arville in the big school stage. As was usual, Peleg Snuggers drove
the turnout, which was filled to overflowing with cadets. Behind the
stage came a big wagon, heavily loaded with trunks and boxes.

"Now, young gents, no cutting up," pleaded the general-utility man.
"The hosses won't stand it, nowhow!"

"That's an old scare, Peleg," replied Tom. He had a tin horn and gave a
loud blast. "That will let folks know we are coming." And then a dozen
other horns sounded out, while some of the cadets began to sing.

A few minutes after reaching the steamboat dock at the village, which,
as my old readers know, was located on the shore of Cayuga Lake, the
_Golden Star_ came along and made her usual landing. The boat looked
familiar to them and they gave the captain a rousing greeting.

Over a dozen pupils were to make the trip to Ithaca at the foot of the
lake. There the Rovers would get aboard a train which would take them
to Oak Run, the nearest railroad station to their home.

"The _Golden Star_ looks like an old friend," remarked Dick, when they
were seated on the front, upper deck, enjoying the refreshing breeze
that was blowing.'

"I am never on this boat but what I think of our first meeting with Dan
Baxter and with Dora Stanhope and Nellie and Grace Laning," came from
Tom. "What an enemy Dan Baxter has been from that time on!"

"And what a pile of things have happened since that time!" was Sam's
comment. "By the way, it is strange that none of us have heard from any
of those girls lately. They ought to be coming east from California by
this time."

"I wish they were home," went on Tom. "I'd like to propose something."

"Maybe you'd like to propose to Nellie," put in his younger brother,
slyly.

"No sooner than you'd propose to Grace," was Tom's prompt answer, which
made Sam blush. "Dick," he went on, "wouldn't it be great if we could
get the girls and Mrs. Stanhope to take that trip with us on the
houseboat?"

"That would certainly be immense," cried the eldest Rover,
enthusiastically. "Why didn't we think of it before? We might have
written to them about it."

"Is it too late to write now?" asked Sam. "Or, maybe we can telegraph."

"Perhaps Mrs. Laning wants her girls at home now," said Dick, slowly.
"They have been away a long time, remember."

"Perhaps Mrs. Laning might go along. We could have a jolly time of it
with six or seven boys and perhaps the same number of girls and
ladies."

The idea of ha