After the boat races and the affair with Codfish matters at Colby Hall so far as they concerned the Rover boys and their chums moved along rapidly. The term was approaching its end, and all the cadets were anxious to make as good a showing in the examinations as possible. Through some of the younger cadets the Rovers learned what trouble Codfish had had in ridding himself of the signs that had been painted upon him. The small boys said that the sneak was terribly angry over what had occurred, but was afraid to open his mouth to any of those in authority.
“He’s afraid of that licking we promised him,” said Andy, and in that surmise the fun-loving youth was correct.
Of course baseball was not forgotten at Colby Hall this term. There were the usual games to be played between that institution and Hixley High, the Clearwater Country Club, Columbus Academy and Longley. Both Randy and Andy were on the team this year as substitutes, and as it happened they had little to do. The big game this year was won by Hixley and another game was won by the Columbus boys. Colby beat the Country Club and Longley received a great drubbing, the score being 14 to 3.
“That’s the time we put another one over on ’em!” cried Randy, in satisfaction. “I guess that will hold ’em for a while!”
He and his twin had managed to get into the game during the last three innings, and he had made a two-bagger while his brother had made a single which had brought in two runs.
As had been expected, there were no tears shed among those who knew him well when it was announced that Stowell was going to leave Colby Hall and had already entered for the next term at Longley Academy.
“It’s a case of good riddance to bad rubbish,” was Fred’s comment, and to this his cousins and his chums agreed.
During those days the boys saw the girls from Clearwater Hall twice. The girls’ school was to close a week before Colby Hall shut down, and this would send Mary and Martha home before their brothers and cousins.
“We’re going up to Valley Brook Farm first and take Ruth with us,” said Martha. “After that I don’t know exactly what we’re to do. What are you going to do, Jack?”
“Gif says he has a secret,” answered the young major. “He’s holding it back just as Spouter held his secret back last term.”
“Then you’re to be Gif’s guests?”
“I don’t know what it is, Martha. After that accident to Mr. Garrison he and Gif cooked up something between them, but Gif won’t open his mouth about it yet. He says it’s to be a surprise.”
“Well, surprises are very nice sometimes,” put in Ruth, who was present.
“How is your dad, Ruth?”
“Oh, he’s quite well now,” was the girl’s answer. “But he’s just as much worried as ever about those formulas. He has been trying very hard to get duplicates, but without success.”
“It ought not to be so very hard to get formulas for making artists’ material,” remarked Mary.
“That’s all you know about it,” answered Jack. “I was reading up on that subject some time ago. It seems some of the celebrated artists made their own pigments; and they were mighty secret about it, too, so that no one else could make exactly the same things. Why, some of the great pictures are great largely on account of the paints that were used in painting them.”
“In that case I certainly hope they get the formulas back,” said Martha.
The time soon came for the boys and girls to separate. Jack was sorry to part from Ruth and asked her if she would not write to him when she arrived at Valley Brook Farm.
“I will if you’ll promise to answer,” said the girl, and this promise was speedily given.
“Gee, but I’ve got a hard examination in geometry for to-morrow!” remarked Fred when the boys were returning to school. “I wish it was over.”
“I suppose we all wish the examinations were over, Fred,” answered the young major. “I’ve got that examination in Latin, you know, and it’s a hard one.”
They met Gif at the entrance to the campus and noticed that their chum had a broad grin on his face.
“I’ve got news for you at last,” he said. “It’s all settled.”
“What’s settled, Gif?” the Rover boys questioned in concert.
“Where we’re to spend a large part of this summer’s vacation,” was the reply. “I’ve just been waiting to hear from my dad to make sure that everything would be all right. You’re all to go with me, and of course Spouter is to be along, too. Come on down to the river and I’ll tell you all about it. Here comes Spouter now.”
A few minutes later the six boys were seated on a grassy bank overlooking the Rick Rack. Then Gif pulled from an inner pocket a large envelope and took from it half a dozen photographs.
“What do you think of this?” and he passed one of the pictures around.
“Pretty nice looking bungalow, I’ll say,” was Jack’s comment. “What’s this in front of it—a river?”
“No. This is what’s in front of it,” and Gif handed out another photograph.
“Why, it’s a lake!” exclaimed Spouter. “Looks like a dandy place, too! Just look at those hills behind it, and see those immense cedar trees! Looks like a regular paradise, Gif. Where is it?”
“What do you think of this?” went on Gif, and held out a third photograph, a picture of Mr. Garrison standing with a fishing rod in one hand and a big string of fish in the other.
“Looks like a good catch, all right,” was Andy’s comment. “I’d like to do as well myself.”
“Was that taken up on that lake?” questioned Fred.
“It was, Fred. And here’s another picture that was taken by my dad one day along the edge of the lake.”
“A bear! A big bear!” was the cry from several of the cadets.
“Is he wild?” questioned Randy quickly.
“Wild? Of course he’s wild! My dad snapped the picture, but by the time he could think of a gun the bear was half a mile away. But that’s nothing. My dad says there used to be a whole lot of bears around that lake. That, of course, was before the hunters got busy and killed most of them off.”
“What place is this, Gif?” demanded Andy impatiently.
