Part 1 (1/2)
Dave Porter and His Rivals.
by Edward Stratemeyer.
PREFACE
”DAVE PORTER AND HIS RIVALS” is a complete story in itself, but forms the seventh volume in a line issued under the general t.i.tle of ”Dave Porter Series.”
When I brought out the first volume of this series, ent.i.tled ”Dave Porter at Oak Hall,” I trusted that the story would please the young people for whom it was written, but I did not imagine that so many thousands of boys and girls all over our broad land would take to Dave as they have, and would insist upon knowing more about him.
My opening tale was one of boarding school life, and this was followed by ”Dave Porter in the South Seas,” whither our hero had gone in search of his father, and then by ”Dave Porter's Return to School,” in which book Dave met all of his friends again and likewise a few of his enemies.
So far our hero had heard about his father, but had not yet seen his parent, and the next volume, ”Dave Porter in the Far North,” related the particulars of a trip to Norway, where the youth had some stirring adventures amid snow and ice in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
Coming back to America, the lad was sent again to Oak Hall, as set down in the next volume, called ”Dave Porter and His Cla.s.smates.” During that term at school many complications arose, and our hero did something for the honor of Oak Hall that was a great credit to him.
Dave's father was now with him, but his sister Laura was in the Far West, and upon her return he received an invitation to visit a large ranch, and how he went, and what strenuous times he had, were related in ”Dave Porter at Star Ranch.”
As soon as his Western outing was at an end, Dave returned home, and then betook himself once more to Oak Hall. Here, to his surprise, he found an unusual state of affairs, the particulars of which are given in the pages that follow.
Once again I thank those who have praised my books in the past. I hope the present volume will also please them and do them good.
EDWARD STRATEMEYER.
DAVE PORTER AND HIS RIVALS
CHAPTER I
AN AUTOMOBILE RIDE
”Everybody ready?”
”Yes, Dave; let her go!” cried Phil Lawrence.
”How about you folks in the other auto?” queried Dave Porter, as he let off the hand brake and advanced the spark and lever of the machine he was about to run.
”We are all ready,” responded Roger Morr.
”Been ready for an hour,” added Ben Ba.s.swood, who sat beside Roger.
”Oh, Ben, not quite as long as that!” burst out Laura Porter, who was one of three girls in the tonneau of the second car.
”Well, make it fifty-eight minutes then; I'm not particular,” responded Ben, calmly.
”Are the lunch hampers in?” asked Jessie Wadsworth, anxiously. ”Mamma said we musn't forget anything.”
”Trust Dave and Roger to look after the food,” burst out Phil Lawrence.
”Likewise Mr. Phil Lawrence,” added Dave. ”Just wait till it comes lunch time, and you'll see Phil stow away about fifteen chicken sandwiches, ten slices of cake, three pickles, five olives----”