for the theft of some freight from
the local railroad, and Merrick, by a slick trick, obtained possession of
some traction company bonds belonging to Randolph Rover. The
Rover boys managed to locate the freight thieves, but Sid Merrick got
away from them, dropping a pocketbook containing the traction
company bonds in his flight. This was at a time when Dick, Tom and
Sam had returned to Putnam Hall for their final term at that institution.
At the Hall they had made a bitter enemy of a big, stocky bully named
Tad Sobber and of another lad named Nick Pell. Tad Sobber, to get
even with the Rovers for a fancied injury, sent to the latter a box
containing a live, poisonous snake. The snake got away and hid in Nick
Pell's desk and Nick was bitten and for some time it was feared that he

might die. He exposed Tad Sobber, and fearing arrest the bully ran
away from the Hall. Later, much to their surprise, the Rover boys
learned that the bully was a ward and nephew of Sid Merrick, and when
the sharper disappeared Tad Sobber went with him.
"They are certainly a bad pair," said Dick, but how bad the Rovers were
still to find out.
With the boys on the train were John Powell, better known as
"Songbird," because he had a habit of reciting newly made doggerel
which he called poetry, Hans Mueller, a German youth who frequently
got his English badly twisted, Fred Garrison, who had graduated with
the Rovers, and some others.
"Dick, you haven't told me yet what you intend to do this summer,"
remarked Fred Garrison, as the train rolled on.
"Because I don't know, Fred," answered the elder Rover. "My father
has something in store, but I don't know what it is."
"Can't you guess?"
"No."
"I wish we could take another trip like that on the houseboat--it was
certainly a dandy."
"The best ever!" put in Tom. "Even if we did have trouble with Lew
Flapp, Dan Baxter and some others."
"Speaking of Dan Baxter puts me in mind of something," came from
Songbird Powell. "It has just leaked out that Tad Sobber sent a note to
Captain Putnam in which Tad blamed some of the cadets for his
troubles, and said he was going to get square some day."
"Did he mention any names?" questioned Sam.
"Yes."

"Mine?"
"Yes--and Dick's and Tom's, too."
"It is just like Sobber--to blame his troubles on somebody else,"
remarked Dick.
"I am not afraid of him," declared Tom. "He had better keep his
distance--unless he wants to get the worst of it. We used to put up with
a whole lot from Dan Baxter before he reformed--I am not going to put
up with as much from Sobber."
"Tad certainly went off in bad company," said Sam. "His uncle ought to
be in prison this minute."
"Have the authorities heard anything of Merrick?" asked Songbird.
"Not a thing."
"I dink me dot feller has skipped to Europe alretty," vouchsafed Hans
Mueller. "He vould peen afraid to stay py der United States in, yah!"
And the German boy shook his head wisely.
"Personally I never want to set eyes on Sobber again," said Dick, with a
shrug of his broad shoulders. "The idea of introducing that deadly
snake into the school was the limit. Why, half a dozen of us might have
been bitten instead of only poor Pell."
"Maybe he did it only for a joke," said Larry Colby, another of the
cadets.
"If he did, it was carrying a joke altogether too far--endangering one or
more human lives. I don't believe in that sort of fun."
"Nor do I," came from several.
"If he is in Europe with his uncle perhaps I'll meet him there," said
Larry Colby. "I am going to France and Italy with my uncle and cousin.
Wish some of you fellows were going along," he added, wistfully.

"I am going to the Maine woods," said a lad named George Granberry.
"You