THE FORTUNE RECOVERED--CONCLUSION
As Dave, Roger, and Ben tramped through the tall grass to where was
located a knoll of considerable size, the son of the Crumville real
estate dealer related how he and Dunston Porter had arrived in the
construction camp and how they had gotten Frank Andrews to show them
in what direction our hero and the senator's son had gone.
"We knew you were after Porton, and we hoped to catch sight of that
rascal," went on Ben, "but we didn't dream that we were going to
capture Ward and also those two men who are wanted for that raid on
the Tolman ranch. And to think that one of the men is Ward's father!
He certainly must be a bad egg!"
"He is, Ben," answered Dave. "And Ward is a chip of the old block."
The chums were soon ascending the knoll, containing many rocks between
which were dense clumps of chaparral. Here they had to advance with
care so as not to turn an ankle or get their clothing torn.
Dave had hoped that the search for the missing cases would be an easy
one, but in that he was disappointed. The three chums walked all
around the knoll several times without getting anything in the way of
a clue as to where Porton's _cache_ was located.
"It's a shame!" burst out Roger at length. "If we could only--" He
looked quickly at Dave. "What do you see?"
Our hero did not reply. Instead he hurried forward several feet, and
then gave a low cry.
"Porton has been here!" he exclaimed, and held up a half-burned
cigarette.
It was not much of a clue, but it was something; and working on this
all three of the youths searched the vicinity diligently. They soon
came upon a somewhat flat rock, and all seized hold of this to cast it
to one side.
"Hurrah!" came simultaneously from Dave and Roger, as they saw a large
opening under where the stone had been placed.
Ben said nothing, but plunged his hand into the opening, to draw from
it an instant later one of the cases that had contained the Enos
miniatures. The other cases quickly followed.
"Are the miniatures in them?" questioned the senator's son.
"That's what I'm going to find out," answered Ben.
The cases were fastened by several catches, but these were quickly
unfastened and the lids thrown open.
"Good! Good!" exclaimed Ben, and his face showed his intense
satisfaction.
There before the eyes of the youths were nearly all of the wonderful
collection of miniatures which Mr. Basswood had inherited. Only two
were missing--those which the thieves had sold in New York.
"Oh, this is simply grand!" cried Roger, enthusiastically.
"That's what it is," added Dave, and then went on quickly: "We'll have
to get these to some safe place and then make sure that they'll never
be stolen again."
"Don't you worry about that, Dave. I won't let them out of my sight
until they are safe and sound," declared the real estate dealer's
son.
Locking up the cases once more, the three youths carried them off the
knoll and through the chaparral to where they had left Dunston Porter
and the others. Of course, Dave's uncle was much gratified to learn
that the miniatures had been recovered, and Frank Andrews was also
pleased. Jarvey Porton looked downcast, and his son showed his deep
disgust.
"I was a fool not to take them over into Mexico," remarked the former
moving-picture actor.
"Well, I told you that was what you should have done," retorted his
father. And then he added in a low tone: "We might have purchased our
freedom with those miniatures."
While Dunston Porter and Frank Andrews looked after the prisoners to
see that they did not get away, Dave and his chums took care of the
cases containing the precious miniatures, and thus the whole party
made its way to the engineering and construction camp. There the
Portons and Packard Brown were handcuffed, and word was sent to the
authorities to take charge of them.
"And now I've got to send word home about this good news!" cried Ben,
and lost no time in getting off a long telegram to his folks, and
asking them to inform Dave's father and the Wadsworths by telephone of
the success of the trip to Texas.
"That message ought to do your father more good than a dose of
medicine," remarked Dave.
"It will, Dave," answered Ben, his face beaming. "I know father will
recover now that he has nothing more to worry about." Ben was right.
The recovery of the fortune in miniatures did much toward restoring
the real estate dealer to his former good health.
In the camp it was remarked by a number of men how much Ward Porton
resembled Dave. But no one at that time dreamed that this resemblance
was shortly to come to an end. Yet such was a fact. When being
transferred from Texas to the State in which his crimes had been
committed, Ward Porton attempted to make his escape by leaping from a
rapidly moving railroad train. As a consequence he broke not only both
of his legs, but also his nose, and cut his right cheek most
frightfully. As a result, when he was retaken he had to remain in the
hospital for a long time, and when he came out his face was much
disfigured and he walked with a decided limp.
