\KKIM,L SERIES \TEMEYER. t r'^u>MrtailiaMhOiMeUMp mi " Oak Hall wins the game ! " " Say, but that was a great run by Porter ! " " Hello, Rockville, how do you feel now? " Such were some of the cries uttered after the game came to a finish, the majority of the remarks being completely lost in the wild cheering and noise of the horns and rattles. The Military Academy players were much crest- fallen over the defeat and left the grounds as quickly as possible. The Oak Hall boys were sur- rounded by their chums, and many were the hand- shakes and back-pattings. " Boys, you did remarkably well," said Andrew Dale, with a warm smile. " I am proud of you, and I know that Dr. Clay will be proud, too. I am sorry there was any roughness, but I honestly think your opponents were more to blame than yourselves." " They were," answered Roger. " I had to warn them to be careful, and the referee warned them, too." " Say, Dave, don't you ever tell me that you 176 A SUPPER AND A SNAPPING TURTLE 177 can't play football," came from Ben, as he hurried up. " That run was a dandy." " I didn't do much at real playing," answered Dave. " I just got hold of the ball, and I knew there was nothing to do but to dodge and run for it. Anybody could have done that." " Not everybody," put in Phil. " They were after you hot-footed." " And did you see him leap clear over Pryor," said Buster Beggs. " Say, Dave, you ought to go in for high-jumping, when we have our field- day." " I used to jump over the rail fences on the farm," answered Dave, with a laugh. It was a happy crowd of schoolboys that left the football field and crowded into the dressing room. Outside the followers of Oak Hall still kept up their cheering and noise-making. The only persons who did not enthuse over the victory were Gus Plum, Macklin, and Puffers. " It was a fluke," said the bully of the school. " Porter got the leather by the merest acci- dent." " Of course it was a fluke," added Puffers. " Rockville put up the better play right through! " " Those chaps will have the swelled head after this," came from Macklin. " You won't be able to touch 'em with a ten-foot pole." " Let us organize a team of our own," suggested 1/8 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL Puffers. " We have as much right to play as they have." To this the others Instantly agreed, but when it came to getting the boys together they found they could muster but nine players, so the scheme fell through. It was too late to return to Oak Hall before sup- per time, so, by an arrangement made beforehand, the crowd was divided into several parties, each to take supper at a hotel or boarding house in Rock- vllle. The students of the football team kept to- gether, and with them went half a dozen of their intimate friends. All felt in high spirits, and the conversation was an animated one, filled with talks of punts, fumbles, charging, scrimmages, kick-offs, and the like, terms well known to the initiated, but like so much Greek to those who do not follow the game. " After this Rockville won't crow so much," said Roger. " They were pretty nice fellows, anyway," said Dave. " They got excited and that made them rough." The party was to take supper at the largest hotel of which the town boasted. The hostelry was pretty well filled, but a special table had been set in the dining room for the football players and their chums. " This is just all right," said Buster Beggs, as they sat down to the well-filled table. " My, but A SUPPER AND A SNAPPING TURTLE 179 a game gives a fellow an appetite, eh? " And he began to eat with vigor. As was to be expected, the high spirits of the students could not be controlled, and many were the tricks played at the table. Shadow Hamilton had some sugar poured down inside his collar, " just to make him sweet," as was declared, and Dave had his fish so well peppered that the first mouthful brought tears to his eyes. " Phew! but this is hot! " he cried, reaching for a glass of water. " Dave wants his fish to swim ! " cried Roger. " All right, my boy, go ahead." " Say, who put mustard in my tea? " demanded Ben. " No extra charge, Basswood! " came from the end of the table. " The proprietor has a mustard farm in Connecticut, so the product costs next to nothing." " I'll farm you if I get hold of you," cried Ben. So the fun went on until the meal was about fin- ished, when Buster Beggs and Dave slipped out of the dining room. " Where did you see the turtle ? " asked Dave, in a whisper. "In a storeroom, this way," answered Bus- ter, in an equally low voice. " He was in a big crate." The two boys hurried to the storeroom men- i8o DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL tioned, and there, in a box on the floor, was a big turtle, blinking and winking drowsily. "A snapper!" cried Dave. "He'll create a sensation all right enough." Between them the two boys took some slats off the top of the box which held the turtle. Then they dragged the box to a side door of the dining room, and making sure they were not seen, dumped the turtle right side up on the floor. At first the creature did not know what to make of its liberty, but soon it stretched its long neck, gave a shake of its head, and started awkwardly across the dining-room floor toward a center table where a number of ladies and gentlemen were eat- ing. While this was going on Dave and Buster slipped back into their seats. " Did you hear about that turtle they've got here?" asked Dave, in a tone loud enough for many in the dining room to hear. " Terribly vicious creature," put in Buster, in a tone equally loud. " They say he nearly bit off the hand of one of the waiters." " The cook wants to make soup of the turtle, but he doesn't know how to manage the fellow," con- tinued Dave. " He snaps and bites something awful." " I saw that turtle," said one of the other boys, innocently. " He was in a crate in a side room. He did look pretty ugly." A SUPPER AND A SNAPPING TURTLE i8i " I didn't see him," came from another. "Where is he? I'd like to know what a real dangerous turtle looks like." These words had scarcely been uttered when there came a scream from a lady at the center table. " Oh, look at that horrid thing coming this way! " " Hello, it's a turtle ! " cried a gentleman. " The snapping turtle Is loose! " yelled Buster Beggs. " Oh, my, what a whopper he Is! " " He'll chew somebody up ! " At that moment the turtle brushed against the foot of one of the young men. " Oh, dear, he Is trying to eat my foot 1 " shrieked the young man, who was a good deal of a dude. " Oh, really, this is truly awful, don't you know ! Help ! " " I — I don't wish to be bitten! " came from an elderly maiden, and she leaped up on a chair, and a dozen others in the dining hall followed suit. From one part of the floor the snapping turtle turned to another, and as he came for the boys they too took to their chair-seats, while one leaped on the end of the table. " The turtle Is monarch of all he surveys," came from Roger. " Scat! " And he made a kick at the creature. The snapping turtle gave a hiss and a snap that made Roger draw back In alarm. 1 82 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Do you know, I really believe he is ugly," said Dave, to Buster, in a low tone. " Oh, I reckon not," was the answer. But just then the turtle made a fierce snap at another boy, who gave a yell to be heard all over the hotel. By this time the dining room was in an uproar. Several began to throw things at the snapping turtle, and this made the creature more ugly than ever. From one table he charged to another, until nobody dared to remain on the floor. " A dollar reward for capturing the turtle ! " sang out Phil. " Come now, don't all speak at once." "You had better win that reward yourself!" came tartly from a man at a near by table. "Anybody here belonging to a menagerie?" asked Roger. " If so, please speak up and take the turtle away." The turtle now made another charge, and did this so fiercely that the chair on which Ben was standing went over, casting the lad headlong to the floor. Before he could arise, the snapping turtle had him by the knee of his trousers and was hold- ing on grimly. " Let go, you beast ! " gasped poor Ben. " Let go ! Somebody make him let go I " And he con- tinued to struggle. Fearful that the snapping turtle had his friend by the knee-cap, Dave leaped behind the creature, A SUPPER AND A SNAPPING TURTLE 183 and so did Roger, and both caught the turtle by the tail. There was a vicious tug, the ripping of cloth, and then the creature was swung around, with a mouthful of clothing still in its jaws. It made a snap at Dave, but he was too quick and swung himself up on a chair. Roger jumped up on the table, landing with one foot in a dish of fruit and the other on a plate of cheese. " He ought to. be on a tug-of-war team," came from Phil. " Hi, get away from here ! " he added, as the turtle stuck out its long neck and gave another hiss. Phil had just finished when somebody threw a plate, hitting the turtle on the back. The creature whirled around, when a cup hit it in the head. Then it turned again and started for a door lead- ing to the hallway. As it happened a waiter was coming through the doorway with a trayful of eat- ables, and down went colored man and viands di- rectly on top of the turtle. " Fo' de sake ob Linkum! " gasped the waiter, trying to scramble up. " Wot's dis? If it ain't dat snapper! How he dun got loose?" And then he lost no time in seeking a place of safety. "He has gone ! " announced Roger, as the turtle disappeared into the hall. A few seconds later came a scream of real pain; " Somebody has caught it," said Dave, and rushed out of the dining hall, followed by several 1 84 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL others. At the end of the hallway they found a bellboy perched on a hat-rack, nursing a nipped finger. " He wanted to swaller me! " shrieked the bell- boy. " Take him away I Shoot him ! He'll kill us all!" The alarm had brought the proprietor of the hotel to the scene, and for a moment he thought of shooting the snapping turtle. " I wanted to keep him alive a few days," said he. " We have a big dinner next Tuesday, and I wished to use him then, for a special kind of soup the cook is going to make." " Let us get the crate," whispered Dave to Buster. " We ought to get him back into it, if we can." " Excuse me," was the answer. " If he gets hold of you " "He is going into the storeroom!" cried a waiter standing near. " I'll lock him in," said the hotel man. While he was speaking the turtle turned to a corner of the storeroom. Catching up the crate, Dave flung it over the ugly creature. Then, taking a cane from the hat-rack, he shoved" it under the turtle and pinned him fast down in the crate. " Good for you ! " cried the hotel man. " That's the way to fix him." A SUPPER AND A SNAPPING TURTLE 185 " It's too bad he got loose," said Dave, inno- cently. " He has created quite a disturbance." " I don't want any more trouble with a snapping turtle," said Buster, with a wink at Dave. " They are too lively for me." And then the supper was brought to a conclusion and the Oak Hall boys started for home. It was not until some days later that a few of the chosen ones learned how it was that the snapping turtle had gained its liberty. They kept the secret, and had many a hearty laugh over it. CHAPTER XXI " A pGorhouse nobody " A FEW days after the football game Nat Poole arrived at Oak Hall. Dave did not see him come, but Ben Basswood did, and he at once informed his chum of the fact. " He is just as lordly as he ever was," said Ben. " I suppose he expects to cut quite a dash while he is here." " I want nothing to do with him," answered Dave, quickly. " Do you know to what dormitory he was assigned? " " No. 13 — the one Gus Plum, Macklin, Puffers, and that crowd are in." " It's just the kind of a crowd he belongs in, Ben. He and Gus Plum would make a good team. They are both rich, and both bullies." It was not until the next day that Dave met Nat Poole in one of the lower halls. The newcomer stared coldly at Dave for a second, and then passed without either nodding or speaking. Dave flushed — he could not exactly tell why. He had been on the point of speaking in a general way, but now he shut his mouth tightly. After 186 "A POORHOUSE NOBODY" 187 that, during the day, he met Nat Poole several times, but not a word was exchanged. " If he doesn't want to speak to me, I'm sure I don't want to speak to him," said Dave, in talking the matter over with Ben. " Perhaps he thinks himself too good." " Let him go his own way, Dave. I shouldn't bother my head about him." " Has he spoken to you? " " Yes, but not in a very cordial manner. Each of us said, ' How do you do? ' and that was all." It was not long before it became apparent that Nat Poole and Gus Plum were growing very chummy. In the past the bully and Puffers had been close friends, but now Puffers was called away, to join his family, which had moved to the west. " By the way," said Gus Plum, one day, when he and Poole and Macklin were in their dormitory alone. " As you come from Crumville you must have known Ben Basswood and Dave Porter." " I knew Basswood pretty well, although he was not my style," answered the aristocratic youth. " Dave Porter I didn't want to know." "Didn't want to know?" queried Macklin. " Didn't like him, I suppose. I don't like him myself." " I want to know something of the people I asso- ciate with," went on Nat Poole, suggestively. 1 88 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Unless a fellow has good family connections he usually doesn't amount to anything." " Hasn't he good connections? Somebody told me he was a nephew or something like that, of a rich manufacturer named Wadsworth." " A nephew I " cried Nat Pools. " He is no re- lation whatever to Oliver Wadsworth. Wads- worth merely took a fancy to him — I can't see why — and sent him to school here." " Then, where did Porter come from? " asked Gus Plum, interested. " Came from the Crumville poorhouse," an- swered Nat Poole. " He's a foundling — a mere nobody. That's the reason I don't want anything to do with him." " Well, I never! " ejaculated the bully of the school. He mused for a moment and then gave a low whistle. " Wish I had known of this before," he went on. " Did you tell anybody else? " " No — I haven't been asked. I thought you'd like to know it." " You're right there. I like to pick the people I associate with, the same as you do. I don't want to know any poorhouse nobodies." " It's a wonder Dr. Clay let him come here," ventured Macklin. " All the other boys, so far as I know, come from the best of families. Some of them wouldn't like it a bit to learn they were schooling with a poorhouse nobody." "A POORHOUSE NOBODY" 189 " Hasn't he any relatives at all? " " Not any, so far as is known. He was a pick- up — probably belonged to some low people who didn't want to pay for raising him." " I see." Gus Plum's eyes began to glow. " Say, but I'm mighty glad you told me of this." " Porter used to live with an old broken-down crank named Caspar Potts," went on Nat Poole. " Potts owed my father money, and there was quite a row before my old man could get what was com- ing to him. Dave Porter took Potts's part, and he and I had some sharp words. That is why he keeps his distance now. I let him understand that he wasn't in my class at all." " Good for you ! " cried the bully of Oak Hall. " After this I'll let him know what I think of him, too." " Maybe we had better let the other fellows know about this," suggested Macklin. " I'm sure such fellows from fine families as Phil Lawrence and Lazy Day won't want to associate with a poor- house upstart." " Don't tell Porter I told you of this," put in Nat Poole, hastily. "I — well, — you under- stand " " Oh, that's all right," answered Gus Plum. " We shan't get you into any trouble." The matter was talked over for half an hour, and when some of the other students came in the igo DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL bully and the sneak mentioned what they had learned, in an off-hand way. As Dave was being talked of because of the run during the football game, the revelation created something of a sensa- tion, and the news quickly spread until every boy at Oak Hall had heard it. " By jinks, I can't believe this I " cried Sam Day, running up to Shadow, who was in the Hall gym- nasium. " Can't believe what. Lazy? " demanded the boy who loved to tell stories. " What the fellows are telling about Dave Porter." " What are they telling? " " They say he is a nobody — that he was raised in a poorhouse, and that he doesn't know anything about his parents or relatives." At this announcement Shadow Hamilton, who was on a bar, dropped to the floor. "Is that true?" " So they say." "Who told you?" " Blinky Watterson." " And who told Blinky? " " Chip Macklin. But Blinky heard it else- where, too. He said it must be so." " I can't believe it," answered Shadow, soberly. " If it is true " He stopped short. " What? " demanded Sam Day. " A POORHOUSE NOBODY " 191 " I — I shouldn't like to say, Lazy. Dave is a pretty nice chap, isn't he? " " Yes, but " " Let's go and ask Phil Lawrence about this," and off the two students hurried to consult their leader. During that day Dave noticed that a number of the students looked at him rather curiously. A few who in the past had spoken to him cordially now appeared not to see him when they went by. Once he passed Gus Plum, and the bully grinned in a sickly way but said nothing. The blow fell on the following afternoon, shortly after the studies for the day were over. Dave, having nothing else to do, walked into the gym- nasium, where he found Gus Plum and a dozen other pupils congregated. Dave began to swing upon some ringSj^ when the bully promptly left off exercising. " Come on, fellows," cried Plum, in a low but distinct voice, so that Dave might catch what he said. " I don't care to exercise with a nobody ! " And he moved towards the door. Several started to follow, including Macklin, who added, in a loud voice : " That's so — I like to pick my company." " For shame, Plum ! " came from Phil, who had just stepped into the gymnasium, after Dave. " All right, Lawrence, you can associate with 192 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL whom you please. I like to pick my company," answered the bully. " And we don't pick poorhouse nobodies," added another boy, keeping close to the bully. At the latter words Dave turned white, and al- lowed himself to drop to the floor. Like a flash he understood what had been going on and why some of his fellow-students had been treating him so strangely. " What — ^what do you mean? " he faltered, fac- ing the bully of Oak Hall. " I mean just what I say, Dave Porter. I don't want anything to do with you," answered Gus Plum, loudly. " I can't understand why Dr. Clay allowed you to become a pupil here." " Plum, you're a — a brute," interposed Phil, drawing himself up. " This sort of thing isn't fair at all," he went on, earnestly. " Dave is a good fellow, and you know it." " Pooh ! Stick up for him if you wish, but as for me, I don't intend to associate with a poorhouse fellow; yes, and a mere nobody at that." Plum had scarcely uttered the words when he found himself in Dave's grip. The face of the country youth was like a sheet and his grasp was like that of steel. " Gus Plum, you take that back! " he muttered, hoarsely. " Take it back, or FU— I'll " He gave the bully of Oak Hall a sliove that landed him flat on his hack. — Page 193. " A POORHOUSE NOBODY " 193 Dave's look was so truly awful that the bully of Oak Hall actually shivered. He wanted to say something biting and sarcastic, but the words died on his lips. " You — ^you — let go of me ! " he faltered. "Let go!" "I'm half of a mind to — to — strangle you ! " returned Dave, and his grip did not lessen in the least. " You're a — a — I don't know what to call you." "Let go!" and now Gus Plum began to struggle. " Don't fight here," cried Phil, touching Dave on the shoulder. " If you do, you'll get yourself into trouble." " But, Phil " The words came almost pleadingly. Dave looked at his chum keenly, as if to read his innermost thoughts. " I know — and I agree with you — Gus Plum is a brute, and Macklin is a snipe not worth considering. But don't have it out here." " All right, I'll take your advice," said Dave, and he gave the bully of Oak Hall a shove that landed him flat on his back. It took Plum but a moment to scramble to his feet. " I'll show you I " he roared, squaring off. " I'll show you ! " " A fight ! A fight I " was the shout. " Now you'll see Gus polish off the poorhouse 194 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL nobody," said one boy, but in such a low tone that only a few friends heard the remark. " Dave, don't fight in here — arrange for a meet- ing later," urged Phil again. " This is no place for it. Somebody may come in, and " Phil had no time to say more, for Gus Plum was dancing around wildly. Now he let out with his right fist, and struck Dave on the shoulder. It was the last straw, and casting prudence to the winds Dave assailed his foe with vigor. He struck the bully on the arm and in the chest, and then the two clinched and wrestled over a large portion of the gymnasium floor. Then they broke away again, and Dave was hit in the ear, and landed a telling blow on the bully's right eye. " Cheese it! cheese it! " came the cry from a boy standing near the open door. " Here comes oldHaskers!" The cry was taken up by others. The second assistant teacher heard it, and at once, surmising that something was wrong, started toward the gym- nasium on a run. " I'll meet you some other time," growled Gus Plum, just as the teacher put in an appear- ance. " All right — ^whenever you are ready I'll be," answered Dave, and then he and Phil hurried in one direction, while the bully and Macklin hurried in another. CHAPTER XXII DAVE INTERVIEWS DR. CLAY " You gave him as good as he sent," remarked Phil, as he and Dave walked down towards the river. " That last blow was a real eye-closer." He looked at Dave keenly, but the other youth turned his face away. To tell the truth, Dave was not thinking of the fight — the words of Plum and Macklin, and some others, were ringing in his ears: "A poorhouse nobody! A poorhouse no- body!" " Don't you mind what they said, Dave," resumed Phil, after a pause. " It was mean, very mean, indeed! " " I know it, Phil, but— but " " You are not to blame for having been taken to such an institution when you were little." " Yes, that's true, but some of the fellows won't look at it that way. They'll do as Plum has done, — and give me the cold shoulder." " Not our crowd. If any fellow of our crowd does it, I'll give him a piece of my mind — and the cold shoulder in the bargain," answered Phil Law- rence. He spoke in a low tone but with decision. »95 196 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL They had just reached the river side when Roger joined them, followed by