acity of five
passengers, including the driver, and the party consisted of ten young
people, five boys and five girls.

"Now, Dave, don't let her out for more than fifty miles an hour,"
remarked Sam Day, who sat in the back of the leading auto, between two
of the young ladies.

"Fifty miles an hour!" shrieked Jessie Wadsworth. "What an idea! Dave,
don't you dare!"

"Oh, Lazy is only fooling, Jessie," answered Dave. "He wouldn't want to
ride at that rate of speed himself."

"Twenty miles an hour is fast enough," said Belle Endicott. "I want to
view the scenery. It is lovely around Crumville--so different from
around the ranch."

"Yes, the scenery is fine, even though we haven't such big mountains as
you have out West," answered Dave.

"And Shady Glen Falls is an ideal spot for a picnic," said Jessie. "Papa
took us there last summer."

"You've got to make the most of the Falls this summer," went on Dave. "I
heard in town last week that next year a paper company is going to put a
mill there."

"Oh, Dave, is that the Eureka Paper Company?" questioned Jessie.

"Yes. What do you know about them?"

"Why, I heard papa and your uncle talking about it. It is a company in
which Mr. Aaron Poole holds a big interest."

"Aaron Poole!" murmured the youthful driver of the automobile, and his
face grew serious, as he remembered the trouble he had had with that
mean individual.

"Yes. Papa heard Nat bragging down at the post-office, about what great
things his father was going to do, when the paper company got started."

"That's just like Nat Poole," was Phil Lawrence's comment. "If Nat
couldn't brag about something he'd die."

"By the way, where does Nat keep himself?" questioned Sam Day. "I
haven't met him since I came to Crumville."

"He has been keeping shady--since our little affair at Niagara Falls,"
explained Dave.

"Is he going to return to Oak Hall?"

"I presume so. He left his motor-boat and some other things up there, so
I heard."

"We can get along without Nat Poole, Dave."

"Right you are, Lazy," put in Phil Lawrence. "But maybe, with Link
Merwell gone, he won't be quite so bad as he was."

"Oh, that horrid Link Merwell!" cried Jessie. "I trust we never see or
hear of him again!"

"Well, one thing is certain, Merwell will never get back to Oak Hall,"
said Dave. "He got his walking papers and that settled it. He is out for
good, the same as Nick Jasniff."

"Dave, have you heard anything about Ja