CHAPTER XXI.
BOB AND JACK THINK THEY HAVE A CLUE.

The First National Bank of Skowhegan, of which Mr. Golden was president, is situated on Water street. Behind it runs the Kennebec river through a rock gorge, nearly fifty feet deep. At the time of our story, the bank building was new, having been built only the year before. It was thoroughly modern in every respect, and contained what was supposed to be a burglar-proof vault.

The boys soon distanced the car and in exactly eleven minutes from the time they started were in front of the bank. They found a crowd of several hundred people collected in the street, for such a thing as a bank robbery in Skowhegan had never been known, and there was great excitement. Hurriedly, they pushed the wheels into a livery stable nearby, which was run by a friend of theirs, and then pushing their way through the crowd, managed to reach the sidewalk, in front of the bank, but here the people were so closely packed, that they were forced to stop.

"Guess we'll have to wait for dad," panted Jack, after a vigorous shove had failed to make an opening.

"Gee, but this is worse than a football game," declared Bob, "but here's dad now," as a big policeman pushed his way through the crowd shouting:

"Stand back now and let Mr. Golden through."

The mass of people slowly gave way, and Mr. Golden, followed closely by Bob and Jack, who had grabbed hold of his coat tails as he pushed his way past, finally succeeded in reaching the steps of the bank. The door was at once opened by Mr. Riggs, the old cashier, and Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben, who was with them, entered closely followed by the two boys.

"Oh, to think that I should live to see this day!" moaned the cashier, as he closed and locked the door behind them.

"How did they get in?" was Mr. Golden's first question.

The cashier pointed to the door and a glance was sufficient to disclose the means of entrance. Two doors, separated by a small vestibule, led into the bank. The outer door was fitted with a heavy plate glass window, but the inner one was of solid oak. This had been cut through by means of a bit, and a hole about twenty inches in diameter sawed out. A similar opening had been made in the glass of the outer door, a circular piece having been cut out, evidently with a diamond, and then, cemented back in again so cleverly, that it was not noticeable except on close inspection.

Going to the vault at the rear of the bank, they found an irregular hole, nearly sixteen inches in diameter, through the solid steel door. The edges of this hole had a fused appearance, and Mr. Golden at once said:

"Undoubtedly the work of experts, and they must have used an oxy-acteylene blowpipe flame to cut through that door."

Bob had been doing some pretty deep thinking, and now he caught hold of his father's sleeve and said:

"Of course, I may be a way off, but I believe that those fellows who kidnapped me are the ones who did this job."

"I think so, too," broke in Jack, "We know that they are criminals and what were they doing round here if they weren't up to some such job? You see," he continued, as his father was about to speak, "they didn't come here after those cells, because they didn't know anything about them till they saw the boat the day of the race. I believe they intended to rob the bank in the first place and then they saw our boat and thought that if they could get hold of our secret, it would pay them better than this job. That's the way I've got it doped out."

"And I believe Jack's right, dad," broke in Bob. "Something I heard that man Reed say just after they got me in the car that night has just come to me. I didn't think much of it at the time; it has never occurred to me till just now."

"What was it?" eagerly asked Mr. Golden.

"Why, we had gone but a little ways when I heard Reed say, in a low voice. 'How about that other job, Bill?' and King replied angrily, 'Shut up, you fool!' Then as Reed started to say something, he whispered, 'That can wait awhile; it won't spoil.'"

"I really believe the boys are right," declared Uncle Ben. "There is little doubt in my mind that when you get those two men you will have the robbers of this bank."

"I'll tell you what," broke in Bob, "if those two fellows did it, I'll bet a cent they'll go straight to the place where they took me, that we found yesterday. You see they think no one knows about it and that they will be safe there."

"Then we'd better get some officers and get after them as quickly as possible," declared Uncle Ben.

"I guess we might as well try it," assented Mr. Golden, "seeing it's the only clue we have. Mr. Riggs, see if Mr. Switzer is out there and if he is, have him come in, will you?"

The cashier disappeared, but was back almost immediately, followed by a powerfully built man about forty years old, the chief of police of Skowhegan.

"Hello, Switzer, glad you were at hand," cried Mr. Golden.

"Just got here," panted the officer, who appeared nearly out of breath. "I went over to Smithfield fishing early this morning and didn't know about it till I got there, and then I hustled back as fast as I could."

It may be well to explain here, that Skowhegan does not have a regular police force who give all their time to it. Mr. Switzer, besides being chief, was a butcher, and the rest of the force, consisting of five men, held different positions in the town.