Ben. " Just heard you had a fight with Plum," cried the senator's son. " You don't look much pun- ished." " It was cut short by Mr. Haskers," answered Dave. " How did it start? " questioned Ben. " It was something the bully said to Dave," re- plied Phil, and he looked at the others in a pe- culiar way. " It was dirt-mean; that is all I have to say about it." " Ben, I know you will stick to me," cried Dave, catching his old friend by the hand. " You know all about the — the past." " Oh, so that was it," said Ben. " I hope you punched the whole head off the bully." "What did Plum say?" demanded Roger, flatly. " Come, let me into the secret." " He called me a poorhouse nobody 1 " burst out Dave, with great bitterness. " I — I'm not going to allow anybody to call me that, so there ! " And he clenched his fists. " Oh, I see ! " Roger gave a low whistle. " How did he learn that you were brought up at the poorhouse? " " Through Nat Poole, I suppose. That crowd will ding it into everybody now, and they'll do what they can to set the school against me 1 " Dave's DAVE INTERVIEWS DR. CLAY 197 lip began to quiver, and he had to turn away to control his feelings. " Don't you mind them ! " said the senator's son, quickly. " I'll stick to you, for one, Dave." " And you can count on me," added Phil. " Dave knows how I stand," put in Ben. " I think he is worth a dozen such contemptible chaps as Nat Poole and Gus Plum, and as for that little sneak, Macklin, he isn't even worth considering." " You are all very kind." In spite of his efforts to control himself, the tears stood in the eyes of the country boy. " I shan't forget your goodness." The four went out on the river, and did not return to the academy until half an hour later, when Dave felt somewhat like himself again. On reaching Oak Hall they separated, and Dave hur- ried to Dormitory No. 12. He found a boy named Will Fellen there. " Hello, Will," he said, pleasantly. "•Hello yourself," came shortly from Fellen. He looked at the country boy coldly and then, without another word, left the dormitory, slam- ming the door behind him. Dave's face began to burn and he paced the floor with clinched fists. If this was to be the treatment received how could he face all of the students, in the dining hall and in the classroom? " I'd better go back to Crumville," he told him- self. " But I shan't do it — it wouldn't be fair to igS DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL Mr. Wadsworth. I'll stay and fight it out — if Dr. Clay will let me." He left the dormitory and without hesitation hurried below and to Dr. Clay's private office. His knock was answered by a brief, " Come in," and he entered, to find the master of Oak Hall poring over some academy bills. " What is it. Master Porter? " questioned Dr. Clay, pleasantly. " Can I have a few words in private with you. Dr. Clay? " " Certainly. What do you want? " " I — I want to — to speak about myself." Dave tried to talk steadily, but his voice trembled in spite of himself. "Yes?" " When Mr. Wadsworth had me placed here, did he — he tell you anything about me — of the past — where I came from? " " Oh, that is what you want to know." The doctor leaned back in his easy chair. " Why, yes, he told me that you had been living with an old broken-down college professor who was trying to run a farm, and that the professor had had you bound out to him by a — er — a public institution." " It was the Crumville poorhouse. Did he tell you that?" " Yes. But Mr. Wadsworth said you were not a — er — a common boy, but very bright, and very DAVE INTERVIEWS DR. CLAY 199 manly, and he had taken an Interest in you on that account as well as because you had saved his daugh- ter from being burned." " And you didn't mind my coming here because — because I wasn't from a — some well-known family? " " No, I had no objection to that, so long as you behaved as well as the rest of my pupils." " It was kind of you. Dr. Clay! " And Dave began to warm up. " Very kind indeed! " " Not at all. Porter. You have as much right to an education as anybody. You — but what brought you here ? Has anybody said anything of this to you? " And now the master of Oak Hall bent a pair of shrewd, penetrating eyes upon the youth. " Yes, sir, and I was afraid " "Who was it?" " I don't care to mention any names, sir. But I thought that perhaps you didn't know — and that if it became known, and you didn't want me — that it was going to hurt the school " " You need not proceed. Porter. I think I understand you. I thought this matter over before I sent word to Mr. Wadsworth that you might come. I don't mind telling you now that I told him in my first letter that I would try you for a few weeks or a month. Yesterday I sent him another letter, in which I told him that you were doing 200 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL well and that I would be satisfied to keep you as long as he wished you to remain." "Oh!" " I imagined that some boys might be mean enough to — er — to throw this up to you, and I am sorry that it has occurred. If you will give me their names, I will see that they are properly pun- ished." " Oh, sir, I don't want to do that. But I — I was afraid they might leave the school on my ac- count." Dr. Clay stiffened up. " If anybody wishes to leave he can go," he said. " I am not going to put you out. I want you to stay, both on your own account and for the sake of Oliver Wadsworth, who is an old and dear friend, and on account of old Professor Potts, of whom I have heard. All I ask of you is, that you behave as well as the aver- age pupil here, and attend to your studies." Before the master of the Hall ceased speaking Dave's face was beaming, and at the conclusion he caught the doctor's hand in a tight squeeze. " You are very kind. Dr. Clay." " It is no kindness. Porter, only justice. I do not imagine that the majority of your fellow stu- dents will think any the less of you because of your past. I should be sorry to find them so narrow- minded. And as for the others, take my advice, and pay no attention to them — unless, of course, they DAVE INTERVIEWS DR. CLAY 201 grow too obnoxious, in which case you had better report to me." " Then you really and truly want me to stay? " " Yes, if you like the school." " I do, very much, — and I'll promise to study harder than ever, now that I know how matters stand," added Dave. " You made quite a record at the football game with Rockville, I believe. I should imagine some of the boys would like you for that," and the master of Oak Hall smiled. " They do, but some others are down on me — those who didn't get on the team." " Well, you must expect that. It is the way of the world. The higher you get in life the more jealous people will pick you out, and do what they can to pull you down. The really successful man, or boy, rises above such meanness." " I understand, and I shall try to act on your advice." " Then that is settled, and you had better be going to supper. The bell rang several minutes ago. Say I excused you." " Thank you, I will," answered Dave, and bowed himself out of the office. With a heart as light as air, he hurried down the long corridor and into the dining hall. All his dark troubles seemed to be things of the past. When he entered the dining hall several gazed 202 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL at him curiously, and Gus Plum, whose eye was partly blackened, looked sour. Two or three lads " stuck up their noses " at Dave, but he paid no attention to anybody and merely slipped quietly into his seat. " Master Porter, you are late," came severely from Job Haskers. " What is the reason? " " I had an interview with Dr. Clay, in his office," answered Dave. " He told me to state that I was excused for my tardiness." " Oh ! " grumbled the second assistant, and then said no more. Ben, Phil, and Roger looked at the country boy questioningly, but during the meal Dave got no opportunity to explain matters. And this was just as well, for he scarcely knew what to say to his friends. The meal over the lads hurried out- doors again. "Did you report Plum?" demanded Phil, quickly. " No, I reported nobody," answered Dave. " I am going to fight my own battles." " But you went to the doctor " began Roger. " I asked him about myself, that's all. I wanted him to know that I — well, that I didn't intend to sail under false colors, as they call it." "And what did he say, Dave?" asked Ben. " You needn't answer if you don't want to," he added hastily. DAVE INTERVIEWS DR. CLAY 203 " He was very kind — oh, he's just the best man in the world! He said he knew everything, and that I needn't mind what some of the fellows might say — that he wanted me to stay " " Hurrah for Dr. Clay! " interrupted Phil. I knew it. He's a man, every inch of him." " I don't know how many of the fellows will give me the cold shoulder," continued the country boy. " But I am going to do my best not to mind .them." " And we'll help you," said the senator's son, and the others said the same. Ben remained with Dave, but Roger and Phil soon went off. The latter did not tell why, but it was for the purpose of interviewing some of the other boys. They spoke to a dozen or more, in- cluding Sam Day, Shadow Hamilton, and Buster Beggs. On the whole, the interviews were satis- factory, although a few of the boys wanted to know more about Dave before deciding for or against him. CHAPTER XXIII JOINING A SECRET SOCIETY Like all boarding schools and colleges, Oak Hall was not without its clubs. There was a De- bating Club, a Glee Club, a Boat Club, and also those devoted to field sports. In addition to these there was a secret society known by the mysterious name of Gee Eyes, — the application of the name being known only to the charter members and the of&cers. Not to' keep my readers in suspense unnecessarily let me say that the name Gee Eyes stood for the initials G and I, which in their turn stood for the words, Guess It. The society had its own grip and passwords as well as signs, both serious and funny. Fully thirty of the best students of Oak Hall be- longed to the Gee Eyes, and Phil Lawrence was the president, officially designated as the Right Honorable Muck-a-Muck. Bustei Beggs was the secretary, and was called the Lord of the Penwiper, and Shadow Hamilton enjoyed the position of ser- geant-at-arms, under the title of Captain Door- keep. Dave, Roger, and Ben had not yet been initi- 204 JOINING A SECRET SOCIETY 205 ated into the society, but their names were up for membership, as well as the names of Nat Poole and several others. On the evening following the trouble just re- corded, the Gee Eyes held a meeting in an old boathouse located down the river, a quarter of a mile from Oak Hall. Nearly thirty members were present, and the names of those up for initiation were thoroughly discussed. " I shan't vote for Dave Porter," said Will Fel- len, flatly. " I want to keep the standard of this society up to the top notch." " Just what I say," said another student, who was a follower of Gus Plum. " You are making a big mistake, Fellen," said Phil Lawrence, quietly but firmly. " Dave Porter is a fine fellow, and he must come into this so- ciety if I am to remain a member. I am not go- ing to stand and see him black-listed in this fash- ion." » " How do you know he will come in? " asked another. " I've sounded him, and he will come in if we want him. He ought to become a member, and so ought Roger Morr and Ben Basswood." " What of Nat Poole and Harry Haven? " " Haven seems a nice sort. As for Nat Poole, I'd rather wait and know more of him. He seems to train a good deal with Gus Plum." 2o6 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " I'll vote for Porter, but I want Poole to come in too," said a lad named Gassberry. A discussion lasting half an hour ensued, and it was plainly to be seen that a number of the boys had been listening to what Gus Plum and his friends had had to say against Dave. Yet the opposition, melted greatly before Phil's vigorous denunciation of the bully, and in the end it was voted to make Dave a member, and to take in all of the others mentioned likewise. As soon as the meeting broke up Phil lost no time in singling out Dave, Ben, and Roger. " We want all of you to join our secret society," he said. " You've heard of it, the Gee Eyes. We have voted to make you members." " Do the boys want me for a member? " asked Dave, quickly. " They do." "All of them?" " The vote was almost unanimous. Only two stood out against twenty-six, and they won't count." This reply made Dave feel glad — It was certain that he had not lost many friends by the actions of Gus Plum and his followers. " All right, Phil, I'll join, and tell the boys I am thankful to them for voting for me," said he, and the others said practically the same. " My opinion of It is, that Gus Plum has hurt himself by talking against you, Dave," went on JOINING A SECRET SOCIETY 20; Phil, later on, when they were alone. " At first the lads — or some of them — thought they ought to turn against you, but when they were reasoned with, and thought it over, they concluded that it would be a mean thing to give you the cold shoul- der, after the manly way you were acting, and es- pecially after what you did for Oak Hall at the football match." " I'm sure I've got you to thank for it all, Phil," answered Dave. " I'll not forget it, old fellow ! " And he caught Phil by the shoulder affectionately. Dave had expected to hear from the bully con- cerning the proposed fight, but nothing came in the way of a challenge. To tell the truth, Gus Plum was just a little afraid of Dave, and likewise afraid of his popularity. " I can't understand why the fellows stick up for his kind," he declared to Nat Poole, " but they do, and nothing seems to change 'em." " I understand they are going to make him a member of the Gee Eyes. They are going to make me a member too. Do you belong ? " " Yes, but I haven't attended a meeting since they put in Phil Lawrence as leader. I won't play second fiddle to that chap." " I'm going to join just to see what it's like," added Nat Poole. " I can drop it like yourself if I don't like it." Two days later Dave was informed that the initi- 2o8 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL ation ceremonies would be held at the old boat- house that evening. He promised to be on hand, and promptly at the hour appointed presented him- self, in company with Ben and Roger. Nat Poole and Haven were also present. The candidates found the members of the Gee Eyes duly assembled. Each wore a cotton robe of red and had a big black hood over his head, with a yellow tassel dangling over one ear. Two were armed with wooden swords, one had a wooden hammer, and some others had stuffed clubs. As soon as they had been greeted, the candi- dates were pounced upon from behind, and each was made a prisoner and blindfolded. Then they were placed in a bunch, and the members of the Gee Eyes joined hands and began to dance around them, singing as they did so : " Hoopra ! hoopra! Dilly danky ! One is fat and one is lanky ! Hoopra ! hoopra ! Dilly dall, One is tall and one is small ! Hoopra ! hoopra ! Dilly dive ' Let us cut 'em up alive ! Hoopra ! hoopra ! Dilly derry ! Cast them in the cemetery ! " This was followed by a ferocious hissing sound, and then the chant went on : " Willy nilly ! chi phi ! Let us blow 'em sky high ! Cap 'em, rap em, slap 'em hard, Boil 'em down to bones and lard ! JOINING A SECRET SOCIETY 209 Dress 'em, press 'em, mess 'em down, Fit to wear a college gown ! " Following this there came a mock parade, one of the members with a sword leading, and then he of the wooden hammer advanced slowly. " Kneel, ye craven hearts! " he called in a bass voice, that sounded strangely like that of Shadow Hamilton. " Kneel, before this trusty hammer knocks ye to the soil ! " All knelt but Nat Poole. " See here, what are you going to do? " he asked, anxiously. " Get down ! " whispered the boy named Haven. " They won't hurt you much." Nat Poole went down on his knees very gingerly, and it must be confessed that he was trembling. Now, as it happened, some very small tacks had been placed on the boathouse floor. Dave and Roger escaped them, but the others did not, and a yell of pain went up. "Oh, dear, who put these tacks here! " cried Nat Poole. " Oh, I've got three in my knees." And he danced around in anguish. At once a big wooden imitation of a claw ham- mer was produced. " Take the tacks out with this," was the com- mand. " I — I can't use that," groaned Nat Poole. " You must. It is against Section 28, Rule 249, 2IO DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL of this society to pull out tacks with your fingers," and then a laugh went up, in which Dave, Roger, and Ben joined. " Seize number one ! " was the cry, from a cor- ner, and in a twinkling Dave found himself caught by three of the members of the club. Then the other candidates were hustled away, to some place unknown. Feeling that he might be handled roughly if he resisted, the country lad submitted quietly. " Art thou prepared to meet thy doom? " was the question asked of him, amid a death-like si- lence. " Why, yes, please introduce me," he answered brightly, and this retort brought forth a snicker. " Thou shalt have thy choice, base slave, to be cut up or burned up. Which? Speak up I " " If it's all the same, I'd like to be burned up," he answered as cheerfully as ever. " Do you know why? " " Why? " came from behind him. " It will save funeral expenses." And then there was another snicker. " Away to the funeral pyre with him," was the next command, and a moment later, still blind- folded, Dave was led from the old boathouse and Into the woods skirting the river. Here he was made to walk around in several circles, until he imagined that they were taking him quite a dis- JOINING A SECRET SOCIETY 211 tance. Then they brought him back to a horse- shed standing just behind the boathouse. " Here is the house," said somebody, in a low tone. " Will we dare to burn it down? " came from another. " Sure, nobody owns it," came from somebody else. " Tie him fast, and be quick about it." " Be careful, we don't want to burn him too much," came in an intense whisper, but meant to reach Dave. " Oh, a few good scars won't hurt him," was the answer. " It will give him something to remem- ber his schooldays by." Dave heard every word, but he made no protest. He was bound to stick it out to the end, no matter, what happened. " I'm sure they won't really hurt me," he told himself. " Anyway, I'm not going to yell until I'm hurt." Pretty soon Dave smelt smoke, and then he was tied fast to a post, so that he could not move hand or foot. " Now, a lasting farewell ! " was the cry. Then the members of the Gee Eyes left the vi- cinity, talking earnestly among themselves. The smoke kept growing thicker, until Dave had to cough. Then he felt his hands and feet getting hot. 212 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " This isn't so comfortable," he reasoned. " Wonder how long it will last? " " Look! look! " was the sudden cry, from out- side the shed. " See how that fire is spreading! " " Say, boys, we'll have to get him out! Tliis is going too far! " " Get him out? You can't do it now ! It's too late ! " "Yes! yes! " came from a dozen students, in voices of anguish. " It's too late I Dave Porter will be burned up I " CHAPTER XXIV HOW THE INITIATIONS TURNED OUT It must be admitted that Dave was startled, for he had no desire to be burned alive, or to suffer in the least from the conflagration so close at hand. " Can the fire have gotten the better of them? " he asked himself. " Or is this only another test of my nerves? " The students continued to shout, and a moment later Dave felt a burning brand come down and strike his hand. He was on the point of beginning to struggle, but gritted his teeth and checked him- self. " It's only their fun — Phil wouldn't leave me to burn up," he reasoned, and then began to whistle merrily to himself. At this the members of the society came to a dead halt. " He whistles," said one. " Great Cassar! and the house is burning down on his head ! " " Call out the fire department," cried Dave. " Play away. No. 2 — bring us a six-story ladder, so we can get into the cellar. This is as good as the toothache when there's a honey tart around ! Will 2t3 214 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL somebody be kind enough to lend me an overcoat? I'm getting cold for the lack of exercise." This sally brought forth an unexpected burst of laughter, and then Dave laughed too. The next iiistant the bandage was torn from his eyes and he found himself at a corner of the shed, with little bonfires in front and behind him. Several boys had firebrands, which they had been waving near him. " You're true blue, Dave! " came from Phil, as he stepped forward, and unmasked. " Am I right, fellows?" " Yes, he's O. K! " was the answer. " And I welcome you as a member of our society," went on the Right Honorable Muck- a-Muck. " I thought sure, Dave, you'd yell like an Indian when we said the house was on fire." " Come on and initiate Morr and Basswood," commanded Shadow Hamiltoon. " Here, mask yourself, Dave," and he was given a black hood with a yellow tassel. Roger was taken next and put through a " water test," as it was termed. Back of the boathouse was a pool, and over this he was suspended head downward and lowered until his .eyes were on a level with the water. Then the boys pretended to go away. The rope began to slip, and it looked as if Roger might be drowned. But he held his HOW THE INITIATIONS TURNED OUT 215 peace, and so came out of the ordeal " a good fel- low." Ben was given " the sawmill test." One of the lads had a toy which imitated a buzz saw, and after being led through the woods, Ben was tied to a plank placed over an old nail keg. " Now, boys, be careful," was the command. " Don't let him run too close to the buzz saw, or you'll cut him in half. Just shave off a few of his curly locks, that's all." And then poor Ben was rolled forward, and the imitation buzz saw was started up. Sawdust had been brought along, and this was showered in the victim's face, and one boy pulled two or three of his hairs. Then of a sudden came a yell ! " Look out ! Don't let that board run so fast I " "I can't hold it!" " He'll be cut in two ! " " Stop the saw! Stop the saw, quick! " but the buzzing went on all the faster. Yet Ben was grit, and took it calmly, not uttering a single v/ord of protest. Then he, too, was hailed as a fellow member. " No fun in this," grumbled one of the party. " What were you going to do to Haven and Poole? " asked Dave. " Water and fire test," was the reply. " I've got a plan for Poole, if you'll try it," went on Dave, and told what it was. 2i6 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Just the thing! Take the washboiler for the explosion," answered Phil. Haven came next; and although he squirmed somewhat at being lowered into the water, yet he passed the ordeal fairly well. Then the crowd came to Nat Poole. " You've kept me waiting long enough," complained the aristocratic youth. " Grumble not, thy doom is doubly sealed," came the solemn answer. " Away with him to the old powder mill." " The powder mill? " queried Poole anxiously. " I don't want to go to any powder mill." No answer was vouchsafed to this, and blind- folded he was hurried around the woods and then back to the shed. " Hello, here are some kegs of powder, all heaped up," cried Dave, in an assumed voice. " A pretty big pile of them," said Roger, also In an assumed voice. " Be careful of that fire," shouted Phil, in a high-pitched, nervous tone. " If you aren't care- ful you'll blow us all to kingdom-come ! " " See here, I don't want to stay! " cried Nat Poole, in greater alarm than before. He began to struggle, but was quickly made fast to a post. Then the bonfires were started up once more and the smoke was fanned toward him. HOW THE INITIATIONS TURNED OUT 217 " Let up, I say! " he bellowed. " I don't like this ! This fire " " The powder ! The powder ! " shrieked Dave. " It's rolling this way ! " " There goes a keg of it into the fire ! " called another. " Run for your lives, boys ! The powder is go- ing to blow up I " .