they were mixed up in a series of queer happenings, which only ended in
some events that followed a trip in a captive balloon that broke away and
took them above the clouds.

In the second volume, "Ned Wilding's Disappearance," there was told of
the things that followed Ned's visit to New York. Ned undertook to put
through a small financial deal on his own account, and the consequences,
which were not his own fault at all. Made him a fugitive from the police,
as he thought. His chums, coming to the city to pay him a visit, could
not find him. Ned was located under peculiar circumstances, through the
aid of a waif whom the boys befriended and saved from freezing to death
in the snow.

After locating Ned the chums came home, to find they were much in the
public eye. When they left they were under suspicion of having blown up
the school tower with dynamite, but it was discovered that another youth
had done this, and the chums were not only cleared, but the president of
the Board of Education, who had cast suspicion on them, publicly
apologized.

The chums had resumed their studies at the High School after the tower
had been repaired, and had made good progress through the spring term. It
was now summer, and the long vacation was close at hand.

Monday morning, following the sensational winning of the game by Ned
Wilding, saw the four chums assembled on the school campus, waiting for
the ringing of the gong that would call all the pupils to their classes.
It was almost time to go in, when Sandy Merton, a former enemy of the
chums, but who had become a friend because of a favor received,
approached Bart. Sandy had left school because of a dispute he and Bart