The Rover Boys Under Canvas - or The Mystery of the Wrecked Submarine

Edward Stratemeyer

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• Publié par: kefus
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 24
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's The Rover Boys Under Canvas, by Arthur M. Winfield This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Rover Boys Under Canvas or The Mystery of the Wrecked Submarine Author: Arthur M. Winfield Release Date: November 1, 2007 [EBook #23286] Last updated: January 21, 2009 Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS *** Produced by David Edwards, Jacqueline Jeremy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain material produced by Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.) THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS By ARTHUR M. WINFIELD “MY GRACIOUS! LOOK AT THAT!” (Frontispiece)—Page 28 THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS OR THE MYSTERY OF THE WRECKED SUBMARINE BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer) AUTHOR OF “THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL,” “THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN,” “THE PUTNAM HALL SERIES,” ETC. ILLUSTRATED GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Made in the United States of America NEW YORK BOOKS BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer) THE FIRST ROVER BOYS SERIES THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA THE ROVER BOYS ON THE RIVER THE ROVER BOYS ON THE PLAINS THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE THE ROVER BOYS AT COLLEGE THE ROVER BOYS DOWN EAST THE ROVER BOYS IN THE AIR THE ROVER BOYS IN NEW YORK THE ROVER BOYS IN ALASKA THE ROVER BOYS IN BUSINESS THE ROVER BOYS ON A TOUR THE SECOND ROVER BOYS SERIES THE ROVER BOYS AT COLBY HALL THE ROVER BOYS ON SNOWSHOE ISLAND THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS THE PUTNAM HALL SERIES THE PUTNAM HALL CADETS THE PUTNAM HALL RIVALS THE PUTNAM HALL CHAMPIONS THE PUTNAM HALL REBELLION THE PUTNAM HALL ENCAMPMENT THE PUTNAM HALL MYSTERY 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. GROSSET & D UNLAP, Publishers, New York C OPYRIGHT, 1919, BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER The Rover Boys Under Canvas INTRODUCTION MY DEAR BOYS : This book is a complete story in itself, but forms the third volume in a line issued under the general title, “The Second Rover Boys Series for Young Americans.” As mentioned in a number of volumes of the first series, this line was started some years ago with the publication of “The Rover Boys at School,” “On the Ocean,” and “In the Jungle,” in which I introduced my young readers to Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover. The volumes of the first series related the doings of these three Rover boys while attending Putnam Hall Military Academy, Brill College, and while on numerous outings. Having acquired a good education, the three young men established themselves in business and became married. Presently Dick Rover was blessed with a son and a daughter, as was also his brother Sam, while Tom Rover became the proud father of twin boys. At first the four lads were kept at home, but then it was thought best to send them to a boarding school, and in the first volume of the second series, entitled “The Rover Boys at Colby Hall,” I related what happened to them while attending this institution. From Colby Hall the scene was shifted to Snowshoe Island, where [iii] [iv] the lads went for a mid-winter outing. Here they ran into a most unusual mystery, and helped an old lumberman to establish his claim to the island. In the present volume the boys are back at Colby Hall, but it is time for the annual encampment of the military school, and soon they depart for a brief season “Under Canvas.” This is at the time of the World War, and the lads get mixed up in the mystery surrounding a wrecked submarine. What this led to, I leave for the pages which follow to relate. In conclusion I wish to thank my numerous readers for all the nice things they have said about my books. I trust the reading of the volumes will do all of them good. Affectionately and sincerely yours, EDWARD STRATEMEYER. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE [v] I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI A GAME OF BASEBALL 1 12 25 35 41 56 66 76 87 98 109 120 132 142 153 164 175 184 194 [vi] ABOUT THE ROVER BOYS T HE AMMUNITION F ACTORY EXPLOSIONS A RESCUE ON THE LAKE BASEBALL VICTORY M EETING OLD ENEMIES CELEBRATING THE F UN WITH CODFISH AN INTERRUPTED F EAST A T ELEGRAM FROM HOME ON THE WAY HOME T OM ROVER’S DILEMMA AT THE ROVER COMPANY OFFICES F UN AT A RAILROAD STATION BACK TO COLBY HALL T HE ELECTION FOR OFFICERS OFF FOR THE ENCAMPMENT A NIGHT ON THE ROAD ONE SURPRISE F IRST DAYS AND ANOTHER CANVAS AT CAMP BARLIGHT UNDER 202 212 STRANGE NOISES XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX AT THE RIFLE RANGES GIRL VISITORS T OM ROVER’S