^ " Save me ! save me ! " shrieked Nat P'pole, shak- ing like a reed in the wind. " Oh, save me ! I — I don't want to be blown up ! Save me ! I'll give you a — a thousand dollars! Oh, I don't want to die just yet ! " And he began to tear at his bonds, in the midst of which the members of the club set up a loud shout of laughter. Then Nat Poole was released and the bandage taken from his eyes. " Whe — ^where is the — the powder? " he gasped, staring around wildly. " In your eye," was the answer, from Shadow. " I guess somebody's sold," he added, and then an- other shout of laughter went up. " Why didn't you keep quiet? " said Haven, in disgust. " Nobody was going to hurt you." " But — ^but — isn't there any powder? " " Not a grain." " Boys, I am afraid he hasn't nerve enough to become a member of the Gee Eyes," pronounced the Right Honorable Muck-a-Muck, seriously. 2i8 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " His backbone shows remarkable signs of dis- integrating," came from another — Polly Vane. " His knees are too toggle-jointed," added Sam Day. Nat Poole gazed around, and saw that all pres- ent had been making fun of him. "I don't want anything to do with your, old society ! " he growled, backing away. " I — I wouldn't join it for a hundred dollars." " What! do you give up the desire to become a member? " demanded one of the students who had helped to found the Gee Eyes. "If you do that, you can never join later." " I don't care — I don't want to join," answered Nat Poole, hotly, and then turning, he ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. " What a pill! " was Buster Beggs's comment, and a great many of the others agreed with him. The initiation at an end, Dave and the others who had passed were instructed in the grips, signs, and passwords, and then told of the rules and regu- lations. The initiation fee was two dollars, used principally in the purchase of a red robe and a cap. During the week following each new member had some ridiculous thing to do. Dave had to learn the alphabet backwards, Roger had to ask three shopkeepers of Oakdale if they had any lobster oil to sell, and Ben had to stand in the middle of the road outside of the Hall and ask the first person HOW THE INITIATIONS TURNED OUT 219 who came along if he would kindly save him from drowning. Ben's task came close to getting him into trouble. He went out in the road when he supposed the coast was clear, to stay there exactly ten minutes. Eight minutes had passed, when to his dismay an old farmer came along, driving several cows. " Excuse me," called out Ben, as cheerfully as he could. " But will you kindly save me from drowning? " " Save you from what? " asked the farmer. " Will you kindly save me from drowning? " re- peated Ben. He had to make the request three times. " I guess you are out o' your head," sniffed the farmer. " Drownin', when there ain't no water in sight!" " Will you kindly save me from drowning? " re- peated Ben. "See here, you can't poke no fun at me!" stormed the farmer, and made at Ben with his cow-whip. But Ben was too quick for him, and ran out of sight with all speed. " I fancy my task was the easiest after all," said Dave, " although learning the alphabet backwards isn't the easiest thing in the world." When Dave recited before a committee of five, he had to stand on his head and fan himself in the meanwhile. Yet with it all he enjoyed the fun as much as anybody. CHAPTER XXV A WILD MOONLIGHT TROLLEY RIDE After his failure to stand the initiation tests of the Gee Eyes Club, Nat Poole became more bitter than ever against Dave. In some manner he at- tributed his failure to Dave, and also to Ben and Roger, and nothing that Haven, the other candi- date, could say, could alter his opinion. " They doctored that up between them, and I know it," said Poole to Gus Plum. " They made it just as terrible as they possibly could." " Oh, that crowd is down on us, Nat, you can easily see that," returned the bully of Oak Hall. " I know they hate me worse than poison, and they'll hate you just because we are chummy." " They can go to grass," growled Poole. " Those fellows think they are going to run Oak Hall," put in Macklin, who was lounging in an easy-chair close by. " They are going to run everything to suit themselves." " I'd like to get that whole club into disgrace," went on Poole, meditatively. " It would be just paying them back for the way they treated me." " Never mind, we'll square up some 3ay," an- 220 A WILD MOONLIGHT TROLLEY RIDE 221 swered Plum. " Just wait till everything is ripe. I'll show you a trick or two ; " and there the discus- sion ended. When Dave told Dr. Clay he was going to do his best while at Oak Hall he meant what he said. Despite his initiation into the club, and his atten- tion to certain sports, he worked diligently over his studies, and soon stood second in a class of thirty- six. He was especially strong in mathematics and in history, and this pleased Mr. Wadsworth and Caspar Potts very much. " I am glad I sent him to that school," said the rich manufacturer. " If he keeps on as he has be- gun he will assuredly make his mark." " I knew it — I knew it," answered the old pro- fessor. " Dave has it in him ; he is no common boy. I saw that the day I had him bound out to me." " It is queer that nothing has ever been learned concerning his parentage, professor." " You are right there." " I have asked the old authorities of the poor- house, but they say they know absolutely nothing." " Yes, I asked them myself, for I wanted Dave to know all there was to know — If it was going to do him any good." In his letter to Caspar Potts the boy could not help but touch upon the incident which had caused him so much pain, but he made it plain that he in- tended to " live it down " and was getting along 222 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL very well in the task. This caused the professor to write a long letter in return, in which he urged Dave not to pay attention to those who had sneered at him. As a test in history the class to which Dave be- longed had to write a composition on the " Three Greatest Achievements of George Washington." The pupils were given ten days in which to bring in the papers, and Dave worked hard to make his the best of the number. It was hard for him to decide upon which had been the three greatest achievements, and he wrote three compositions be- fore he finished one that suited him. On the day before the compositions were to be handed in, Dave chanced to go up to his dormi- tory during the morning recess. He was just in time to catch Chip Macklin leaving the room. Macklin looked scared, and lost no time in dis- appearing without saying a word. " He acts queer," thought Dave. " I wonder if he is up to some of his underhanded work? " The morning passed, and at noon Dave went for his composition, which he had left in his drawer of a desk the dormitory contained. To his con- sternation the paper was missing. " I couldn't have put it in somebody else's drawer," he mused, and looked the others over. He was doing thig when Phil entered. "What's up, Dave? You look worried." A WILD MOONLIGHT TROLLEY RIDE 223 " My composition is missing." "Missing?" " Yes, I placed it in my drawer last night and now it's gone. I thought it might be in one of the other drawers. You haven't seen it, have you? " "No." The desk was searched from top to bottom, but all Dave could find were the two discarded com- positions. " This is queer," said Phil. " Nobody would steal a composition." " As I came into the dormitory, I saw Chip Macklin at the door. He was coming out." " He hasn't any right in this room." The matter was talked over, but nothing came of it. It was now time to return to the classroom, and Dave did not know what to do. " Why don't you hand in one of the other com- positions? " suggested Phil. " That will be better than nothing." " I'll do it, Phil— but I wish I had that last." The composition was given to Job Haskers, and when the matter was made public Dave received ninety per cent, out of a possible hundred. Only four boys were ahead of him, the highest per cent, being ninety-seven. " That was pretty good," said Phil. " Con- sidering it was your second best, so to speak." " I'd give a dollar to know what became of that 224 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL other composition," was the reply. But for the time being the matter remained a mystery. On the following week Dave received an in- vitation which filled him with curiosity. It was from the Gee Eyes, and requested his presence at a moonlight trolley ride, to take place " On the fate- ful evening of Friday, November thirteen, party to leave the school at exactly thirteen minutes after nine o'clock. Expense of said trip, to each mem- ber, twice thirteen cents." " Something is up," he thought. " Wonder if I had better go? " He found out that Ben and Roger had received invitations, but that they were also in the dark. Phil knew all about the trip, but as an officer of the club he could give them no explanations. " But you are going? " queried Dave. " To be sure." "Will it be safe?" " We hope to make it so." " Then I'll go," answered Dave, and Roger and Ben said the same. As luck would have it, Friday night proved to be perfect, and the crowd got away from Oak Hall with but little trouble. There were twenty-one students, including Murphy, the monitor, who took an extra risk in order to get away. But Murphy was one of the charter members of the Gee Eyes, which accounted for his valor in that particular. A WILD MOONLIGHT TROLLEY RIDE 225 As soon as the grounds of the academy were left behind, the members of the club were formed into a regular company and made to march like so many soldiers towards Rockville. No explanations were offered to those not in the secret, but the treasurer, called the Lord of the Money Sack, made each in- dividual hand over his twenty-six cents. Half the distance to Rockville was covered when the party turned down a hill to a lonely country road, upon which ran the trolley line which con- nected Rockville, Bendham, Pitt's Corners, and several other places. This trolley had been built about two years. It did not pay very well, and no cars were run upon it from midnight until six in the morning. Coming to a certain point on the line, the crowd was halted, and the leader looked at his watch. "Where's the ride?" queried Roger, for no trolley car was in sight. He had scarcely spoken when a car came slowly Into sight, decorated with flags and strips of bunt- ing. Nobody but an old motorman was in sight. " Here she is ! All aboard, fellows ! " was the cry, and without ceremony the club members climbed Into the car. Then two of them, who wore masks, called to the motorman. " What's wanted? " asked the old man. " Hot box, I guess," said one of the masked boys. " Just look here." 226 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL The motorman left the car, and walked toward the wheel which had been pointed out. As he did this he was seized from behind and made a pris- oner. They marched him to a tree, and produced a cord as if to bind him fast. " Now will you wait here until we come back, or shall we have to tie you to this tree? " said one of the masked boys. " We won't hurt you or the car, and we'll be back inside of two hours. It's three dollars in your pocket if you don't open your mouth." " You'll wreck the car and kill yerselves," grumbled the old motorman. " No, we won't. Now, will you keep still and be good, or must we tie you up? " " I'll wait here and say nothing if you pay me and there's no trouble. But if there is damage done, it's you will foot the bill," was the warning. One of the boys was already at the front of the car. He kicked off the brake, turned on the power, and away went the car with a jerk that threw all those standing off their feet. There was a yell and a cheer, followed by wild hurrahs, as the turnout swept along the somewhat uneven track, up grade and down, and around numerous curves, and over bridges. " Say, ain't this dandy I " " Let her go, Mr. Motorman ! We want our money's worth." A WILD MOONLIGHT TROLLEY RIDE 227 " Don't chute the chutes when we come to the river! " "I wonder if this is safe?" asked Dave of Roger. " It seems to me we are running pretty fast." " Running fast? I should say we were." Roger raised his voice. " I say, you of the handle in front, don't let her get away from you ! " " This is the Overland Express ! " was shouted back. " Through train, with no sleepers and no stops! " And another cheer went up, which startled the inhabitants of a village through which they were rushing. Several ran out, and concluded the car was in the possession of a number of luna- tics. " You want to come up here ! " came from Buster Beggs, who was perched on the roof of the car. " The moonlight effect is grand." " You hold on when we round a curve," said Dave, warningly. " If you don't you'll find your- self pitched into the middle of next week." " Which puts me in mind of a story I heard a railroad man tell," came from Shadow. " He was talking of the curves on a line in Colorado. He said the engineer of the train used to leave his din- ner pail in the caboose of the freight and when he wanted it he'd wait till he got to one of those close curves, and then he'd just reach out from the cab into the caboose, and " 228 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Whoop ! Wouldn't that make your hair turn white ! " interrupted Sam Day. " That's the big- gest whopper I've heard yet." " It's a true story," answered Shadow, calmly. " If you don't believe it, come to my house some day and I'll show you the toothpick the engineer used after he got through using the dinner pail." And then a shout of laughter arose. They were climbing a hill and it was not long before they reached the summit where they passed another car at a switch. Here the car was stopped for a few minutes so that all hands might enjoy the scenery, which was beautiful in its bath of moonshine. Then on they went again, down the long slope on the other side, faster and faster, until the car seemed to be fairly flying along. " Put on the brake there ! " shouted Phil, warn- ingly. " You are going too fast. There's a curve at the bottom of the hill, and " " The brake's stuck! " was the gasped-out an- swer. " I — I can't budge it ! " Several leaped forward, but none could move the brake for fully half a minute. By that time the car was going along at lightning-like speed. And now the dreaded curve appeared. It looked as if the trolley car, and all on board, were doomed to destruction! CHAPTER XXVI THE SURPRISES OF A NIGHT "Stop her! Stop her!" "We'll go over, sure!" All of the students were on their feet and several prepared to leap from the swiftly moving trolley car. " Don't jump," came from Roger. " I've got the brake on. Don't jump ! " He had at last managed to release the brake from where It was stuck, and now he applied It with all his power. The sparks flew from the wheels as they slid along the steel rails, and the car bumped and creaked over the uneven track. Then they struck the curve, and the front truck left the rails and jammed up tightly Into some rocks and dirt. Everybody was thrown forward, and while one boy went over the dashboard, poor Bus- ter Beggs turned a somersault from the roof, and landed In some bushes a dozen feet away. Shrieks and yells arose. It was, " Get off my back! " here, and " Oh, my leg! " there, while one boy In a corner gasped out, " Somebody's mashing me ! " For a full minute pandemonium reigned, 229 230 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL and then, slowly, all began to recover their senses. " Well, this is the worst yet! " cried Ben, limp- ing from the car. " I guess my little toe is about squashed. How are you, Dave? " " I'm all right, but I was pretty well squeezed." " Somebody fish me out of the bushes ! " came in a wail from Buster Beggs. " Buster's been doing the circus act of his life," came from Sam Day. " Anybody hurt? " questioned Phil, anxiously. An examination was made, and it was soon ascer- tained that, while a number had been bruised, no- body was seriously hurt. But all agreed that the shaking up had been so great that nobody wished to try the experience again. " Talic about a ride by moonlight!" grum- bled one of the party. " I'd rather ride a trick mule." " Well, we can be thankful that nobody was killed," said Dave. " If that brake had remained stuck, some of us would have had a different story to tell." Most of the students were very sober as they walked around the trolley car. The rear truck was still on the tracks, but the forward wheels were a foot and a half from the rails. " I don't see how we are to get those wheels back on the track," came from Ben. " A trolley car THE SURPRISES OF A NIGHT 231 weighs a good deal, and we have no tools to work with." " We must get it back," said Phil. " We can't leave the car here." " How are we to return to the Hall? " came from another. " We are at least nine miles away." " Walking is good. Belcher." " I'm not going to walk," retorted Belcher. " I want my twenty-six cents' worth, and I'm going to ride." And this created a short laugh. " Perhaps we can pry the wheels back on the tracks," suggested Dave. " Let us get a few fence rails and try it." There was a rail fence not a great distance away, and soon the boys had several rails. Under ihe directions of Phil and Dave they were put into posi- tion, and flat rocks were placed under them. Then the rest set to work to pry up the front end of the car and the truck with them. It was hard work, and for half an hour the wheels refused to move as desired. But then more rails were brought into play, and at last the wheels of the truck slipped back on the tracks. "Hurrah!" shouted Roger. "Back at lastl Now, fellows, we had better get aboard once more, and return to where we came from." " There is to be no hurrying on this trip back," declared Phil. " We must take our time and be sure of what we are doing." 232 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Right you are," came from Buster. " I don't want any more tumbles." The bushes had scratched his hands and face not a little. " You keep off the roof, Buster," said Phil. " I don't want anybody to be killed on this trip." The controller was placed on the other end of the car and the trolley pole switched around, and then the journey back to the starting point was begun. The car seemed to work all right, and they turned on a moderate degree of power. " We'll have to get back soon," cried Roger, consulting his watch. " Do you know what time it is?" " Quarter to twelve," said another student. " Exactly, and do you know that the power is shut off from this line at twelve o'clock? " " Is that true? " demanded Dave. " Yes, I heard somebody speaking of it last week. The last car out returns to the car barn at twelve o'clock, and then the power is cut off until six in the morning." " Then we want to make the most of our time," said Ben. " Give her a little more power on the straight stretches, but mind the brake, and look out for the switches and other cars," and this was done. Nevertheless, twelve o'clock found them still three miles from the starting point. The power held, however, for a few minutes longer and in that time they covered all but a mile and a quarter of THE SURPRISES OF A NIGHT 233 the distance. Then, just as they were nearing the top of a hill, the power died out completely. "That ends it," sighed Phil. " Put on the brake, or we'll slide backwards. I don't see why they didn't keep the power on until this car came back." " I've got a scheme," suggested Roger. " Can't we push the car to the top of the hill? It's only a few yards. Then we can run down the other side without power." "Hurrah! saved again!" cried one of the crowd. " Come on, everybody! " And out of the car swarmed the club members. Murphy lead- ing. Some got in the rear of the car, and the others on the sides, and all shoved with might and main. "She's coming! Now, then, all together!" shouted Phil. " Push as if you meant it." And push they did, until the car reached the top of the grade and started to slide down the other side. Then on they leaped once more, and swept down- ward, until the starting point came into view, where the trolley car was stopped at the exact point where they had got aboard. The members of the club found the old motor- man where they had left him. " Now, listen," said Phil. " If we give you three dollars will you promise to keep quiet about this affair?" 234 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Sure," said the motorman, with a grin. He had had to do with Oak Hall and Rockvllle stu- dents before. " Very well, here's the money," came from the secretary of the Gee Eyes, and it was passed over. Then the trolley fares were also paid, and the stu- dents prepared to depart. " That car will have to remain where she is until morning," said the motorman. " Then let her stay," said Roger. " You can say there was a slight accident." " All right," and again the old motorman grinned ; he was an easy fellow with whom to deal. As quickly as possible, the members of the club marched back to the vicinity of Oak Hall. Then two were sent ahead as scouts, to learn if the coast was clear. In a few minutes one came back in a state of excitement. " Old Job Haskers is around the lower hall! " he announced. " I'm afraid our absence has been discovered." " In that case our cake is dough," murmured Roger. " W^ait — I'll make certain of this," came from Phil. " Come on, Dave, if you will." They hurried to the Hall, and slipping into a side door, found the second assistant sitting in a chair, as if on guard. " He has found out something, otherwise he THE SURPRISES OF A NIGHT 235 wouldn't be down here at this hour of the night," whispered Phil. " I've got a scheme," whispered Dave in return. The adventures of the night had sharpened his wits. " I'll try to get him into the storeroom yonder. If he goes in, slip into the hall and lock the door on him." "How will you do it? " " Wait and see." Dave tiptoed his way around the building, and pausing at the window of the storeroom began to rattle the blinds and the sash. At first this did not attract Job Haskers' attention, but presently he arose and tiptoed his way into the storeroom to see what it meant. Phil was watching the assistant master, and as silently as he could he sneaked up, closed the door, and turned the key. Then he ran outside and gave a low but clear whistle. It was a signal that the coast was clear, and like so many cats the students ran into the Hall and scampered to their dormitories. Some were al- ready partly undressed, and in a very few minutes all were in bed and safe. As soon as Dave heard the other boys enter the building, he followed, and then of course, the rat- tling at the window ceased. " Queer what that was," murmured Job Haskers to himself. " There isn't any wind to-night." 