Mr. Golden quickly pointed out what has been described, and then told him of Bob's suspicion.

"Just the thing to do," he declared. "George and Fred are outside and I'll get them and we'll start at once."

"We'll go in my car," said Mr. Golden. "I guess it's as fast as any in town, and will carry six of us all right, and the boys can go on their wheels, can't you, Bob?"

"Sure thing," the both replied.

"All right then, that's settled. Now let's get off as soon as possible. My car is right over there on the corner."

They went out and Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben at once made their way to the car, while Mr. Switzer searched through the crowd for his officers. Bob and Jack hurried to where they had left their wheels and were back at the corner in almost no time, where they were soon joined by the three officers.

"Now, where to?" asked the chief, as he took his seat by the driver.

"Norridgewock first," answered Bob, as he jumped into his saddle, and he added, as he turned on the power, "here's where we break all the speed laws ever made."

"You boys keep within sight of us," shouted Mr. Golden, as they dashed across the bridge.

In spite of the bad road, they reached Norridgewock in nineteen minutes. On the way, Mr. Golden told Uncle Ben and the officers that Riggs had said that nearly one hundred thousand dollars in cash and negotiable securities had been taken.

They made no stop at Norridgewock, but at once took the road leading to Oakland. Here the going was much better and in a little less than half an hour after leaving Norridgewock, they were within a mile of the woods road, which led to the big house. The boys were about a quarter of a mile ahead of the car and stopped here to wait for the rest of the party.

"Are we 'most there?" asked Mr. Golden, as the car came up to them and stopped.

"Yes, it's only about a mile from here, and I thought we'd better stop before we got any nearer, and make our plans," explained Bob.

"My idea," said Mr. Switzer, "is to leave the car by the side of the main road and go the rest of the way on foot. You see," he explained, "if we took it too close they would hear it and skip, that is, providing they're there."

All agreed that this was the best plan.

"Now, Bob," asked the chief, "how far from the main road is that house?"

"I should say a little more than a quarter of a mile."

"And how large is the clearing round it?"

"At the back the trees grow up close to the house, but in front there is a clearing of perhaps half an acre."

"Then, three of us had better get round to the back of the house, while the rest approach it from the front. George, you and Bob and Mr. Golden," indicating Uncle Ben, "can circle round and get behind. The rest of us will give you plenty of time to get there and then we'll go up to the house and demand admittance."

To this plan all agreed, and they started again, the boys keeping just in front of the car. They had gone about a mile, when Bob held up his hand for them to stop.

"See that big elm just ahead there?" he asked, pointing with his finger. "Well, the road is about ten feet the other side of that tree."

But just then something happened which caused a complete change in their plans.

CHAPTER XXII.
THE CHASE.

Bob and Jack were a few feet ahead of the others, when the former suddenly stopped.

"Don't you hear that motor, Jack?"

"I do now, and I believe it's a car coming out that woods road."

The rest of the party had now joined the boys, and the sound of the approaching car was plainly audible.

"That must be them," said Bob in a low voice. "Now what'd we better do?"

"We'll hide in the bushes on each side of the road," proposed Mr. Switzer, "and when they come along, we'll jump out and stop 'em. You all got guns?"

It turned out that only the policemen had revolvers, so the chief, Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben hid on one side of the woods road, while the other two policemen and the boys concealed themselves on the other.

"Now," whispered the chief, "don't make a sound till I tell 'em to stop, then you cover 'em with your guns and if they try to get away, let 'em have it, but don't shoot to kill if you can help it 'cause we want to get those fellows alive if we can."

Nothing more was said and in a few minutes the car was near at hand, as they could tell by the sound, and, peering through the bushes, Bob spied a large car coming slowly along the road. Two men were on the front seat.

"I believe that's King driving," whispered Bob, "though he's shaved off his beard."

At that instant, Chief Switzer sprang out into the middle of the road in front of the car, closely followed by Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben, while the other policemen and the boys followed suit from their side.

"Halt, in the name of the law," shouted the chief, flourishing his revolver.

The car was about ten feet from them as the order was given, and instead of obeying, the driver suddenly put on high speed and the car shot toward them. So quickly was it done that they had barely time to save themselves from being run down by jumping to one side as the car shot by and turned into the main road heading toward Oakland.

"Gosh, they'll get away sure as thunder," shouted Switzer, as he fired his revolver after the vanishing car. "Come on, we've got to chase them."

