“Now it is good-by to Colby Hall and hurrah for a vacation!” exclaimed Fred. Then he added quickly: “Now then, Andy and Randy, where are we to go? Don’t keep me waiting any longer. I’m all on fire with suspense,” and the youngest Rover put on a tragic air.
“Wait till we pick up the girls,” pleaded Andy. “No use in going over the whole thing twice. They’ll want to know about it, anyway.”
It had already been arranged that Martha and Mary, along with Ruth, were to accompany the lads to New York City. Although the others did not know it, Jack went armed, having obtained the loan of a pistol from Colonel Colby, who had been told the particulars regarding the rascality of Carson Davenport.
“I feel that I am responsible for the safety of my sister and my cousin,” the young major had told the master of the school. “I want to be sure that they get home safely.” And thereupon Colonel Colby had somewhat reluctantly permitted Jack to take his own private nickel-plated pistol.
When the boys arrived at Clearwater Hall they found the three girls waiting for them. A few minutes later the whole crowd was off for the Haven Point railroad station.
“Have you seen or heard anything more of that man Davenport?” questioned Mary anxiously, as they rode along.
“Not a thing, Mary,” answered her brother. “Have you?”
“Two or three times we saw somebody skulking in the bushes back of the school,” said the girl. “It was rather dark, and the man was so far off we couldn’t tell who he was, although Martha thought he walked like the fellow who tried to push us into the auto.”
It took but a few minutes to reach the railroad station, and during that time Andy and Randy had no opportunity to speak of the trip the lads intended to take during their vacation. At the station they fell in with a number of the cadets, including Phil Franklin.
“I’ve arranged to stay with Mrs. Logan,” said Phil. “And I think Barry and I are going to have some bang-up times.”