"No, I guess there's no danger of dad losing all his money so quickly,"

relied the young millionaire. "He had plenty when I came away, two weeks ago, and he's got so many investments that he couldn't lose it all at once, even if he tried. No, it's something else. I wonder what it is?"

"I s'pose the best way to find out, is to go and ask him, about it,"

suggested Henry.

"That's it," a.s.sented d.i.c.k. "I could telegraph, but he might be away from home, and wouldn't get it. I guess I'll have to leave camp, fellows."

"Then we'll go, too," said Bricktop.

"No, there's no need of that. I invited you out for three weeks, and that time isn't up yet. You might as well stay. Hannibal will cook for you, and if I can come back I will. Otherwise you stay here and enjoy yourselves."

"We won't enjoy ourselves very much if you leave," said Walter regretfully, and the others echoed his sentiment.

"Well, that's a compliment to me," declared d.i.c.k, with a smile, "but I guess you'll manage to exist. Now I wonder how I'd better go? Henry, I s'pose I could ride with you to the village, and take a train."

"I should advise you to," remarked the young iron merchant. "This nag went to sleep four times coming out, and he's snoring now. No telling what he'll do on the way back. He seems to like life in the woods. I guess he must have been a wild horse once, and he's going back to nature."

"He's not very wild now," observed Bricktop, tickling the animal with a switch. "He won't even move."

"No, it takes quite a while to get him started," said Henry. "Usually I have to begin the day before, to get him into action. No, d.i.c.k, I shouldn't advise you to ride with me."

"What's the matter with the motor boat?" asked Frank. "You can go to the village in that."

"That's so," agreed d.i.c.k. "You fellows can take me over, and bring her back. We'll do it."

"Well," remarked Henry, as he began to take in the slack of the reins, preparatory to starting the horse, "I guess I'll be going. I hope you find everything all right at home, d.i.c.k."

"I guess I will. Probably this has something to do with business matters. But, say, don't you want a bite to eat? We just finished grub, and there's a little that these cannibals didn't stow away."

"Well, I do begin to feel the need of something," said the young dealer in old iron. "The crackers and cheese I got in the village weren't very filling."

"Tie your horse, and sit down to the table.

Hannibal-and-half-a-dozen-other-names will get you something. Ho!

Rastus!" called d.i.c.k.

"No need to tie this horse," said Henry with grim smile. "If I did he'd imagine he was home in the stable, and go so sound to sleep that it would take two days to wake him. I'll just put some oats down in front of him, and, maybe he'll rouse up enough to eat them. That will keep him from taking naps."

The youthful iron merchant did this, and, while he was making a bountiful meal from what the colored cook set before him, d.i.c.k was preparing to start for home, wondering, meanwhile, why his father had sent for him so suddenly.

Those of you who have read the first book of this series ent.i.tled "d.i.c.k Hamilton's Fortune," will need no introduction to the millionaire youth and his chums. But you boys and girls who have not previously met him, may desire a little introduction.

d.i.c.k Hamilton was the only son of Mortimer Hamilton, of Hamilton Corners, not far from New York. The town was named after Mr. Hamilton because he was financially interested in many of the industries of the place. He was president of the national bank, owned large woolen mills, a bra.s.s foundry, a lumber concern, and was head of a railroad and a trolley line that added much of importance to the place. Mr. Hamilton counted his fortune by the millions, and his son, who had inherited a large sum from his mother, was also the possessor of substantial bank accounts.

In the first volume there was told how, on a certain birthday d.i.c.k came into control of a large part of his wealth, subject to a peculiar condition of his mother's will. That is, he was to make, inside of a year, a wise and paying investment of some of his funds, under penalty of losing control of his fortune for a time, and having to live with a miserly uncle.

This uncle, Ezra Larabee by name, of the town of Dankville, was Mrs.

Hamilton's brother. One of the conditions of her will was that d.i.c.k should spend a week with his uncle before entering into possession of the money, that he might see what sort of a life he was likely to lead, in case he did not comply with the provisions.

d.i.c.k had a miserable time at Mr. Larabee's. He was not allowed to have any fun, and his uncle even objected to him walking on the paths, for fear he would disturb the newly-raked gravel.

d.i.c.k returned home, determined to make a paying investment if only to escape his uncle's clutches. He did make several investments, by buying real estate, some stock in a milk company, and some shares in a gold mine. But they all turned out badly, and, while investigating the mine by means of which he had been swindled, he had, with his chums, some exciting adventures.

