brother Sam had just come up home from the offices in Wall Street,
and they and their wives, as well as the twins' mother, greeted the lads
affectionately.

"It's been kind of lonely since you went away," said Mrs. Tom Rover, as
she caught each of the twins around the waist.

"I suppose you missed our tricks, Ma," returned Andy slyly.

"Maybe I did, Andy. But I wouldn't mind the tricks so much if only you
were here," and she gave a little sigh.

"Well, we're going to be here for a week, anyway," put in Randy, and
then both of the twins gave their mother such a hug as she had not
received for a long time.

Jack was already telling his father and his two uncles something about
Colby Hall. All of the men listened with close attention and
considerable satisfaction.

"I guess Larry has patterned it pretty closely after Putnam Hall and
West Point," remarked Sam Rover. "And that's as it should be, to my way
of thinking."

"He'd have to go a long way to do better," answered Tom Rover.
"Everybody knows that West Point is an ideal school, and dear old Putnam
Hall was a close second to it."

"I hope you lads haven't been playing too many tricks," went on Dick
Rover, as he gazed from one face to another before him.

"Well, Uncle Dick, we had to play _some_ tricks," answered Andy, a bit
lamely.

"You couldn't expect us to just sit still and hold our hands," added
Randy.

"We might as well own up to one thing," said Jack boldly. "We did play a
trick on one of the teachers--a fellow named Asa Lemm. Nobody liked
Lemm, and when Colonel Colby had a rumpus with him and made him resign,
all of us felt better."

Fortunately for the boys, an interruption came just at that moment in
the way of an announcement that dinner was ready. This was served in the
Dick Rover home, and was participated in by all of the members of the
Rover family. It made quite a table full.

"Gee! but it's nice to be here once more!" exclaimed Andy, while he was
eating.

"Beats a meal in the mess-room at the Hall all hollow, doesn't it?"
returned his twin.

"And yet you talk about going away on a hunting trip," broke in their
father quizzically.

"Oh, yes! But Uncle Tom, we are going to spend a whole week in New York
before that!" broke in Fred.

"I want to know a little more about this trip you're planning to
Snowshoe Island," remarked Dick Rover. "I want to make sure that it's a
perfectly safe place for you to visit."

"Oh, I'm sure it's sa