d his dear friend, Jessie, were almost
equally affected. But they clung to him, refusing to believe the
story that Ward Porton was circulating.

"You take it from me--this is some scheme gotten up by Link Merwell
and this other fellow," declared one of Dave's chums. And on the
strength of this declaration the youth took it upon himself to do some
clever investigating. From one of the moving-picture actresses Dave
learned much concerning Ward Porton's past, and then, in company with
some of his chums, he journeyed to Burlington, where he met Mr.
Obadiah Jones, the uncle of Porton, and asked the lumber dealer if
Ward were his real nephew or not.

"Yes, he is my real nephew--the son of my youngest sister, who married
a good-for-nothing army man," replied Obadiah Jones; and then gave
many particulars. He stated that his sister's name had been Clarice
Jones Porton, and that years before she had married a certain
Lieutenant Porton of the United States Army, an officer who had been
discharged because of irregularities in his accounts. He further
stated that the mother of the young man was dead, and what had become
of the worthless father he did not know further than that it had been
stated he had joined some revolutionists in Mexico.

Dave had gotten Mr. Jones to sign a paper stating the exact truth
concerning Ward Porton, and with this duly witnessed had returned to
Bear Camp. All present were glad to know that the cloud hanging over
his name had been cleared away. His sister Laura and her friend Jessie
hugged him over and over again in their delight.

Then came news that Link Merwell had been captured, and later on this
misguided young man was sent to prison for his share in the crime at
the jewelry works. A hunt was instituted for Ward Porton, but he had
taken time by the forelock and disappeared.

"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,
as we shall see. Ward Porton was to show himself and make more trouble
than he had ever made before.

CHAPTER III

THE TEAM THAT RAN AWAY

"Oh, Dave, the gully!" cried his sister Laura. "If we go into that
we'll all be killed!"

"Please keep quiet, Laura," flung back her brother in a low, tense
voice. "These horses are scared enough as it is."

Dave was doing his best to bring the spirited grays out of their mad
gallop. But they had not been out of the stable for the best