“Boys, you must take care and not get into trouble.”

“And as soon as you have word of your father let us know.”

Thus spoke Aunt Martha and Uncle Randolph, as the three Rover boys stood ready to say good-bye.  The automobile was already at the door and their suitcases were in the tonneau.

“We’ll take care of ourselves,” said Dick.  “And as soon as we get any word we’ll let you know.  And remember, Uncle Randolph, if any word comes to the farm you are to forward it at once to the Outlook Hotel.”

“Yes, I’ll remember that,” answered the uncle.

The boys kissed their aunt, who shed silent tears at their departure.  To Aunt Martha the great metropolis was a wonderful as well as dangerous place.

“Good-bye!” cried Tom, and was the first to climb into the automobile, getting into the driver’s seat.  Jack Ness was to go with them as far as Oak Run, to bring the touring car back.

The other lads climbed in, and all those left at the farm waved them an adieu.  Then Tom threw in the dutch, and off they sped, down the lane to the main road.  Soon a cloud of dust hid them from view.

“It’s awful, Randolph!” murmured Mrs. Rover to her husband.  “New York is such a busy place—­ and there are so many wicked people in it!”

“The boys know how to take care of themselves,” answered Randolph Rover.  “Why, they even took care of themselves when they were cast away on that island in the Pacific Ocean,” he added, referring to happenings which I have related in detail in the volume entitled “The Rover Boys on Land and Sea.”

“True—­ but—­ but I am nervous about this trip.  And then, what can have happened to Anderson?”

“That I don’t know.  Maybe a street car or an automobile ran over him.  They have such accidents in New York every day, so I’ve been told.”

“I know it!  Oh, it is terrible, this suspense!” And Mrs. Rover walked away, the tears still coursing down her cheeks.

In the meanwhile the touring car was making good time along the road to Oak Run.  At Dexter’s Corners they stopped at the post-office for letters.  There were three—­ one for each boy, but not one was postmarked New York.  They were from the girls at Brill.

“Glad to hear from the girls,” said Sam.  “But, just the same, this time I’d rather get word from New York.”

“So would I,” added Dick.

“Ditto here,” echoed Tom, with a long-drawn sigh.

Without waiting to read the communications, the lads kept on to the Oak Run depot.  They could hear the train coming through the hills and presently it glided into sight and up to the station.

“Good luck to ye!” shouted Jack Ness, as they boarded one of the cars.  And then he turned back towards the farm with the touring car.

The train was not more than half filled, so the three youths had but little difficulty in getting seats.  They turned one of the seats over, so that they might face each other, and put their suitcases in the racks overhead.