ANNOUNCEMENT AT CAMP HUXWELL AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY ON BOARD THE SUBMARINE T HE CABIN IN THE WOODS T HE F IGHT ON THE SUBMARINE AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE—CONCLUSION 221 231 240 250 260 271 282 291 300 THE ROVER BOYS UNDER CANVAS CHAPTER I A GAME OF BASEBALL “N OW for a home run, Jack!” “Soak it out over the bleachers!” “Show the Hixley boys what we can do!” “Give him a swift one, Dink! Don’t let him hit it!” “Oh, dear, I do hope Jack scores!” came in a sweet, girlish voice. “Of course he’ll score!” returned a youth sitting near the girl who had made the remark. “He’s been holding back for just this chance.” “Oh, do you think so?” asked another girl in the grandstand. “Surest thing ever was,” was the airy rejoinder. “This is the time we’re going to show the Hixley boys what’s what.” “Not on your life!” bellowed a heavy voice from the rear. “Here is where Colby Hall gets snowed under.” Then came a series of yells, followed by the tooting of horns and the sounding of rattles, making a din that was almost ear-splitting. The occasion was the annual baseball game between Hixley High and Colby Hall. It had been scheduled to take place on the highschool athletic field, but at almost the last minute this field had been declared out of condition, and it had been decided to hold the contest on the athletic grounds attached to the military academy. [2] [1] Hixley High was very anxious to win this game. During the previous fall, as related in a former volume of this series, the highschool lads had lost the annual football game with Colby Hall by a single touchdown. This defeat still rankled in their minds, and they were determined if possible to take the baseball game by a score that should be well worth while. And they had good reason to be hopeful of doing this. While their football team had always been considered by the other teams of that locality to be of the “second string variety,” the baseball nine was a remarkably strong organization. At its head was Dink Wilsey, a pitcher who was destined at some time in the future to show himself in one of the big leagues. “Why, Dink alone can walk off with that game,” was the way more than one Hixley High student had expressed himself. But more than this—Hixley High had an exceptionally good first baseman and a trio of outfielders whose batting average was high. “We’re going to put it all over Colby Hall this trip,” was the way the manager of the Hixley High ball club declared himself on the day previous to the match. The game was now at the second half of the sixth inning, and the score stood, Hixley High, 4; Colby Hall, 2. Colby Hall was at the bat with two men out and one man at second. It was therefore no wonder that the military academy students became anxious when Jack Rover took up his bat and walked to the plate. A home run would mean the tying of the score, and with a chance to do even better. “Take your time, Jack,” said Gif Garrison, who was the manager of the nine. “Make him give you a ball just where you want it.” “Watch yourself!” yelled one of the coaches to the runner at second, for the Hixley High pitcher had suddenly whirled around, sending the ball down to the second baseman. There was a quick drop by the runner, and he escaped getting caught by a few inches only. “Close shave! Watch yourself, Dan!” yelled Gif Garrison; and Dan Soppinger, at second, nodded to show that he understood, and then danced away in the direction of third base as before. The first ball pitched to Jack Rover was a slow in-curve, and he stepped back and allowed it to pass him. “Ball one!” At this decision a howl of delight went up from the followers of Colby Hall, while a corresponding groan came from Hixley High. “That’s the eye!” “Better get a pair of glasses!” “Sure! The umpire must be blind! That was a perfect ball!” [4] [3] “Sure it was a perfect ball! That’s the reason he called it a ball!” came from Andy Rover, who sat on the substitutes’ bench. The second ball delivered was a fairly good one, although rather low. Jack swung at it, and high into the air spun the sphere, well back of the catcher’s head. “Foul!” “Run, Billy, you can catch it!” Flinging off his mask, the Hixley High catcher rushed back toward where the ball was coming down. But it was too far away for him, and it struck slantingly on one of the back posts, rolling off toward the grandstand. “Line it out, Jack! Don’t be fooling with fouls!” yelled Fred Rover. “Show ’em where the river is!” added Randy Rover. The next ball to come in was a wide out-curve, and again Jack let it pass him. “Ball two!” shouted the umpire. “That’s the way to do it, Jack! Make ’em give you what you want!” With two balls against him, the noted pitcher for the high school exercised a little more care in his next delivery. He sent in a straight, swift one, directly over the outer point of the plate. It was not exactly what Jack desired, but it was good enough, and he swung at it with all his strength. Crack! An