236 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL He gazed out of the window, but could see nothing unusual. This done he retraced his steps to the door. The moment he tried the handle he realized that something was wrong. He felt for the catch of the lock, but found that shoved down. Then he knew he was locked in. " The young rascals ! " he muttered, savagely. " Hi ! Let me out ! " he roared. " Do you hear? Let me out ! " No one answered his command, and he began to beat upon the door. Then he thumped so loudly that Pop Swingly, the janitor, came up, followed presently by Dr. Clay and Andrew Dale. " Who's in there? " demanded the janitor, who had armed himself with a club. " I am, Swingly. Let me out! " " If it ain't Mr. Haskers ! " ejaculated the jani- tor. " Who locked you in? " " That is what I'd like to know. Did you see anybody around? " " Not a soul, sir — everybody has gone to bed." " No, some of the young rascals are around — I heard them go out hours ago, and I was waiting for them to get back." " Did you say some of the students were out? " demanded Dr. Clay. " Yes, sir." " And they locked you in the storeroom? " asked THE SURPRISES OF A NIGHT 237 Andrew Dale, and smiled to himself in the semi- darkness. " They did." "I'll Investigate this!" thundered the doctor. " Mr. Dale, look through the dormitories and re- port who is missing." " I'll go along," put in Job Haskers. " These revels at night must cease, and at once," continued the master of Oak Hall. " Make an close investigation, and I will make an example of the offenders." " I'd just like to punish them," muttered Job Haskers. " The idea of locking me, me in the storeroom," and he shook his head bitterly. The two assistants hurried off, and were gone the best part of quarter of an hour. They had visited every dormitory belonging to the students, and now they reported at the doctor's office. " Three students are missing," said Andrew Dale. " Augustus Plum, Chipham Macklin, and Nathaniel Poole. We have ascertained that they left the Hall about nine o'clock and have not yet returned." CHAPTER XXVII THE MISSING COMPOSITION The boys in dormitories No. 1 1 and No. 12 had just had time enough to get to bed when the two assistant teachers appeared. They looked in each bed and then withdrew silently. " Phew, but that was a narrow squeak! " whis- pered Ben. " Another minute, and we should have been caught! " " They are going through every dormitory," an- nounced Phil, whose bed was close to the door. " I hope the others have retired." To make certain he opened the door on a crack. The two teachers had just entered No. 13. He heard some talking, and when he shut the door again he smiled broadly. " This is the richest yet, fellows ! " he whispered. " What do you think? Plum, Macklin, and Poole are missing, and old Haskers thinks it was one of them that locked him In the storeroom! " At this announcement there were several smoth- ered laughs. " They'll catch it — if they are caught," whis- pered Roger. " Wonder where they went? " 238 THE MISSING COMPOSITION 239 " On a little jollification of their own, I sup- pose, — ^just to outdo us," said Sam Day, and he guessed the exact truth. It was not until a full hour later that a murmuf below told them tljat something more was going on. At the risk of being discovered, Dave and Roger crept out into the hall and listened. A crowd passed from the rear of the Hall to the doc- tor's private office. In the number were Plum, Poole, and Macklin. "This is scandalous, scandalous! " they heard Dr. Clay say. " I never could have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes ! " " It's all right, doc, — it's all right," came thickly from the bully of the school. " Just celebrated a little, that's all. No harm done." " Plum, you have been drinking! " " Only a glass of wine, sir — only one glass. Al- ways drink wine at home." "So do we," added Nat Poole. "Had a — a — cel'bration, just as Gus says. Pays to cel'brate sometimes — makes the a — a — ^brain clearer ! " " Go to my office ! " thundered Dr. Clay. " I am — I am astounded!" And then the whole crowd passed out of sight and hearing. " This is awful, and no mistake 1 " whispered Dave, as he and Roger crept back into the dormi- tory. " And little Macklin, too ! " 240 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " They are bad eggs, no doubt about it," was the answer. " What was it about? " came from several, as the door was closed. " Plum, Macklin, and Poole have been caught." "Humph! Well, I'm not sorry," said Sam Day. " That isn't the worst of it, fellows," said Dave, soberly. " All of them have been drinking." " Drinking! " came from several. " Yes, and the doctor is so astonished and pained he doesn't know what to do." " That's too bad," said Shadow. " I knew Plum liked a little now and then. But he shouldn't lead Macklin astray." " What will the doctor do? " asked Beggs. " Perhaps he will send 'em home. It's strictly against the regulations to drink anything stronger than coffee." The boys talked the matter over for a while, and then one after another dropped to sleep. Dave was the last to doze away. " It's a pity they can't leave liquor alone," he told himself. " That is the way men make drunk- ards of themselves. First they take a little and then they take more and aiore, until they can't get along without it." At breakfast on the following morning Plum, Poole, and Macklin did not appear, nor were they THE MISSING COMPOSITION 241 present during the day's session. No questions concerning them could be answered, and Dave and his chums really wondered if they had been sent away and for good. Such, however, was not the case. The three had been locked up in separate rooms of the school and were given the plainest possible fare. Later on Dr. Clay brought them together and gave them a stern lecture. " Such conduct will not be permitted at Oak Hall while I am the master here," he said. " It is with- out justification of any kind, and sure to give the academy a bad name. While you are here I ex- pect each of you to conduct himself like a gentle- man. You are acting against your own best in- terests, and if you do not understand that now you will understand it later on. I shall write home to your fathers and explain the situation, and if such a thing occurs again I shall send you home without delay. Now go to your rooms, and prepare your lessons for to-morrow." And thus they were dis- missed, and glad to get away from his stern gaze. "Phew! but I'm thankful he let us off so easily! " said Nat Poole. " I was afraid he was going to tell me to pack my grip right away. And I don't want to go home just yet." " I don't know what my stepfather will do when he hears of it," said Macklin, gloomily. " Maybe 242 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL he'll make me go home and work In his lumber yard. I don't want to do that." " Write to him and tell him you didn't know what you were drinking — that somebody put up a job on you," suggested Gus Plum. " That's what I am going to do," and the letters were penned without delay. After this happening matters moved along smoothly at Oak Hall for over a month. Having had such a " calling down " from Dr. Clay the bully and his cronies did not dare to do anything wrong, and Dave and his chums stuck to their les- sons. The only break for Dave came at Thanks- giving, when he journeyed to Crumvllle, to eat his turkey dinner with the Wadsworths and Professor Potts. " Oh, I'm so glad you've come," cried Jessie, dancing up to greet him. " You must tell me all about your school, and how you are getting along." The dinner was a veritable feast, and all sat around the board two hours, eating nuts and raisins and listening to what Dave had to tell. " Of course you haven't gotten into any scrapes?" remarked Oliver Wadsworth, with an amused twinkle in his eye. " Not any serious ones, sir. Of course, I've had some fun — It's bound to come in a school like that." " I know, Dave, and I don't blame you for want- ing some sport. But don't neglect your studies." THE MISSING COMPOSITION 243 " His percentages speak for themselves," said Caspar Potts, proudly. " I don't see how ihey could be much better." The old professor had improved greatly in health. He was anxious to get to work, or begin teaching again, but Oliver Wadsworth would not hear of it. " You must rest this winter," said the manufac- turer. " Then, next season, you can do as you please." That evening there was quite a gathering at the house, including the Basswoods, who came with Ben, and the party lasted until nearly midnight. Dave was introduced to many people of Crumville he had never before met, and all treated him cor- dially. " You must write me a letter every week, Dave," said Jessie, on parting. " Tell me about all you are doing." " I can't tell you all that, Jessie," he answered. " I'll write whenever I have anything interesting," and he did. Autumn was now a thing of the past, and ere- long winter began to set in around Oak Hall. The oaks were bare of leaves, and the cold blasts sighed mournfully through the branches. Football came to an end, and so did rowing, and the students be- gan to look forward to snow and skating. " Last year we had great sport in the snow," said 244 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL Buster Beggs. " We built a big snow fort and half the school defended it, while the other half tried to capture the place. The fight lasted all of Saturday afternoon, and the fort fell just as the bell rang for supper." " Of course you weren't hit with snowballs," said Dave, with a smile. " Not at all, only about 'steen times, and when they captured the fort I was buried under one of the falling walls and had to be hauled out by the heels. Some of the snow got down my back. I can feel the cold yet ! " And Buster gave a shiver. " I like winter sports," came from Roger. " Best of all, I love skating." " And so do I," cried Dave. " I like to skate good long distances, too. I don't care so much for fancy skating." " When skating is good you can go up and down the river for miles," said Phil. " We can take the trip some Saturday." " Does Gus Plum skate? " asked another boy. " Yes, he's a fine skater, and last year he won the prize for long-distance skating. My, but wasn't he stuck on himself after that," returned Shadow. " He is keeping very mum just now," remarked Roger. " That talking from the doctor has tamed him," said Phil. " But just wait, he'll break out again before long," and the big youth was right. THE MISSING COMPOSITION 245 Dave had turned again to his studies and was making such progress that he was now at the head of his class. Roger was just below him, and Phil and Ben were also doing well. One windy day Dave was walking along the river bank, when some bits of half-burned paper blew towards him. Out of curiosity he picked up one of the bits and was surprised to see that it con- tained writing in his own hand. " My missing composition on the " Three Greatest Achievements of Gearge Washington ' ! " he murmured to himself, and it was true. " Now, how did this get here? " He picked up several other bits of paper, and finally traced them to the remains of a small fire which had been built in a hollow among the rocks. He looked over what there was of sheets in the ashes and sorted out sixteen unburnt bits. Nine were of his lost composition, and the others in an- other hand. " I'd like to know whose hand that is," he mused. " Can it be that of Chip Macklin? " Folding the bits of paper up he placed them in his pocket, and returned to Oak Hall. Entering one of the lower classrooms, he found the teacher and asked if he could look at some of the copy- books there. " What is your object, Master Porter? " asked the under-teacher, pleasantly. 246 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " I should like to see Macklln's handwriting." " Oh ! Well, here is a composition he just handed in," and then the teacher turned away, for he was busy. Dave compared the composition with the odd bits of paper and at once reached the conclusion that both had been written by the sneak of the school. He handed the composition back to the teacher, and hurried away. Outside he asked for Macklin, and learned that the boy was up in his dormitory. Going up he found the sneak and Gus Plum together, and both talking earnestly. " What do you want here? " demanded Plum, sourly, as Dave entered. " I want to talk to Macklin, Plum. Can I see you alone? " he asked of the sneak. " What do you want? " was Macklin's question, In alarm. " I guess you know well enough. Do you want to see me alone or not? " " I — I don't want to see you at all. Porter," faltered the sneak. " What do you want of him? " demanded the bully, arising and confronting Dave. " That is my business, not yours. Plum." " Macklin is under my protection. If you have anything to say, say it in front of me." " Do you want me to do that? " asked Dave, of, the sneak. THE MISSING COMPOSITION 247 " Ye— es." " Very well, then, I'll speak. Macklin, I have found you out. You stole my composition on Washington. I have proofs, and it will be useless for you to deny it." CHAPTER XXVIII macklin's confession At Dave's accusation the sneak of the school turned pale, and for the moment did not know what to say. There was a painful silence, broken by Gus Plum, who advanced upon the boy from the country with clenched fists. " See here, I ain't going to stand for this I " he blustered. " Chip is no thief." " I have spoken the truth," answered Dave, calmly. " I dare Macklin to deny it." " Ho — how can you prove that I to — took the composition," came faintly from the sneak. " Never mind, I can prove it, and that's enough. It was a mean piece of business. I had to use an- other composition riot so good in its stead, and it brought down my percentage." " Don't you let him bulldoze you. Chip," in- terposed the bully. " I don't believe he can prove it." And he winked suggestively at his toady. " Do you know what I think, Plum? " continued Dave, hotly. " You and Macklin are in league with each other in this, just as you are in with each other on other shady transactions." 248 MACKLIN'S CONFESSION 249 " Really? " sneered the bully. He squared off. " Look here, Porter, I owe you a thrashing and I said I'd give it to you. I reckon the time Is ripe for it." " I told you I'd be ready whenever you were ready, Plum. But that hasn't anything to do with this affair. I ask you, Macklin, what you have to say for yourself." " I— I " " Don't answer him. Chip. He can't prove any- thing. It's only bluster on his part. Keep your mouth shut." Again there was a painful pause. Then without warning Dave stepped forward and caught the sneak by the ear. " Did you hear me ? " he asked, sharply. " Did you hear me? " " Oh ! oh ! " shrieked the sneak. " Oh, let go. Porter, please let go ! " And he began to squirm. " Answer my question." " I — I can't answer. I — I didn't do anything. I — I found some sheets of a composition that had — had blown out of a window " " That's a fairy tale, Macklin, you " Dave got no further, for Gus Plum was on him and catching him by the arm, flung him back- ward. Instantly the two squared off. Plum struck at the country boy, and hit him in the shoulder, and Dave retaliated with a sharp crack 2 so DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL on the bully's jaw that sent Plum staggering against a table. " I told you to keep out, Plum," said Dave, warmly. " I'll— I'll fix you ! " growled the bully, and leaped forward once more. He managed to strike Dave on the forehead, a blow that hurt not a little. Dave was now thoroughly aroused, and he sprang at the bully with vigor, and blows were given and taken with astonishing rapidity. Around and around the dormitory went the two boys, knocking over a chair, and a shelf containing a number of books. Once they bumped into Macklin, but the sneak lost no time in getting out of the way. He wanted to trip Dave up, but could see no chance for so doing. Dave had been struck half a dozen times, and it must be confessed that he was fast losing his wind. Yet the thought of giving up never once occurred to him. He continued to strike at Plum, and the bully caught a stinging blow in the eye that made him see stars. Then gathering his strength, Dave sent in one awful blow on Plum's chin that raised the bully from his feet and sent him crashing over a bed and on his back. "No — now, have you had enough?" Dave asked, coming up to Plum with his fists still clenched tightly. MACKLIN'S CONFESSION 251 In a dazed fashion the bully of Oak Hall looked up. He saw something in Dave's eyes that made him shiver — that look which made the country boy at times truly dangerous. "Here comes somebody!" cried Macklin, at this juncture, and a second later the door swung open and Job Haskers strode in. " What is the meaning of this noise up here? " demanded the assistant teacher, sharply. " It sounds as if you were pulling the school building down. Ha! you have been fighting! " " No — no, we weren't fighting," panted Plum, sitting up on the bed. "Not fighting?" " No — no, sir, — we were only having a — er — a little wrestling match." " That's it," came from Macklin, who was anx- ious to shield his champion. " It didn't amount to anything." " Sorry we made so much noise, Mr. Haskers," continued the bully, smoothly. He was fast re- covering. Job Haskers looked at Dave. " What have you to say, Master Porter? " " I haven't anything to say, Mr. Haskers." " Were you simply wrestling with Master Plum?" Dave was silent. " Answer me I " 252 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Of course, we were wrestling — quite a friendly affair," came from the bully. And he looked sug- gestively at the country boy. The assistant teacher continued to look at Dave, and caught him by the arm. "Then it was a strictly friendly affair, eh?" he went on, searchingly. " I did not know that you and Master Plum were such great friends." " We are not friends, Mr. Haskers. I don't want the friendship of such a fellow as Plum. I came here on business, and — ^well, I don't care to say anything more. But we are not friends, and I don't want anybody to think so." As these words issued from Dave's lips Gus Plum glared at him, in anger. Macklin was also disturbed. " Then it was a fight, eh? " Dave continued to remain silent. " If you must know the truth, Mr. Haskers, I'll tell you," cried Gus Plum. " Porter came in here and accused Macklin and myself of something we didn't do. He called Macklin a thief, and a lot more, and flocked it into me, too. I stood as much as I could, and then talked back. Then he pitched into me ; didn't he. Chip ? " " He certainly did," answered Chip, catching the cue. " It was all Porter's fault, if you must know." " Mr. Haskers " commenced Dave, and MACKLIN'S CONFESSION 253 then stopped short. He knew it would be useless to try to defend himself in the eyes of the second assistant. " Come down to Dr. Clay's office," thundered the teacher. " Come down, all of you." There was no help for it, and in a few minutes more the three students were in the office, and the doctor was listening to what his assistant had to say. Then, much to that individual's astonish- ment, he told Job Haskers he might go. " But, Dr. Clay " " You can go. I will settle this myself," said the doctor, and the assistant walked out, much chagrined, for he had hoped to remain and see Dave punished. Neither Dave nor Plum was in the best of con- dition, so far as appearances went. The bully had a black eye and a cut chin, while Dave's nose was swollen and his collar and necktie were torn. Dr. Clay looked from one to the other curiously, and also at Macklin, who was trembling. " You must have had quite a fight," said he, shortly. " Who struck the first blow? " " He did," said Plum, pointing to Dave. " And abused Macklin, too ; didn't he, Chip ? " " He did." " What have you to say. Porter? " " Dr. Clay, will you allow me to tell my whole story? " asked the country boy, earnestly. " I 254 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL didn't expect to expose anybody, but I suppose it can't be helped — now." " Go ahead, but don't take too long," was the brief reply. In as few words as possible Dave told him how he had missed the composition and seen Macklin coming from the dormitory. Then he told of find- ing the bits of half-burned paper, and he brought them forth. He also told of how the bully and the sneak had treated him in general. " I didn't intend to fight when I went after Macklin," he continued. " I wanted him to know that I had found him out, and I was going to make him promise to do better in the future. But Plum stood up for the sneak, and pitched into me, and I had to defend myself. Then I — well, I guess I lost my temper, and I knocked Plum over the bed." After this the bully and the sneak were closely questioned, and the doctor looked over the bits of burnt paper which Dave had in his pocket. " Macklin, I want you to answer me truthfully," said Dr. Clay, looking the youngest boy closely in the eyes. " Did you, or did you not, take that composition? " The sneak tried to evade that gaze, but could not. He started to speak several times, but the words would not come. " Answer me ! " MACKLIN'S CONFESSION 255 " I — I thought it was some old composition — I didn't think it was of much value ! " whined Mack- lin, at last. " Did you try to burn it up as soon as you took it?" " No, sir, I — I kept it. I was going to put it back the next day, but — ^but " " But what? " thundered the doctor. " Oh, please don't ask me, Dr. Clay." " I demand an answer, Macklin. Do you want to be dismissed from the Hall? " " No ! no ! But if I answer Plum will kill me, I know he will," whined the sneak. " Did Plum tell you to burn it? " " We — we burned it together — along with some old writing of my own." " I didn't have anything to do with it," burst out the bully. " Just you wait. Chip " "Silence, Plum! So, then, you burned it to- gether? " " Yes, sir. I was — was scared — but Gus said it would be all right, that nobody would find it out ! " Macklin burst into tears. " Oh, Dr. Clay, please don't send me home, please don't! I won't do such a thing again, I promise I won't! Please don't send me home ! My stepfather will kill me if I'm sent home ! " Macklin was on his knees, and the bitter tears were streaming down his face as he clutched at Dr. 2S6 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL Clay's frock coat. The master of the Hall was affected and looked at Dave. " Dr. Clay, please don't punish him on my ac- count," said Dave, swallowing a lump that arose in his throat. " I — I don't care about the composi- tion — let it pass, won't you? If he's got a step- father " He did not finish. " You are quite sure you will behave yourself in the future, if I do as Master Porter suggests, Chipham?" " Yes, sir — oh, yes, sir! " came eagerly. " It was a wicked thing to do, and I do not won- der that Master Porter was angry when he found it out. You can go now. I will talk it over with you later — after I have finished with Master Plum. Porter, you can go, too. After this, if you have any more troubles, bring them to me before you try to settle them yourself." A moment later Macklin left the office, and Dave followed, leaving the bully alone with the master of Oak Hall. What was said or done to Gus Plum never became known to the outsiders, but half an hour later he came forth looking very humble, and for some weeks after that he kept himself well within bounds and attended strictly to his studies. CHAPTER XXIX TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF Chip Macklin was going straight to his dormi- tory when Dave hurried up to him, and caught him by the shoulder. " Let me go ! " said the sneak, doggedly. " You said you were willing to let it pass " " And I am. Chip. Come, take a walk with me. I want to talk to you." " I don't want to talk." " You had better come. