HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION
"I am the son of your twin brother?" repeated Dave, while Roger and Phil
listened with intense interest.
"Yes," answered Dunston Porter. "He lost his son exactly as described,
and the baby was said to resemble me very strongly."
"And where is your brother now?"
"He is traveling for his health. The last I heard of him he was in
Europe, at one of the well-known watering places."
"Is his wife alive?"
"No, she died years ago. But he has a daughter with him, Laura--about a
year younger than you." Dunston Porter took Dave's hand. "This is simply
marvelous! I can hardly believe it! My nephew Dave! Why, it sounds like
a fairy tale."
"It is marvelous, Mr. Por----"
"Hold on! If we are relatives, you'll have to call me Uncle Dunston,"
and the man smiled pleasantly.
"Well, then, Uncle Dunston, are my father and my sister alone in the
world?"
"They are, excepting for me. We used to have other brothers, and a
sister, but all of them are dead. I am alone here--an old bachelor."
"But you used to live with my father, is that it?"
"Yes, we were once in business together--owned a chemical works in New
York and another in Chicago, and we also had some patents for
manufacturing gas by a new process. But both of us liked to travel
around, and so we sold out, and since that time we have been roaming
around the world, sometimes together, and then again alone, although he
always takes Laura with him, no matter where he goes. He is afraid to
leave her behind, for fear she will be lost to him just as you were."
"Do you know his exact address now?"
"No; but I think a letter sent to a certain address in Paris will be
forwarded to him. To tell the truth, I have been out here so long I have
partly lost track of him. He will be amazed to hear from you, I am sure,
and Laura will be surprised, too."
"I shall write to him as soon as possible," answered Dave.
"Of course! of course! And I will write too," rejoined Dunston Porter.
After that, sitting in the shade of the old temple and the palm trees,
Dave and his chums told their story from beginning to end, and then
Dunston Porter related some of his own experiences and told much more
concerning Dave's father and sister Laura. He said that he and his twin
brother looked somewhat alike, which accounted for Dave's resemblance to
himself. He was glad to add that both he and his brother were
well-to-do, so they could come and go as they pleased.
"As you know, I am hunting for a treasure of pearls and precious
stones," said Dunston Porter. "So far, I have been unsuccessful, but I
feel sure that I shall find them some day. And, even if I don't, the
task of looking for the treasure pleases me and gives me the chance to
visit many of these beautiful islands of the South Seas."
The boy who had brought Dave and his chums to the old temple had been
dismissed, and Dunston Porter took them back to Nanpi, where he had
accommodations in the best public house the place afforded. Here Billy
Dill visited him.
"Does my heart good to see ye again!" cried the old tar. "An' ain't it
jest wonderful about Dave? Now stand up, side by side, an' look into
thet glass. As like as two beans, say I!" And Dunston Porter agreed with
him.
Of course the old sailor had to tell all he knew, and Dave brought out
pictures of Caspar Potts and the Wadsworths which he had brought along.
In return, Dunston Porter gave Dave pictures of his father and his
sister Laura. The boy gazed at the photographs a long while, and the
tears filled his eyes as he did so.
"Well, there is one thing sure!" he murmured to Roger. "At any rate, I
am no longer a poorhouse nobody!"
"That's right, Dave," returned the senator's son, warmly. "Let me
congratulate you. By that picture, your father must be a nice man, and
your sister is handsome."
"And to think that they are rich," added Phil. "That's the best of all."
"No, the best of all is to find that I belong somewhere in this
world--that I am not a nobody," answered Dave, earnestly.
"Won't Nat Poole and Gus Plum stare when they hear of this!" went on
Roger. "I believe it will really make them feel sore."
"Ben and Sam and the others will be glad," said Phil. "And I am sure
Doctor Clay will want to congratulate you. Dave, it paid to take this
trip to the South Seas, after all, didn't it?"
"I should say it did!" cried Dave. "I shouldn't have wanted to miss it
for the world!"
