CHAPTER III
A THANKSGIVING REUNION
“How good it seems to be at the farm once more,” remarked Fred, after the various greetings were over and old Aunt Martha had bustled off to get a bit of lunch for the travelers before they retired for the night.
“It’s a beautiful old place,” said Ruth to Jack. “I know I’m going to have a splendid time here.”
“It’s too bad I can’t be with you, Ruth,” returned the young major, rather wistfully. “But you know the old saying—a fellow can’t be in two places at once.”
“I only hope that motor-boat trip proves a pleasant one, Jack.”
“Oh, I think it will be a dandy. Ralph Mason, you know, is a fine fellow, and he said the motor boat was a peach.”
All the young folks were tired out because of the various doings of the day, and were glad enough to retire as soon as they had partaken of the refreshments served. The boys slept soundly, and so did the girls, and none of them put in an appearance until it was time for breakfast.
“Hello, Jack!” cried Randy, as he met the hired man on the side porch. “How are you feeling these days?”
“Pretty good, everything considered,” answered Jack Ness, with a grin. “Ain’t quite as young as I used to be when your dad was a boy around here.”
“He tells me you used to have great times together.”
“Well, we did—when your dad and your uncles didn’t get to cuttin’ up too high.”
“So they cut up once in a while, did they?”
“They sure did!”
After breakfast Tom Rover drove over to the railroad station to meet Dick and his wife. Jack and his sister went along, while Mary took Ruth to show her over the place.
“Well, Aleck, you’re getting younger every day,” remarked Andy, gayly, as he met the old colored man bringing in some onions and turnips from the barn.
“Can’t say as I’s much younger, but I ce’tainly doan feel no older, Massa Andy,” was the answer.
“Haven’t had the mumps, have you?” went on Andy, somewhat anxiously.
“Mumps? No, sah, I ain’t had no mumps.”
“Then maybe it was the measles?”
“No, sah, Massa Andy, I ain’t had no measles either.”
“That’s queer. Perhaps it was chilblains, or lumbago, or turtle-foot?”
“No, I ain’t had no chilblains nor no lumbago. But w’at’s dat turtle-foot? I ain’t never done hear of him.”
“Never heard of turtle-foot?” demanded the fun-loving Rover boy. “Now isn’t that strange! I thought you were brought up in a place where everybody had turtle-foot once in a while. Your nose looks just as if you’d had it. And just look at your ears! They’re all curled up like dead leaves. Don’t feel as if you wanted to see a doctor or an undertaker, do you, Aleck?”
“Say, w’at you want to do? Scare dis nigger out of his life?” questioned Aleck, his eyes as big as saucers. “I doan feel nothin’ the matter with my ears,” and he felt of both ears carefully. “An’ my nose seems all right, too,” he went on.
“All right. I only wanted to know. We can’t afford to have anything happen to the best looking colored man on the farm,” returned Andy, with great seriousness.
“Say, you’re only jokin’, Massa Andy. You is jest like your dad before you. He was always botherin’ the life out o’ dis coon. But he was a nice boy—yes, sah, he was. An’ he’s a nice man, too,” added Aleck, hastily.
“Never mind, Aleck. I brought you a sure cure for your ills,” continued the fun-loving Rover. “Picked it up at a store in Haven Point a few days ago. It will cure you of turtle-foot, rheumatism, misery, or anything else. Whenever you’re not feeling in the best of condition, just smell it real hard, and you’ll feel better at once,” and thus talking, Andy brought from his pocket a small article wrapped in tissue paper.
“Well, now, Massa Andy, dat’s right good of you to remember dis ol’ nigger,” answered Aleck, taking the package. “Want me to look at it right now?”
“Certainly, Aleck. And remember, if you don’t feel in the best of health just smell of it good and strong.”
Setting down his basket of turnips and onions, the colored man unwrapped the article somewhat gingerly. To his gaze there was displayed an imitation rabbit’s foot that looked almost real.
“A rabbit’s foot! Dat sure am good luck!” he exclaimed, his eyes glistening. “Ain’t nothin’ better.” He turned the article over in his hands. “I ain’t feelin’ so very scrumptuous this mornin’, so maybe I’d better take a smell of it,” he ventured.
“Sure, Aleck. But remember, you have to smell good and powerful. Otherwise the charm won’t work,” returned Andy.
Aleck looked at the imitation rabbit’s foot again, and then lifted the article to his nostrils. He closed his mouth tightly and took a long, deep breath through his nose. The next instant the colored man jerked back his head and his eyes stared as if about to start from his face. Then his head went back and he gave a resounding sneeze.
Kerchoo! kerchoo! kerchoo! Loud and clear came one sneeze after another while the tears began to run down Aleck’s face.
“Hurrah, it’s taking effect!” shouted Andy, gayly.
“Dat dere rabbit’s foot am—kerchoo—am full of—kerchoo—pepper!” gasped Aleck Pop. “You done—kerchoo—played a—kerchoo—trick on de ol’ man!” And then he went off into another spasm of sneezing.
“That will make you feel like a new man, sure,” put in Randy, who stood near by watching proceedings. Andy had told him about the rabbit’s foot and what fun he hoped to have with the article.
“It certainly will clear out your head, Aleck,” was Fred’s comment, with a grin. “Keep right on sneezing.”
“Am dat a cure, or am it only ’nother trick?” demanded Aleck, between more sneezes.
