Dave Porter on Cave Island

by Edward Stratemeyer

Dave Porter Series

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DAVE PORTER ON CAVE ISLAND

OR

A SCHOOLBOY'S MYSTERIOUS MISSION

BY

EDWARD STRATEMEYER

Author of "Dave Porter at Oak Hall," "Dave Porter in the South Seas,"
"The Gun Club Boys of Lakeport," "The Old Glory Series,"
"Pan-American Series," etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY H. RICHARD BOEHM

BOSTON
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.

Published, March, 1912

Copyright, 1912, by Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co.

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All Rights Reserved

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Dave Porter on Cave Island

Norwood Press
Berwick and Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass.
U.S.A.

"Empty!" murmured Dave sadly. "Empty!"—Page 217.

PREFACE

"Dave Porter on Cave Island" is a complete story in itself but forms the eighth volume in a line issued under the general title of "Dave Porter Series."

The opening tale of this series, called "Dave Porter at Oak Hall," related the adventures of a wide-awake lad at a typical boarding school of to-day. This was followed by "Dave Porter in the South Seas," whither our hero had gone to find his father, and then by "Dave Porter's Return to School."

From Oak Hall, Dave journeyed to Norway, as related in "Dave Porter in the Far North."

On his return to this country he once more attended school, as told of in "Dave Porter and His Classmates." Dave made a host of friends and likewise a few enemies, and some of the latter plotted to do him much harm.

When vacation came once more, Dave received an invitation to visit a home in the far west, and what he did on that trip has been set forth in "Dave Porter at Star Ranch." Then, when vacation days were at an end, he came back to Oak Hall, as related in the seventh volume of this series, entitled, "Dave Porter and His Rivals."

In the present book we find Dave again at school. But the Christmas holidays are at hand and the lad returns home. Here a most mysterious and unlooked-for happening occurs, and Dave's great benefactor, Mr. Wadsworth, is on the verge of ruin because of it. Dave gets a clew to the mystery, and, with his chums, resolves to investigate. He takes a long journey and has a number of stirring adventures, the particulars of which are given in the pages that follow.

When I started this line of books I trusted that Dave might please the boys, but I did not imagine that so many thousands of boys and girls all over the land would clamor as they have for more concerning the doings of my hero. I thank all for their appreciation of my efforts to please them, and I sincerely trust that the reading of this new volume will be a benefit to them.

Edward Stratemeyer.

February 1, 1912.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	The Schoolboy Chums	1
II.	A Glimpse at the Past	10
III.	What Dave Had to Tell	18
IV.	The Schoolboy Hunters	28
V.	A Tramp Through the Snow	38
VI.	Good-by to Oak Hall	48
VII.	Nat Poole's Revelation	58
VIII.	A Merry Christmas	68
IX.	Nat Poole Gets Caught	78
X.	What Happened at the Jewelry Works	88
XI.	Looking for the Robbers	98
XII.	The Telltale Cigarette Box	108
XIII.	Dark Days	118
XIV.	Off for the South	128
XV.	Something About White Mice	138
XVI.	Picking up the Trail	147
XVII.	Meeting Old Friends	157
XVIII.	Off for Barbados	167
XIX.	The Missing Ship	177
XX.	Landing on Cave Island	187
XXI.	Into a Cave and Out	197
XXII.	The Hurricane	207
XXIII.	A Strange Discovery	217
XXIV.	Jasniff and Merwell	227
XXV.	Link Merwell's Story	237
XXVI.	The Column of Smoke	247
XXVII.	Behind the Curtain of Vines	257
XXVIII.	In Which the Enemy Sails Away	267
XXIX.	A Chase on the Ocean	277
XXX.	Homeward Bound—Conclusion	287