For several days Dave felt as if he was dreaming and walking on air, his
heart was so light. The more the boy saw of his uncle Dunston the more
he liked the man, and Dunston Porter was equally pleased. Both had long
talks regarding the past and the future, and it was agreed that the man
should return to the United States for the time being and, instead of
hunting for the treasure, trace up the present address of David Porter,
senior, and Dave's sister Laura.
"I wish to meet this Caspar Potts, and also the Wadsworths," said
Dunston Porter. "If I can, I wish to repay them for all they have done
for you."
"I am sure they will not take any money," answered the boy. "But they
will be glad to meet you." Later on Dave took his uncle on board the
_Stormy Petrel_, where Captain Marshall gave the newly found relative a
very enthusiastic welcome.
The captain of the bark had thought to bring Jasper Van Blott before the
authorities at Nanpi, but was prevented by an accident, which came close
to terminating fatally and sending the bark up into smoke and flames.
Jasper Van Blott attempted to break out of the oil closet in the bow of
the _Stormy Petrel_, and, in so doing, lit a match. This fell on some
oily waste in a corner and, before an alarm could be given, the former
supercargo was seriously burned, and the whole bow of the bark was on
fire. Jasper Van Blott had to be taken to a hospital, where it was said
he would lose the sight of one eye and be disfigured for life. Under
such circumstances, it was decided to let the case against him drop.
The damage to the _Stormy Petrel_ was so serious that the bark had to be
laid up for repairs, and, in such an out-of-the-way place, it was said
these would take a month or six weeks.
"This has certainly proved to be a strange voyage," said Roger. "I must
say, I don't like the idea of staying here six weeks. I'd like to get
back home."
"Just what I say," answered Dave.
In the port was what is known as a "tramp" steamer, that is, one picking
up any cargo to be found, from one port to the next. This steamer had
secured a cargo for San Francisco, and was to sail on the following
Saturday.
"We might secure passage on her," suggested Dunston Porter, and inside
of twenty-four hours it was arranged that he, with Dave and Roger,
should sail on the steamer. Phil was to remain with Captain Marshall, to
straighten out the mess left by Jasper Van Blott.
"But never mind," said the shipowner's son, when the chums came to
separate, "I'll see you again, sooner or later--and then we'll talk over
all the many adventures we have had."
Dave and Roger found the accommodations on the steamer fully as good as
those on the bark, and the voyage to San Francisco passed pleasantly
enough. As soon as the boys went ashore, they hurried to the
post-office, where they found half a dozen letters awaiting them. One,
from Ben Basswood to Dave, interested them greatly:
"You will be glad to learn that Shadow Hamilton is cleared of
the trouble that was laid at his door," so ran the
communication. "Doctor Clay had somebody set a watch, and, as a
consequence, it has been proved beyond a doubt that Gus Plum
took the stamps from where Shadow placed them in his sleep.
When Plum was accused, he said he didn't know they were the
doctor's stamps. It seems he needed money, as his father is
down in the world and has cut off Gus' spending allowance.
There was a big row, but the Plum family is hushing the matter
up, and I understand Doctor Clay has agreed to give Gus one
more chance at Oak Hall."
"It is just like Doctor Clay to give him another chance," was Roger's
comment. "He is as kind-hearted as any man in the world."
"If I ever go back to school, I hope I have no more trouble with Gus
Plum," said Dave. But he did have trouble, of a most peculiar kind, and
what it was will be told in another volume of this series, to be
entitled: "Dave Porter's Return to School; Or, Winning the Medal of
Honor." In this new volume we shall meet all our old friends once more,
and learn something further of Dave's father and sister Laura.
Dave did not depend on the mails, but, as soon as he could, had
telegrams flashed to Crumville and to Doctor Clay, stating he had found
an uncle and soon expected to meet his father and sister. Then the party
of three took a Pullman train for the East.
"I can tell you it feels good to get back to the United States once
more," said the senator's son, as the boys sat by the car window,
looking at the scenery as it glided by.
"Do you know, it seems an age to me since we went away," declared Dave.
