Randolph Rover, relating briefly what had occurred.
"It's a great pity we didn't catch this Merrick," sighed Tom, when they were steaming along the lake shore. "Perhaps we'll never see or hear of him again."
"Well, we don't want Merrick as much as we want Uncle Randolph's traction company bonds," answered Dick. "If he has disposed of the bonds it won't do much good to catch him,—unless, of course, he can get the bonds back."
"And he may not have had the bonds," put in Sam. "That fellow Pike may have handled them."
"That is true, too,—although I somehow think Merrick is the prime mover in this swindle."
"I think that, too," said Tom.
The Golden Star was a trim little side-wheeler with a fair-sized deck fore and aft. The boys sat on the forward deck, and as the boat ran along the shore of the lake they pointed out many localities known to them.
"There is where we went on the paper chase," said Sam.
"Yes, and that is where we went on one of the encampments," added Tom.
"We came fishing down here once," put in Dick. "One of the boys went overboard."
"It was John Fenwick, the fellow we used to