In Hamilton Corners, dwelt "Hank" Darby, a shiftless sort of man, and his son, Henry, who was as energetic as his father was lazy. Henry started to make money, in a small way, by collecting sc.r.a.p iron, and selling it, but his shiftless parent nearly brought the business to grief. d.i.c.k became interested in Henry's efforts, and, as the young millionaire had plenty of money, he loaned Henry two hundred and fifty dollars, to buy out the iron business of a man who wished to retire.

"Hank" Darby, with an exaggerated idea of his own importance, elected himself president of the old iron company, made d.i.c.k treasurer, and Henry secretary.

d.i.c.k gave little thought to the money he had loaned his young friend, but the time came when it was to prove of great benefit to him. One after another his various investments failed, and he saw the time approaching when he must go to live with his miserly uncle. His last venture was to invest five hundred dollars in an airship, the inventor of which hoped to win a government prize, which he promised to divide with d.i.c.k. But the airship blew up, and d.i.c.k saw his next birthday dawn, without, as he thought, having made his paying investment.

Uncle Ezra, who was much opposed to his nephew having so much money, came, according to agreement, to get d.i.c.k to take him to Dankville with him. But, at the last moment, something quite unexpected happened and it was found that d.i.c.k had, after all, complied with the terms of his mother's will, and he was, therefore, allowed to keep control of his fortune. But, as told in the first volume, there were still other stipulations with which he must comply.

Following the events told of in "d.i.c.k Hamilton's Fortune," our millionaire hero had completed his course at a local academy. When summer came he took some of his chums off to camp in the woods, and it was there that Henry, who was still in the old iron business, found him.

"Well, I guess I'm ready," remarked d.i.c.k, as he came from his tent, one of several that formed the camp. "I'll not take any of my things, for I may be able to come back and finish out the vacation."

"I certainly hope so," said Bricktop fervently.

"Same here," added Walter and the others.

By this time Henry had made a good meal, and, as his horse showed some signs of life, he remarked that he thought he would start, before the beast got to sleep again.

"Did you gasolene the motor boat, Rastus?" asked d.i.c.k of the colored cook.

"Yais sah, Ma.s.sa d.i.c.k."

"All right. Now see that these poor kids don't get hungry while I'm gone. Let 'em take pieces of pie to bed with 'em, to keep 'em quiet."

"Ho! Ho! Ma.s.sa d.i.c.k. Deed an' I will. Pie to bed wif 'em! Ha! Ha! Ho!

Ho!"

The boys entered the motor boat, leaving Hannibal in charge of camp, and they soon reached the village, whence d.i.c.k could take a train for home.

"Now, fellows, enjoy yourselves," he called to them, as they watched him board the train at the depot. "I'll come back if I can. Better practice that triple summersault, Frank."

"I will. I'll stump you, when you come back."

"I wish I didn't have to leave them," thought d.i.c.k, as he settled himself in his seat. "I wonder what dad wants of me? But there's no use worrying. I'll be home in about two hours."

He exhibited his pa.s.s, on which he was traveling, as his father was president of the railroad, and then sat looking at the scenery, vainly wondering, in spite of his efforts not to dwell on it, why he had been summoned home.

"Well, d.i.c.k," greeted his father, when the young millionaire entered the house. "You got back sooner than I expected."

"Yes, dad. I started as soon as I got your message. I hope nothing is the matter."

"Nothing serious. The fact is I have to leave for Europe next week----"

"For Europe! And are you going to take me?"

"No, I'm sorry to say I can't. But I have other plans for you, which I hope you will like. I unexpectedly received a call to England, to settle some large financial matters in which I am interested, and, as I shall have to be gone six months or more I decided to close the house up and let the servants go. As that would make no place for you to stay, unless you boarded, which you might not like, I decided to send for you, and tell you what I propose. The reason I telegraphed for you is that I will be so busy after to-day that I will have no time to attend to anything."