h. The professor did what he could for the
lad, but soon got into difficulties with a mean money-lender named
Aaron Poole, and would have lost his farm had it not been for
something out of the ordinary happening.

On the outskirts of the town lived a wealthy jewelry manufacturer,
Oliver Wadsworth. Mr. Wadsworth had a daughter named Jessie, and one
day, through an explosion of an automobile tank, the little miss was
in danger of being burned to death, when Dave came to her assistance.
This so pleased the Wadsworths that they came not only to the boy's
aid but also helped Caspar Potts.

"The lad shall go to boarding school and get a good education," said
Oliver Wadsworth. And how Dave was sent off has already been related
in the first book of this series, entitled "Dave Porter at Oak Hall."
At the school he made many warm friends, including Roger Morr, the son
of a United States senator; Phil Lawrence, the offspring of a wealthy
shipowner; Buster Beggs, who was fat as he was jolly, and Maurice,
otherwise "Shadow" Hamilton, who would rather spin yarns than eat. He
also made some enemies, not the least of whom were Gus Plum, a great
bully, and Nat Poole, son of the money-lender already mentioned. Plum
had since reformed, but Nat was as overbearing and dictatorial as
ever.

The great cloud resting over Dave in those days was the question of
his identity, and when some of his enemies spoke of him as "that
poorhouse nobody" he resolved to find out who he really was. Getting a
strange clew, he set forth on his travels, as described in "Dave
Porter in the South Seas," where he found his uncle, Dunston Porter.
Then he came back to Oak Hall, as told of in "Dave Porter's Return to
School," and next went to the Land of the Midnight Sun, as set forth
in "Dave Porter in the Far North," where he was gladdened by a
long-hoped-for meeting with his father.

"They can't say I'm a poorhouse nobody now," he told himself, and went
back to Oak Hall once again, as set forth in "Dave Porter and His
Classmates." Here he made more friends than ever, but he likewise made
enemies, the most bitter of the latter being one Link Merwell, the son
of a ranch-owner of the West. Merwell did his best to get Dave into
trouble, but in the end was exposed and had to leave the school.

Vacation time was now at hand, and through Laura Porter, our hero's
newly-found sister, Dave and his chums were invited to visit some of
Laura's friends in the Far West. Lau