orth taking."

"Especially if you had to put on all the extra tires along the way,
Fred," added Andy, with a grin.

"Oh, well, I guess I could do that, too, if I had to," answered the
youngest Rover boy quickly. "But the roads from here to Chicago are
pretty good, they tell me, so I don't think we'd have many punctures or
blow-outs."

"Such a trip would be dandy, only it might take more time than we'd care
to spend on the way right now," remarked Jack. "Personally I want to get
out to Big Horn Ranch as soon as possible."

"Exactly my sentiments," came from Randy. "Me for the mountains and
plains and a life in the open air!"

"Oh, for a life in the open air,
Under the skies so blue and fair!"

sang out Andy gayly.

"Gee, Andy is bursting into poetry!" cried Fred. "What's going to happen
next?"

"Maybe he ate something that didn't agree with him," giggled Mary.

"You'd better bottle up that poetry stuff, Andy," remarked Jack.
"Remember we're going out to a ranch owned by Songbird Powell, and he was
nicknamed Songbird while at Putnam Hall because he was always bursting
out into home-made poetry. Maybe we'll get a surplus of it when we get
out to the ranch."

Lunch was had in the dining car, and almost before the young folks
realized it the train was rolling into Albany. Here an extra car was
attached, and then they were off on the long journey through the Mohawk
Valley to Buffalo, Cleveland, and the great city by the Lakes.

After the train had passed Utica Andy and Randy, who found it hard to sit
still, took a walk through the cars from end to end, thinking they might
meet somebody they knew. They were gone so long that Sam Rover became a
little worried over them.

"I think I'll hunt them up," he said to his wife. "For all we know they
may have gotten into some mischief."

"More than likely they're into something," answered Mrs. Grace Rover.
"They're exactly like their father Tom when it comes to stirring things
up."

Sam Rover was just leaving his seat when Andy and Randy came back to the
car. Their faces showed their excitement.

"What do you think!" exclaimed Randy, as he dropped into a seat. "We met
that same fellow who was threatening Brassy Bangs at Haven Point."

"Was Brassy with him?" questioned Jack quickly.

"No. But two other men were with him, and it's a tough crowd, believe
me."

"Where are they?" questioned Fred.

"Two cars behind. And from the way the three talked they must