, as well as Belle Endicott, who
was coming East, were to go, along with Dave and Ben and a number of
their chums. Mr. Dunston Porter and Dave's father said they would make
several trips back and forth during the time the others were up there.
It may be said here that the bungalows were fully furnished, so our
friends had no anxiety on that score.

"We'll have the best time ever, Jessie," said Dave, in talking the
matter over the day after his arrival home. "I am sure you will like
it."

"Have you your things packed, Dave?" questioned his sister, who was
present. "You don't want to leave that until the last minute."

"Oh, packing is getting easy to me, Laura. I feel like a regular
traveler since I took those trips to Cave Island, and after the
runaways, and to the Landslide Mine and Yellowstone Park."

"Oh, it was splendid, the way you relocated that gold mine, Dave!" cried
Jessie. "How glad Roger and his folks must have been."

"They surely were glad," answered the youth. "I never saw Roger look so
happy in my life. It took a big weight off his shoulders."

"And, just to think that they are going to give you and Phil an interest
in that mine!" remarked Laura. "Why, Dave, if you keep on, you'll be a
rich man some day."

"Well, I sha'n't complain if I am," answered the brother, coolly.

It had been arranged that the start for Mirror Lake should be made on
the following Monday morning. Some of the folks were to go as far as
they could by train, but the young people had demurred, stating that
they wanted if possible to make the trip by automobile.

"We can take our machine and the Basswood car," said Dave. "It won't
take us more than two or three days, and it will be lots of fun."

"But what are we going to do with the automobiles after we reach Carpen
Falls?" asked Dunston Porter. "You can't go any farther in an auto than
that."

"Isn't there some sort of garage at Carpen Falls?" questioned Ben, who
was present.

"Probably there is. Anyway, I know there is a livery stable there."

"Then we could leave the machines there until we were ready to bring
them back," replied Dave.

"We'll see about this later," said Dave's father, with a shake of his
head. Automobiling did not appeal to him quite as strongly as it did to
his son and his brother.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and Dave and Ben had arranged for a little
run in the automobile, taking Laura and Jessie along. Dave ran the car,
with Jessie on the se