"And yet, it is only a little over two months!"
"That is because so much has happened in the meantime, Dave. It was
certainly a remarkable trip!"
"And the trip brought remarkable results," said Dunston Porter, with a
quiet smile.
When Dave arrived at Crumville there was quite a gathering to receive
him and the others. All the Wadsworths were there, including Jessie, who
rushed straight into his arms, and Caspar Potts and Ben Basswood.
"Oh, I am so glad you are back!" cried Jessie.
"We are all glad," added Ben.
"We cannot bear to think of losing you, Dave," said Mrs. Wadsworth,
anxiously. "You have become very dear to us all."
"You are not going to lose me; that is, not altogether," answered the
boy. "No matter what happens, I shall never forget all my old friends!"
And all shook hands warmly. And here, kind reader, let us take our
departure.
THE END
DAVE PORTER SERIES
By EDWARD STRATEMEYER
12mo Cloth Illustrated $1.50 Net, each
"Mr. Stratemeyer has seldom introduced a more popular hero than Dave
Porter. He is a typical boy, manly, brave, always ready for a good time
if it can be obtained in an honorable way."--_Wisconsin, Milwaukee,
Wis._
"Edward Stratemeyer's 'Dave Porter' has become exceedingly
popular."--_Boston Globe._
"Dave and his friends are nice, manly chaps."--_Times-Democrat, New
Orleans._
DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL
Or The School Days of an American Boy
DAVE PORTER IN THE SOUTH SEAS
Or The Strange Cruise of the _Stormy Petrel_
DAVE PORTER'S RETURN TO SCHOOL
Or Winning the Medal of Honor
DAVE PORTER IN THE FAR NORTH
Or The Pluck of an American Schoolboy
DAVE PORTER AND HIS CLASSMATES
Or For the Honor of Oak Hall
DAVE PORTER AT STAR RANCH
Or The Cowboy's Secret
DAVE PORTER AND HIS RIVALS
Or The Chums and Foes of Oak Hall
DAVE PORTER ON CAVE ISLAND
Or A Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission
DAVE PORTER AND THE RUNAWAYS
Or Last Days at Oak Hall
DAVE PORTER IN THE GOLD FIELDS
Or The Search for the Landslide Mine
DAVE PORTER AT BEAR CAMP
Or The Wild Man of Mirror Lake
DAVE PORTER AND HIS DOUBLE
Or The Disappearance of the Basswood Fortune
DAVE PORTER'S GREAT SEARCH
Or The Perils of a Young Civil Engineer
DAVE PORTER UNDER FIRE
Or A Young Army Engineer in France
DAVE PORTER'S WAR HONORS
Or At the Front with the Fighting Engineers
For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the
publishers
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston
THE LAKEPORT SERIES
By EDWARD STRATEMEYER
12mo Cloth Illustrated $1.50 Net, each
"The author of the Lakeport Series, Mr. Edward Stratemeyer, is well
known for his delightful boys' stories."--_Philadelphia Ledger._
"The Lakeport Series, by Edward Stratemeyer, is the lineal descendant of
the better class of boys' books of a generation ago."--_Christian
Advocate, New York._
"The Lakeport Series will be fully as popular as the author's Dave
Porter Series."--_San Francisco Call._
THE GUN CLUB BOYS OF LAKEPORT
Or The Island Camp
THE BASEBALL BOYS OF LAKEPORT
Or The Winning Run
THE BOAT CLUB BOYS OF LAKEPORT
Or The Water Champions
THE FOOTBALL BOYS OF LAKEPORT
Or More Goals Than One
THE AUTOMOBILE BOYS OF LAKEPORT
Or A Run for Fun and Fame
THE AIRCRAFT BOYS OF LAKEPORT
Or Rivals of the Clouds
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Publishers, Boston
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Table of Contents, "278" changed to "288"
Page 193, "preposessing" changed to "prepossessing" (far from
prepossessing)
Page 271, "forcastle" changed to "forecastle" (place in the forecastle)