Part 2 (1/2)
”By Jove, boys, I think you're right! Phil, call Captain Bradley, and be quick about it You'll find him in the after cabin I just left hione Mr Lawrence and the boys took turns in looking through the glasses at the distant vessel The s, and as it did not come from the funnel of the steamer, there was no doubt but that the vessel was on fire
”You sent for me, Mr Lawrence?” inquired the captain of the steamer, as he hurried up with Phil at his heels
”Yes, Captain There's another steamer out there, and we are pretty sure she's on fire,” answered Mr Lawrence ”Change your course and put on speed” And as he spoke the shi+powner turned the glasses over to the captain
Captain Bradley gave one searching look ”It's true! She's on fire, and we had better get to her as soon as possible!” he cried, and then hurried away to give the necessary directions Soon the bow of the _Eaglet_, which was the name of the steamer, was headed in the direction of the craft that seeer, I hope we get there soon enough to help those on board,” said Dave
”Captain Bradley will do his best; you can rely on that,” answered Mr
Lawrence, gravely ”But that steaine Distances over the water are rather deceptive”
Many ofreaders are doubtless already well acquainted with Dave Porter For the benefit of those who are nowof an introduction e, our hero had been found one day walking along the railroad tracks near the town of Crued, and was taken to the local poorhouse, where he re bound out to a retired college professor, na a small farm for his health The professor did what he could for the lad, giving hiood education But Professor Potts was no farot into financial difficulties with a mean money-lender, named Aaron Poole, and would have lost his far
One of the e jewelry factory, owned by Mr Oliver Wadsworth Mr Wadsworth had a beautiful young daughter, nah an explosion of an auto burned to death when Dave came to her rescue This so pleased the Wadsworths that they came not only to the aid of the boy, but also assisted Caspar Potts, as discovered to be one of Mr Wadsworth's foro to boarding-school and get a good education,” said Oliver Wadsworth And he accordingly sent Dave away from home, as related in the first book of this series, entitled ”Dave Porter at Oak Hall” At that school our heroPhil Lawrence, the son of a wealthy shi+powner; Roger Morr, the offspring of a United States senator; Shadow Ha qualities; andover Dave had been the question of his identity, and when some of his enemies spoke of him as ”that poorhouse nobody,” he resolved to find out who he really was Getting a strange clue, he set out on a ree, as related in ”Dave Porter in the South Seas,” and was gratified to fall in with his uncle, Dunston Porter, a great hunter and traveler Then the lad came back to Oak Hall, as related in ”Dave Porter's Return to School” He next went in quest of his father, as told in ”Dave Porter in the Far North”
”Now they can't say that I' ht heart, he caain, as related in ”Dave Porter and His Classmates” Here he made more friends than ever, but likewise so one Link Merwell, the son of a ranch-owner of the West Merwell did all he could to cause Dave trouble, but in the end was exposed and had to leave Oak Hall
”I hope I never fall in with Link Merwell again,” Dave said to his school chums, but this was not to be Dave had not only found his father and an uncle, but he had also found a sister, Laura Porter, as very dear to hi lady friend, nah this friend Dave and his chums, and also Laura, as well as Jessie Wadsworth, received an invitation to spend soreat deal of fun and not a few adventures, all of which have been set down in ”Dave Porter at Star Ranch” Not far from the Endicott place was the ho man, as before, tried to make trouble, but his efforts were frustrated and he left home under a cloud
Froain to Oak Hall, as recorded in ”Dave Porter and His Rivals” Then came the Christmas Holidays, and Dave went back to Cru with the Wadsworth faant mansion on the outskirts of the town Directly after Christ jewelry robbery at Mr Wadsworth's factory It was Dave, aided by soot on the track of the robbers and trailed them to the South and then to sea, as related in ”Dave Porter on Cave Island”
When our hero and his chuined that their adventures were at an end But soon cahborhood So an atte hotel So arrest, they fled in terror, as told of in ”Dave Porter and the Runaways” Dave was not one of those who ran away, but he did go after the others, and made them come back to face the reat raduated froh honors
It is needless to say that our hero at that time was one of the happiest boys in the world His folks and Jessie Wadsworth ca bonfires, yer Morr that he would pay the Senator's son a visit He did so, along with Phil and soold mine which had been willed to Mrs Morr, and which had been completely sed up by a landslide Numerous searches had been made for this lost o in search of the lost er and some of the others made the trip to the West and went on a hunt for the mine has been told in detail in the volume entitled ”Dave Porter in the Gold Fields”
While the lads were on this quest, they again fell in with Link Merwell, ith Job Haskers, a for to locate the lost mine The two parties hadmine was relocated, there came another landslide which nearly cost Dave and his friends their lives When they finally reached a place of safety they were joined by a man from the other party who had suffered severely, and who told them that Link Merwell and Job Haskers, as well as a third person of the party, had been swept away to their death Later on Dave and his friends had looked for thepersons, but had been unable to locate the of the Landslide Mine, as it was called, had been of great financial benefit to the Morr faiven Dave and so In thewith their friends, had finished their outing in the West by a grand tour through Yellowstone Park, on which they were accompanied by Dave's sister, Jessie and Belle, and soot to co East, and had explained that a s to his father was then tied up at Philadelphia, getting ready for a trip to Portland, Maine, and back
”That will be fine,” Dave had answered; and a little later a party had been er, and Shadow, and also Ben Basswood, who, as my old readers knoas one of Dave's old friends fro on this trip, none of those on board had dreamed of the strenuous ti it will take us to reach that vessel?” observed Roger, after Mr Lawrence had followed the captain
”A quarter of an hour at least,” replied Dave ”It will depend soet up I don't believe we are running at full speed now”
”This steaetting old now, and I heard dad say so her up for repairs next Fall”
”Wonder if we'll get a chance to do any rescue work,” observed Ben
”I guess we'll do all we can,” returned Shadow
”Look! Look!” cried Dave, pointing with his hand ”The s thicker than ever!”