Part 12 (1/2)
”I'll certainly do that, Jack.” And later on Mrs. Tom Rover and Mrs. Sam Rover promised to do the same thing.
”There is no telling what may happen to our dads if they get into a regular first-cla.s.s battle,” remarked Fred, that night when the four boys were holding a little conference among themselves.
”Well, we've got to take what comes,” returned Randy briefly. ”However, I'll be as much worried as ma until this war is at an end or until our dads come home.”
The boys had looked over their traps with care and examined their rifles and shotguns, and had even gone down into the cellar of one of their residences to try out the weapons to make certain that they were in working order.
With a shotgun in his hand Andy wanted to have some fun with one of the servant girls, but Randy quickly stopped him.
”Nothing doing, Andy,” he said. ”You'll only make ma nervous, and she is nervous enough already, thinking about dad. You save your tomfoolery until we are on the way or up at the camp.”
At length came the time for the boys to take their departure. Jack hated to think of running away from Ruth, and Fred was equally sorry to leave May Powell behind, yet the thought of what was ahead brightened all of the lads considerably.
”We ought to have the time of our lives,” declared Fred. ”That is, if hunting is half as good as Gif Garrison said it was.”
”And if I can get that silver fox,” added Jack.
”Nothing but a moose for me,” declared Randy. ”Either a moose or a six-legged jack rabbit.”
”Wouldn't you like to shoot a bear that weighed about a thousand pounds?” questioned Jack.
”And lug the carca.s.s to camp yourself?” came from Fred.
”Speaking about carrying a thousand-pound bear puts me in mind of something,” cried Randy quickly. ”A fellow was telling me of a man here in the city who carried twelve hundred pounds.”
”Twelve hundred pounds!” exclaimed his twin. ”It can't be done.”
”Why, that's more than a half a ton!” said Jack incredulously.
”Never mind, the fellow carried the twelve hundred pounds,” went on Randy. ”A whole lot of people saw him do it.”
”Where was this?” questioned Fred.
”It was down at one of the Broadway banks,” answered Randy innocently.
”The fellow was an English army officer. He had twelve hundred pounds in English money that he was exchanging for good old U. S. A. coin.”
”Fooled!” cried Fred, and this was followed by a general laugh.
CHAPTER IX
THE RAILROAD ACCIDENT
The four Rover boys journeyed from New York City to Baxton and there changed from one station to another nearby and took the next train for Portview.
Arriving in Portview they took a taxicab to the leading hotel, and were there met by Gif and Spouter, who had come in a few hours earlier and had already signed for their accommodations.
”Mighty glad to see you got here,” declared Gif. ”I read about the awful storm you had down around New York, and I thought you might be delayed.”