out bright and early in your boat!" cried Mr. Appleby, as
he waved his hand to them. "Taking a little exercise, eh?"

"No, we came for assistance," called back Ben.

"Assistance!" repeated the manager. "What's the trouble?"

"We have been burglarized, and we have hardly anything left to eat!"
broke in Luke, and at this announcement all of those in the Appleby camp
came down to the dock to learn the particulars of what had occurred.

"In one way you have come at just the right time to get those things,"
said the manager of the moving-picture company to the boys. "We are
going to leave here to-morrow to go back to Boston, so we shall want but
little of the food that is on hand. And you'll be welcome to use our
tableware and kitchen utensils. They belong here in the cottage, so all
you'll have to do when you get through with them will be to bring them
back."

While rowing to the Appleby camp, Dave had been giving serious thought
to his own affairs. He remembered what he had heard concerning Ward
Porton and Della Ford, and resolved to question the young lady and the
other members of the moving-picture company about the young man who
claimed to be the real Dave Porter. Our hero's chance came when the
other boys were busy placing some provisions and cooking utensils in the
rowboat. He motioned Della Ford and her aunt to one side, and the three
walked out of hearing of the others present.

"If you don't mind, I would like to ask you something about Mr. Ward
Porton," said our hero, to the girl.

"O dear, I thought I was done with that young man!" cried Della, with a
toss of her head.

"He bothered my niece so much while he was a member of the company she
got quite sick of him," declared Mrs. Ford. "He was a very forward young
man."

"I'd like very much to find out about his past history: where he came
from, and all that," went on Dave. "It's something very important."

"I know more about Mr. Porton than he thinks I do," announced Della.
"That's one reason why I dropped him."

"But Della, you don't want to get into any trouble," interposed the
girl's aunt, quickly.

"If you'll tell me what you know about Ward Porton, I'll promise that it
won't get you into any trouble," answered Dave, quickly. "I want, if
possible, to find out where he came from, and who brought him up."

"Who brought him up?" queried Mrs. Ford. "Didn't he live with his
parents?"

"He says not. He claims to have come from a poorhouse in a town