“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 wrong now,” answered Tom solemnly.  “I really haven’t time, you know.”

“I’m afraid, Tom, I can’t trust you.”  And Mrs. Randolph Rover shook her head sadly, but smiled nevertheless.  She loved the jolly lad with all her heart.

There was a warm greeting from Randolph Rover also, and then the boys turned indoors, to greet faithful Alexander Pop and the others who worked about the place.

“Yo’ is a sight fo’ soah eyes, ‘deed yo’ is, boys,” said the colored man.  “I can’t tell yo’ how much I’se missed yo’!” And his face shone like a piece of polished ebony.

“It’s more like home than ever, to get where you are, Aleck,” said Dick.  “You’ve been through so much with us you are certainly part of the outfit.”  And at this Aleck laughed and looked more pleased than ever.

It was the day before Christmas, but in honor of their arrival there was an extra-fine dinner awaiting them.  Mrs. Rover had wanted to keep her turkey meat for Christmas, so her husband, Anderson Rover, and Aleck had gone into the woods back, of the farm and brought down some rabbits and a number of birds, so there was potpie and other good things galore, not forgetting some pumpkin pies and home-made doughnuts, which Aunt Martha prepared with her own hands and of which the boys had always been exceedingly fond.