“Reuben Stone’s Discovery” forms the second volume in the “Ship and Shore” Series. It tells, in a matter-of-fact way, of the exploits of a young miller who is left in charge of his father’s property while the parent goes West to seek a more promising field for business. A great number of things happen while the youth is thus left to himself, and he is made to believe several stories concerning his absent parent and the mill property which cause him great uneasiness in mind. Suspicious at last that all is not right, Reuben starts out on a tour of investigation which places him in more than one position of peril. But the lad never falters, knowing he is doing what is right, and his triumph at the end is fairly earned. Reuben tells his own story, and does it in his own peculiar way. Perhaps this method may not be altogether satisfactory to older heads; but the success of the first edition of the book had demonstrated the fact that it is satisfactory to the boys, and it was for these that the story was set to paper. If Reuben does some astonishing things throughout the course of the story, it must be remembered that the lad was acting largely in his father’s place, and that the world moves and boys of to-day are full of energy. EDWARD STRATEMEYER. NEWARK, N.J., June 1, 1899. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. THE YOUNG MILLER 7 II. AT THE BANK 16 III. BAD NEWS 26 IV. MR. ENOS NORTON 33 V. HOT WORDS 42 VI. AT ROCK ISLAND 51 VII. A PITCHED BATTLE 62 VIII. A BLOW FROM BEHIND 69 IX. THE TWO STRANGERS 77 X. A SURPRISE 85 XI. MR. NORTON’S MOVE 93 XII. A MIDNIGHT CRIME 100 XIII. AT SQUIRE SLOCUM’S HOUSE 108 XIV. MR. NORTON’S STATEMENT 116 XV. SOME FACTS IN THE CASE 124 XVI. A FRIEND IN NEED 133 XVII. BACK TO THE MILL 140 XVIII. A MOMENT OF EXCITEMENT 149 XIX. LIVELY WORK 157 XX. WE MAKE A PRISONER 165 XXI. A STORM ON THE LAKE 173 XXII. AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION 182 XXIII. CAPTURED 190 XXIV. IN THE WOODS 198 XXV. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE 204 XXVI. THE CHASE 212 XXVII. AT THE DEPOT 218 XXVIII. THE PURSUIT BECOMES PERILOUS 224 XXIX. MR. NORTON’S ACCUSATION 230 XXX. NORTON BIXBY 237 XXXI. A LUCKY FIND 243 XXXII. A WELCOME ARRIVAL 249 XXXIII. A HAPPY ENDING 254