Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History The Rover Boys on the Farm; or, Last Days at Putnam HallThe Project Gutenberg eBook of The Rover Boys on the Farm; or, Last Days at Putnam Hall This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Rover Boys on the Farm; or, Last Days at Putnam Hall Author: Edward Stratemeyer Release date: July 28, 2007 [eBook #22163] Most recently updated: January 2, 2021 Language: English Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22163 Credits: Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain material produced by Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM; OR, LAST DAYS AT PUTNAM HALL *** Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain material produced by Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.) THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM OR _LAST DAYS AT PUTNAM HALL_ BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer) AUTHOR OF THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL. THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN, THE PUTNAM HALL SERIES, Etc. _ILLUSTRATED_ NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Made in the United States of America [Illustration: ONE HORSE REARED AND TRIED TO BACK.] PREFACE. MY DEAR BOYS: With this I present to you "The Rover Boys on the Farm," the twelfth volume in the "Rover Boys Series for Young Americans." It is a large number of volumes to write about one set of characters, isn't it? When I started the series, many years ago, I had in mind, as I have told you before, to pen three books, possibly four. But as soon as I had written "The Rover Boys at School," "The Rover Boys on the Ocean," and "The Rover Boys in the Jungle," there was a cry for more, and so I wrote "The Rover Boys Out West," "On the Great Lakes," "In the Mountains," "On Land and Sea," "In Camp," "On the River," "On the Plains," and then "In Southern Waters," where we last left our heroes. In the present story, as promised in the last volume, the scene is shifted back to the farm and to dear old Putnam Hall, with their many pleasant associations. As before, Sam, Tom and Dick are to the front, along with several of their friends, and there are a number of adventures, some comical and some strange and mystifying. At the school the rivalries are as keen as ever, but the Rover boys are on their mettle, and prove their worth on more than one occasion. Again I thank my numerous readers for all the kind words they have spoken about my stories. I hope the present volume will please them in every way. Affectionately and sincerely yours, EDWARD STRATEMEYER CONTENTS. I. SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROVER BOYS II. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN III. A MYSTERIOUS CAVE IV. AT THE FARM V. RANDOLPH ROVER'S STORY VI. WAITING FOR NEWS VII. A STRANGE LETTER BOX VIII. LAST DAYS ON THE FARM IX. AT THE WILD WEST SHOW X. JOLLY OLD SCHOOLMATES XI. WILLIAM PHILANDER TUBBS XII. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE STAIRS XIII. DORA, GRACE AND NELLIE XIV. AT THE ICE-CREAM ESTABLISHMENT XV. AN ASTONISHING GIFT XVI. THE HUNT FOR A SNAKE XVII. A STIRRING SCENE IN THE SCHOOLROOM XVIII. IN WHICH TAD SOBBER DISAPPEARS XIX. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PARTY XX. DICK AND DORA XXI. A BOB SLED RACE XXII. PELEG SNUGGERS' QUEER RIDE XXIII. HOLIDAYS AT THE FARM XXIV. A CAPTURE AND A SURPRISE XXV. CHRISTMAS AT THE FARM XXVI. THE SKATING RACE XXVII. ON THE LAKE XXVIII. AT THE OLD HOUSE XXIX. A WRECK AND A CAPTURE XXX. GOOD-BYE TO PUTNAM HALL THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM CHAPTER I SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROVER BOYS "Sam, this isn't the path." "I know it, Tom." "We've missed our way," went on Tom Rover, with a serious look on his usually sunny face. "It looks that way to me," answered Sam Rover, his younger brother. "I think we made a wrong turn after we slid down the cliff." "What is keeping Dick?" "I don't know." "Let's call to him," went on Tom, and set up a loud cry, in which his brother joined. The pair listened intently, but no answer came back. "I don't like this," said Sam, an anxious look in his clear eyes. "Maybe Dick is in trouble." "Perhaps so," answered Tom Rover. The two boys were far up on a mountainside, and all around them were tall trees, thick brushwood, and immense ridges of rocks. It had been a clear, sunshiny day, but now the sky was overcast, and it looked like rain. "We've got to go back for Dick," said Tom, after a painful pause. "No use of going on without him." "I hope he hasn't fallen over some cliff and hurt himself," returned his younger brother. "I don't see why he doesn't answer us, if he's all right," was the unsatisfactory reply. "Come on, or the storm will overtake us before we get down from the mountain and we'll be soaked by the time we reach home." Side by side the brothers retraced their steps--a hard task, for it is much easier to climb down a steep mountainside than to climb up. To those who have read the previous volumes in this "Rover Boys Series," the two brothers just mentioned will need no special introduction. The Rover boys were three in number, Dick being the oldest, fun-loving Tom coming next, and Sam bringing up the rear. All were bright, lively, up-to-date lads, and honest and manly to the core. They lived on a farm called Valley Brook, in New York state,--a beautiful spot owned by their uncle, Randolph Rover, and his wife, Martha. Their father, Anderson Rover, also lived at the farm when at home, but he was away a great deal on business. From the farm the boys had been sent, some years before, to Putnam Hall, an ideal place of learning, of which we shall learn more as our tale proceeds. What the lads did there on their arrival has already been related in "The Rover Boys at School," the first volume of this series. A short term at Putnam Hall was followed by a trip on the ocean, and then a long journey to the jungles of Africa, in search of Anderson Rover, who had disappeared. Then came a grand outing out west, and another outing on the great lakes, followed by some stirring adventures in the mountains of New York state. Coming from the mountains, the three youths had expected to go back to Putnam Hall at once, but fate ordained otherwise and they were cast away in the Pacific Ocean, as related in "The Rover Boys on Land and Sea." They had a hard task of it getting home, and then returned to the school and had some splendid times while in camp with the other cadets. When vacation was once more at hand the boys soon solved |