s
reached the ears of the master of the school, and he was ordered to pack
his trunk and leave, which he did in a great rage.

"It is all Dave Porter's doings!" said Link Merwell, bitterly. "But
wait--I'll square up with him, see if I don't!"

Laura Porter and Belle Endicott were great friends, and through the
latter Laura and her brother received an invitation to visit the
Endicott ranch in the Far West, and this they did, as related in the
volume entitled "Dave Porter at Star Ranch." They took with them Jessie
Wadsworth and also Roger and Phil. On the way they met Nat Poole at
Niagara Falls, and Poole attempted to play a mean trick on Dave. But the
latter turned the tables on the money-lender's son, and the latter went
back home a wiser if not a better boy.

The Endicott ranch was located next to one owned by Link Merwell's
father, and, as was to be expected, it was not long before there was a
clash between Dave and his party on one side and Merwell and his
followers on the other. Link Merwell, as usual, did all in his power to
injure Dave, and make the outing for the others a failure, but he was
caught in his own trap, and it was proved that he had, to a certain
extent, aided some horse-thieves in their nefarious work. Mr. Merwell
had to pay Mr. Endicott for the animals that were missing, and, in order
to hush the matter up, he agreed to sell his ranch and move to some
other part of the country.

"Well, I hope that is the last of Link Merwell, so far as we are
concerned," said Roger at the time.

"We can do very well without such chaps as Merwell and Nick Jasniff,"
Dave had added, with a grim smile.

"Yes, and without such fellows as Nat Poole, too," Phil had put in.
"Although I must say I don't think Nat is as bad as Link and Nick."

"Nat is too much of a dude to be real bad," said Laura.

"Nat lacks backbone," explained Dave. "He usually does what the others
tell him to. But Jasniff and Merwell are both wicked fellows, and
Jasniff is brutal."

The home-coming from the ranch had been a gala occasion at the Wadsworth
mansion, and the young people had been warmly welcomed by Jessie's
parents and by Mr. Porter and Caspar Potts. Ben Basswood had come over
from his home to greet them, and he brought with him Sam Day, who was
paying him a visit.

"I suppose you are all going back to Oak Hall," remarked Sam to the
boys.

"Of course," answered Dave. "You are going back, aren't you?"

"Sure thing--and so are