Part 41 (2/2)

”Well, I told you that was what you should have done,” retorted his father. And then he added in a low tone: ”We might have purchased our freedom with those miniatures.”

While Dunston Porter and Frank Andrews looked after the prisoners to see that they did not get away, Dave and his chums took care of the cases containing the precious miniatures, and thus the whole party made its way to the engineering and construction camp. There the Portons and Packard Brown were handcuffed, and word was sent to the authorities to take charge of them.

”And now I've got to send word home about this good news!” cried Ben, and lost no time in getting off a long telegram to his folks, and asking them to inform Dave's father and the Wadsworths by telephone of the success of the trip to Texas.

”That message ought to do your father more good than a dose of medicine,” remarked Dave.

”It will, Dave,” answered Ben, his face beaming. ”I know father will recover now that he has nothing more to worry about.” Ben was right.

The recovery of the fortune in miniatures did much toward restoring the real estate dealer to his former good health.

In the camp it was remarked by a number of men how much Ward Porton resembled Dave. But no one at that time dreamed that this resemblance was shortly to come to an end. Yet such was a fact. When being transferred from Texas to the State in which his crimes had been committed, Ward Porton attempted to make his escape by leaping from a rapidly moving railroad train. As a consequence he broke not only both of his legs, but also his nose, and cut his right cheek most frightfully. As a result, when he was retaken he had to remain in the hospital for a long time, and when he came out his face was much disfigured and he walked with a decided limp.

”It's too bad, but he brought it on himself,” was Dave's comment, when he heard of this.

”It's a good thing in one respect,” was Roger's reply. ”With his nose broken and his cheek disfigured and with such a limp, no one will ever take Ward Porton for you again.”

It may be mentioned here that when the proper time came Ward Porton and Tim c.r.a.psey were brought to trial and each was given a long term of imprisonment. Ward's father and the other men who had partic.i.p.ated in the attack on the Tolman ranch and on the bridge and had been captured were also severely punished.

The store-keepers and the hotel-keeper who suffered through Ward Porton's misrepresentations could get nothing from the young culprit, but they had the satisfaction of knowing that he had now been put where it would be impossible for him to dupe others.

Ben Ba.s.swood remained at the camp but a few days, and then he and Dunston Porter started northward. The miniatures had been boxed up and s.h.i.+pped by express, insured for their full value. It may be stated here that they arrived safely at their destination. Those which had been disposed of in New York City were recovered, and in the end Mr.

Ba.s.swood disposed of the entire collection to the museums in four of our large cities for the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars. With part of this money he went into several heavy real estate deals, taking Ben in with him, and father and son did very well.

”I think the getting back of those miniatures was entirely your work, Dave,” declared Roger, one day.

”I don't know about that,” answered our hero, modestly. ”I think you had a hand in it.”

”I had a hand in catching Ward Porton, but you were the one to spot that _cache_ and locate the Ba.s.swood fortune.”

And now let me add a few words more and then bring to an end this story of ”Dave Porter and His Double.”

A number of years have pa.s.sed since Dave graduated from Oak Hall and took up the profession of a civil engineer. Both he and Roger learned rapidly, and at the end of the required time both pa.s.sed their final examinations with flying colors. They remained with the Mentor Construction Company, journeying all over the United States, and also going down into Mexico and into Central and South Americas. They, of course, met with numerous adventures, some of which I may relate to you at a future time. They returned to Crumville a number of times, and during those visits Dave was more attentive to Jessie than ever, while Roger spent nearly all his time at Laura's side.

”They'll make a fine pair of married couples,” declared Dave's Uncle Dunston.

”Well, I hope they'll be happy,” answered Dave's father. ”They certainly deserve to be.”

”You are right. But I guess they had better wait awhile yet.”

”Of course. They are young, and Dave and Roger want to get a good foothold in their profession.”

”Those boys have had some strenuous doings,” continued the uncle. ”I wonder what will happen next?”

”Something, that's certain,” answered Dave's father; and he was right, as will be related in my next volume, to be ent.i.tled, ”Dave Porter's Great Search; or, The Perils of a Young Civil Engineer.” In that book we will meet all our young friends again, and learn the particulars of Jessie Wadsworth's strange disappearance.

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