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to talk for your own good." The younger boy hesitated for a moment, and then turned partly around. " Where do you want to go? " " Come up to the old lumber room. It's warm there and quiet, too," and Dave led the way to an apartment filled with odds and ends of all sorts. Here they sat down on some boxes. " Chip, I am going right to the point, for I don't think it pays to beat around the bush," commenced Dave. " I want to know why you don't turn over a new leaf and be a better boy? Nobody likes a sneak, and it ought to be beneath you to toady to Gus Plum. If you'd give up your sneaking ways, 257 258 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL and give up toadying to that bully, I'm sure all the other fellows would like you a great deal more than they do now." At this unexpected outburst Chip Macklin was silent for a moment. " You're a good enough fellow, in general," went on Dave, earnestly. " You're pretty good at your lessons, and pretty good other ways, too, and I know some boys like you when you are not following after Plum. Another thing, to my mind, Plum is on the downward road, and if you keep on follow- ing him, sooner or later you'll get into some trouble that will bring you dismissal from the Hall. Your stepfather won't like that, and neither will your mother." At these words Chip Macklin's head sank on his breast. " If I were you, I'd cut Gus Plum dead after this, and I think I'd cut Nat Poole, too, although he isn't quite so bad as Plum, only foolish. Those fel- lows will never help you to make a man of your- self, and both of them will never help you in youf studies, for each is near the bottom of his class." " I know they don't study much — and they don't let me study as much as I wish. But what can I do — I'm in their dormitory. And Plum will half kill me now! " Macklin showed signs of breaking down again. " We'll get Dr. Clay to put you in some other TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF 259 dormitory. Will Fellen is leaving No. 1 1 . How would that suit you ? There's a prime set of boys in No. II." " They won't want me — not after what I've done," answered the smaller student, gloomily. " I'll try to fix it up for you — that is, if you'll promise to turn over a new leaf." " Do you mean it, Dave? " " I do, Chip. I want to see you make some- thing of yourself. I don't want to see anybody throw himself away for such a fellow as Plum. If you'll turn over a new leaf, and he tries to abuse you, I'll stand up for you." "Will you, really?" Chip Macklin's face brightened. " Oh, you don't mean that ! " " I do ; did you ever know me break my word? " " It's good of you, Dave. I don't deserve this. It was mean to play the sneak on you, and steal that composition. But honestly, I was going to put the paper back. I was scared to death the minute after I took it. Plum got me to take it — or, at least, he suggested the thing to me. He's always suggesting something for me to do." " Well, don't listen to him after this." " I won't, I'll promise you, and I'll — I'll do my level best to be all right after this, too." The smaller boy caught Dave's hand. " I will do it, yes, I will!" Quite a talk followed, and Dave continued to 26o DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL give Chip Macklin some good advice. They parted friends, and then Dave sought out Dr. Clay again. The doctor listened to his story with deep interest. " I do not imagine that Plum will trouble Mack- lin in the future," said the master of Oak Hall. " Still, if Macklin wishes to take the vacant bed in dormitory No. ii, he can do so. I will speak to Mr. Dale about it. It is to your credit that you have advised the youth to turn over a new leaf. And now let me give you a bit of advice. Porter. Try to keep your temper after this. It often pays to go slow." " I know it, doctor, but — but " " I understand, and I am not going to punish you. Only remember that I want my pupils to be gentlemen." As soon as it was announced that Chip Macklin was coming into dormitory No. ii, various were the comments from those already occupying that apartment and No. 12. " We don't want him. He's nothing but a miserable sneak! " said one, and that was the opin- ion of the majority. " Look here, fellows, I want to tell you some- thing," said Dave, earnestly, and he spoke briefly of his encounter with Plum and his talk with Mack- lin. " Now, I'm satisfied Chip wants to turn over a new leaf. But he can't do it if he's kept under TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF 261 Plum's thumb. Let us give him a fair chance. I've found out that he has a stepfather who is rather harsh with him, and he doesn't get hardly any spending money. Plum used to bribe him to do things, and when Chip didn't have a cent it was a great temptation. Let's try to make a man of him. Come now, what do you say? " And thus Dave talked for a good hour. " Say, Dave, you ought to be a lawyer," cried Roger. " You'd do finely defending criminals. If it's as you say, I'm willing to give Macklin all the show he wants." " Yes, and I'l help him if I can," added Ben. " I didn't know he was poor and had a hard- hearted stepfather," said the boy who was con- sidered the leader of No. 11. " He can come in here and welcome, eh, fellows? " " Yes, let him come ! " was the cry, and so it was settled. Dave helped the small boy to bring in his things, and two or three of the others gave a hand to help him settle down. He felt strange at first, and exceedingly suspicious, but gradually these feelings wore away, and he became quite another lad. "Don't you wish yourself back in No. 13?" asked Dave, one day, after he had helped Chip to do an extra hard example. " No, no! " was the quick answer. " I never want to go back I It is ever so much better here. 262 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL I can see now what a fool I was, Dave, to toady to Plum, and to play the sneak for him. I never want to do those things again ! " " Has he bothered you since you came? " " Not yet. I — I haven't given him the chance. Once, I was walking along by the boathouse, and he came after me. But I ran back into the school." " You might as well face him next time, just to see what he has to say. Show him that you are not afraid of him. It's the only way to treat such a bully." Gus Plum had expected to pitch into Macklin for exposing the truth concerning the composition, and the bully was much chagrined to find the small boy leaving dormitory No. 13. " He knew better than to stay in this room," grumbled Plum to Nat Poole. " Just the same, I am sorry to lose him — he was such a handy little sneak to have around." " Did everything you wanted done, didn't he? " " Almost everything. He was hard up, and ten cents or a quarter looked as big as the moon to him." " Are his folks so poor? " " No, but his stepfather don't believe in ex- travagance." " Porter must have hit you pretty hard? " went on Poole, after a pause. " Pooh! It was nothing to what I gave him. TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF 263 Didn't you notice his front teeth? They are all loose." This was a falsehood, but Poole was willing to take Plum's word for it, and It soon became noised around that the bully had given Dave a sound beating. Poole added that the fight had lasted half an hour, and that Plum had had the better of it from start to finish. Of course, Dave denied the story, and so did Macklin, yet many believed the tale, and as a con- sequence Gus Plum was looked up to by them as the king of the academy. Later on, one or two new pupils became his toadies, in place of Mack- lin. Winter had now set in, and erelong there came a fall of snow, followed by a cold snap which put an inch of ice on the surface of the river. Then fol- lowed more snow, covering the ground to a depth of half a foot on a level, although the wind swept it into drifts in some places and left other spots, and especially the river, almost clear. "Whoop! hurrah for a snowballing match! " cried Roger, rushing in. " This snow is glorious ! It packs just right! " Some of the students were already snowballing each other, and poor Pop Swingly, who was try- ing to clean off one of the walks, had been hit sev- eral times, and so had Horsehair Lemond, who was helping at the task. 264 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Two cents for a shot, Pop ! " cried one stu- dent, and before an answer could be given, the snowball was launched forth, to catch the janitor in the back. " Here's a new act in the thrilling drama, ' Buried in the Snow 1 ' " cried another to Horse- hair, and sent down on him an avalanche of snow from a window sill above. " Hi ! hi ! don't you be after buryin' me alive ! " roared the stage driver. " Just wait till I catch you," he added, as he emerged from the snow heap. " We'll have a new act called ' Having His Ears Boxed! ' " and he shook his fist at his tormentor. Dave and his friends were soon in the midst of the sport, and then the snowballs flew faster than ever. It was jolly fun and everybody enjoyed it to the utmost. In the crowd was Macklin, who took the hits he got in good part, and gave almost as good as was sent. " Hi ! Dave, here comes old Haskers I " said Phil, presently. " I'm going to square up for be- ing kept in yesterday." And off he ran, with Dave at his heels, and Ben following. The second assistant had been down to the barn on some errand. Now he turned toward the de- serted boathouse. Following him up, the boys took a position behind one of the clumps of oaks near by. " All ready? " whispered Phil. " Yes." TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF 265 " Then throw ! " And away whizzed three snowballs. One took the teacher in the shoulder, another landed on his neck, while the third filled up his ear. Then he started to run, but pitched head- long. " You scamps ! " he roared, on picking himself up. " I'll fix you for that! " He gazed around without seeing anybody. "Where are you? Come, it won't do you any good to hide ! " "Ready again?" asked Ben. "We may as well make a good job of it, while we are about It." All were ready, and as Job Haskers looked in the opposite direction they let fly once more. Each of the snowballs landed on the teacher's head, and one sent his hat flying through the air. "You scamps! You wretches!" shrieked the second assistant. " Don't dare to throw at me again! If you do I'll — I'll have you sent from the Hall!" " Once again ! " whispered Dave, and again the snowballs were launched forth. Job Haskers tried to dodge, but it was useless. He was hit again ; and then his three tormentors ran off, keeping the clump of oaks between the teacher and themselves, that he might not discover their identity. CHAPTER XXX A RACE ON THE ICE " Hurrah, Dave, the ice is six inches thick on the river, and Dr. Clay says we can go skating as much as we please during off hours ! " It was Roger who brought in the good news, as he entered the general library of Oak Hall, where Dave, Ben, and a number of others were reading. It was a clear, sunshiny day, but nipping cold. " Good! " answered Dave, throwing down his book. " I'm going to see if my skates are O. K. They are rather old, but I've had lots of fun out of them." " I've got a new pair," said Roger. " Got them for a birthday present." The boys soon had their skates, and a crowd of a dozen or more started for the river. It was three days after the snowballing, and though Job Has- kers had tried his best to find out who had at- tacked him, nothing had come of the investigation. When they arrived on the ice, they found Gus Plum and Nat Poole already there. Each of the rich lads had a pair of silver-plated skates of which he was very proud. Dave's skates were of the 266 A RACE ON THE ICE 267 plainest kind of steel, having cost but sixty-five cents, and Nat Poole stuck up his nose at them. "My! look at the gunboats," he observed, to Gus Plum, but loud enough for Dave to hear. " Made of cast-off railroad iron, I guess." , " Let's take up a collection for a new pair," an- swered the bully of Oak Hall. " If Dave is satisfied with his skates you ought to be," came sharply from Ben. "Who is talking to you?" demanded Plum, roughly. " I'm talking to you, Gus Plum." " Oh, don't mind him, Ben," interposed Dave. " His talk isn't worth listening to. His skates may have cost more money than mine, but, just the same, I don't think he can skate any faster on them than I can on this old pair." " Do you want to prove that? " cried Gus Plum, eagerly. He was really a good skater. " Yes." " A race ! A race ! " was the cry. " I'll race you, too," put in Nat Poole. " All right, I'd just as lief beat two as one," an- swered Dave, and said it so dryly that the crowd began to laugh. The details of the race were quickly arranged. Up the river about half a mile was a small island. The three racers were to start from the boathouse 268 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL dock, round the island, and come back to the start- ing point. " You've got to hump yourself, Dave," whis- pered Phil. " Plum is a dandy skater. He has won more than one match." " And Nat Poole is a good skater, too," added Ben. " He won the race at Bedloe Lake last winter." " I think I can beat them," returned the country youth, confidently. As he had said before, he did not attempt fancy skating, but loved long stretches, and his wind was good, as had been proved on the football field. The three contestants lined up, and at the word from a youth selected to act as starter they were off like a shot, side by side. " That's a fine start," observed Buster Beggs. A hundred yards were quickly covered, and then Dave shot ahead like an arrow from a bow. " Porter is in the lead ! " was the cry. "Never mind, the race is young yet I " came back from one of Gus Plum's cronies. On and on went the contestants, their skates mak- ing a sharp grinding on the glassy surface of the river. A few of the boys went after them, to see that each rounded the Island properly. By the time the island was gained Plum and Poole made a spurt and came up abreast of Dave. The latter was on the outside, and so had to make A RACE ON THE ICE 269 the largest sweep around, and this made him lose about a yard. "Plum is ahead!" " Yes, but Nat Poole is a close second! " Down the homestretch came the three skaters, the steel runners grinding into the glassy surface more furiously than ever. The pace was a ter- rific one, and Poole was beginning to lose his wind. " See, Dave Porter is creeping up ! " It was true, and at the same time Poole began to lose his place beside Gus Plum. The aristo- cratic youth was now almost winded, while both the bully and Dave were comparatively fresh. Inch by inch the country boy drew forward, until he and Poole were abreast. " Poole and Porter are tied! " There now remained but two hundred yards more, and Gus Plum put on an extra spurt which carried him still further in the lead. " It's Plum's race ! " " With Porter as second! " It was true that Dave was now ahead of Nat Poole, who, as soon as he was out-distanced, gave up completely. Dave saw that the bully was at least five yards ahead of him. Could he close in on such a lead? " I must! " he told himself, and shut his teeth hard. He bent forward for another spurt, and like a flash he was almost on Plum's heels. 270 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Porter is crawling up ! " " Hurry up, Dave! " screamed Roger. " You can do it, old man ! Go It ! " " He can't catch Gus Plum," came back from another student, but even as the lad spoke, Dave gave another spurt, and came up alongside of the bully. " It's a neck-and-neck race I " was the shout. The line was now less than twenty yards away and still Dave and Plum were side by side. The pace was terrific, and the country boy felt as if something must burst within him. But. now he made another spurt, and shot ahead fully a yard — and then the line was crossed. " Hurrah ! Dave Porter wins the race ! " At once Dave was surrounded by his admirers, who shook hands with him, patted him on the back, and led him to a seat in the warm boathouse. " It was great! " said Shadow, enthusiastically. " Simply great ! " " I congratulate you, Dave," put in Phil. " My! but that will make Plum feel sick all over." " My skate came loose," said Nat Poole to the crowd on the ice. " If it hadn't been for that, I should have won." " I got caught in a crack," said the bully. " Poor excuses are worse than none," said Sam Day, and slipped away to join his friends. The race was the talk of the school for several days, and \ ^$:>. ^t^ -il'tvcld WVpv«»C)t« ■Hurrah! Dave Porter wins the race!" — Page 270. A RACE ON THE ICE 271 for the time being Dave was looked up to as the champion skater of Oak Hall. Nothing more was said about his owning nothing but an old pair of skates. " The skates don't count as much as the fellow who wears 'em," said Ben, and the others agreed with him. " I'm awfully glad you won, Dave," said Chip Macklin, in private. " It will help to take the con- ceit out of Plum and Poole." " Maybe, but I doubt it," was Dave's reply. " They are too thick-skinned to be affected so easily." The skating continued good, and on the follow- ing Saturday, Dave, Roger, Ben, and Phil arranged for a long outing up the river. They expected to be gone all day and took their dinners with them. " This is just the kind of an outing I love," said Dave, as they spun along over the ice. " We ought to cover a good many miles before we get back." " Let us skate as far as the old castle," said Phil. " I haven't visited that spot for years." " What sort of a place is it? " questioned Ben. " It's a tumbled-down brick-and-stone building that was erected during the Revolutionary War, so they say. It's on a branch of the river, and I think it's deserted. We can build a fire in the old place and have our dinners there." 