his story, although he went into few
details.

"It is queer that I never received any of those letters and cablegrams,"
said Mr. Porter. "Yet you must remember I thought your uncle was still
among the South Sea Islands. He wrote to me that he was going on a trip
that might last two years or more and might not be able to write to me
for some time. Laura, your sister--how surprised she will be!--and
myself traveled down to Rome and through Spain and then came up to
Berlin. There I fell in with Hausermann and, later on, with Philip
Lapham. They told me of this expedition into Norway, and got me
interested financially. Your sister wanted to go to the United States,
with some close friends, and I let her go and came up here. We traveled
to Norway somewhat in secret, for we did not wish to let the object of
our expedition become known. On that account we had some trouble with
the police, who took us for political intriguers. After that we left no
addresses behind us--which accounts for the non-delivery of the
cablegram you sent to me from England."

"But what brought you up into this portion of Norway, father, and at
this time of the year?"

"We came to locate a valuable mine, or rather a series of mines, in this
section. Hausermann had some information about them, but had no money,
and he came to me and then to Philip Lapham, and we 'staked' the
expedition, as miners call it. We came up this winter because we heard
that three other parties were coming up next spring and next summer, and
we wanted to get in ahead."

"And have you done that?" asked Dave, with interest.

"Not as yet. We have found some traces of copper at one point and nickel
at another, but not the rich deposits the information we possessed led
us to believe could be located."

"Never mind, now we are together, perhaps you'll have better luck,
father. I'll help you." Dave smiled broadly. "Tell me about yourself,
and about my sister Laura, won't you?"

Both sat in front of the tiny camp-fire, Mr. Porter's bandaged head
resting on Dave's shoulder, and a hand clasping that of the boy. They
were supremely happy, and for the time being the world around them was
forgotten. Mr. Porter told much about himself and of his travels, and
Dave related how he had been raised at the poorhouse and taken care of
by Caspar Potts and Oliver Wadsworth, and how he had fallen in with
Billy Dill, the sailor, and gone to the South Sea Islands and found his
Uncle Dunston.

"