Dave Porter At Bear Camp or, The Wild Man of Mirror Lake

Edward Stratemeyer

Description

DAVE PORTER AT BEAR CAMP is a complete story in itself, but forms the eleventh volume in a line issued under the general title of Dave Porter Series.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819907725
• Langue: English

Extrait

PREFACE
"DAVE PORTER AT BEAR CAMP" is a complete story initself, but forms the eleventh volume in a line issued under thegeneral title of "Dave Porter Series."
A s I havementioned several times, this series was started a number of yearsago by the publication of "Dave Porter at Oak Hall," in which myyoung readers were introduced to a typical, wide-awake American ladat an up-to-date American boarding school.
The publication of this first volume was followed bythat of "Dave Porter in the South Seas," whither the lad journeyedto clear up a question concerning his parentage. Then came "DavePorter's Return to School," telling of more doings at Oak Hall;"Dave Porter in the Far North," in which he went on a secondjourney looking for his father; "Dave Porter and His Classmates,"relating more happenings at school; "Dave Porter at Star Ranch," inwhich our hero participated in many adventures in the wild West;"Dave Porter and His Rivals," showing how he outwitted some of hisold-time enemies; "Dave Porter on Cave Island," giving theparticulars of a remarkable voyage on the ocean and strange doingsashore; "Dave Porter and the Runaways," in which the youth taughtsome of his chums a much-needed lesson; and finally "Dave Porter inthe Gold Fields," in which the lad and a number of his chums wentin quest of a gold mine, all traces of which had been lost througha landslide.
The present volume tells the particulars of athrilling rescue from fire at sea, and how the boys and girls,along with some of the older folks, went for a vacation in a campon the shore of a beautiful lake. Here, most unexpectedly, Davefell in with one of his old enemies. The youth and his chums hadsome strenuous times, the particulars of which are given in thepages which follow.
Once again I avail myself of the opportunity tothank my young readers for all the pleasant things they have saidregarding my stories. I trust that the reading of this volume willbenefit them all. EDWARD STRATEMEYER. March 1, 1915.
CHAPTER I
T HE BOYS ONSHIPBOARD "Phil, your father seems to be a good deal worried thismorning. I hope it isn't on account of the way we cut up on thisship last evening." "Not at all, Dave," returned Phil Lawrence. "Idon't believe he noticed our monkey-shines. He is worried over theletter he received in the mail we got at our last stopping-place.""No bad news I hope?" said Roger Morr, another one of the group ofboys seated on the forward deck of a small coastwise steamer."Well, I think it is rather bad news," answered the son of thevessel's owner. "Poor dad stands to lose between twenty and thirtythousand dollars." "Twenty or thirty thousand dollars!" exclaimedDave Porter. "Why, how can that be, Phil?" "Did he make a badinvestment?" asked Ben Basswood, another youth of the group. "Youcan hardly call it a bad investment, Ben," returned Phil. "Buyingthe land was all right enough in the first place. It's trying toget rid of it that's the sticker." "You are talking in riddles,Phil," said Roger Morr. "Won't you explain?" "Maybe Phil doesn'tcare to explain," broke in Dave Porter, quickly. "It may be hisfather's private business, you know." "Oh, I don't think he'llobject to my telling you the details," responded the shipowner'sson. "It isn't very much of a secret where we live, or in EastHaven." "East Haven? Is that the place across the river from whereyou live?" queried Dave Porter. "Yes. It's quite a bustling littletown, too, although when my father and his older brother, LesterLawrence, bought the tract of land there it didn't amount to much,and they got the ground for a song." "I'd like to buy some land fora song," put in another youth of the group. "Then I might sell itand make a handsome profit. Say," he continued, his facebrightening up, "that puts me in mind of a story. Once there was aman who wanted to – – " "Hold on, Shadow. It isn't your turn totell stories now," interrupted Dave. "We want to hear what Phil hasto say." "This story wouldn't take but a minute," grumbled MauriceHamilton, otherwise known as "Shadow." "It's a dandy one, too.""All right, we'll listen to it later," returned Roger Morr. "Let usfirst hear what Phil has to tell." "It isn't so much of a story,"said the shipowner's son. "You see, years ago my dad and his olderbrother purchased a tract of land at East Haven, along thewaterfront. For some time it was idle, and then it was leased to alumber company, who used it for a number of years as a lumber yard.At that time East Haven had no railroad, but the L. A. & H.line came through that way and wanted to cross the river at EastHaven, and wanted to locate their railroad repair shops along thewaterfront there. They have made my father an offer for the land,and if that tract could be sold my folks would stand to make aprofit of twenty to thirty thousand dollars." "Well, why