2;2 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL So it was arranged, and the party proceeded on its way. The river made many turns, and in spots they had to bend low to escape the overhanging branches. But, generally speaking, the skating was good, and by half-past eleven they came in sight of the old building Phil had described. " It does look a little like a castle," said Ben. "Who owns it?" " It belongs to some estate, I think," answered Phil. " Some of the heirs are missing, so the mat- ter has never been settled." " And nobody lives here? " " So I've been told. Once a gang of tramps took possession, but the folks over at Riverdale chased them away." " There is somebody at the place now," said Dave. " Don't you see the smoke pouring from that half tumbled-down chimney? " " Dave is right," said Roger. " It's too bad I I thought that we'd have the place all to our- selves." " Perhaps some other boys are here," said Phil. " Let us find out, anyway." They skated to the lower end of the old build- ing and there took off their skates. Then they entered through a wide-open doorway, and found themselves in a long hall, dark, dingy, and covered with cobwebs. At one side was a stair- way leading to an upper floor, and on the other, A RACE ON THE ICE 273 and to the rear, various doors leading to the lower rooms. " This is certainly gloomy enough," remarked Dave. " And cold enough, too." " Feels to me like a vault, or a tomb," said Ben. " Any ghosts around? Every first-class old castle has its ghosts, you know." " This isn't first-class enough to have one," an- swered Phil, with a grin. From one of the rooms they heard a murmur of voices. Two men were talking earnestly. They also detected the odor of something cooking. " They must be tramps," whispered Ben. " Yes, but as there are only two of them, there is nothing to be afraid of," returned Roger. " I don't think they'll like to be disturbed," said Dave. " They haven't any more right here than we have," put in Phil. " If they— Hark ! " He stopped short and the four boys listened in- tently. " They are quarreling," exclaimed Roger. " Yes, and it's over some money. I believe they'll be fighting in another minute," added Dave. " I say I want the money you promised to me," said one of the men in the room. " You can't put me off any longer." " Now, just keep cool, Billy," was the answer in 274 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL a cold, smooth voice. " There is no use of your getting excited." " Ain't there? Well, hang my toplights, but I think there is ! You think because I'm nothing but an old seadog an' not used to land ways you can pull the wool over my eyes, don't you. Tag Dutch? But you ain't goin' to git the best o' old Billy Dill, not by a jugful ! " " I don't intend to get the best of you, Billy." " Yes, you do. You're a slick rooster, you are, an' I've a notion ye ain't honest nuther. I want my money, an' then we'll part hawsers, an' you can sail your course an' I'll sail mine." " I think I know one of those men! " whispered Dave, excitedly. " Let me look through the key- hole of that door." He knelt down and did so. " Just as I thought, Roger ! One of those men is the rascal who robbed your father's summer home!" CHAPTER XXXI SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY The declaration that Dave made filled all of his companions with astonishment. All knew the par- ticulars of the occurrence mentioned, and knew that the evildoer had not yet been handed over to jus- tice. " You are sure he is the man, Dave? " queried the senator's son. " Yes, I know him not only by his looks but by his voice as well." " You don't want to make any mistake about this," said Phil. " Accusing a man of a robbery is no slight thing to do. If you made a mistake you might get yourself into serious trouble." " I am positive," said Dave. " The question is, what ought we to do? " " Let us capture him," said Ben. " That may be easier said than done." " We are four to two." " And that other man seems to be honest — ^by the way he talks," said Phil. " Let us arm ourselves with clubs," suggested Roger. " We must certainly capture that robber, 275 276 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL even if the other man gets away. What we want —Oh ! " " Don't! don't hit me like that, Tag Dutch! " came from the room. "Don't!" And then they heard the fall of a body to the floor. " You brought it on yourself — you're not going to expose me just yet," muttered the other man. " Come on — let us go in ! " cried Dave. " He has knocked that other man down. He may kill him!" They burst open the door and rushed into the room. A glance sufficed to show them one man in a sailor garb, on the floor, unconscious. Over him stood the other fellow, well dressed, with a thick stick in his grasp. " Drop that club ! " cried Roger. " Drop it, or it will be the worse for you," and he swung his skates in the air. " Wha — what do you boys want here?" de- manded the man, in astonishment. " Where did you come from? " and the club went down to his side. " I guess you know me," cried Dave, confront- ing him. " Why— er — I — I don't know you at all." " Well, I know you, and that is of more im- portance just now. You are the rascal that robbed Senator's Morr's summer home." " And you are going to prison for it," added SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY 277 Roger, and coming up behind the man he caught him by the arms. " Help me, boys ; throw him down, and make him a prisoner." " Not to-day! " roared the man, and struck out savagely with his club. He hit Dave a glancing blow on the arm, and the country boy retaliated by swinging his skates into the rascal's face. Then all sprang upon the man, and he was thrown to the floor. He struggled fiercely, but he was no match for so many, and at last they had him bound, hands and feet, with their skate-straps. " You'll be sorry for this," said the rascal, glar- ing at Dave. " I don't think so. You ought to be in prison," and Dave turned away to look at the man who had fallen to the floor. He was of middle age, rather stout, and with a face that was browned and weather-beaten. It was not a bad face to look at, although just now the blood was streaming down one cheek from a cut on the temple. The man was unconscious and breathing heavily. " He must have been hit pretty hard," was Phil's comment. " He Is knocked out clean." "Do you think he is dying?'' questioned Ben. " No, I don't think that. But he ought to have medical attention." " Oh, he'll come around," growled the rascal 278 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL who was a prisoner. " I didn't hit him half hard enough." " I think you were trying to cheat him out of some money," was Dave's comment. " It sounded that way to me." " Oh, he wanted too much," was the answer, and after that the prisoner said but little about the other man. The boys talked the matter over among them- selves, and at last it was decided that Roger and Ben should skate back as far as Rockville and in- form the authorities of what had happened, while Dave and Phil watched the prisoner and the un- conscious man. " And see that that fellow doesn't escape," said the senator's son, on departing. " What are you going to do with me? " asked the man who was bound, as soon as the others had gone. " Going to hand you over to the police," an- swered Dave. " You won't gain anything by that." " That remains to be seen." " Tell you what I'll do, boys. Let me off and I'll make it worth your while." " Do you waht to buy us off? " queried Phil, curiously. " You might as well make fifty dollars or so as not," and the prisoner winked suggestively. SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY 279 " Tell me one thing first," said Dave, pinching Phil's arm. " Why did you rob Senator Morr's home?" " I was down on my luck and desperate, that's why," was the answer. " I am no regular crimi- nal." "That's enough!" cried Dave, triumphantly. " Phil, you heard him acknowledge his crime." " I did, Dave." " Then you won't let me go! " ejaculated the rascal, in a rage. " No, sir, not for a million dollars," answered Dave. " We are not that kind," added Phil. " I wish I could get at you — I'd show you a thing or two," growled the man, and after that said little more. Getting some water, Dave washed the face of the sufferer on the floor, and tried to stop the flow of blood. Over a fire in the open chimney place a pot of coffee was boiling and he poured a little of this down the man's throat. There was a groan soon after this, and the man opened his eyes and stared around him. " How do you feel? " asked Dave, sympatheti- cally. Instead of replying the man fixed his eyes on the country boy in mingled wonder and amaze- ment. 28o DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " You ! " he gasped. " You, of all persons on earth! How did you get here ? " These words astonished Dave and he looked the man over once more. To the best of his knowl- edge he had never seen the fellow before. " Do you know me? " he asked. "Do I — I know you? Hang my toplights, what a question to ask an old friend. You look mighty young. Where's your mustache? " " My mustache? I never had one," and Dave had to smile at the question. The man gave a groan, and closed his eyes. " Queer — it must be my head. I thought I was aboard the old ship again, down in the South Seas. Oh, how my head hurts ! " " Do you know somebody that looks like me? " asked Dave. " Do I? Say, I don't know anybody that looks like you — I know you!" The man waved his hand feebly. " Did you hit me on the head? It was a mean thing for an old friend to do, keelhaul me if it wasn't! " And then he lapsed into uncon- sciousness again. " His mind is wandering," said Phil. " Poor chap ! that crack was too much for him." " He talked strangely enough," mused Dave. " Perhaps he knows somebody that resembles me." " Who is this man? " asked Phil of the prisoner. " Better ask him? " growled the criminal. SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY 281 " I think I heard him call himself Billy Dill, and he called that rascal Tag Dutch," said Dave. " I am not Tag Dutch! " roared the prisoner. " I am— er — my name is William Jones." " Is it possible? " said' Dave. " When I met you last you said your name was Peter Snodgrass, and you were carrying a valise with the initials, W. F. F. on it. I guess you are a regular barometer for changes." " Oh, don't you try to joke me," was the grum- bling answer. While the boys were waiting they ate their din- ner, and Dave did what little he could for the man who had been struck down. He hoped the man would talk some more, but not a word came from his lips. It was nearly two hours before Roger and Ben returned, bringing with them two officers of the law, a doctor, and a large hand-sleigh. The offi- cers took charge of the prisoner and handcuffed him, and the physician turned his attention to the sufferer. " A nasty blow," said he, after an examination. " It looks to me as if his skull was cracked. The best we can do is to put him on the sleigh and take him to the hospital." Blankets had been brought along with the sleigh, and the wounded man was made as comfortable as possible with these. He was propped up in a seat ; 282 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL and away the whole party started for Rockville, ar- riving there towards the close of the short winter day. At the town the prisoner was locked in jail and the sufferer was taken to a hospital supported by one of the local churches. This done, Roger telegraphed to his father, and then the boys skated back to Oak Hall. The news the party brought caused a sensation, and again Dave was hailed as a hero. But he de- nied that he had done anything wonderful, and said the evildoer would never have been captured had it not been for the others. Later on it was learned that the man's right name was Taggart Dutch, and that he was wanted for half a dozen robberies. He was tried and sentenced to prison for several years, and a portion of the jewelry stolen by him was recovered. Senator Morr was warm in his praise of Dave, and insisted upon making the youth a present of a fine ring. This Dave prized highly and he was very proud of the gift. At Taggart Dutch's trial It came out that the sailor. Bill Dill, had had nothing to do with the rascal's evil doings. Bill Dill had come home from a long ocean trip only a few weeks before, and had traveled to the vicinity of Rockville to look up some friends. The friends were dead, and Dill had fallen in with Taggart Dutch, who had borrowed money from the old tar and tried to make a tool of SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY 283 him. But in this the robber had failed; and the quarrel, as already described, had been the conse- quence. How much Taggart Dutch owed the sailor could not be ascertained. He said it was but two dollars, but Dave and a number of others sus- pected it was much more. " They would never quarrel like that over two dollars," said Dave. " I've heard of tramps quarreling over a dime," answered Roger. " And sometimes they shoot each other, too." " But this Billy Dill is no tramp, Roger — he looks to me like a pretty decent sort of sailor." " That is true. It is queer he thought he knew you." " Yes, that is queer, and some day I want to ask him about it. But he is too sick yet." What Dave said about the old tar being sick was true. As the days went by, instead of grow- ing better, Billy Dill appeared to grow worse, until the doctors attending him thought that he would die. Around Christmas time, when Dave and Roger paid him a visit, he was at his lowest, and, somehow, this made Dave feel very sober. " If he knows anything of my past, I trust he doesn't die with the secret," said he, and he prayed that the sailor might recover. When he journeyed to Crumville for the holidays he told Mr. Wads- worth about the tar, and to please his protege the 284 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL rich manufacturer had a specialist go and examine the man. " He will recover," said the man of science, after the examination was concluded. " But it will take time, most likely four or five months." "And will he be in his right mind, doctor? " asked Dave, eagerly. " I think so," was the cautious reply. " Still, I cannot vouch for that. Nature must take its own course, so far as his mind is concerned. We can look only after the body." CHAPTER XXXII THE OPENING OF THE BASEBALL SEASON After the holidays time moved along swiftly at Oak Hall without anything of special interest hap- pening. Dave gave his studies every attention, to the satisfaction not only of Professor Potts and Mr. Wadsworth, but likewise of Dr. Clay. " That Porter is a lad after my own heart," said the doctor to Andrew Dale. " He studies hard, plays hard, and puts his whole soul into whatever he is doing." " You are right, doctor," answered the first assistant. " Isn't it strange that he knows nothing of his past? Certainly Ije comes from no common stock." "It is strange, and for his sake I trust the mystery is some day cleared up, and to his ad- vantage." During the four months following the holidays both Gus Plum and Nat Poole let Dave and his chums severely alone. Losing the skating race made the bully of Oak Hall feel sick, and he did not wish to risk a defeat of any other sort at the 285 286 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL hands of the country boy. When he saw Dave on the ice he kept at a distance, and it was the same on the playground or in the gymnasium. Once during that time Plum and Poole caught Chip Macklin skating alone some distance from the academy. Both tried to bully the former sneak, but he stood his ground bravely and they found they could do little with him. " I'm done with both of you, and I want you to know it," said Macklin. " I was a big fool to be a toady to anybody." " And what are you now — a toady to Dave Por- ter," sneered Gus Plum. " No, I am not, Gus. But if I was, it would be better than doing your bidding," answered Mack- lin, and skated off, leaving Plum and Poole staring after him. The bully wanted to pitch into the smaller boy, but, somehow did not dare. " This is some more of Porter's work," grumbled Poole. " Before you know it, Gus, he'll have the whole school down on us." " Never mind; just wait till I get the chance — I'll square up with him," answered the bully of the Hall, vindictively. As the winter passed, the boys turned their atten- tion to spring sports, and it was not long before baseball was the chief topic outside of school hours. During the previous season the Hall had had a good club, but had lost several important games, OPENING OF BASEBALL SEASON 287 including the annual " try-out " with Rockville Military Academy. " We must do better this season," said Phil, who was captain of the nine. " Rockville has crowed over us long enough on the ball field." " Dave, you said you loved to play ball," said Roger. " I do," was the ready reply. " But I don't think I can play well enough to go on the Hall nine." " We'll try you," said Phil. " Every year we try a dozen candidates, you know." Phil was captain of the club, and played second base, while Roger was one of the catchers, alternat- ing with Shadow Hamilton, who played first base. Sam Day played right field, and the other positions were, or rather, had been, filled by various players. A boy named Garden had been the principal pitcher during the previous season, but he had left the school shortly afterwards. As soon as the ground was in proper condition, baseball playing began, to the exclusion almost of every other field sport. As he was not invited to join the regular Hall team, Gus Plum organized a nine of his own, with himself as pitcher and Nat Poole as catcher. " We'll practice up and then issue a challenge to the regular team," said the bully to his crony. " If we manage to defeat them they will have to let 288 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL our club represent the academy in the important outside games." At the proper time Phil tried twelve boys who wished to get on the regular team of the school. Of these youths four were selected to join the squad, either as regulars or substitutes. Of these four Dave was one. " Your batting is all right, Dave," said Phil, after the selections had been made. " And your throwing is good and strong. Do you know what I would like you to do? I'd like you to practice pitching." " Pitching ! " ejaculated Dave. " Do you think I could pitch? " And his face took on an inter- ested look. He had often had a desire to " fill the box," but had never thought himself able to do it. " Well, you try it, and we'll see how you make out," answered the captain of the club. " At pres- ent I am going to put you out in left field, where you can run for flies and throw the ball to the plate, if it's necessary." The boys who had tried to get on the team and had failed were much disappointed, and Plum and Poole had little difficulty in persuading them to join the rival club, as it got to be called. Then practicing began in earnest, and was kept up nearly every day after school hours. By the middle of May the weather was perfect OPENING OF BASEBALL SEASON 289 for baseball, and it was arranged that the rival clubs of the school should meet on the following Saturday to try conclusions. Everybody was eager for the test, and the entire school assembled, with not a few students from Rockville, to see the game. " Here is where we show that crowd what we can do," said Plum to Poole. " We ought to whip them out of their hides." " We will, too," answered the aristocratic youth. Phil's club went to the bat first, and after several errors on the part of Plum's players managed to get two runs. Then the rival team scored one run, and this score held until the fourth inning, when Phil's side scored three runs and Plum's team one run. The fifth was a " goose egg " for each, and in the sixth Phil made a home run, which brought forth great applause. In the seventh Dave made a beautiful two-base hit, and came in on another two-base hit by Roger. At the end of that inning the score stood, Lawrence's Club, 9; Plum's Club, 5. " I want you to pitch this next inning," said Phil to Dave. " Very well, I'll do my best," answered Dave. When the boy from the country walked out to the slab. Plum and Poole smiled to themselves. " Now is our chance," whispered Plum, to the boy at the bat. " He isn't half the pitcher that 290 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL other fellow is. Sock it for keeps." And the batsman nodded, to show that he understood. Dave measured his distance with care, and sent the sphere in. " Ball one ! " called the umpire. " Too high." Again the ball came in, but the batsman did not strike at it. "Strike one!" " Don't worry, Leeds, take your time," cau- tioned Plum. Again the ball was delivered, and Leeds brought his bat around heavily. Up went the sphere into the air. It was a pop fly, and the first baseman caught it with ease. The next player to the bat was Nat Poole. He had two balls called and then a strike. Then the ball came in swiftly. He struck once more — and missed it. " Strike two ! " " Be careful," cautioned Gus Plum, who was the player " on deck." " I know what I'm doing," growled the aris- tocratic youth. Once again the sphere came in. Dave had sig- naled a slow drop. It was a tantalizing ball, and Poole made a wild pass at it. " Strike three I Batter out I " called the umpire. " Oh, pshaw! " muttered Nat Poole. " I told you to be careful," was Plum's com- OPENING OF BASEBALL SEASON 291 ment. " Now, see me land it for a couple of bases. It's dead easy with such a pitcher." One ball was called and then a strike on the bully. The next time the sphere came in swiftly. " Strike two ! " The ball went back rapidly to Dave, who looked at the plate just a second and then sent it in like lightning — before Plum could think about hitting it. " Strike three ! Batter out ! " " Go on with you! That was a ball! " yelled Gus Plum. He dashed the bat to the ground. " It was away out." " It was directly over the plate," said the um- pire, and told the truth. " You're trying to cheat us out of the game," cried Nat Poole. " Why don't you play fair? " At once a dozen players were talking, and a number of the outside crowd joined, in. The ma- jority sided with the umpire. " It was certainly a strike," said Dave. " It was one of the best balls I pitched." " That's a fact," came from Roger, who was catching. " Plum is mad because he was struck out, that's all." " I ain't going to stay here and be cheated! " roared the bully. " I'll throw up the game first! " and he did. The umpire said the game must go 292 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL to Phil's club, and it did, and Plum was hissed from the playground. " What a big fool he is ! " was Ben's comment. " That was a perfect strike and Plum knows it." " Some of the other players wanted to finish the game, but Plum wouldn't let them," said Shadow. " They are as mad as hornets." And Hamilton was right; and the bully's club disbanded without another game. After this unpleasantness the regular Oak Hall nine practiced harder than ever. Dave kept up his work at batting and pitching, and Phil was much pleased with him. " He has a good eye," said the captain of the club. " He can put a ball just where he wants to," and in this statement Phil was right. It did not matter if Dave was in the field or on the slab, if he wanted to send in the sphere over the plate, or directly to one of the bases, he did it. The customary challenge had been sent to Rock- ville and was accepted, the game to be played on the Oak Hall grounds. For the occasion a small grand stand was erected and tastefully decorated with flags and bunting. Both of the schools " chipped in," and hired the Rockville Cornet Band. Many visitors from the vicinity came to see the game, and so did Oliver Wadsworth, Pro- fessor Potts, Senator Morr, and Mr. Harris Law- rence, Phil's father. The latter was a heavy-set, OPENING OF BASEBALL SEASON 293 pleasant-looking shipping merchant, and shook hands with all the members of the club. " Phil has been telling me about you," said Mr. Lawrence. " I expect to see a great game," and he laughed heartily. " What do you think! " whispered Phil to Dave, just before the game started. " Father wants me to leave school next month, and take a trip on one of his ships to some South Sea islands! " "Leave school and go to the South Seas!" echoed Dave, and his face fell. " We'll be sorry to lose you, Phil. But it will be a glorious outing for you." " Father wants me to go on some special busi- ness. He doesn't want to put it in the supercargo's hands," explained Phil, and then he was called away to another part of the field. The day was a perfect one, and the crowd was on hand fully half an hour before the great game began. Each club was given fifteen minutes for practice, and then the umpire came forward, watch in hand. " Time is up," said he. " Get ready." Rockville had the choice of inning, and sent Oak Hall to the bat. The Military Academy had a left-handed pitcher who was unusually swift, and who could throw a surprising in-shoot. Gasper- felder was his name, and many looked to him to win the game. CHAPTER XXXIII HOW A GREAT GAME WAS' WON The game began amid a breathless silence. Shadow Hamilton was the first to the bat, and he was retired on strikes. Roger followed, and then came Dave, who by the merest chance managed to reach first. But before Dave could steal down to second, the fourth man up went out on strikes. " Hurrah ! A goose egg for Oak Hall ! " came from the Rockville followers, and they began to yell and use their horns and rattles. " Gasperfelder is certainly a good pitcher," was Phil's sober comment. " Yes, but it is a question if he can pitch nine innings like that," said Ben, who was one of the substitutes. A student named Jennings was in the box for Oak Hall, he having pitched the first innings against Gus Plum's team. He was swift, but had spells when he became badly rattled. " Now, Jennings, do your best," said the cap- tain of the club. " Don't let them rattle you." " If I get rattled, put Porter in the box," said the pitcher, who knew his own weakness. 