Dave Porter's latest adventure begins in the lively world of Oak Hall, where winter skating, hunting, and schoolboy banter mask the shadow of old enemies. Quick-witted and loyal, Dave is once again surrounded by friends Phil, Roger, Ben, and Shadow, but also by the stern, resentful Job Haskers and the lingering threat of Link Merwell and Nick Jasniff. As the story unfolds, Dave reveals that these rivals are bent on disgracing him and his family through lies, forged letters, false orders, and cruel public tricks aimed at Laura Porter, Jessie Wadsworth, and the Wadsworths themselves. The mystery deepens as Dave's hard-earned history is recalled: from poverty and danger, through his rescue of Jessie, to his rise at Oak Hall and his search for his missing father and sister. When the trail leads south, Dunston Porter joins Dave on a trip to Florida to investigate the missing jewels and the villains' movements, sending the boys from icy rail lines into warmer, more uncertain territory. But even the journey brings fresh surprises, including a train car panic over a swarm of white mice and a strange young man who claims to have trained them, hinting that danger, humor, and mystery are only just beginning. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.