
At the start of summer, Tom Fairfield heads to his weekend camp by the river, eager to put his motorboat—affectionately called “the Tag”—to the test. With his loyal friend Dick Jones at his side, he wrestles with stubborn engines and learns that a little ingenuity can coax life back into even the most reluctant machine. Their banter and teamwork set the tone for a season of outdoor exploits, from racing down the water to lazy evenings around the fire.
But the tranquil camp hides a deeper intrigue: an abandoned mill that has long been the subject of whispered rumors. When Tom discovers a hidden compartment and a cryptic note, his curiosity pulls him into a puzzle of old machinery, secret passages, and forgotten treasures. Together with Dick, he must untangle clues while navigating the challenges of camp life, promising a blend of adventure, problem‑solving, and the timeless thrill of uncovering a long‑kept secret.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (234K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2013-11-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

A familiar name on early 20th-century adventure stories, this was actually a shared pen name used for fast-paced series books aimed at young readers. The name is closely linked with tales of radios, aviation, sports, and outdoor exploits that helped define an era of children's fiction.
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