“This is a place we are to go to this summer, provided you fellows are agreeable. This bungalow belongs to my father. It’s a big affair, and used to be used by a hunting and fishing club of which he was president. The club went to pieces and he paid a lot of their debts and took the clubhouse in payment. He thought of going up there this summer, but then changed his mind and put it up to me as to whether I thought we would like to go. There were certain details to be arranged first, so I didn’t say anything until everything was settled. Now if you fellows want to go up, say the word and we’ll go.”
“But what place is it?” queried Spouter.
“It’s Big Bear Lake.”
“Oh! I’ve heard of that place!” cried Jack. “And I’ve heard all about the bears that used to live along the shores of the lake. They say it’s a dandy place for hunting and fishing.”
“Not much hunting in the summer time,” answered Gif. “But the fishing is there, and we could have a dandy time knocking around the bungalow, and in swimming, and like that.”
“If you’re putting it up to me, Gif, I say let’s go,” cried Andy quickly.
“Go! Of course we’ll go!” exclaimed his twin.
“You couldn’t hold us back,” burst out Fred.
“I’d just as lief go to-day and let that Latin examination slide,” commented Jack, and at this there was a general laugh.
“The best news I’ve heard in a long time,” said Spouter. “Just think of an outing in the shade of the primeval forest, close to the shore of a placid lake, where we can sit and meditate and watch the sun going down over the distant hills, and where we can hear the hoot of the lonely owl as it flits around seeking its mate, and where—”
“The ants get into the sugar, the flies into the butter, and where you always wake up if you happen to walk into a hornet’s nest or a den of snakes,” finished Andy.
“Who said anything about ants or hornets, or snakes either?” snorted Spouter. “You never do give me a chance to say something worth while.”
“Never mind, Spouter, you’ll have your chance later on,” said Randy. “Some day when you are all alone in camp, and we have gone on a clambake or to hunt bears, you can stand on a rock in the middle of the lake and orate to your heart’s content.”
“That’s the stuff, Spouter! Just think of standing on a floating rock delivering an address,” chuckled Randy. “Wouldn’t that be original?”
“I’ll address you if you don’t look out,” answered Spouter, and threw a handful of dirt at his tormentor.
After that the boys plied Gif with questions in regard to the bungalow at Big Bear Lake and as to where the place was located.
“All I can tell you is that we’ll take the train to Boston and then another train to a place called Rocky Run. That’s a small place at the upper end of the lake. There we’ll take our boats—my father owns three of them—and row down the lake until we reach the bungalow. The lake, you know, is several miles long and between a quarter and a half a mile wide and has a number of islands in it. One of the islands used to have a fishing club colony on it, but the whole place burned down several years ago.”
“Any other places on the lake besides Rocky Run?”
“Yes. There is the town of Beldane at the lower end. There are also a number of bungalows at the upper end of the lake and one or two bungalows on the opposite shore. But taking it generally, the place is rather a wild one.”
“That suits me,” said Fred. “The wilder the better.”
“I wonder if we’ll get a chance at one of those bears,” mused Jack.
“We’d better take some guns along,” said Fred.
“Oh, yes, we’ll have to do that!” answered Gif. “My father said he would send us a list of just what things we ought to take along and what supplies we ought to get when we reach Rocky Run. There is an old storekeeper up there named Mumbleton, Mose Mumbleton. He has done many favors for my father and for the members of the fishing club generally, and my father said he would rather have us buy our supplies there than ship them from Beldane or Boston. It would give Mumbleton a chance to make a little money, and we might find his friendship worth something to us while we were up there.”
After that the boys looked over the photographs again and continued to talk about Big Bear Lake and the good times they expected to have there until the bell rang for the evening parade.
Although it was still early in June the night proved an unusually warm one, and after having prepared himself for the examination in Latin on the next day Jack found it almost impossible to get to sleep. He tumbled and tossed on the bed for the best part of an hour and finally arose, to sit by the open window for a while.
He had been resting there for perhaps five minutes gazing out dreamily into the moonlight, when he heard the put-put of a motor-boat on the river. Then somewhat to his surprise he saw a motor-boat turn in to the Colby Hall dock. Several figures sprang ashore and hurried into the boathouse belonging to the military academy.
“Hello! what does that mean? That can’t be one of our motor-boats,” murmured the young major to himself. “That looks mighty queer to me.”
He hesitated for a moment and then aroused his cousins.
“Seems to me we ought to look into this,” said Fred. “Those fellows may be nothing but thieves.”
“If some of our fellows have been out on a lark we don’t want to get them into trouble,” said Andy. “I move we sneak downstairs and make an investigation.”
The others agreed to this, and all quickly donned their shoes and clothing and then made for the fire-escape, which they so often used in preference to the regular stairway.
As they ran across the campus they saw three figures steal forth from the Colby Hall boathouse. The three figures made for the motor-boat at the dock, and in a minute more the Rovers heard the motor of the boat and then saw the craft glide out into the semi-darkness of the night.
“Now what were they doing at the boathouse?” questioned Jack.
Struck with a sudden fear, the young major broke into a run, followed by the others. They dashed into the boathouse, which was dark, and in one corner saw a faint glare.
“It’s a fire!” gasped Fred. “Somebody has set the place on fire!”