294 HOW A GREAT GAME WAS WON 295 The first Rockville player up was struck out in quick order, and the followers of the Hall cheered roundly. But the second player made a safe hit, which was followed by a two-bagger to left field. Then came another single; and when the inning ended Rockville had scored two runs. " Never mind," said Phil, bravely, in the midst of the din made by the visitors. " One inning isn't nine." " I knew Rockville would beat ! " cried Gus Plum, with a gleam of triumph in his crafty eyes. " I hope they lick Lawrence's team good, don't you?" " Yes," answered Poole. " It will teach 'em a lesson." Such a thing as loyalty to their own school never once occurred to them. No runs were scored in the second inning, and only one run by Rockville in the third. In the fourth inning, when Dave was in the field and two players were on base, a high fly was knocked far over the third baseman's head. " Porter! " cried Phil. And Dave ran for the ball with all speed. It was coming down before he got anywhere near it, but by a long leap he scooped it in with his right hand and held it. " Look at that! Wasn't that a great catch! " " Finest catch I've seen on these grounds 1 " And then a wild cheering went up. In the fifth inning there were " big things do- 296 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL ing," as one player put it, and this condition of affairs continued during the sixth, when both Gas- perfelder and Jennings got rattled. As a conse- quence, at the opening of the seventh inning the score stood Oak Hall 6, Rockville Military Aca- demy, I r . " This is bad," said Roger, with a sigh. " We have got to pull ourselves together if we want to overcome that lead." Besides becoming rattled, Jennings had been struck in the arm by a " liner," and he was per- fectly willing to retire from the box and give Dave a chance to pitch. He was thoroughly loyal, even though disappointed. " Go in and win," he said to Dave. " Strike every one of 'em out, if you can! " " No such luck," answered Dave, with a quiet smile. " But I'll do what I can." No runs were made at the opening of the seventh inning, so the score still stood 6 to 1 1 when Dave took his position to face the rivals. As he went out some of the Rockville supporters let up cat- calls and jeers. " Jennings has had enough of it! " " Say, but our boys won't do a thing to that new pitcher ! " " He's a green one. They'll bat him all over the field." It must be admitted that Dave's heart beat very HOW A GREAT GAME WAS WON 297 fast as he took the ball -and signaled to Roger, who was behind the plate. One of Rockville's heaviest hitters was facing him, and he knew he must be careful. " Perhaps I had better let him have his base on balls," he thought, but that was " baby ball," to his notion, and he sent in a good, swift ball directly over the plate. The batsman struck at it, and sent it out to near center, getting first easily. " That's the way to do it! " cried a Rockville coach. " Keep the ball a-rolling, Jackson! " Jackson was also a good hitter, and after having two strikes called on him, he lined out a hot one to third base, just within the foul limit. Then came another hit, which brought in a run, and a fumble at second that resulted in another run and an out. " Hurrah, 13 to 6 ! " was the shout. " We've got 'em beat to a standstill ! " And again the rat- tles went off, followed by a loud tooting of horns, and a wild waving of Rockville banners. The cheers made Dave set his teeth hard. He whispered a few words to Roger, and then hur- ried back to his place. In came the ball with a de- cided outward curve, and the batsman missed it completely. Then he missed twice more. "Batter out!" " Good! " shouted Phil. " That's the way to do it, Dave I " 298 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL The next youth up knocked a foul, which was caught by the third baseman, and this brought the Inning to a close. " Now, fellows, we have got to make seven runs," said Phil, earnestly. " I wish we could make two or three," said the shortstop. " Come on and make eight," said Shadow, as he walked to the plate. He was growing desperate, and made a wild pass at the first ball pitched. Then he struck again and managed to reach first on a fumbled grounder. As before, Roger followed, and he also got to first, while Shadow advanced to third. Then Dave came up. " There Is the new pitcher," cried several. " He is sure to be struck out." Dave heard these remarks and they made his face burn. Come what might he determined that he would not miss the ball. He must knock a foul, if nothing else. As luck would have It, the first ball sent in was too high, but It was, nevertheless, called a strike. Then came a second, just where Dave wanted It. Whack! He struck it fairly and squarely, and out it sailed to deep center. " Hurrah ! Run, Dave, run ! " was the cry. "Come in. Shadow! Come In, Roger!" And Shadow and Roger did come in, running as if for HOW A GREAT GAME WAS WON 299 their lives. Dave reached first with ease and fairly leaped to second. Then he looked out in the field, and started for third. " Come on! come on! " screamed Ben, dancing around like a madman. " Come on ! You've got plenty of time ! " And he beckoned with might and main, as if to help the running thereby. The third baseman pretended to reach for the ball just as Dave came up to him. Seeing this Dave dropped down on the ground and dove for the bag with his right hand. But the ball was not yet coming up, and in a twinkling the country boy was up again and starting for the home plate. " Run ! run ! " yelled half a hundred voices in unison. " Run ! " And Dave did run as he had never run before, coming over the plate with such an impetus that he was carried fairly to the play- ers' bench beyond. Then the ball was sent in — but it was much too late. How the Oak Hall boys did shout and cheer, and swing their rattles and blow their horns ! It was as if pandemonium had broken loose, and it lasted for several minutes. " It was the greatest home run ever made on these grounds," declared Roger, later on. " The very greatest." " And the best of it is, it brought in three runs," came from Phil, as he clapped Dave on the back. " That helps the score wonderfully." 300 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL The home run put new life into the Oak Hall club, and when the half of the eighth inning came to a close, the score stood, Oak Hall 1 1, Rockville Military Academy 14. " Here is our last chance to tie the score," said Phil. " Boys, we must do it. Play as you never played before." The shortstop was the first batter up. and man- aged to get to first in safety. Then came Phil, who knocked out a three-bagger with tremendous vigor. Next came two base hits, and then a wild throw from third to first. When the wild play came to an end the last batter was safe on second, and three runs had been scored. " 14 to 14! "was the cry. "A tie I" " Gasperfelder is going to pieces 1 " " Put in a new pitcher! " So the talk went on until the pitcher whispered to the captain. Then another pitcher came onto the field. He tried his best to hold Oak Hall down, but could not, and when at last the first half of the ninth inning came to a close the score stood Oak Hall 16, Rockville Military Academy 14. " Dave, can you hold them down? " said Phil, pleadingly. " I'll try my best," answered Dave. " Of course you will. Hold them down to one if you can — or a tie," returned the captain. It would be useless to deny that Dave felt nerv- HOW A GREAT GAME WAS WON 301 ous when he walked down to the pitcher's slab. He knew that for Oak Hall to win that game de- pended largely upon himself. Fortunately for Dave the first batter up was not one of Rockville's best. He got two balls and two strikes, and then another ball. " Steady, Dave 1 " said Phil. " Don't let him walk." The pitcher made a signal to Roger. He made as if to throw in the ball easily, then let drive with all the swiftness at his command. " Three strikes ! Batter out ! " " Hurrah I " yelled the Oak Hall boys. " One gone I Now go for the other two, Dave! " " He can't put them outl " sneered Gus Plum. " Just wait and see." It was Plum's sneer that braced the country boy as much as anything. "That bully shan't crow over me! " he told himself, and snapped his teeth together hard. Then the ball came over the plate, and the umpire called one strike. Again the sphere was launched forth. "Ball one!" " Make him give you what you want. Brown! " called out a coach. " Make him hit it, Dave," came from the first baseman. " Two strikes ! " 302 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " That's it, Dave ! " " Three strikes. Batter out ! " Again a wild cheering went up. The ninth in- ning, and Dave had struck out two players. It was certainly good ball-playing. " Dave plays like a veteran," was Oliver Wads- worth's comment. He was as much interested as the boys. " Yes, and this takes me back to my college days," added Caspar Potts, with a smile. The third batsman now came forward. He was a sure and heavy hitter, and the Rockville club depended upon him to make a single, if not a two- base hit. As he took his place he glared savagely at Dave. " I suppose he'd like to eat me," thought the young pitcher. " Well, here goes at him," and in came the ball, exactly over the plate, but so quickly that it was in Roger's hands before the batter could make up his mind to strike. " Strike one I " "Good! Go at him, Dave!" " Knock the cover off the ball, Barriwell! " Again the ball came in — this time an out curve. Barriwell struck at — and missed it. " Strike two ! " Dave braced himself for a final effort. He gave Roger the signal, started as if to throw in the ball with all force — and sent in something slow and HOW A GREAT GAME WAS WON 303 tantalizing. The bat swung around — and the ball dropped safely into the catcher's hands. " Three strikes! Batter out! " Oak Hall had won the game ! Almost before they knew it, the home club was surrounded, and Dave was perched up on the shoulders of his friends. Yells and cheers rent the air anew, and the rattles and horns added to the general din. In the vigor of his applause Oliver Wadsworth smashed his cane to bits, and in the excitement Professor Potts waved the rim off of his old silk hat. " But I don't care," said the old professor, gaz- ing at the ruined headgear. " It was worth it ! Dave's a — a " " A boy out of a thousand! " finished the manu- facturer. " I'm proud of him." " Oh, I say, boys, let me down ! " pleaded Dave, gazing around helplesly. " I didn't do so much — really, I didn't!" " Didn't do much? " cried Ben. " Why, Dave, you won the game ! " And then he proposed three cheers for Dave, and they were given with a will. The only boys who did not relish the victory were Gus Plum and Nat Poole, and when they sneered at Dave they were run off the field, and had to hide, for fear of another attack. Although they had lost, the Rockville club took their defeat like good fellows. They had been in- 304 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL vited to dine that evening at the Hall and did so, and a good time generally was enjoyed. After the rivals had departed, the Oak Hall boys lit a big bonfire on the campus, and the festivities and jol- lity were kept up until almost midnight. It was a time none of our friends ever forgot. CHAPTER XXXIV MORE CONCERNING A MYSTERY — CONCLUSION Both Oliver Wadsworth and Professor Potts remained at the village of Oakdale over night, and in the morning both called upon Dave again. " Well, how do you feel after your victory of yesterday? " questioned the manufacturer. " First-rate," answered Dave, with a warm smile. " I suppose you don't feel like buckling down to your studies again, do you? " " Oh, yes, sir." " I knew it! " cried Caspar Potts. " Whatever Dave does, he does with all his heart and soul. Nothing can stop him." And he nodded his head over and over again. Oliver Wadsworth looked at the boy keenly, and there was a second of silence. " Dave, I've got something to tell .you," said the gentleman, soberly. " I don't know if it is im- portant or not, but it looks to me as if it might be. That sick man, Billy Dill, is recovering rapidly, and when I stopped to see him before I came here, he expressed a strong desire to see you." 305 3o6 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL " Recovering? Is he in his right mind? " " He appears to be — and yet he talks in a very strange way." "About me?" " About you, or somebody that looks like you. He wants to see you very much. He claims that you are his old friend. But of course that can't be. He is sane enough on other subjects, so the doctor told me." " I'd like to see him." " Well, I'll take you to see him this afternoon. I have already arranged it with Dr. Clay." They started directly after dinner, and by three o'clock Dave and Mr. Wadsworth were at the private sanitarium to which the old tar had been transferred. When they entered the sick man's room they found him walking the floor with a true nautical swagger. " Hullo, my hearty I so you've hove in sight at last! " he cried, as he took Dave's hand and gave It an earnest grip. " I thought I was stranded here and abandoned." " I am glad to see you so well," answered Dave, and looked the tar squarely in the eyes. " Been many a year since we met, ain't it? " queried Billy Dill. " Must be fifteen or twenty, eh? But you don't look older — ^you look younger." " Do you really think you met me before? I MORE CONCERNING A MYSTERY 307 mean before you had that trouble with Tag Dutch?" " O' course, I do, friend. But it's a good way back, ain't it? " The sailor scratched his head. " And that crack has knocked it clear out o' reckon- ing." He heaved a sigh. " You've been good to me, sir," he went on to Oliver Wadsworth. " I ain't goin' to forgit it, not me ! " "Where did you meet me?" went on Dave, striving to be calm, although he was becoming tremendously interested. " Where? Why, out there on Cavasa Island in the South Seas. Don't you remember the old ship — let's see, I can't remember her name— and that crazy nurse — the one who lost the child — the little boy? Of course you do?" " A crazy nurse who lost a little boy! " ejacu- lated Oliver Wadsworth. " Who was she? " " Who was she? " repeated Billy Dill. " He knows." He pointed to Dave. " I reckon it was his son, or his nephew, I've forgotten which." He pressed his hand to his temple. " Queer, how things get away from a man — sometimes I'm away out o' my reckonin'." " So you think I'm the person who lost the little boy? " faltered Dave, his breast heaving with emotion. " Did that man look exactly like me?" " As like as two peas — only he had a mustache. 3o8 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL Then you are sure It wasn't you? I'm mixed, I know." " Do you remember how the boy was lost? " " No — excepting that it happened in this coun- try. It's so long ago, so long ago 1 And my head spins like a reel." " Did you leave this man at Cavasa Island? " asked Mr. Wadsworth. " I reckon I did, — but I don't know where he is now." "Can you tell anything more about him?" asked Dave. " Maybe, some other time. My head is in a twist now." The old tar was beginning to grow excited. " The sea sings in my ears and the light- houses dance before my eyes. I wish I was on the old ship again." "What ship was it?" " I can't remember her name — I can't remem- ber any names, only faces." The sailor muttered something under his breath and then began to tramp the floor and give orders, as if he was on the deck of a ship. " You had better not ask any more questions," whispered the attendant. " He may grow vio- lent." " We'll come again some other day," said Oliver Wadsworth, and then he and Dave withdrew. " Mr. Wadsworth, do you think there is any- MORE CONCERNING A MYSTERY 309 thing in this — I mean anything that concerns me? " asked the youth, when leaving the sanitarium. " I am not prepared to say, Dave. It is at the least a curious happening. We must wait until the sailor's mind is clearer before we can question him again." When Dave returned to Oak Hall he was very sober and thoughtful. It seemed to him that the baseball game had taken place a long time ago, and he could not settle down to his studies. " Phil," he said to his friend, " your father has ships sailing to the South Seas. Do you know anything of Cavasa Island? " " To be sure I do I That is to be one of my stopping places when I take my trip. It's not a very large place, but the town has quite a number of white people in it, and the shipping is consider- able." " What would you say if I should want to take that trip with you ? " " What, the trip to the South Seas? " " Yes, to Cavasa Island, and to other ports in that vicinity." " Do you really mean it, Dave? " " Yes, if matters turn out as I think they may," was the answer. " Phil, can I trust you with a — a — something of a secret? " " You know you can, Dave." " Then I want to tell you something," was the 3IO DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL answer, and sitting down, Dave told his chum of what had taken place during the visit to the sani- tarium. " That is certainly a mystery," said Phil. " I'd wait and see if this Billy Dill has anything more to say. I'm not going to leave just yet." And Dave did wait, and in the end learned so many won- derful things that he lost no time in preparing for the trip of thousands of miles over the deep blue sea. What happened on that trip will be related in another volume, to be entitled, " Dave Porter in the South Seas; or. The Strange Cruise of the Stormy Petrel." In this new volume we shall meet many of our old friends again, and learn what Dave did towards clearing up the mystery which surrounded his parentage. Two days later the boys of dormitories No. 1 1 and No. 12 had a quiet celebration of their own. The monitor Murphy was let into the secret, and as Job Haskers was away on a visit to some rela- tives, nobody came to disturb them. The boys had all sorts of good things to eat, besides soda water and root beer, and two gallons of ice cream, smuggled into the rooms under the very nose of Pop Swingly, the janitor. Shadow Hamilton told some of his best stories, and one of the boys read a poem composed in honor of the baseball club's victory. At this celebration Chip Macklin was present and enjoyed it as much as anybody. MORE CONCEKJNiJNU a MYSTERY 311 " I'm glad I cut loose from Gus Plum and Nat Poole," said he to Dave. " I never want to have anything to do with them again." " Nor I," added Dave. " They can go their way, and I'll go mine." But Dave was not to get rid of the bully and his aristocratic crony so easily, as later events proved. The celebration was kept up until two o'clock in the morning. When it came to an end and all the boys were ready to retire, Roger stepped to a window which was partly open. " What are you going to do? " asked Ben. " Make a report of the proceedings," said Roger, and produced a big cannon cracker. " Got those matches, Dave? " " Yes," answered Dave, and striking one, he lit the fuse of the cannon cracker. Then Roger hurled the cracker into the courtyard below — and all hopped into bed. Bang ! It was a tremendous report, and awoke every person in the building. Lights were lit, and windows were thrown up on all sides. "What was that?" " Has something blown up? " So the questions were asked, but nobody could give an answer. An investigation was made, but nothing came of it. The boys kept quiet, and those In dormitories Nos. 1 1 and 1 2 looked as inno- cent as Iambs. 