roke in Dave's father. "I had
a long talk with him, about the burglary up here, and he admitted that
he had thrown all that other stuff in the hollow just to inconvenience
you. Then I made him confess that he and Ward Porton had concocted this
scheme concerning Porton's identity between them. Merwell tried to bribe
me by saying he wouldn't tell the truth about Porton unless I aided him
to get clear of the charge made against him by Mr. Wadsworth. Of course
I wouldn't agree to do that."

"It won't be necessary to have Link Merwell testify against Porton,"
declared Dave. "I've got a document here that shows up Porton for just
what he is;" and later on he allowed his father and the others to read
the paper which he had had Obadiah L. L. Jones sign.

"Oh, to think I'm to have my rings back, and Mrs. Basswood is to have
her silverware!" cried Laura, with satisfaction. "Isn't it perfectly
lovely?"

The days to follow at Bear Camp were happy ones indeed. The boys went
hunting and fishing to their hearts' content, and often took the girls
out in the boats or in the canoes. In the meanwhile some of the men
folks returned to Crumville, and Phil took his uncle home.

It may be stated here that Phil's father and mother were filled with joy
to have Lester Lawrence once more with them, and later on the land that
the rival railroads wanted was sold to one of the roads for an even
sixty thousand dollars, three-quarters of which amount went to Phil's
father and the other quarter to the boy's uncle.

"I don't believe Ward Porton will ever bother you again, Dave," said
Roger, one day, but the surmise of the senator's son proved incorrect.
When Ward Porton learned that our hero had visited Obadiah Jones he lost
no time in disappearing for awhile. But then he got back to his old
tricks, and what he did will be related in another volume, to be
entitled, "Dave Porter and His Double; Or, The Disappearance of the
Basswood Fortune."

When Link Merwell was brought to trial, his father came forward and did
everything he could for the wayward son. But it was proved beyond a
doubt that Merwell had been as guilty as Jasniff, and he received an
equal sentence of imprisonment.

"Poor Link! I feel sorry for him," was Dave's comment. "He might have
made quite a man of himself."

The weather was now growing colder every day, and soon there was a trace
of snow in the air.

"We'll have to leave Bear Camp very soon unless we want to be snowed
in,