's a scheme!" added Shadow. "It puts me in mind of a story
I once heard about a fellow down South who stole three watermelons,
and----But, oh, pshaw! what's the use of trying to tell a story now? I'm
going to cut them out until we get this thing settled," he added, in
disgust.

"Don't you worry, Dave. I am sure it will come out all right in the
end," was what Ben said, speaking with an apparent conviction that he
did not by any means feel.

"You're all kind, fellows, and I appreciate it very much," answered
Dave. "But this is a blow to me. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to take a
little walk by myself and think it over." And thus speaking, the youth
withdrew from the crowd, and walked slowly to the lake and along a
footpath bordering the shore.

"It's the rankest shame I ever knew!" declared Ben, when the others were
left to themselves. "If I had that Ward Porton here I'd wring his neck."

"I guess we'd all like to do that," responded Shadow. "Nevertheless, if
he is the real Dave Porter you can't blame him for trying to prove it."

"There is only one thing about it that troubles me," said Luke. "Don't
you remember that all of those who saw this Ward Porton agreed that he
looked very much like Mr. Dunston Porter?"

"Yes, but Dave looks like Dunston Porter, too," came quickly from Ben.

"It's queer that he resembles his uncle more than he does his father,"
was Shadow's comment. "Maybe this Ward Porton resembles Mr. David
Porter."

"Well, it's fierce; that's all I've got to say," declared Ben. "And what
Dave is going to do if they prove he isn't the real Dave Porter is
something I don't like to think about. In those days when we first went
to Oak Hall, you'll remember how bitter he felt when some of his enemies
referred to him as that 'poorhouse nobody,' and how eager he was to
clear up the mystery of his identity, even though it cost him a trip to
the South Sea Islands."

Dave walked on and on along the lake shore, paying little attention to
where he was going. His mind was in a state bordering on bewilderment.
In a faint, uncertain way he had anticipated some such calamity, but now
that the blow had fallen, the matter looked almost hopeless to him. Had
he followed his own inclinations, he would have made preparations to
return to Crumville at once.

"But evidently they don't want me there," he told himself, bitterly.
"They want to solve this mystery without my interference. And if they do
make up their minds t