Part 2 (1/2)
”But what is it?” demanded Sam, impatiently.
”Josiah Crabtree has escaped from jail.”
”Escaped!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Tom.
”Why, we were just talking about him!” put in d.i.c.k ”When did this happen?”
”Last night, so the newspaper man said. It seems there was a small fire at the jail--down in the kitchen. There was great excitement, for supper was just being served. In the excitement three of the prisoners, who were out of their cells, escaped. Josiah Crabtree was one of them.”
”Too bad!” murmured Sam. ”And we thought he was safe!”
”This spells Trouble for us,” was Tom's comment, and d.i.c.k nodded his head, to show that he was of the same opinion.
CHAPTER II
ABOUT THE PAST
”Did you get any more particulars?” asked Sam, of the college poet.
”No. The newspaper man was busy, so the Doctor said, and didn't have time to go into details,” answered Songbird.
”Did he say who the other prisoners were who got away?” asked d.i.c.k.
”Yes, a tramp who was up for robbing a man on the road and a bank clerk who took some money from the bank.”
”None of the crowd we are interested in,” said Tom.
”I'm glad of it,” returned his older brother. ”It is bad enough for Crabtree to get away. I hope they keep a strict guard over the others after this.”
”Oh, they will, rest a.s.sured of that,” came from Stanley Browne. ”The head jailer will get a raking over the coals for this, mark my words.”
”The Stanhopes and the Lanings will be sorry to learn that Crabtree got away,” said Sam. ”I wonder if they aren't searching for him,”
mused Sam.
”Oh, they'll search for all of them,” put in Songbird. ”I think the newspaper man said the sheriff had a posse out.”
”Too bad!” said d.i.c.k, shaking his head gravely. ”And just when we felt sure old Crabtree wouldn't be able to give us any more trouble!”
”It beats the nation, what that man can do!” cried Sam. ”Maybe be hypnotized one of the jailers--just as he hypnotized Mrs. Stanhope years ago.
”He'd be equal to it--if he got the chance,” answered Tom; and then all of the students had to go in to their cla.s.ses.
To those who have read the previous volumes in this ”Rover Boys Series” of books, the lads we have just met will need no special introduction. For the benefit of my new readers, however, let me state that the Rover boys were three in number, d.i.c.k being the oldest, fun-loving Tom coming next, and Sam being about a year younger still.
When at home they lived with their father, Anderson Rover, and their Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha on a beautiful farm called Valley Brook, in New York State.
Years before, and while their father was in Africa, the three boys had been sent by their uncle to Putnam Hall Military Academy, as related in detail in the first volume of this series, called ”The Rover Boys at School.” At the Hall they had made a number of friends, including Songbird Powell and the dudish student, William Philander Tubbs. They had also made some enemies, who did their best to bring the Rover boys to grief, but without success.
A term at school had been followed by a short cruise on the ocean, and then a trip to the jungles of Africa, whither the lads went to find their father, who had disappeared. Then, during vacation, the boys took a trip West, and then another trip on the Great Lakes. After that they went in the mountains, and then came back to Putnam Hall, to go into camp with their fellow cadets.