ack, Joe?"

"I don't know yet, Frank."

"Well, I wish you luck."

"I wish you the same."

"If you go to work for Mallison this summer, maybe you can get me a job
too."

"I'll remember that," answered our hero.

His preparations were soon made, and then he boarded a train for
Riverside. He did not dream of the surprises in store for him.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE BLUE BOX AT LAST.

After calling on the Gussings and being invited to remain there for
several days, Joe took himself to Ned Talmadge's residence.

Ned was very glad to see him and had to give all the particulars of
another trip he had made to the West.

"I had a splendid time," said Ned. "I wish you had been along."

"Then you like the West, Ned?"

"Indeed I do,--better than the East."

"Perhaps I'll go West some day," went on our hero, and told his friend
of what Maurice Vane had said.

"I saw some mines while I was out there," continued Ned. "I went to the
very bottom of one mine. I can tell you I felt a bit shivery, being so
far underground."

"I suppose the miners get used to it."

"It would be a joke on those swindlers if that mine should prove of
value," went on Ned, after a pause.

"I hope, for Mr. Vane's sake, it does prove valuable."

"Now your hotel is burnt out, what are you going to do?"

"I haven't made up my mind, Ned. Perhaps I'll come back here, to work
for Mr. Mallison."

"Then we'll be together again next summer. That will suit me."

The boys had a good time together and then Joe said he would like to pay
a visit to his old home on the mountain side. Ned readily consented to
go along.

"But I don't imagine you'll find much of the old cabin left," he added.

There was still a little ice in the lake, but they rowed to the spot
without great difficulty and made their way to the tumble-down cabin.

It was not an inviting sight and it made Joe feel sober to view the
locality.

"Joe, you never heard anything of that blue box, did you?" asked Ned,
after several minutes of silence.

"No."

"It ought to be somewhere in this vicinity."

"It's gone, and that is all there is to it," said our hero, and gave a
long sigh.

The boys tramped around the vicinity for a good half hour, and then sat
down on a hollow log to eat a lunch they had brought along.

"Let us build a fire beside the old log," said Ned. "It will help to
keep us warm."

Joe was willing and the two boys soon had some leaves and twigs
gathered, an