om Nat. He and his family are very much worried.
They had an idea that Wilbur Poole was practically well again, and that
is the reason why they did not watch him very closely."

"Of course they are searching for him?"

"Sure! Nat said the authorities and also several other people were after
him. Nat himself was going to look for him to-morrow."

"Maybe we'll run across him," said Luke Watson.

"I hope we don't, Luke!" exclaimed Dave. "That man gave us trouble
enough up at Oak Hall."

"Right you are there!" burst out Shadow. And then he added: "I wonder if
he'll call himself the King of Sumatra, as he did before?"

"A man who is out of his mind is apt to call himself anything," said
Dave. "I feel sorry for Nat. This must worry him and his family a good
deal."

It was not long after this when all the boys went over to the Wadsworth
mansion, there to complete their preparations for the trip to Mirror
Lake. Ben had had the Basswood automobile thoroughly overhauled, and
Dave had likewise had the Wadsworth touring-car put into the best
possible running shape.

"My, but there is going to be quite a bunch of us!" was Dave's comment,
as he looked at the boys and girls who were present.

"Mamma says we must finish all our packing to-night or else do it Monday
morning," said Jessie. "She doesn't want any of it done on Sunday."

"My things are all ready, and so are Belle's," returned Laura. "But I
don't know how it is with the boys."

"We'll be all right; don't you worry," answered Dave.

"We never got left yet," added Ben, with a grin.

Luke had brought along his banjo, and the others insisted that he play a
tune or two. Then they sang a couple of songs; and after that the
Wadsworth phonograph was started, and the young folks enjoyed an hour or
so of dancing.

Sunday morning most of the young folks went to church, and in the
afternoon some of them spent their time in writing letters. Dave and
several of the boys took a walk around the town. At the railroad
station they ran across Nat Poole.

"I am off to look for my Uncle Wilbur," said Nat. "We've an idea that he
went to Plattsburg, New York. He used to have some friends there, and we
think he started off to visit them."

"I certainly hope you find him, Nat, and that he's all right," answered
Dave, kindly.

"By the way, I heard Link Merwell was in town," went on the
money-lender's son.

"Yes. I met him at our old farm."

"I should think he'd be afraid to s