easure, for all are good
and many of them excellent. But I think the best of all is that
written by David Porter, and the committee of teachers who have
examined the papers agree with me. Porter, I congratulate you, and I
will now ask you to come forward and read your meritorious composition
to your fellow-students."

And amid a general handclapping our hero went to the platform and
commenced to read the theme. Everybody listened with close attention,
and loud was the applause when he had concluded. It was certainly a
fine paper, and later on Doctor Clay had it published in one of the
school journals, where it attracted not a little attention.

Dave was certainly happy and he had good reason to be. He sent word
home that night of how he had fared and the next day received several
messages of congratulation. One message from Jessie he prized very
highly, for she wrote, "You deserve a big hug for coming through so
finely. My very best wishes." The other boys also got congratulations;
and that night and the night to follow were "bonfire nights," in more
ways than one.

"Well, we are rid of Haskers, and also Merwell and Jasniff," remarked
Roger to Dave. "We ought to be happy, eh, Dave?"

"Yes, and especially over coming out so well for graduation," answered
Dave.

"Do you think we'll ever see Haskers or Merwell again?" questioned
Phil.

"I don't know--I trust not," answered our hero. But his wish was not
fulfilled. He did meet the pair, and in a most unexpected fashion, as
will be related in the next volume of this series, to be called "Dave
Porter in the Gold Fields; or, The Search for the Landslide Mine," in
which we will learn how Dave went West with some of his chums, and
joined an old prospector in a hunt for a lost mine that had been
willed to Roger Morr's mother.

The graduation exercises at Oak Hall that year formed a gala event
long to be remembered. The school and the campus were crowded, and
Dave and his chums surprised even Doctor Clay by "chipping in" and
hiring a brass band to play outside, after the exercises were over.
The boys also presented their teachers and the master with some
volumes of history and poetry, and received numerous gifts in return.
From his father Dave got a bank-book, with an amount written therein
that was a complete surprise. His sister gave him a neat stickpin and
his uncle a set of books, and from Jessie and her folks came a desk
set, of solid silver, suitably engraved.

"