not sellthe land then – unless you think it is worth more than the railroadcompany is willing to pay?" asked Dave. "My father is willingenough to sell, and has been for some time; but he can't give therailroad a clear title, and consequently the deal is at astandstill." "Oh, I see, Phil," said Roger Morr. "That is the worstof buying land that has a flaw in the title." "There wasn't anyflaw in the title when my father and my Uncle Lester purchased theground," returned the shipowner's son. And now his face clouded."The trouble has all come up within the last five years – that is,it wouldn't have come up at all if it hadn't been for what happenedabout five years ago." "Oh, I think I know to what you refer,Phil," cried Dave, quickly. "I remember now that you told me aboutyour old Uncle Lester. Didn't you ever hear from him?" "Not a word,Dave. And that is why my father can't sell the land." "I don'tunderstand this," said Ben Basswood. "And neither do I," addedShadow Hamilton. "Well, it's this way: About five years ago myfolks were connected with a trust company in the town where welive. My Uncle Lester was one of several men who had charge ofcertain funds, and these funds were kept in a safe-deposit vaultbelonging to the company. One day it was found that some of thesefunds had disappeared. Suspicion pointed to my uncle, and althoughhe protested his entire innocence, some of the other trust companyofficials were in favor of having him arrested. A warrant was swornout, but before it could be served my uncle left home and went toanother State. Then the local paper came out with an article whichstated that the bank officials had evidence that Lester Lawrencewas undoubtedly guilty. My uncle got a copy of this paper – it wasfound later in the room he had occupied at a hotel – and thisevidently frightened him so much that he disappeared." "Do you meanto say that he disappeared for good?" queried Ben. "Yes, he took atrain out of town, and that was the last seen or heard of him. Myfather did all he could to locate Uncle Lester. He had mensearching for him, and he advertised in the newspapers. But up tothe present time he hasn't heard a word from him or of him. He ishalf inclined to believe that my uncle is dead." "Perhaps he wentto some foreign country," suggested Dave. "But how does that affectthe title to the land?" questioned Shadow Hamilton. "Easilyenough," was the reply of the shipowner's son. "My uncle held aone-quarter interest in the tract. In order to give a clear titleto the railroad company it would be necessary for Uncle Lester tosign the deed. The railroad company – nor any one else for thatmatter – won't buy the land without a clear title." "I don't wonderthat your father is worried," said Dave, sympathetically. "Isuppose he feels just as bad over the continued absence of youruncle as he does over the fact that he can't sell the land and makea profit on it." "That's just it, Dave," answered Phil. "We'd givea good deal to know what has become of Uncle Lester." "I suppose hedoesn't dare come back for fear of being arrested," was Shadow'scomment. "Even if he is innocent they may be able to convict him.""Oh, I forgot to tell you about that," burst out Phil. "Less thanfour months after my uncle disappeared, some men were arrested inSpringfield, for a theft committed at one of the banks there.During the trial it came out that one of these criminals had beenin our town during the time when the funds disappeared from ourtrust company. This rascal's movements were traced by theauthorities, and then he was given what they call 'the thirddegree.' At that examination he broke down, and admitted that hehad taken the funds which my Uncle Lester was supposed to havestolen. The affair created a great stir, and those who hadproceeded against my uncle made all sorts of apologies to myfather. They also did their best to locate Uncle Lester." "Anddidn't they hear anything at all?" asked Ben. "Not a word. We gotwhat we thought were clues, but every one of them proved false.""Maybe he is dead." "That may be. But if we can't prove it, itleaves the matter of the land just as unsettled as before." "Ifyour uncle is alive he must remember about the land, and must knowthat the matter will give your father a lot of trouble," suggestedRoger. "That is true, Roger. But when a man is accused of a gravecrime like that, he isn't apt to think about other things." "Yousay he is older than your father?" queried Dave. "Oh, yes, a gooddeal older – ten or twelve years, at least. If he is still alive hemust be well advanced in years." "What does your father propose todo about the land?" questioned Ben, after a pause in theconversation. "He doesn't know what to do. He's at a completestandstill." "Won't the railroad company lease the land?"questioned Dave. "No. They told dad that they wanted to buy andbuild. They prefer his land to any other in East Haven, but at thesame time, if they can't get his property, they are going to lookelsewhere." "Twenty or thirty thousand dollars is a heap of moneyto let slip through one's fingers," was Shadow's comment. "It's ashame you can't find out where your uncle is, or