It took them but an instant to reach the road and, to their delight, they found that Sandy, seeing the car come out, had brought their machine up.

"Pile in, quick," shouted the chief, but although they obeyed as quickly as possible, the fugitives were nearly a half mile ahead when they started.

The boys rushed to where they had left their wheels, about a hundred feet away, and by the time they reached them and mounted they were quite a distance in the rear.

"Now, let 'em out," shouted Jack, as he sprang into the saddle, and turning on the power, fairly flew down the road closely followed by Bob, and before they had gone a mile, they were up with their father's car.

"I'm afraid we're going to lose 'em," they heard the chief say, as they drew up, one on each side of the car. "We're not gaining an inch. Getting all the speed you can out of her, Sandy?"

"I've got her wide open," was the reply.

Bob knew that there was a long, steep hill to ascend a little farther on and hoped that they would gain on them there, as his father's car was a splendid hill climber and he had a few weeks before taken that same hill on high gear. A moment later, as they swung round a curve, the hill was at hand, and Bob shouted to Sandy telling him not to shift.

They could see the robber's car about half way up the hill, and going slowly, evidently on low gear. Sandy hit the foot of the hill at a terrific pace and, as the car went up on high gear, they could see that they were gaining rapidly. But the robbers had too great a start and reached the top several hundred yards ahead. The road was now slightly down hill for a mile or more, and they could see that, under the reckless driving of the robber, whose car must have been making nearly seventy miles an hour, they were rapidly losing ground, for Mr. Golden had told Sandy not to go faster than he considered safe.

"I want to catch them as badly as any one, but I'm not going to risk killing all of us to do it," he declared.

"He'll wreck his car and break their necks, sure as fate, if he don't slow up," thought Bob.

But the robbers reached the foot of the hill in safety and had gained all the ground they had lost in climbing the hill. For a number of miles now, the road was fairly level and the race continued without much change in their relative distance.

The two boys were now riding a little behind the car, and suddenly Jack turned to Bob, saying:

"I say, Bob, we're never going to catch 'em at this rate."

"Don't look like it. They've sure got some speedy car, and of course they're reckless about driving."

Just then they reached the outskirts of Oakland, and, as they had to stop to inquire which way the robbers had gone, they lost still more ground. Quickly learning, however, that they had taken a road which would probably lead them, by a round-about way to Portland, they told their informant to tell the police to telephone to the latter city to be on the watch for them, and again took up in the chase.

As they started off, Bob said to Jack:

"Say, Jack, we could catch 'em easily on these wheels."

"Sure we could, we've been running only about half speed, but what good would it do? We couldn't stop 'em, could we?"

"Perhaps not, but my idea is this. Let's get a couple of revolvers from the policemen and ride up behind them and see if we can't put a hole in one of their tires."

"Good," shouted Jack, "Come on, let's go get em."

Putting on more power, as they had lagged behind a little, while they were talking, they quickly overtook the car.

"Hey, there," shouted Jack, as they rode up along side, "Give us a couple of your revolvers and we'll try to shoot a hole in their tire."

"Think you can do it?" asked the chief, leaning out of the car.

"Don't know, but we can try it. You'll never catch 'em at this rate and it's the only chance I see."

"All right, here you are," answered the chief, leaning out and handing each of the boys a revolver. "Go get 'em. But you look sharp, now. Those fellows are probably armed and won't hesitate to shoot if they are cornered."

"Yes, boys," joined in Mr. Golden, "don't you get too close to them."

"We'll be careful," replied Bob. "Come on, Jack, now let her out and we'll show them some real speed," and as they turned on the power, they rapidly left the car behind.

But they had lost more ground than they thought, and they rode for fully six miles before catching sight of the robbers, and had begun to fear that they had lost them. But, finally they caught sight of the car about a half mile ahead, and giving the motors a little more current, they rapidly crept up till they were within two hundred yards of them.

Suddenly, they saw the man who was not driving, turn his head, and as he saw them, he said something to his companion, and then, turning in his seat, he drew his revolver.

"He is going to shoot," shouted Jack, and the next instant a shot rang out followed by several others. But, the swaying car made accurate shooting impossible, and he emptied the chamber without doing any harm, although Bob heard one bullet whiz past his head.

"He couldn't hit a barn at the rate he's going," shouted Jack. "Come on, let's get a little nearer and then we'll try our hand at it."

