"No speeches," mumbled Dick, his mouth half full of roast chicken. "Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech!" yelled a score of voices. They were not to be denied, and Dick, blushing in spite of his effort to remain cool, stood up. "All I've got to say is that it was you fellows who won the prize--not me," he said. "I'm proud of you, proud of--er--and proud of--er--that is--Oh, hang it all! Go on eating. There's lots more when this is gone!" and Dick sat down, amid laughter and applause. The banquet proceeded amid much merriment. There were songs and college yells, and the musicians hired by Dick added to the din. "What are you going to do this summer?" asked Paul Drew, who, as first lieutenant, sat at the young captain's right hand. "Don't know. Haven't exactly made up my mind yet. I want to travel, but I fancy dad has some plans for me. By Jove! that reminds me. I got a letter from him this morning, but I haven't had a chance to read it through and get the hang of it yet, though I've tried half a dozen times. It's something important, but I don't know just what it is." "Go ahead and read it now," advised Paul. "The bunch is singing the 'Cannon Song' and they won't notice." "Guess I will," agreed the young millionaire, and he drew out the letter. It was filled with general news of Hamilton Corners, and Mr. Hamilton expressed the pleasure it would be to see his son again, when school closed. Then followed this: "Now, Dick, I've got what may prove quite a task for you this summer. I don't know what your plans are, but I hope you will have time to give me a little assistance. "You remember I once spoke to you of some valuable property your mother owned, and how I planned to form a syndicate and erect a large factory on it. Well, I started the syndicate, got a number of friends interested in it, and we were ready to go ahead when unexpected difficulties cropped up. We found it hard to interest outside capital because of a certain flaw in the title to the property, and, curiously enough, the flaw has to do with some distant relatives of your mother. "These relatives have disappeared, and I have been unable to get a trace of them. It is very necessary that I find them, and I am in hopes that you can help me. So, Dick, there is work cut out for you this summer, if you wish to do it. Come home as soon as you can after the academy closes, and I will tell you more about this. It is very important, not alone to me, but to a number of comparatively poor persons who have invested money in this enterprise, and who may lose if the affair is not straightened out. I am depending on you to help me." Dick folded up the letter and put it back in his pocket. His face wore a serious look. "Any bad news?" asked Paul, anxiously. "No; only it seems that I'm about to start off on a mysterious quest for missing relatives."