he
great lakes, 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 tha