A steed was soon saddled, and off Dick rode, wrapped in his overcoat and with an old fur cap pulled well down over his ears.  It had now stopped snowing, so the weather was not quite as unpleasant as it had been.

Dick was bound for the house of Dr. Fremley, a physician he knew well, and thither he made his way as speedily as the horse could plow through the drifts which presented themselves.  At times, when the wind arose, it was nipping cold, and the youth was glad to get in where it was warm when the physician’s office in Cedarville was reached.

“Certainly, I will come and see your brother,” said Dr. Fremley.  “I’ll be ready to go in about half an hour.”

“Will you go on horseback?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll wait in town and go back with you,” said Dick.  “I wish to make a purchase or two.”

It was agreed that the youth should meet the physician at half-past twelve, and leaving his horse in the latter’s stable, Dick walked down the main street of Cedarville.

He had his Christmas money with him, and entering a drug store he bought a cup of hot chocolate, that warmed him considerably.  After this he selected a bottle of cologne and a box of chocolates as a Christmas gift for Dora.

Opposite to the drug store was a stationery and book store, and here Dick procured a fancy floral calendar for Mrs. Stanhope and an interesting girl’s book for Dora.

From the store Dick could obtain a side view of the Cedarville Hotel, which stood on a corner up the street, and having paid for his purchases the youth stood near the door and watched the hotel, wondering at the same time if he would see anything of Dan Baxter.

Presently a number of men came from the bar-room of the hotel and moved in various directions.  With one of these was the youth for whom Dick was looking.

Dan Baxter and his companion moved in the direction of the lake shore, and Dick lost no time in following the pair.

The man with Baxter was a stranger to Dick, but he showed by his manner that he was a rough individual, and when he talked he did a great deal of swearing, which, however, will not appear in his conversation in these pages.

Having reached the road running along the lake front, Baxter and his companion, whose name was Lemuel Husty, passed northward past a straggling row of cottages and then on the road leading to the village of Neckport.

“I wish I had time—­I’d follow them,” said Dick to himself, and turned back, much disappointed over the fact that he had not had a chance to speak to Dan Baxter.

As Dick turned in the direction of the doctor’s office once more he was hailed by a lad of the village, named Harry Sharp.

“Hullo, Dick Rover!”

“How are you Harry?  How do you like the snow?”

“All right enough, only it will spoil some of the skating.”

“So I’ve been thinking,” answered Dick, as the two came closer.