Front matter

“Empty!” murmured Dave sadly. “Empty!”—Page 217.

Dave Porter Series

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,” “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 & Shepard Co.

All Rights Reserved

Dave Porter on Cave Island

Norwood Press

Berwick and Smith Co.

Norwood, Mass.

U. S. A.

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

CHAPTERPAGE

I.The Schoolboy Chums1

II.A Glimpse at the Past16

III.What Dave Had to Tell18

IV.The Schoolboy Hunters28

V.A Tramp Through the Snow38

VI.Good-by to Oak Hall48

VII.Nat Poole’s Revelation58

VIII.A Merry Christmas63

IX.Nat Poole Gets Caught78

X.What Happened at the Jewelry Works88

XI.Looking for the Robbers98

XII.The Telltale Cigarette Box108

XIII.Dark Days118

XIV.Off for the South128

XV.Something About White Mice138

XVI.Picking up the Trail147

XVII.Meeting Old Friends157

XVIII.Off for Barbados167

XIX.The Missing Ship177

XX.Landing on Cave Island187

XXI.Into a Cave and Out197

XXII.The Hurricane207

XXIII.A Strange Discovery217

XXIV.Jasniff and Merwell227

XXV.Link Merwell’s Story237

XXVI.The Column of Smoke247

XXVII.Behind the Curtain of Vines257

XXVIII.In Which the Enemy Sails Away267

XXIX.A Chase on the Ocean277

XXX.Homeward Bound—Conclusion287