CHAPTER IX
WHAT NAT POOLE HAD TO TELL
"You saw two fellows sneaking around our place last evening?" criedRoger, with interest.
"I certainly did."
"What did they look like?" asked Dave.
"I see 'em plainly an' I was wonderin' what they was up to," said thedriver of the milk wagon, and then he described the two persons quiteminutely.
"Haskers and Merwell, beyond a doubt!" exclaimed Phil. "Now what do youknow about that!"
"It certainly is the limit!" murmured Luke.
"Wonder if they are still around?" came from Shadow. "Say, this puts mein mind of a sto----But never mind, I'll tell it another time," he brokeoff, hastily, as he saw a look of disgust on the others' faces.
"I don't believe they are around," said Dave. "They probably boarded thefirst train that went over the bridge."
"Just what I think," returned the senator's son.
"Think them fellers set the fire?" asked Mr. Platt, curiously.
"We feel certain of it," replied Roger. "They are old school enemies ofours," he added. "It's only one more score we've got to settle withthem," he continued, to his chums, and shut his teeth with a snap.
Nothing further could be learned concerning the mysterious visitors, andfinally the boys went back to the Morr mansion, to get ready for theevening celebration. This came off as scheduled and proved a bigsuccess. Fully a hundred town folk were present, besides some from thelake and elsewhere. There were rockets and Roman candles and wheelsgalore, as well as several set pieces. Some fire balloons were alsoliberated. Senator Morr had engaged a local band of eight pieces, and ifthe music was not of a high order it was certainly patriotic, and thatcounted for a good deal.
Of course the other boys had to hear all about the proposed trip Westand, incidentally, about the lost Landslide Mine. From his father andmother Roger got some more details concerning the missing property. Amap was produced, and also some papers, and the son was advised to huntup an old miner and prospector named Abe Blower.
"Abe Blower knew your Uncle Maurice well," said Mrs. Morr, to her son."They were friends for years. I am sure if you can find Mr. Blower hewill do all he can for you, and for me, too."
"Then I'll do what I can to find him, first of all," answered Roger.
At last came the time when Dave must leave the Morr home and return toCrumville. He was going alone, but he promised to keep in constantcommunication with the others.
"I wish I was going on that western trip," said Shadow, wistfully."You'll have barrels of fun, and if you do locate that LandslideMine--well, it will be a big feather in your cap."
"I'd like to go, too," said Buster.
"I reckon we'd all like to go," cried the others, in concert.
"Well, there is just this much about it," returned Dave. "Anybody whohas the price can go on that personally-conducted tour to YellowstonePark, and, so far as I am concerned, you can go from there into themountains and look for the mine."
"Why, of course!" burst out Roger. "If any of you want to go, just saythe word."
This brought on a discussion lasting nearly an hour. In the end severalof the lads said they would see what they could do, and would writeabout it later, or telegraph.
"Say, but wouldn't it be grand if we could locate that lost mine!" criedPhil, enthusiastically.
"Well, we'll have a try at it," returned Dave.
At last came the time for Dave to leave. Some of the others had alreadygone. Roger drove his chum down to the railroad station in the runabout.The two were alone. Dave noticed that the senator's son seemed unusuallythoughtful.
"What's up, Roger?" he asked, at last. "You don't seem quite likeyourself."
"Oh, I don't know that I ought to say anything, Dave," was thehesitating answer.
"If there is anything I can do----"
"No, it isn't that." Roger gave a deep sigh. "I wish we could locatethat mine!" he murmured.
"So you were thinking about that? Well, we may have luck. Let us hopeso," and Dave smiled.
"I might as well tell you how it is," continued Roger, as he drove up tothe little railroad station. He looked around, to make sure that nooutsiders were listening. "You know father comes up for re-election thisfall."
"Oh, does his term as senator run out?"
"Yes. Well, there is a movement on foot to put somebody else in hisplace. If they do that--well, he'll be out, that's all."
"What will he do then?"
"That's just it. I don't know what he can do. He used to be in an officebusiness, but he gave that up to go into politics. Now, if he gets out,he will have to start all over again."
"Hasn't he anything at all--I mean any business?"
"Not anything regular. He dabbles a little in real estate."
"Then I hope they don't put him out, Roger."
"And--er--that isn't all, Dave. I wouldn't tell anybody but you--andmaybe Phil. He has spent a lot of money while in politics--it costs agood deal to live in Washington. I heard him tell mother about it. If hegoes out, it will go hard with him. Now, if we had that mine, and it wasas valuable as they think it is----"
"I see, Roger. We'll have to do our level best to find the mine."
"If mother had the mine she could let dad use the money in any way hepleased. But if we haven't got the mine to fall back on, and dad getsout of politics--well, it is going to make hard sledding for us."
"Roger, if it gets too bad, don't you hesitate to come to us!" criedDave, quickly. "I am sure my father, and my Uncle Dunston, would be onlytoo glad to help you out."
"Thank you, Dave; but I don't think it will get to be as bad as that,"answered the senator's son. And then the train came along and Dave hadto bid his chum good-by.
