1886. With illustrations. Ellis is the prolific author of stories for The Flying Boys Series, Deerfoot Series, Boys Banner Series, Foreign Adventure Series, The Launch Boys Series and many more. Tad begins: The summer vacation of the Brummagen school was drawing to a close, and the boys and girls accustomed to assemble in the little old-fashioned school house were counting with many a sigh the decreasing days that soon must bring them back to their studies again. The vacation had already lasted three weeks, a longer period than usual, because the teacher that had been employed for several years had resigned and gone away, and there was difficulty in replacing him.