the front piazza
and waved her hand. Down in the roadway stood Jack Ness, the hired man,
grinning broadly, and behind Mrs. Rover stood Alexander Pop, the
colored helper, his mouth open from ear to ear. At once Tom began to
sing:

"Home again! home again!
Safe from Putnam Hall."

And then he made a flying leap from the carriage, rushed up the steps
and gave his aunt such a hug as made her gasp for breath.

"Oh, Tom, you bear! Do let up!" she cried. "Now, there's a kiss for
you, and there's another! How do you do, Sam, and how are you, Dick?"
And she kissed them also. "I am glad you are back at last." She turned
to her husband. "What of Anderson, did you hear anything?"

"Yes, he will be back in a few days."

"I'se jess too pleased fo' anything to see yo' boys back heah!" came
from Aleck Pop. "It's dun been mighty lonely since yo' went away."

"Don't worry, Aleck, we'll cheer you up," answered Tom.

"Oh, I know dat, Massa Tom--yo'll turn dis place upside down in two
days suah!"

"Why, Aleck, you know I'd never do anything so rash," answered Tom,
meekly.

"Going to uncover some more freight thieves?" asked Jack Ness, as he
took charge of the team and started for the barn.

"I think dem boys had bettah cotch some of dem chicken thieves," put in
Aleck Pop. "Yo' don't seem to git holt ob dem nohow."

"Oh, never you mind about the chicken thieves," grumbled Jack Ness.

"Has somebody been stealing chickens again?" asked Dick, remembering
that they had suffered several times from such depredations.

"Yes, da has--took two chickens las' Wednesday, foah on Saturday, an'
two on Monday. Jack he laid fo' 'em wid a shotgun, but he didn't cotch
nobody."

"I'll catch them yet, see if I don't," said the hired man.

"Perhaps a fox is doing it," suggested Sam. "If so, we ought to go on a
fox hunt. That would suit me first-rate."

"No fox in this," answered Jack Ness. "I see the footprints of two
men,--tramps, I reckon. If I catch sight of 'em I'll fill 'em full of
shot and then have 'em locked up."

CHAPTER III

FUN ON THE FARM

Two days passed and the boys felt once more at home on the farm. The
strain of the recent examinations and the closing exercises at school
had gone and as Sam declared, "they were once more themselves," and
ready for anything that might turn up.

In those two days came another telegram from Mr. Rover, sent from
Philadelphia, in which he stated that he had caught his man, b