They waited till they were within about one hundred and fifty feet and then Bob fired, followed a moment later by Jack. They were both good shots with the revolver, but, under the condition, they knew that it would be more good luck than anything else if they succeeded in hitting a tire. By this time, the man they supposed to be Reed, although he now wore a mustache, had his gun loaded again and began firing, but, fortunately, with no effect.

Jack had but one shot left when a ball from Reed's revolver passed through his hat.

"Gee, that's getting a little too close for comfort," he muttered.

Taking careful aim, he slowly pressed the trigger and this time a loud report followed the bark of the revolver.

"Got 'em," he shouted as both turned off the power and pressed on the brakes.

He had indeed got 'em more thoroughly than he supposed, for as the air left one of the rear tires, they saw the car suddenly swerve to the right, and before the driver could regain control, it had turned turtle into the ditch by the road side.

"Gracious, I guess that ends them," cried Bob, as they brought their wheels to a standstill not more than seventy feet from the overturned car.

CHAPTER XXIII.
THE ROUND UP.

The boys, thinking that the robbers might still be able to shoot, went back a little way until they saw the other car coming.

"Well, you got them, sure enough," declared Mr. Switzer, as the car drew up and came to a stop, "but I guess, by the looks, they're both dead. We'd better have our guns ready though, for they may be able to shoot," he added turning to his men.

Their fears were groundless, however, for on approaching the overturned car, they found that both men were unconscious, although they were alive. Reed, who had lost the false mustache he had been wearing had been thrown from the car and, having struck his head on a rock, was lying a few feet away, stunned, while King was pinned under the car, and groaning heavily. It was necessary to get the jack from the other car and raise the machine before they could drag him out. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned as they bore him to the car.

It took some time to bring Reed around, but finally he began to show signs of life and soon sat up and looked around in a dazed manner. As his eyes rested for an instant on Jack, a shudder ran through him and he muttered something about not doing a very good job and sank back with a moan.

They found the stolen money and securities in a box under the car, which was badly wrecked, and Mr. Golden took it in charge.

"Now," said Mr. Switzer, speaking to Mr. Golden, "if you are willing, George and I'll take these fellows back to Skowhegan in your car. There's a house just around that turn where a man by the name of Berry lives, and he'll probably hitch up and take the rest of you back to Oakland and you can catch the train there for home."

"All right," replied Mr. Golden, "I guess that will be the best plan, and the boys can go along with you on their wheels."

So it was arranged, and the two injured robbers were made as comfortable as possible on the back seat of the car with Mr. Switzer, after he had slipped handcuffs on them. They said nothing except that King said he believed his left leg was broken, and it was paining him a good deal.

"You're both mighty lucky that your necks aren't broken," declared Switzer.

"I don't know as it's so very lucky for us, either," said Reed moodily.

The other officer took his seat in front with Sandy, and as they started off, Mr. Switzer shouted:

"I'll send some one out to tow their machine in."

The return trip was made without incident, the boys following the car. The prisoners were not inclined to talk and refused to answer any questions. On reaching Skowhegan, they were taken to the jail and a doctor summoned, who found that King's left leg was broken below the knee. Beyond a good sized lump on the back of his head and a severe shaking up, Reed was not injured.

The authorities at Boston were notified, and it turned out that Reed was the long-wanted Jim the Penman, and, as Captain Long had suspected, King proved to be the man known as Oily Joe. They were both sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment in the state prison of Massachusetts.

As the boys, accompanied by Mr. Switzer, left the jail, after hearing the doctor's report regarding the condition of the robbers, Bob told him of his suspicions regarding the farmer and his son, with whom they had the trouble the day before.

"That must be looked into," declared Mr. Switzer. "It certainly looks as though they were mixed up in it somehow. Tell you what I think we'd better do. It's only ten-thirty now; suppose we take your father's car and drive right back there and see what we can find out about it."

To this the boys readily agreed, and taking the other policeman with them they started, waiting only long enough for Bob to call up his mother and tell her the news.

They reached the place in a little over an hour, and as they drove into the yard, the farmer was sitting on the back door step. As soon as he saw them, he rose and started to go into the house, but Mr. Switzer was too quick for him, and drawing his revolver, he pointed it at the man ordering him to stop. He wisely obeyed and Switzer told him to come to the car.

"Is this the man?" he asked, turning to Bob.

"Yes, he's the man all right."

The chief then explained the situation to him and told him that he had better make a clean breast of it. The man was very much frightened and his voice trembled as he spoke, telling them that he would tell them all he knew.