312 DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL And so the victory and the celebration came to an end; and here let us leave Dave Porter, know- ing full well that, no matter what might come in the future, never would he forget the days spent at Oak Hall. THE END WHAT THE CRITICS SAY OP Edward Stratemeyer's Books for Boys THE score of volumes already Avritten by this fascinating writer for boys and young men have brought forth over two thousand complimentary press notices from the leading newspapers and periodicals of our country. It is manifestly impossible to reproduce all of these laudatory reviews, but below we give, taken at random, A FEW PRESS NOTICES Each one of his stories is more or less of a history and a clear and patriotic story besides. — Public Opinion, N, Y. His work is better than much of that put forth in the same vein. — Times, Hartford. There are a host of boys throughout the United States who will welcome a new book by Edward Stratemeyer. — The Budget, Boston, Will make the boys eager to read the story, and if they read it th^ will unwittingly absorb much geography and useful knowledge. — The News, Indianapolis, All the boys who have gone exploring with Stratemeyer will wish to continue the pleasant excitements under so safe and genial a guide. — Liv- ing Church. Mr. Stratemeyer has the skill never to overload his story with descrip« tions, hence he is always a favorite with the boys. — Chronicle, San Francisco. Mr. Stratemeyer is becoming one of the most popular of story writers for boys, and his works are generally in connection with some recent event of national importance. — The Call, Newark. The fact that Mr. Stratemeyer has written nearly a score of books for this well-known old house would seem to indicate that he has taken the place in the affections of the American boy so long occupied by Oliver Optic. — The Herald, Rochester, Edward Stratemeyer has proved liis talent for interesting and instructing young America. — The Citizen, Brooklyn^ SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE SERIES By EDWARD STRATEMEYER VOLUME TWO UNDER THE MIKADO'S FLAG Or Young Soldiers of Fortune 320 pages Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute Price $1.25 ■'T TNDER the Mikado's Flag" relates the adventures of two young ^^ Americans in Korea and Manchuria during the outbreak of the great war between Russia and Japan, one of the leading characters being Gilbert Pennington, the hero of "On to Pekin," and the other, Ben Russell, who with his brothers, Larry and Walter, is so well known to the thousands of readers of the famous "Old Glory Series." It closes with the great Battle of Liao-Yang, and is as valuable for the information conveyed as it is interesting as a story. The boys of the whole country have been expecting Mr. Stratemeyer to give them a book on the Japanese war, and he has responded by one of his very best. Mr. Stratemeyer is undoubtedly improving very greatly on the average book for boys. — Star, St. Louis, Mo. He knows how to attract and hold boy readers, — Evening Standard, New Bedford, Mass. All the boys know Mr. Stratemeyer's stories, which are none the less thrilling for giving a considerable knowledge of geography and history. — Christian Work, New York, The demands of boy readers are peculiar, and the author who can sat- isfy them, not once or twice, but uniformly, must possess rare ability in an extremely difficult field. Such an author is Edward Stratemeyer. — Sunday News, Newark, N. J. PAN-AMERICAN SERIES By EDWARD STRATEMEYER VOLUME ONE LOST ON THE ORmOCO Or American Boys in Venezuela 12mo Cloth Illustrated Price $1.25 THIS volume tells of five American youths, who, with their tutor, sail from New York to La Guayra, touching at Cura9ao on the way. They visit Caracas, the capital, Macuto, the fashionable seaside resort, go west- ward to the Gulf of Maracaibo and lake of the same name, and at last find themselves in the region of the mighty Orinoco, and of course they have some exciting expe- riences, one of which gives name to the book. Just the book boys and young men should read, in view of the general interest in matters Pan-American. Its pictures of South American life and scenery are novel and instruc- tive. — The Literary World, Boston. The scenes described are of the sort to charm the hearts of adventur- ous boys, — The Outlook, N. Y. VOLUME TWO THE YOUNG VOLCANO EXPLORERS Or American Boys in the West Indies 12mo Cloth Illustrated Price $1.25 THIS is a complete tale in itself, but has the same characters which have appeared so successfully in " Lost on the Orinoco." The boys, with their tutor, sail from Venezuela to the West Indies, stopping at Jamaica, Cuba, Hayti, and Porto Rico. They have numerous ad- ventures on the way, and then set out for St. Pierre, Mar- tinique, where they encounter the effects of the eruption of Mt. Pelee, and two of the boys are left on a raft to shift for themselves. Life in the West Indies is well portrayed, and the tale will appeal to many an older pertoiti as well as to the boys. PAN-AMERICAN SERIES By EDWARD STRATEMEYER VOLUME THREE YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE ISTHMUS Or American Boys in Central America 306 pages Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute Price $1.25 THIS is a complete tale in itself, but forms a new vol- ume in the surprisingly popular Pan-American series. It relates adventures in a tour covering Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the Isthmus of Panama. The party travel the various canal routes, and have a number of highly inter- esting experiences. The volume contains a vast amount of timely information, and will be read with interest by young men as well as boys. It is a splendid book that will not only amuse and interest the reader, but will supply him with most valuable instruction and information upon subjects which every young American who takes pride in his country, and what pertains to it, ought to know. — American Boy, VOLUME FOUR YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON Or American Boys in Brazil 300 pages I2mo Illustrated by A. B. Shute Price $1.25 AN absorbing tale of sight-seeing and adventures in Brazil. The five boys and their tutor travel the whole seacoast frotn Rio de Janeiro to Para, and then move up the Amazon into the rubber country and beyond. The volume is filled with pen-pictures of life as it exists in Brazil to-day, and will be heartily enjoyed by all young people. The Pan-American Series by Edward Stratemeyer has been declared by the boys of this country to be the most up-to-date of all reading for the young. Filled with action and good fellowship. — Wavcrley .Ma!;a%ine. Mr. Stratemeyer has acquired the art of weaving a good deal of solid information with his web of startling adventure. — San /•'rancisco Bullciin. COLONIAL SERIES By EDWARD STRATEMEYER FIRST VOLUME WTTH WASHINGTON IN THE WEST Or a. Soldier Boy's Battles in the Wilderness 12mo Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shuts 302 pages $1.25 WASHINGTON'S earlier life has received scant attention, notwithstanding its possibilities. Mr. Stratemeyer has woven into an excel- lent story something of Washington's youthful experience as a surveyor, leading on to the always thrilling Braddock's defeat. The hero, David Morris, is several years younger than Washington, with whom he becomes intimately associated. Pictures of pioneer life are given ; scenes with friendly Indians ; and old-time games. SECOND VOLUME MARCHING ON NIAGARA Or The Soldier Boys of the Old Frontier 12mo Cloth Illustrated by A. B. 5hute Price $1.25 THIS tale IS complete in itself, but many of its charac- ters have appeared in "With Washington in the West." The story relates the doings of two young soldiers who join the Colonial forces in a march on Fort Niagara, during the time of the war with France, when the whole territory between the Blue Ridge and the Great Lakes was in a state of unrest. Many side lights are thrown into the colonial homes, and much useful information is given of the pioneers who helped to make our country what it is to-day. David Morris is a fine fellow, and about him is woven a fine " Injun" story that is sure to delight the boys. — Universalist Leader, Boston. Mr. Stratemeyer is an entertaining story-teller, and his books are clean, — Herald, Rochester, JV- Y. COLONIAL SERIES By EDWARD STRATEMEYER THIRD VOLUME AT THE FALL OF MONTREAL Or A Soldier Boy's Final Victory Illustrated by A. B. Shute 12mo Cloth $1.25 IN this volume, the third of the " Colonial Series," many of the old characters are introduced and also several nevsr ones, including the heroic General Wolfe and his equally heroic enemy. General Montcalm. Primarily, the book relates the adventures of Dave Morris and his cousin Henry during the two last campaigns against the French for the possession of Canada and the territory below the Great Lakes. There are many stirring scenes of battle, but the tale is not all of war. Pictures of the rough-and-ready camp life of that day are given, and there are also adven- tures while fishing and hunting, and with the Indians. FOURTH VOLUME ON THE TRAIL OF PONTIAC Or The Pioneer Boys of the Ohio Illustrated by A. B. Shute 12nio Price $1.25 IN this volume are related the particulars of the conspir- acy concocted by the noted Indian chief, Pontiac, against the English colonists in America a few years after the last war with France for the possession of Canada. Many particulars are given of how trading posts were established on the Ohio and other streams, and how the hunters of those days brought down their game, and how they outwitted the wily Indians. An ideal "Injun" tale for boys, with a correct historical setting. The young people will welcome enthusiastically his latest book.— Christian Endeavor World, Boston. Edward Stratemeyer has written a host of rattling good stories for boys. ^The States, New Orleans. American Boys' Biographical Series By EDWARD STRATEMEYER VOLUME ONE AMERICAN BOYS' LIFE OF WILLIAM McKINLEY 300 pages Illustrated by A. B. Shute and from Photo- graphs $1.25 HERE is told the whole story of McKinley's boyhood days, his life at school and at college, his work as a school teacher, his glorious career in the army, his struggles to obtain a footing as a lawyer, his efforts as a Congressman and a Governor, and lastly his prosperous career as our President, all told in a style particularly adapted to beys and young men. The book is full of interesting anecdotes, all taken from life, showing fully the sincere, honest, painstaking efforts of a life cut all too short. The volume will prove an inspiration to all boys and young men, and should be in every library. For nearly a year Mr. Stratemeyer has been gathering material and giving careful study to the life of the young William, his childhood, his boyhood, and all his inspiring and romantic history. The story was Hear- ing its end when the awful finale came and tragedy ended the drama of President McKinley's life. — New York Jotirnal. VOLUME TWO AMERICAN BOYS' LIFE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT 300 pages 12mo Illustrated from Photographs $1.25 THIS excellent work for young people covers the whole life of our strenuous executive, as school- boy, college student, traveler, author, hunter and ranchman, as assembly- man, as civil service commissioner, as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, as a daring rough rider, as Governor of New York, and lastly as President. Full of stories taken from real life and told in a manner to interest both young and old. We unreservedly recommend Mr. Strate- meyer's books for boys. They are wholesome, accurate as to historical tietaili, and aJw^vs interestine- — Boston Times. SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE SERIES By EDWARD STRATEriEYER VOLUME ONE ON TO PEKIN Or Old Glory in China. Cloth 330 pages Illustrated by A. Burnham Shute $1.2S THE hero, Gilbert Pennington, has become a lieutenant in the regular army, and goes from the Philippines with the Ninth Regiment to take part in the rescue of the beleaguered British Embassy at Pekin by the international forces. Mr. Stratemeyer has risen to the occasion by giving, in addition to one of his very best stories, a store of information concerning China and the Chinese, conveyed in a natural and entertaining manner. This book is directly in line with the "Old Glory Series," and nearly all the well-known characters are here. The demand for this volume is enormous. BETWEEN BOER AND BRTTON Or Two Boys' Adventures in South Africa BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER Illustrated by A. Burnham Shute 354 pages Price $1.25 RELATES the experiences of two boys, cousins to each other, one American and the other English, whose fathers are engaged in the Transvaal, one in farming and the other in mining operations. While the two bo 5 are off on a hunting trip after big game the war between the Boers and Britons suddenly breaks out, and while endeavoring to rejoin their parents the boys find themselves placed between hostile armies, and their thrilling experiences are brought out in Mr. Stratemeyer's best style. Exhibits the same qualities which have given popularity to his former writings. — The Times, Pittsburg, Pa. A stirring story of the South African War. — The Journal, India- napolis, Ind. The kind of story to please boys and give them a fair idea of a great historical event. — St, Louis I'ost-Desfatch. GOOD BOOKS FOR BOYS By EDWARD STRATEriEYER LARRY THE WANDERER Or The Rise of a. Nobody Cloth Illustrated Price $1.00 THIS is a plain tale of everyday life, written especially for boys and girls who do not care particularly for stories with a historical or geographical background. Larry is a youth who has been knocked around from pillar to post for a number of years. He knows nothing about himself, where he came from, or where he belongs. He is a bit rough in his ways, but beneath this rude exterior is a heart of gold. The unravelling of the curious mystery which surrounds the lad's identity makes good reading. JOE, THE SURVEYOR Or The Value of a Lost Claim Illustrated by A. B. Shute 12mo Cloth Price $1.00 THIS story relates the trials and triumphs of a sturdy country youth, who is compelled, by the force of circumstances, to go forth into the world and earn, not alone his own hving, but also support for his twin sister and his invalid father. The book is filled with healthful adventure, and teaches the moral that honesty is the best policy. Girls will enjoy this volume no less than will the boys. 7 WO YOUNG LUMBERMEN Or From Maine to Oregon for Fortune 320 pages Cloth Illustrated Price $1.25 A SPLENDID story, covering the whole of the great lumber industry of our country, the scene shifting from Maine to Michigan and the Great Lakes, and then to the Columbia and the Great Northwest. J'jThe heroes are two sturdy youths who have been brought up among the lumbermen of their native State, and who strike out in an honest endeavor to better their condition. A contract with a railroad company for lumber forms an important part of the story, and how all hands worked to fulfil this contract will interest older heads quite as much as young people. An ideal volume for every wide-awake American who wishes to know what "ur great lumber industry is to-day. Boys are acquiring the Stratemeyer habit. — Post, Chicago. Mr. Stratemeyer's books are not only entertaining but instructive.— Daily Press, Portland, Me. The boys' delight— the " Old Glory Series." — The Christian Advocate, N. T. THE OLD GLORY SERIES BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER HRST VOLUME UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA Or The War Fortunes of a. Casiaivay Cloth Illustrated by A. B. 5hute Price $1.25 THIS book, published in September, 1898, at once sprang to the front as the greatest success among books for boys since the famous Army and Navy series by " Oliver Optic," and its popularity has steadily in- creased as the succeeding volumes of the series have appeared. Edward Stratemeyer weaves the incidents of the naval conflict at Manila Into a narrative of experiences and adventure which is wholesome in spirit and full of excitement, ana which the boys will like. — Congregationalist, SECOND VOLUME A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA Or Fighting for the Single Star Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute Price $1.25 THE career of Larry Russell, as recorded in "Under Dewey at Manila," was the hit of the season among juveniles. The fortunes of Larry are equalled in interest by the adventures of Ben, his older brother, and his friend, Gilbert Pennington, and the many exciting scenes through which they passed during their service in the army. Ben enlisted in a New York volunteer regiment, while Gilbert joined Colonel Roosevelt's famous Rough Riders. Their life in camp, the capture of EI Caney, the charge at San Juan hill, are all vividly described. Mr, Stratemeyer's boys are clean, manly fellows, and deserve the popularity which doubtless awaits them. — Christian Register, THIRD VOLUME FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS Or Under Schley on the ** Brooklyn" Cloth Illustrated by A. B. 5hute Price $1.25 IN this book Walter Russell, brother to Larry and Ben, the respective heroes of the two preceding volumes of the series, finds his way to Boston, secures employment, enlists in the navy, and is assigned to the " Brooklyn." Then follow intensely interesting chapters, telling of Com- modore Schley, the routine life of the "Jackies," and blockade and dis- covery of Cervera's fleet, followed by the memorable conflict of July 3. " Fighting in Cuban Waters*' is in the same hearty, manly spirit that has made the other volumes of the Old Glory Series so much liked. — journal of Education, OLD GLORY SERIES By EDWARD STRATEMEYER FOURTH VOLUME UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES Of A Young Officer in the Tropics Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute Price $1.25 THE " Young Officer in the Tropics " is none other than our old friend Ben Russell, who upon reenlisting for service in the Philippines is given the same position, that of second lieutenant, to which he had been promoted for gallantry while "A Young Volunteer in Cuba." Mr. Stratemeyer is in a class by himself when it comes to writing about Ameri- can heiDes, tlieir brilliant doings on land and sea. — Times^ Boston. FIFTH VOLUME THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE Or Under Laivton through Luzon Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute Price $1.25 BEN and Larry figure in the " Campaign of the Jungle," which has a truthful and graphic historical setting in two expeditions of the noble General Lawton, whose portrait adorns the cover, the first being that di- rected against Santa Cruz on the Laguna de Bay, and the second from Manila to San Isidro, through one hundred and fifty miles of jungle. The same sterling qualities that have made these brothers so well liked carry them through perilous scenes with true American fortitude. A good war story, — San Francisco Bulletin, SIXTH VOLUME UNDER MACARTHUR IN LUZON Or Last Battles in the Philippines 12mo Cloth Ilustrated by A. B. Shute Medallion cover 320 pages $1.25 WE have here a thoroughly up-to-date, clean, and entertaining boys' story, complete in itself, but forming the sixth and last volume of the " Old Glory " Series. The boys in all parts of the country have been anxiously waiting to learn the final fortunes of the three Russell brothers, Larry, Walter, and Ben, with scarcely less interest in Gilbert Pennington, hero of "On to Pekin," and not forgetting other old friends on land and sea. All are here, doing their duty in the same straightforward way as ever; and the final battles in the Philippines are followed with that accu- racy of statement which Mr. Stratemeyer always employs, thereby giving general value to his books without in the least impairing the interest of the story. Maintains the high standard in attractive narration which was set by the first volume. The six books make a complete and valuaole collection. — New Torti World. The Stratemever Popular Series 10 volumes Illustrated and handsomely bound in gold and colors Attractive new cover designs Price $.75 per volume SINCE the passing of « Oliver Op- tic" and G. A. Henty, Edward Stratemeyer is the most widely read of all living writers for the young, and each year extends the vast and enthusi- astic throng. In obedience to the popular demand we have established this Popular Series comprising ten representative books by this great writer. The stories are bright and breezy, moral in tone, and while full of adventure, are not sensational. These books, at a popular price, will be a rare treat for the boys and girls. 1. THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPTTFIRE Or Luke Foster s Strange Voyage « 'T'HE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE " relates the adventures J. of a youth who ran away from his guardian's house because he could no longer stand the cruel treatment received. He had never before been to sea, and when he is unexpectedly carried off on the " Spitfire " he encounters many adventures of which he had never before dreamed, " The l^ast Cruise of the Spltiire '* is of deep interest to the boanding^ heut of jm enthusiastic boy, — Kansas City Times, 2. REUBEN STONE'S DISCOVERY Or The Young Milter of Torrent 'Bend " "P EUBEN STONE'S DISCOVERY " tells, in a matter-of-fact way, Xv tlie exploits of a young miller who is left in charge of his father's property while the parent goes West to seek a more promising field for business. A story which girls as well as boys will enjoy reading. " Reuben Stone'i Dlstovery " Is especially good. — JV«» fort fftrvid. The Stratemeyer Popular Series 3. TRUE TO HIMSELF Or Roger Strong's Struggle for Place IN this story we are introduced to Roger Strong, a typical American country lad and his sister Kate, who, by an unhappy combination of events are thrown upon their own resources and compelled to make their own way in the world. Roger tells his own story in a modest, manly way that will chaim both boys and girls, and that their parents will equally admire. " True to Himself" is an ezceptlonaliy good book of Its class. — Milwaukee Sen- tiuel, 4. RICHARD DARE'S VENTURE Or Striking Out for Himself " "D ICHARD DARE'S VENTURE " relates the experiences of a Xv country youth who comes to New York to seek his fortune. He finds life in the metropolis no bed of roses, and it is only by the hardest work that he gains a footing at all. He enters the stationery business, and the plot against the boy is one that youthful readers will doubtless follow with keen interest. 5. OLIVER BRIGHT'S SEARCH Or The Mystery of a. Mine IN this story we have the adventures of a manly American youth, who goes West to locate a mine in which his invalid father owns a large interest. He is accompanied by his school chum, who has run away from home, and the trip is made by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Arriving at San Francisco, the boys, accompanied by an elderly friend and a guide, set out for the interior on horseback. The story gives many interesting sketches of mining life in the remote portions of California. A breezy boy's book is ** Oliver Bright's Search." The author has ;? direct, graphic style, and every healthy-minded youth will enjoy the volume. — iV. K Commercial Advertiser. 6. TO ALASKA FOR GOLD Or The Fortune Hunters of the Yukon THIS tale tells of the adventures of two Maine boys who grow tired of trying to make a living in the lumber district of that State. An uncle, who is an experienced miner, offers to take them on a trip to the famous Klondike gold region, and the boys start out, first for the West, where they join their relative and several other fortune hunters, and then for the heart of Alaska. The gold regions are gained at last, and a summer and winter are spent there, hunting for the precious yellow nuggets and fitht- ing off starvation and ether periJi The Stratem eyer Po pular Series 7. THE YOUNG AUCTIONEER Or The Polishing of a. Rotting Stone A BOY'S book, but one anybody might read with interest. The hero., out of work and left alone in the world, strikes up an acquaintance- ship with another young fellow, who is experienced as an auctioneer. The two form a partnership, purchase a horse and wagon, stock the turnout with goods, and take to the road. The numerous adventures of the part ners are told in a graphic way. 8. BOUND 10 BE AN ELECTRICIAN Or Franktin 'Bett's Success FRANKLIN BELL starts out under many difficulties. He is poor and has no friends to assist him in advancing himself. But a showing of what pluck can do at a most perilous moment gains for him the open- ing he seeks, and from that time on his advancement is steady. From the East he is sent to Chicago by his employer, where he clears up a business complication involving a large sura of money. 9. SHORTHAND TOM, THE REPORTER Or The Exploits of a. Bright Boy T)M SWIFT was a shorthand writer. Losing his position in the office of a rascally lawyer, he fell in vnth a newspaper editor and became a reporter on one of the leading New York dailies. His duties took him to several strange places and brought him In contact with dan- gerous men who were trying to do Tom and his sister Susie out of some property which had been left to them. Poor Susie was kidnapped, and it was Tom who set out on a long and perilous search for her. 10. FIGHTING FOR HIS OWN Or The Fortunes of a Young Artist LESTER FLEMING'S one ambition was to become an artist, but being nothing but a poor country lad, he seemed at first far from realizing that ambition. But Lester was a wide-awake fellow, and when his foster-father was drowned, the boy took the care of the household on his shoulders, and worked his way along in spite of many obstacles. Mr. Stratemeyer has the knack of writings stories that appeal to boys, and that have yet an advantage from an educational standpoint. — Living Church, Mr. Stratcmcyer's stories, after the manner of" Oliver Optic,** combine fiction and fact in a way to instruct and please boys. Thev are always well told,—. Wtstem Christian Advocate^ Cornell University Library PZ 7.S89D2 Dave Porter at Oak Hall; or, The Schoold 3 1924 012 566 265