"It's too bad, but he brought it on himself," was Dave's comment, when
he heard of this.
"It's a good thing in one respect," was Roger's reply. "With his nose
broken and his cheek disfigured and with such a limp, no one will ever
take Ward Porton for you again."
It may be mentioned here that when the proper time came Ward Porton
and Tim Crapsey were brought to trial and each was given a long term
of imprisonment. Ward's father and the other men who had participated
in the attack on the Tolman ranch and on the bridge and had been
captured were also severely punished.
The store-keepers and the hotel-keeper who suffered through Ward
Porton's misrepresentations could get nothing from the young culprit,
but they had the satisfaction of knowing that he had now been put
where it would be impossible for him to dupe others.
Ben Basswood remained at the camp but a few days, and then he and
Dunston Porter started northward. The miniatures had been boxed up and
shipped by express, insured for their full value. It may be stated
here that they arrived safely at their destination. Those which had
been disposed of in New York City were recovered, and in the end Mr.
Basswood disposed of the entire collection to the museums in four of
our large cities for the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars. With
part of this money he went into several heavy real estate deals,
taking Ben in with him, and father and son did very well.
"I think the getting back of those miniatures was entirely your work,
Dave," declared Roger, one day.
"I don't know about that," answered our hero, modestly. "I think you
had a hand in it."
"I had a hand in catching Ward Porton, but you were the one to spot
that _cache_ and locate the Basswood fortune."
* * * * *
And now let me add a few words more and then bring to an end this
story of "Dave Porter and His Double."
A number of years have passed since Dave graduated from Oak Hall and
took up the profession of a civil engineer. Both he and Roger learned
rapidly, and at the end of the required time both passed their final
examinations with flying colors. They remained with the Mentor
Construction Company, journeying all over the United States, and also
going down into Mexico and into Central and South Americas. They, of
course, met with numerous adventures, some of which I may relate to
you at a future time. They returned to Crumville a number of times,
and during those visits Dave was more attentive to Jessie than ever,
while Roger spent nearly all his time at Laura's side.
"They'll make a fine pair of married couples," declared Dave's Uncle
Dunston.
"Well, I hope they'll be happy," answered Dave's father. "They
certainly deserve to be."
"You are right. But I guess they had better wait awhile yet."
"Of course. They are young, and Dave and Roger want to get a good
foothold in their profession."
"Those boys have had some strenuous doings," continued the uncle. "I
wonder what will happen next?"
"Something, that's certain," answered Dave's father; and he was right,
as will be related in my next volume, to be entitled, "Dave Porter's
Great Search; or, The Perils of a Young Civil Engineer." In that book
we will meet all our young friends again, and learn the particulars of
Jessie Wadsworth's strange disappearance.
"Great days, those--on the Rio Grande, Dave!" remarked Roger, one day,
when the two had been discussing what had taken place in the past.
"Yes, Roger, they certainly were great days," answered our hero. "No
matter what exciting times may come in the future, I'll never forget
how I helped to capture my double."
"And how we managed to become full-fledged civil engineers, Dave."
"Yes, that was just as good as getting back the Basswood miniatures,
if not better," answered Dave.
Here, at the height of his success in his chosen profession, we will
wish Dave Porter well, and say good-bye.
THE END
* * * * *
Transcriber's Note:
Illustrations have been moved closer to their relevant paragraphs.
The page numbers in the List of Illustrations do not reflect the new
placement of the illustrations, but are as in the original.
Author's archaic and variable spelling and hyphenation is preserved.
Author's punctuation style is preserved.
Passages in italics indicated by _underscores_.
Passages in bold indicated by =equal signs=.
Typographical problems have been changed and are listed below.
Transcriber's Changes:
Page 152: Was single quote (="Why= certainly I haven't been here,
Mrs. Basswood," he returned promptly.)
Page 155: Removed extra double quote ("I said '=no,'= but told him I
was very well acquainted with his handwriting. Then he
said he)
Page 213: Was 'Wiliam' (would feel utterly lost without a cigar.
Well, I'll see you later." And thus speaking =William=
Jarvey took himself off.)
Page 265: Was 'go you' ("All right, I'll =go with you=," responded
Roger, quickly. "Come ahead!" and he started on a)
End of Project Gutenberg's Dave Porter and His Double, by Edward Stratemeyer