Chapter I: Front Matter

BENTON’S
VENTURE

BENTON’S
VENTURE

BY
RALPH HENRY BARBOUR

AUTHOR OF “AROUND THE END,” “CHANGE SIGNALS,”
“FOR THE HONOR OF THE SCHOOL,” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK AND LONDON
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1914

Copyright, 1914, by
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

Printed in the United States of America

TO

SELINDA

ONE OF THE THREE BEST

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I.――TOM HAS AN IDEA 1
II.――AND SO HAS WILLARD 12
III.――MR. BENTON SAYS YES 24
IV.――JIMMY BRENNAN REPORTS 33
V.――THE BARGAIN IS SEALED 42
VI.――WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE 51
VII.――JERRY TO THE RESCUE 67
VIII.――TOM LEARNS TO RUN THE ARK 83
IX.――“CAB, SIR?” 100
X.――THE FIRST PASSENGER 110
XI.――THE _NEWS-PATRIOT_ AIDS 126
XII.――WILLARD ENCOUNTERS A FRIEND 137
XIII.――PAT HERRON LOSES HIS TEMPER 145
XIV.――JERRY TAKES A RIDE 154
XV.――AN AFTERNOON OFF 163
XVI.――AN INTERVIEW WITH THE POLICE 176
XVII.――“J. DUFF, JOBBING DONE” 186
XVIII.――DIVIDENDS FOR TWO 203
XIX.――MR. DUFF GIVES NOTICE 212
XX.――INTRODUCING JULIUS CÆSAR 221
XXI.――JIMMY MAKES A PROPOSITION 231
XXII.――THE BOYS TAKE A PARTNER 241
XXIII.――MR. CONNORS MAKES AN OFFER 250
XXIV.――JIMMY GOES TO NEW YORK 260
XXV.――THE ARK FINDS A NEW HOME 272
XXVI.――THE NEW MOTOR TRUCK 279
XXVII.――THE ENEMY IN TROUBLE 288
XXVIII.――A WILD RIDE 297
XXIX.――THE ARK SAYS GOOD-BYE 310

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

“‘This is Saturday and we ought to have a
half-holiday’” _Frontispiece_

“He gave the handle another half-dozen turns
without result” 86

“As long as it was in sight he stood and shook
his fist at it” 152

“‘How do you fellows feel about taking in a
partner?’ he asked quietly” 236

BENTON’S VENTURE