the world. He is my chum, and so are
those other boys my friends."

"Well, you look honest, boy, so I'll tell ye. The baggage was sent by
express to a place called Camptown Falls, in Maine."

"Camptown Falls!" cried Roger. Then he looked at Dave, who nodded, to
show that he understood.

"Did Buster say he was going elsewhere?" queried Dave.

"He didn't say so, exactly. But he mentioned Boston, an' I thought he
was goin' there."

"He left on the train?"

"No, he didn't! He went off in the darkness, an' that's the last I see
o' him," concluded Isaac Dowling, as a hail came for him to come into
the house.

"Camptown Falls," said Dave, when he and Roger were alone. "Can they
have gone to that out-of-the-way spot?"

"It would be the place Buster would pick out, Dave. He has often
spoken of going camping up there."

"He must have mentioned Boston just to throw old Dowling off the
track."

"More than likely. And to think he took those bags away while we
slept!"

"I wonder where Phil and Ben were at the time?"

"I don't know. Maybe they were at that camp."

Much excited over what they had learned, Dave and the senator's son
returned to Oak Hall. They had expected to interview Doctor Clay and
were chagrined to learn that he had gone to New York on important
business and would not return for two days. Mr. Dale had been left in
charge of the school.

"Roger, do you know what I think of doing?" said our hero. "I've a
good notion to get permission to leave the Hall and go after Phil and
the others. I think I can get them to come back."

"Want me to go along?"

"That will hardly be necessary. Besides, I'd like somebody to stay
here and watch Nat Poole, if he comes back. Do you know, I've a notion
that Nat knows more about this affair than he would like to tell."

"He certainly acts that way."

"I am going to see Mr. Dale."

Our hero had a long talk with the head assistant, and the upshot of
this was that he got permission to go to Maine, to look for the
runaways. He was to be gone no longer than was absolutely necessary.

It did not take our hero long to prepare for the trip. He packed a few
things in a suit-case and then he was ready. He consulted a map and
some timetables, and found he could leave Oakdale on the first train
in the morning, and by making two changes, reach Camptown Falls about
two o'clock in the afternoon. Nobody but Roger and Mr. Dale knew that
he was going away.

"Got money enough, ha