d at each other enquiringly.

"Another joke--and so soon!" gasped Sam Rover.

"That certainly is the limit!" broke out Dick Rover, as he started for
the house.

"If I find Andy and Randy have been up to another trick right on top of
this water-hose nonsense, I'll give them a tanning they won't forget in
a hurry," added Tom Rover; and then he and Sam followed Dick up the
back porch and into the kitchen.

To the readers of the former volumes in these two "Rover Boys Series,"
Dick, Tom and Sam Rover will need no special introduction. For the
benefit of others, however, let me state that the sober-minded and
determined Dick was the oldest of the three, with the fun-loving Tom
coming next and sturdy Sam being the youngest. They were the sons of
one Anderson Rover, who, when not traveling, made his home at Valley
Brook Farm, in New York State, living there with his brother Randolph
Rover and wife Martha.

While Dick, Tom, and Sam were quite young, and while their father was
off exploring in the interior of Africa, the three Rovers had been sent
to Putnam Hall Military Academy, where they had made a few enemies and
likewise a host of friends, including a manly and straight-forward
cadet named Lawrence Colby. After many adventures both at school and in
various portions of the globe, they had graduated from Putnam Hall with
honor and then entered Brill College.

At that time, Mr. Anderson Rover, who had long since returned from
Africa, was not in the best of health. He had numerous business
interests both in Wall Street, New York City, and in the West to take
care of, and presently it was found necessary that Dick leave college
and take charge of business matters for his parent. In this task Dick
was soon aided by Tom, leaving Sam the only member of the family to
graduate from Brill.

While at Putnam Hall the three Rovers had become acquainted with three
charming girls, Dora Stanhope and her cousins, Nellie and Grace Laning.
This acquaintance had ripened into loving intimacy; and when Dick went
into business he took Dora Stanhope for his life-long partner. A little
later Tom was married to Nellie Laning, and, after he had left Brill
and joined his brothers in conducting their father's various business
enterprises, Sam married Grace Laning.

With the aid of Mr. Anderson Rover and some others, The Rover Company
was organized with offices on Wall Street, New York City. The company
dealt in stocks, bonds, real estate, and