The car was only half filled with people, so Dave had a double seat tohimself. He placed his suit-case in the rack overhead and then sank downby the window, to gaze at the swiftly moving panorama and give himselfup to thought.
"Hello, Dave!"
The youth looked up, to see, standing beside him, Nat Poole, the son ofthe money-lender of Crumville--a tall, awkward youth with a face thatwas inclined to scowl more than to smile. In the past Nat had playedDave many a mean trick, and had usually gotten the worst of it. Nat hadbeen in the class with our hero, but had failed to pass for graduation,much to his chagrin.
"Hello, Nat!" cried Dave. He put as much warmth as possible in thesalutation, for he felt sorry for the boy who had failed. "Bound forhome?"
"Yes." The money-lender's son hesitated for a moment. "Want me to sitwith you?"
"Certainly, if you like," and Dave shoved over to make room.
"Been visiting an old aunt of mine," explained Nat as he sat down. "Hada slow time of it, too, over the Fourth. Where have you been?"
Dave told him. "We had a dandy time, too," he added.
"It must have been fine." Nat gave a sigh. "I wish I had been--butwhat's the use? You fellows wouldn't care for me."
"What were you going to say, Nat?"
"I might have been there myself, if I hadn't--well, if I hadn't made abig fool of myself!" burst out the money-lender's son. "Yes, that's whatI did, made a fool of myself! Uncle Tom told me the plain truth."
"I thought you said you'd been visiting an aunt."
"So I have, but she's married again,--married a man named Tom Allen, amerchant. He knows father, and he flocked it into the old man in greatshape," and Nat actually chuckled. "Told me just what kind of a man dadwas--hard-fisted and miserly--somebody nobody loved or wanted toassociate with. And he warned me not to grow up the same way--not tothink money was everything, and all that. He said a boy ought to beknown for his real worth, not his dollars and his clothes."
"He's right there, Nat."
"Yes, he opened my eyes. And when he asked me about Oak Hall, and youfellows, and how I had missed passing, he told me the truth aboutmyself. I--well, I resented it at first, but by and by I got to thinkinghe must be right, and the more I thought of it, the more I made
up mymind that I had been a big fool. And then I made a resolve----" Natstopped and gave a gulp.
"A resolve?"
"Yes. I resolved that, the first time I met you, Dave, and the others, Iwas going to eat humble pie and tell you just what I thought of myself."The son of the money-lender was in a perspiration now and mopped hisface with his handkerchief.
Dave hardly knew how to reply. Here was Nat Poole in certainly anentirely new role.
"I am glad to know you are going to turn over a new leaf," he returned."I hope you make a success of it."
"Do you really, Dave?" There was an eager note in Nat's voice.
"Sure I do, Nat. You'd be all right, if--if----"
"Go ahead, give it to me straight, just as Uncle Tom did."
"Well, if you wouldn't be quite so conceited and stuck-up, and if you'dbuckle down a bit more to studying."
"That's what I am going to do--buckle down to study next fall. And if Ishow any conceit in the future, well, I want you and Ben Basswood, andRoger and Phil, and all the others, to knock it right out of me," wenton the money-lender's son, earnestly. "My eyes are open and I'm goingahead, and I don't want to slip backwards."
"I'll help you all I can, Nat," and Dave held out his hand, which theother grasped vigorously.
"This talk with Uncle Tom woke me up," went on Nat, a moment later."When I get home, I am going to try to wake dad up, too. It's going tobe no easy task, but I'll do it. I know ma will be on my side--she wasnever after the money like dad was. I am going to prove to him that hehas got to do something else besides get money."
"I wish you luck, Nat," replied Dave. He could not help but smile whenhe thought of the hard-fisted money-lender, and what he might say whenhis son went at the task of making him more kind and benevolent.
"And, by the way, Dave, now I am going to turn over a new leaf, I wantto tell you about a letter I received some time ago," went on Nat, aftera pause, during which the train stopped at a station to take on somepassengers.
"A letter?"
"Yes. You'd never guess who it was from."
"Gus Plum?"
"No, Link Merwell."
"Link Merwell!" exclaimed our hero, in surprise. "What did he write toyou about, Nat? Not that diamond robbery?"
"Oh, no, he had precious little to say about that, for he must know Iknew he and Jasniff were guilty. He wrote about you. It was a longletter--nearly eight pages--and he spoke about what you had done to gethim and me into trouble."
"I never tried to get you into trouble, Nat."
"I know it. But I used to think you were trying to do it. Well, Linkwrote about it, and he wanted to know if I would help him in a scheme topay you back. He said he had a dandy scheme to pay you off."
"Oh, he did?" said Dave, with interest. "What was the scheme?"
"He didn't say."
"What did you answer?"
"I didn't answer the letter. I kept it to think about. Then, yesterday,after my last talk with Uncle Tom, I made up my mind to wash my hands ofLink Merwell, and I burned the letter up."
Dave Porter in the Gold Fields; Or, The Search for the Landslide Mine Page 10