Laning had induced Mrs. Stanhope to come along.

"I wanted her to come for two reasons," whispered d.i.c.k to Dora, after the first greetings were over. "I wished her here, and I was afraid, if she remained behind, Josiah Crabtree might try to visit her."

"He did try, d.i.c.k," answered the girl.

"What, again?"

"Yes, and what do you think? We had another visit from Tad Sobber."

"And what did he say?"

"He wanted us to give him half of the fortune. Said that if we didn't he would never rest until he got the money."

"What did your mother do?"

"She had two hired men, who happened to be at the house, put him out."

"Good! That's the best way to treat him."

"Mamma was very much upset, as you can imagine. And the very next day Josiah Crabtree called, and what do you think he said? He sent word by the maid that he had called not alone on his own behalf, but also on behalf of Sobber."

"Oh, so that's the way the wind blows, eh? They are going to form a sort of partnership, to see if they can't get hold of your money, by one way or another."

"It looks that way, d.i.c.k, and I am worried to death."

"I'd like to run Sobber down and put him in prison. He has done a number of things for which he might be arrested."

"I am trying to get mamma to take a trip somewhere. I want her to go in secret, so that Sobber and Mr. Crabtree can't follow her."

"That might be a good thing, Dora," answered d.i.c.k, and then he had to turn his attention to running the touring car. Although the automobile was built for but seven, all had crowded in, Sam sitting in front on Tom's lap, and the ladies and girls occupying the tonneau.

The run to the farm took but a few minutes, d.i.c.k "letting the machine out" in a manner that made the ladies gasp.

"Never rode so fast in my life, on a country road!" declared Mrs. Laning, on alighting. "It was like a train!"

"Oh, that was nothing," answered Tom. "We can go twice as fast if we want to."

"Not with me in the car!" declared the lady, firmly.

"It's a splendid automobile," said Mrs. Stanhope. "But I shouldn't care to travel at racing speed in one."

The visitors were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Rover and her husband and by the boys' father, and soon all were made to feel at home. The best rooms in the farmhouse were given over to the guests, and Mrs. Rover had placed a beautiful bunch of June roses in each apartment.

"What lovely roses!" cried Mrs. Stanhope. "We have some, but not as grand as these!" And her face showed her satisfaction.

"It's great to have you girls here!" declared Sam. "What a jolly family we would be if we all lived together!"

"Oh, what an idea!" cried Grace, but she smiled even as she spoke.

Of course the boys had to show the girls all over the farm, and Uncle Randolph took the ladies around, showing them the big barns and the cattle, the chickens, the horses, the pigs, and the orchards, and broad fields of corn, wheat, and other products. Then they came back to look at the neat vegetable garden, and Mrs. Rover's flower plots, and also at the bees.

"I hope for great things from my bees," announced Randolph Rover. "I have taken up the study of them with care, and I think I can produce a variety that will give us extra fine clover honey."

"I thought you had your bees all in one place, Uncle Randolph," said d.i.c.k, as he noticed a hive set apart from the others.

"That is a new family I bought last week," was the explanation. "I am keeping them apart for the purpose of studying them. But they are rather wild as yet, and I do not dare to disturb them very much."

"Oh, I can't bear bees!" whispered Nellie to Tom. "Let's get out of here," and she walked away, and the others followed.

Although the young folks remained up rather late on the night before the Fourth, Tom, d.i.c.k and Sam arranged among themselves to get up early the next day, to fire a salute from the old cannon.

"We'll surprise them all," said Tom. "We'll show 'em we can make a noise even if we are in the country."

The boys crept downstairs at five o'clock and hurried out to the shed where the powder had been left. Bringing the box forth they took it to where the old cannon had been placed on the lawn. The piece was pointed towards an apple orchard, so that it might do no damage.

"Now, fill her up good!" cried Tom. "We want to make as much noise as we can with the first shot."

"Don't put in such a load that she bursts," cautioned d.i.c.k.

The powder was measured out and put in, and then this was followed by a wad of paper Sam brought from the kitchen. They rammed the paper in good and tight.

"Now, I guess she's ready to set off," said Tom.

"Tom, don't you stand too close," said d.i.c.k. "That cannon might explode.

Light the slow match and then run behind a tree, or the corner of the piazza."

"All right, d.i.c.k. But I don't think she'll explode," was the reply.

"h.e.l.lo, goin' to fire her off, eh?" came a voice from the fence, and Jack Ness appeared.

"Yes, Jack," answered Sam. "But keep still-we want to surprise the folks."

"Good enough," murmured the hired man. "You'll do it right enough. Thet old cannon always was a snorter fer noise." And he backed away towards the orchard to get behind a tree, out of the way of possible harm.

All being ready, Tom lit a match and applied it to the slow match of the cannon. Then he ran for the corner of the piazza, to join his brothers.

A few seconds pa.s.sed-they seemed unusually long just then-but nothing happened.

"The slow match must have gone out," murmured Tom.

"Don't go back!-it may go off, yet," answered d.i.c.k. "Sometimes--"

Bang! went the cannon, and the tremendous report echoed and re-echoed throughout the hills surrounding Valley Brook. The charge had been so big that the piece had "kicked back" about a yard.

"Say, that was a noise!"

"If that didn't wake the folks up nothing will!"

"I'm glad she didn't burst."