along!" growled the old station master, in sudden wrath.
"You're joking me. Go oh, or I'll throw something at you!"

"No bouquets, please, Mr. Ricks. Then you won't try the cure? All right,
but don't blame me if your rheumatism gets worse. And as I can't do
anything for you, will you kindly inform me if you've seen anything of
Jack Ness around here, with our turnout?"

"If you want your hired man you go find him yourself," growled the
station master, and hobbled into his office.

"Oh, Tom, but that was rich," laughed Sam softly. "When you said extract
of vanilla and mushamusha I thought I'd explode. And he was listening
so earnestly, too!"

"Here's Jack Ness!" cried Dick, as they turned to the rear of the
station. "Hullo, Jack! Here we are again!"

"Master Dick!" exclaimed the hired man, with a grin. "An' Tom an' Sam!
Glad to see you boys back, indeed I am. Here, give me them bags. I'll
put 'em in the back of the sleigh."

"How is the sleighing?" asked Sam.

"Sleighing is quite fair yet, Master Tom. In you go. All the folks is
dying to see you."

They were soon stowed away in the big family sleigh, and Jack Ness
touched up the team, and away they went, through Oak Run and across the
bridge spanning the Swift River--that stream where Sam had once had such
a thrilling adventure. The countryside was covered with snow and with
pools of ice.

It did not take them long to come in sight of Valley Brook. While still
at a distance they saw faithful Alexander Pop come out on the broad
piazza and wave his hand at them.

"There's Aleck!" cried Tom. "He's been on the watch!"

"There is father!" came from Sam, a moment later; "and aunt Martha and
Uncle Randolph!"

Soon they turned into the lane, and Jack Ness brought the sleigh up to
the piazza block in fine style. Tom was the first out and ran to greet
his father, and then his uncle and his aunt, and the others followed.

"I am glad to see you back, boys," said Mr. Anderson Rover. "You all
look first-rate."

"We're feeling first-rate," came from Dick.

"Are you sure, Sam, that you are quite over your cold?" asked Aunt
Martha anxiously.

"Quite sure, aunty dear," he answered, and kissed her very warmly, not
once, but several times.

"Here, don't eat Aunt Martha up!" cried Tom. "Leave some for me."

"You dear Tom!" murmured the lady of the house, as she kissed him and
then embraced Dick. "Full of fun as ever, I suppose."

"Oh, no, aunty! I never do anything wr