According to the man's account, the house in the woods belonged to him. It had been built by a man from New York, three years ago, who intended to use it as a summer home, but his wife had died before it was completely furnished, and he had bought it at a very low price. King and Reed had driven into his yard one afternoon, a week or so ago, in an automobile. The smaller of the two, Reed, had said that he was a wealthy business man from Boston and that King was his servant. He, Reed, had suffered from a nervous breakdown, and his doctor had ordered him to go way somewhere, with his man, where he could be perfectly quiet and where no one would bother him, and they were looking for a place which they could rent.

He had at once thought of the log house in the woods and had offered to show it to them. On seeing it, Reed had declared it to be just the thing and had paid him a month's rent in advance. He had thought that Reed was pretty healthy looking for a sick man, but considered it none of his business so long as he got his money. He had seen but little of them, but did know that they were away most of the time. Yes, he thought it strange, seeing that he wanted to be perfectly quiet, but here again, it was none of his affair and he had not bothered his head about it.

Bob asked him why he had been so hostile toward Jack and him, and why his son had stolen their wheels, and why he had kept the cap, on abandoning them. He said, in explanation, that Reed had called at the house one day, and during their conversation had told him that two boys had stolen an invention from him. Some kind of a storage battery, the secret of which was in some metal caps. He had said that he was very anxious to get back at least one of the caps as he had lost the formula for making them and had been unable to get the right proportion of metals. Asked why he didn't have the boys arrested, he had replied that, unfortunately, he had no proof that they had stolen it, but that he would give one thousand dollars to get one of the caps. So, it happened that when he had seen the boys the day before, and had noticed the electric motors on their wheels, he had at once jumped to the conclusion that they were the boys Reed had told him about. So, seeing a good chance, as he thought, to make one thousand dollars honestly and without much trouble, he and his son, who had been at work in a field nearby, had followed them, and he guessed they knew the rest.

The farmer's story sounded plausible enough as he told it, and, as they had no evidence to the contrary, Mr. Switzer said he guessed probably he was all right, but cautioned him to be more careful in the future or he might get into trouble, and telling him that he might be called as a witness, proposed that they start back.

"I don't know I'm sure," he said to the boys, on the way back, "whether that fellow was telling the truth or not, but as long as we caught the robbers, I don't see that we'd gain anything by arresting him and I guess we'd have a pretty hard time proving anything against him."

"Well, I got one good crack at him anyhow," chuckled Bob, "and I guess that son of his will think twice the next time, before he tackles a dude."

As the car drew up in front of the bank, they found that their father and the others had returned and getting their wheels, the boys lost no time in starting for the cottage, as they felt, according to Jack, hollow clear to the toes. Mrs. Golden said that he and Uncle Ben had eaten lunch and would be up later as he had some business to attend to at the bank.

As they rode through the town, they had to stop a dozen times and receive congratulations from their friends, and it was nearly two o'clock when they reached the cottage. However, they found a good lunch awaiting them, as their father had 'phoned that they were coming. While eating, they gave their mother, their aunt and the two girls an account of the events of the forenoon.

"I am very glad," declared Mrs. Golden, "that they are caught, as I would never have felt easy with them at large."

Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben came up in time for supper and the evening was spent in talking over the events of the last few days.

The next night, when Mr. Golden came up from Skowhegan, he told the boys that he had a surprise for them.

"What is it?" both asked eagerly.

"I received a telegram this afternoon from Captain Long, saying that a check for ten thousand dollars had been sent to you, which is the reward offered for the capture of Jim the Penman and Oily Joe."

The boys were surprised, and of course delighted, for they had not thought of a reward, although they now remembered that Captain Long had told them that one had been offered.

"But, father, don't you think that Mr. Switzer and the other policemen ought to have part of it?" asked Bob.

"No," replied his father, "I hardly think so. They only did their duty in arresting them, while you were really the ones who caught them. What do you say, Ben?"

Uncle Ben agreed with their father, in thinking that the reward belonged to them alone, but Jack proposed that they would feel better about it if they gave them a part, and Mr. Golden smilingly told them to do as they thought best. So, after talking it over, they decided to give them one thousand dollars each. Mr. Switzer and the other two men were much pleased when the boys gave them the money, and all decided that they had not expected any part of it as they considered that it belonged to the boys.

CHAPTER XXIV.
CONCLUSION.

"Say, Bob, what'll we do with this money?"

