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      Dave Porter and the Runaways Or Last Days at Oak Hall

      PREFACE

      “Dave Porter and the Runaways” is a complete story in itself, but forms the ninth volume of a line issued under the general title of “Dave Porter Series.”

      In the first volume of this series, entitled “Dave Porter at Oak Hall,” the reader was introduced to a typical American lad, and the particulars were given of his doings at an up-to-date boarding school.

      There was a cloud over Dave’s parentage, and in order to solve the mystery of his identity he took a long voyage over the ocean, as related in the second volume, called “Dave Porter in the South Seas.” Then he came back to his schoolmates, as told of in “Dave Porter’s Return to School,” and then took a long trip to Norway, to hunt up his father, the particulars of which are given in “Dave Porter in the Far North.”

      Having settled the matter of his identity to his satisfaction, our hero came back to Oak Hall and had a number of strenuous contests, related in detail in “Dave Porter and His Classmates.” Following this came the summer vacation, and the youth made a trip West, the happenings of which are set down in “Dave Porter at Star Ranch.”

      When Dave returned to Oak Hall once more he found the school rivalries as bitter as ever, and what these led to has been related in “Dave Porter and His Rivals.” His enemies tried hard to do our hero much injury, but he exposed them and they were forced to flee, to escape the consequences of their actions.

      The winter holidays found Dave homeward bound. He had anticipated some jolly times among his relatives and friends, but a robbery upset all his plans, and, almost before he knew it, he found himself bound southward, as related in “Dave Porter on Cave Island.” On the island he had many adventures out of the ordinary, and he came home more of a hero than ever, having saved Mr. Wadsworth, his benefactor, from ruin.

      In the present story Dave is back once again at school. There are some queer happenings, and then some lads run away. How Dave proved his common sense, and brought the runaways back, I leave for the pages which follow to tell. I trust the reading of this volume will do all my young friends good.

Edward Stratemeyer.

      February 1, 1913.

      CHAPTER I

      DAVE AND HIS CHUMS

      “I say, Dave, here’s an odd piece of news.”

      “An odd piece of news, Roger? What about?”

      “A wild man in the woods back of Oak Hall,” answered Roger Morr, who held a letter in his hand. “Queerest thing you ever heard of.”

      “I should say it was, if it’s about a wild man,” returned Dave Porter. “Who sent that letter?”

      “Shadow Hamilton.”

      “Maybe it’s another one of Shadow’s innumerable yarns,” suggested Dave, with a faint smile. “If he can’t tell them by word of mouth, he writes them down.”

      “What has Shadow got to say about the wild man?” asked Phil Lawrence, looking up from the suit-case he was packing. “Has he been trying to clean out Oak Hall, or anything like that?”

      “No, not exactly,” returned Roger, turning back to the letter, which he had not yet finished. “He keeps in the woods, so Shadow says, and scares everybody who comes that way.”

      “How does he scare them?” asked Dave, pausing in the act of stowing a suit of clothing in a trunk.

      “Shadow writes that he and Lazy were out walking one day and the wild man came after them with a big club. He wears long hair and a long beard, and his clothes are in tatters.”

      “What did they do?” questioned Phil.

      “They ran back towards the school. The wild man followed ’em as far as the bridge over the brook, and then jumped into the bushes and disappeared.”

      “Humph!” muttered Phil. “Is that all?”

      “Oh, no! The day before that, Chip Macklin and two other of the smaller boys went out, along the river, and the wild man came after them and shoved Chip into the water. He yelled to them never to come near him again. The other fellows ran away, and as soon as Chip could get out of the water he went after ’em. Then, three days later, Doctor Clay sent out Mr. Dale and Horsehair, the driver, to look into the matter, and the wild man met them at the bridge and threw mud balls at ’em. One mud ball hit the teacher in the arm, and one struck Horsehair in the nose and made it bleed. Horsehair was afraid to go on, because the wild man jumped around and shouted so furiously. Mr. Dale tried to catch him, but he ran away.”

      “Poor chap! He must be crazy,” was Dave’s comment. “He ought to be taken care of by the authorities.”

      “Yes, but they can’t catch him,” continued Roger. “They have tried half a dozen ways, but he slips ’em every time.”

      “Who is he?” asked Dave, as he continued to pack his trunk.

      “Nobody has the least idea, so Shadow writes.”

      “Say, that will give us something to do – when we get back to Oak Hall!” cried Phil. “We’ll organize a posse to round up the wild man!”

      “I think we’ll have plenty of other things to do when we get to school, Phil,” remarked Dave. “Just remember that we have lost a lot of time from our lessons, and if we want to make up what we have missed, and graduate from Oak Hall with honor, we’ve got to buckle down and study.”

      “Oh, I know that,” answered Phil, and gave a little sigh. “Just the same, I’m going to have a try at the wild man – if he comes my way.”

      “So am I,” cried Roger. “And Dave will try with us; won’t you, old man?” And Roger caught his chum affectionately by the shoulder. “You are the fellow to solve mysteries!”

      Dave was about to answer when there came a knock on the bedroom door. He opened it to find himself confronted by a middle-aged lady, who was smiling but anxious.

      “How are you getting along, boys?” she asked.

      “First-rate, Mrs. Wadsworth,” answered Roger. “We’ll soon be finished now.”

      “Are the girls getting anxious?” questioned Dave.

      “Say, what do you think?” burst out Phil. “We are going back to Oak Hall to capture a wild man who–”

      “Phil!” burst out both Dave and Roger, and the other youth stopped short in confusion.

      “A wild man?” cried the lady of the house, in consternation. “Oh, Dave, I hope–”

      “Oh, don’t let him worry you, Mrs. Wadsworth,” responded Dave, quickly. “There is a wild man up there, but I don’t think he will bother us any, and we’ve got too much to do to hunt for him.” And the lad gave his chum a look that said as plainly as words: “What did you want to mention it for?”

      “Oh – I – er – I was only fooling,” stammered Phil. “Of course, if there is a wild man he won’t come near us. Tell the girls we’ll be ready in five minutes – at least I will,” he added, and resumed his packing.

      “Can I do anything for you?” asked the lady.

      “You might try to find my striped cap,” answered Dave. “I can’t seem to locate it.”

      “It is in the library – I saw it a while ago, Dave.”

      “And my baseball bat – the new one with the black handle.”

      “That is in the back hall, in a corner. How about your books?”

      “I’ve got all of them. Send Laura with the bat and cap, will you, please?”

      “Yes;” and Mrs. Wadsworth hurried off, anxious to be of all the assistance possible.

      “Say, that was a bad break for me,” murmured Phil, as the door closed, and before Dave or Roger could speak. “I didn’t want to worry her, Dave. I’m sorry I mentioned the wild man.”

      “And the man may be caught before we get back to Oak Hall,” said Roger. He crossed the room and peered into a closet. “Has anybody seen my baseball shoes?”

      “You

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