rick and that Pike
may do."

CHAPTER IV

AT THE FARM

The others considered Sam's advice good, and after another look around
for Dangler, they turned in the direction of home. They were a good
three miles from the farm and had to cross the river above the falls,
thus adding half a mile more to the journey. It was wet and muddy
walking and they had not covered over a mile when Tom called a halt.

"I am about fagged out," he announced. "Wonder if we can't hire a buggy
at the next farmhouse."

"We can try anyway," answered Dick.

Directly after crossing the river they came to a small farmhouse, and
walked around to the kitchen, where they saw an old woman shelling peas.

"We can't let you have any carriage," she said. "The men folks are to
town and they've got the horses."

The boys were about to turn away when Dick thought of something.

"By the way, do you know a man named Dangler?" he asked.

"Sure, I do," was the answer.

"Does he live around here?"

"I guess he lives where he pleases. He is an old bachelor and comes and
goes as he likes. He used to have a cottage down the pike, but it burnt
down last winter."

"Then you haven't any idea where he is stopping now?"

"No."

"Do you know a man named Merrick and another man named Pike?" went on
the eldest Rover boy.

At this the old woman shook her head.

"Never heard tell of them," she said.

"Has this Dangler any relatives around here?" asked Tom.

"None that I know of."

"Do you know what kind of man he is?" asked Sam.

"I never talk about my neighbors," answered the old woman, and drew up
her thin lips and went on shelling peas.

Feeling it would be useless to ask any more questions, the three boys
journeyed wearily on to the next farmhouse. This belonged to a fat
German named Gus Schmidt, who knew the Rovers fairly well.

"Yah, I let you haf a carriage alretty," said Gus Schmidt. "Put you must
pring him back to-morrow, hey?"

"We will," answered Dick.

"I vos hear some putty goot stories apout you Rofer poys," went on Mr.
Schmidt, while he was hooking up his horse. "You vos on der Mississippi
Rifer, hey?"

"We were," answered Sam.

"Und you vos go owid on der blains und catch some counterfeiters, hey?"

"Yes, we had something to do with it," came from Tom.

"Und den you vos go py der Gulluf of Mexico alretty und find a steampoat
vos has nopotty got on it," pursued Gus Schmidt. "Ach, it vos vonderful
vot vos habben to som