The check had been received on the day following Mr. Golden's announcement, and as soon as the boys got into bed that night they began to talk about it.

"Well, I'll tell you my idea. You remember what I said before I was kidnapped, about that prize of fifty thousand dollars for flying across the Atlantic, don't you? Well, tomorrow, let's ask dad about it and if he says we may try it, we can use it to buy an airplane next summer. What do you say?"

"What do I say? I say that, for a youth of your tender years, you have a mighty level head, and that last remark of yours is certainly a corker."

The next morning, at breakfast, they broached the subject to their father.

"Well, I never!" declared Uncle Ben, "What in the name of common sense will you boys think of next? But of course, you are only fooling."

"Indeed we're not," declared Bob, emphatically.

"But sober earnest now, Bob, do you think the scheme is practical?" asked his father.

"I don't see why not. Lots of aviators can stay in the air as long as their gasoline will hold out and the only reason they can't fly farther is because they can't carry enough fuel. Now we could carry enough of those cylinders to take an airship round the world."

"Well, well," said their father, as he rose from the table, "there's lots of time to think of that between now and next summer. I won't say yes, and I won't say no at present, but we'll see."

It was now the beginning of the last week in August and the boys spent the next few days delightfully, sailing in the Sprite, fishing, swimming and playing tennis with the girls. To Jack's secret delight Mrs. Golden invited Evelyn Nason to spend a week with them, and as she was a lively girl, they were a very jolly party, and Mike declared that they made more noise than a barrel of monkeys.

September came around too soon, and Uncle Ben announced that the next day he and Aunt Lucy must start for home. All were very sorry to have them go, for they all loved them dearly.

"Don't forget, boys, that you are to spend a week with us next Christmas," was the last thing Aunt Lucy said, as they started off in their big car.

Two days later, May and Evelyn went home and the Roost seemed quite deserted, and the Goldens began to think about leaving the lake for the summer.

It was Wednesday evening, and they were going to close the cottage the following Friday. They were all sitting around the open fire in the living room, for the night was chilly.

"Boys," said Mr. Golden, throwing down the paper he had been reading, "how would you like to be tin soldiers?"

"Tin soldiers? What in the world do you mean?" asked Jack, as they all laughed.

"Well, I'll tell you. This afternoon a friend from Philadelphia was in the bank and he was telling me about a military college near there, where his boy went last year, and he praised it so highly, that I thought it might be a good place for you. I believe in military training," he continued, "as it teaches, besides other things, alertness and efficiency. I have very much regretted that I did not have the advantage of such training, and I would like my boys to have it. What do you say?"

The boys thought for a moment and looked at each other. Finally Bob said:

"I think it would be bully; how about you, Jack?"

"Same here. Do they teach cavalry there, dad?"

"Yes, they give courses in infantry, cavalry and artillery."

"That'll be great," declared both boys.

"Then you think you would like to go, do you?"

"Yes, sir, I think it will be just the place for us," answered Bob and Jack said the same.

"All right then, we'll consider it settled and I'll write to the president the first thing in the morning as the term opens the seventeenth."

The boys talked about it for a long time that night, after they were in bed, and the more they thought about it, the more anxious they were to go.

Friday morning came, and after a final sail in the Sprite, she was pulled into the boathouse and made snug for the winter. Needless to say, the cells were taken to Skowhegan for safe keeping. By noon, the Roost was ready to be closed, and after lunch, they left for their town home, the boys on their motorcycles and the rest of the family in the car.

"This has been a splendid summer," declared Bob, as they were about to start, "in spite of all the trouble we've had, and I've had more excitement than I expected to have all my life."

"That's so," agreed Jack and then added soberly, "we certainly ought to be very thankful that everything turned out so well."

One day, about a week after they came down from the lake, Mr. Golden said, at the supper table:

"Mr. Jenkins was in the bank today and said that Fred and Will were coming home tomorrow, and that he had decided to send them to the same college where you're going."

Instantly the faces of the two boys fell.

"He said," continued their father, "that he wished you two were more intimate with them."

"I don't," said Jack. "They're too mean and selfish and then you can't trust them. I'm mighty sorry they're going there."

"Oh, well," declared Bob, "I guess there'll be room enough for them and us, too."

It was Thursday and they were to leave the following Monday, and so we will leave them, busy and happy in their last minute preparations for their new life in college.

And so we shall take leave of them for a short time. Their subsequent adventures will be found in a succeeding volume entitled "The Golden Boys at the Fortress."

THE END.