CONTENTS

CHAPTERPAGE
I.[A Boy of Mystery]5
II.[Playing the Part]13
III.[Rod's Wonderful Jump]26
IV.[The Fellow Who Refused]39
V.[Ambushed]50
VI.[The Result of a Practical Joke]61
VII.[The One Who Laughed Last]70
VIII.[The White Feather]80
IX.[Moments of Apprehension]88
X.[Who Told?]99
XI.[In Doubt]110
XII.[Cold Weather in Texas]118
XIII.[A Bond of Sympathy]129
XIV.[A Narrow Escape]136
XV.[When a Grant Fights]150
XVI.[Independent Rod]162
XVII.[The First Snow]170
XVIII.[Rabbit Hunting]179
XIX.[An Encounter in the Woods]192
XX.[A Sunday Morning Caller]200
XXI.[What Sleuth Piper Saw]208
XXII.[The Fate of Silver Tongue]218
XXIII.[Following the Trail]229
XXIV.[The Proof]239
XXV.[Settlement Day Draws Near]248
XXVI.[Grant’s Defiance]254
XXVII.[Spotty Refuses to Talk]264
XXVIII.[Aroused at Last]274
XXIX.[The Incriminating Letter]283
XXX.[The Reason Why]291
XXXI.[Something Worth Doing]300

BOYS OF OAKDALE ACADEMY.

CHAPTER I.

A BOY OF MYSTERY.

“He’s a fake,” declared Chipper Cooper positively, backing up against the steam radiator to warm himself on the other side. “I’ll bet a hundred dollars he never was west of Scranton, Pennsylvania.”

“A hundred dollars,” drawled Sile Crane, grinning. “Why don’t yeou bate something while you’re abaout it? Nobody’d bother to take a measly little wager like that. Now I’ve kinder got an idee that the new feller really comes from Texas, jest as he says he does. I guess he ain’t no fake.”

“Oh, is that so!” retorted Cooper, a bit warmly. “Well, I’ll talk business to you, Mr. Crane; I’ll really bet you fifty cents Rodney Grant never saw the State of Texas in his life. Now put up or shut up.”

“I don’t want to bate on it,” said Sile; “but I guess I’ve got a right to my opinion, and I cal’late Rod Grant ain’t no fake Westerner.”