“You’ve got to take it for what it’s worth, Aleck,” replied Andy, with a chuckle. “If you don’t like it, you know you can always pass it along.”
“Perhaps Jack Ness would like to try the cure,” suggested Randy.
“By golly, dat’s w’at I’ll do! I’ll try it on Ness.” And then Aleck Pop pocketed the imitation rabbit’s foot so well seasoned with cayenne pepper and resumed his errand.
The train came in promptly, and it goes without saying that Jack and Martha were glad to see their father and mother. Dick Rover looked the picture of health, and his wife Dora was as beautiful as ever.
“We’re sure going to have some family reunion,” remarked Jack, as they rode back to the farm. “Everybody will be on hand to eat the two turkeys Aunt Martha is having roasted.”
“And you just ought to see the pumpkin and other pies in the pantry!” came from Martha. “I’m sure all the boys will eat themselves sick.”
“Humph! I don’t see you and Mary holding back on pie, or turkey either,” returned her brother, quickly.
It certainly was a grand family reunion. The dining table extended from one end of the dining room through the folding doors of the sitting room. At the head of the table sat Grandfather Anderson Rover, with old Uncle Randolph and his wife Martha beside him. Then came the fathers and mothers of the Rover boys, and the young folks occupied the other end of the table, with Ruth, the only outside guest, sitting between Martha and Jack. It was old Uncle Randolph who asked the blessing, and it can truthfully be said that all were thankful that they were together and in the best of health.
“I’ll tell you what—a gathering like this is something to be remembered,” remarked Dick Rover.
“Yes, indeed, Dick,” came from Dora, his wife. “There is no telling how long these gatherings can last. Your father and your Aunt Martha and Uncle Randolph are certainly growing old.”
It was a great feast, and all of the young folks ate turkey and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and turnips and boiled onions until they had to desist in order to save room for the pies and other dessert that followed.
“Gee, I feel like a stuffed alderman!” sighed Randy, at last. “I couldn’t eat another mouthful if I tried.”
“Same here,” said Fred.
“If I tried to eat another piece of pie, I’d bust off every button I’ve got,” was the way Andy expressed himself.
“Suppose we take a walk?” suggested Jack. “We need it.”
“I expect you want to work up an appetite for supper,” said Mary, slyly.
“We’ve got to do something, haven’t we?” her cousin retorted.
All of the young folks were glad to get out into the air again, and they ended by taking a long walk back of the farm where the Rick Rack River flowed. The lads had gone over this territory a number of times, and Jack pointed out to Ruth where his father and his uncles had had numerous adventures in the past—adventures which have been jotted down from time to time in the earlier volumes of the First Series.
“I wish you were going along on that motor-boat trip, Ruth,” remarked Jack, when the pair were strolling along a little apart from the others.
“It would be nice if we were all going,” admitted the girl. “But I guess the motor boat would be pretty well crowded.”
“Yes; Ralph said she wouldn’t hold any more than the crowd that is to go.”
“Of course you expect to be back in time for school?”
“Yes, we’ll be back unless the unexpected happens.”
All arrangements had already been made, and bright and early on the morning following Thanksgiving the four Rover boys said good-bye to their parents and the others and drove away to the railroad station at Oak Run. Here they took a train for the Junction, and there changed to an express for Worcester.
“I wonder if Ralph will be waiting for us at Woods Hole?” remarked Fred, while on the way.
“I hope so,” answered Jack.
The boys had lunch on the train, and at Worcester changed to another train which connected at Middleboro for Woods Hole. The run was rather a long one, with numerous stops, and as a consequence they did not reach Woods Hole until well toward evening.
“I see Ralph!” exclaimed Randy, as they alighted from the train, and the next minute the former major of the Colby Hall battalion was striding up to the Rovers.
“I was afraid the train might be late,” remarked Ralph, after shaking hands all around.
“How’s the motor boat?” questioned Fred, anxiously.
“Fine and dandy. I’ve had a man go over her carefully, so that she is in first-class condition.”
“What about Gif and Spouter?” questioned Jack.
“They’re coming a little later. Come ahead—I’ve got accommodations for all hands.”
In less than half an hour the boys found themselves located at an old-fashioned but comfortable hotel overlooking the waters of Vineyard Sound. Not far distant was the dock at which the Fancy, as the motor boat was named, was tied up.
The Rover boys were washing up for supper when Gif and Spouter arrived, having made the trip to Woods Hole in an automobile run by Mr. Garrison, who, however, had to proceed on his way because of business.
“Well, boys, have the best time possible,” said he, as he bade his son and the others farewell. “And above all things, don’t get into any trouble.”
“Oh, we’ll be all right, Dad. Don’t worry,” returned Gif; and a few minutes later the seven boys were left to themselves.
All of the lads were in the best of spirits, and it must be confessed that they were far from quiet when discussing their plans for the outing while in their rooms after supper.
“We’ll run from here over to Oak Bluffs on Marthas Vineyard,” announced Ralph. “We can stay there a day and run around to Edgartown and stay there also, if we desire. Then we’ll run straight over to Nantucket, where there is a splendid harbor. After that we can run over to Chatham and other places on Cape Cod.”
“Sounds mighty good,” said Randy.
The boys arranged many of the details of the trip and then turned in to dream of the happy times in store for them. But none of them dreamed of the many perils ahead, nor of the thrilling adventures through which they were to pass.