o some
other things before it is time for Dave to catch his train."

The war spectacle proved very entertaining to all the youths, and they
were rather sorry when it came to an end. Then Buster proposed that
they walk down the Great White Way, as a certain portion of Broadway
has been designated.

The boys had been walking for the best part of half an hour, taking in
various sights, including the wonderfully illuminated signs, when
suddenly, as they passed through a rather dense crowd, Shadow plucked
Dave by the arm.

"What is it?" questioned our hero, quickly, for he saw that the former
story-teller of Oak Hall was much excited.

"That fellow we just passed, Dave!" cried Shadow.

"What of him?"

"Why, he looked just like you!"

"You don't mean it!" gasped Dave, and came to a sudden halt. "If he
looked like me it must have been Ward Porton!"

CHAPTER XXI

DAVE IN WASHINGTON

"Ward Porton!" exclaimed the other youths in a chorus.

"Let us go after him," went on Dave. "Shadow, which way did he go?"

"Come on, I'll show you," answered the story-teller, and led the way
through the crowd as well as he could.

As already mentioned, the crowd at this particular spot on the Great
White Way was dense, and the chums had all they could do to force
their way along, often elbowing people in a way that was far from
polite. Presently they gained a street corner where the pedestrians
were being held up by the traffic flowing the other way.

"There he is!" exclaimed Shadow, suddenly, pointing with his hand.

Looking in the direction indicated, Dave saw a well-known form. It was
indeed Ward Porton, still wearing the cap and overcoat he had stolen
from our hero.

"Hi there, Porton! Stop!" cried Dave, and made a dash for the rascal.

As his hand fell on Porton's arm the other swung around in a startled
way. Then, as he caught sight of Dave and his friends, he gave a
sudden duck and crowded in between several ladies standing in front of
him. The next instant he was dashing out into the street in the midst
of a perfect maze of automobiles and wagons.

[Illustration: THE NEXT INSTANT HE WAS DASHING OUT INTO THE
STREET.--_Page 202._]

"I'm going after him!" cried Dave to his chums, and did his best to
follow. But an automobile got in his way, and then a large express
wagon, and before our hero could get around these, Porton had gained
the opposite sidewalk and was darting through the crowd with great
rapidity,