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Frank Merriwell's Athletes
OR
The Boys Who Won
BY
BURT L. STANDISH
Author of the famous _Merriwell Stories_.
STREET & SMITH CORPORATION
PUBLISHERS
79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York
Copyright, 1903
By STREET & SMITH
Frank Merriwell's Athletes
All rights reserved, including that of translation into
foreign languages, including the Scandinavian.
Contents
CHAPTER I--FRANK AND HIS FRIENDS
CHAPTER II--BARNEY'S STORY
CHAPTER III--IN A QUANDARY
CHAPTER IV--INZA'S LETTER
CHAPTER V--TO THE RESCUE
CHAPTER VI--FRANK BUYS A YACHT
CHAPTER VII--THE STORM
CHAPTER VIII--A CHANGE OF SCENE
CHAPTER IX--A DISCUSSION ABOUT GIRLS
CHAPTER X--THE YALE COMBINE
CHAPTER XI--THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE
CHAPTER XII--FRANK IS TROUBLED
CHAPTER XIII--A GAME FOR TWO
CHAPTER XIV--A GOOD START
CHAPTER XV--A HOT DASH
CHAPTER XVI--THE ARRIVAL AT EMBUDO
CHAPTER XVII--OFF FOR PUEBLO
CHAPTER XVIII--CARVER'S OPINION
CHAPTER XIX--ON DANGEROUS GROUND
CHAPTER XX--THE SUN DANCE
CHAPTER XXI--THE RELIGIOUS RACE
CHAPTER XXII--THE BALL GAME
CHAPTER XXIII--THE WRESTLING MATCH
CHAPTER XXIV--THE FOOT RACE
CHAPTER XXV--JOHN SWIFTWING'S FAREWELL
CHAPTER XXVI--MORNING AT RODNEY'S RANCH
CHAPTER XXVII--COWBOY PECULIARITIES
CHAPTER XXVIII--INDIAN CHARLIE IS SURPRISED
CHAPTER XXIX--HANS AND THE BRONCHO
CHAPTER XXX--INDIAN CHARLIE'S GAME
CHAPTER XXXI--FRANK MERRIWELL'S RIDE
CHAPTER XXXII--INSOLENCE OF BILLY CORNMEAL
CHAPTER XXXIII--SHOOTING
CHAPTER XXXIV--FRANK SHOWS HIS SKILL
CHAPTER XXXV--WHO FIRED THE SHOT
CHAPTER XXXVI--A CAST FOR LIFE--CONCLUSION
Frank Merriwell's Athletes
CHAPTER I--FRANK AND HIS FRIENDS
"Say, boys, just listen to that racket!"
It was Jack Diamond who spoke, and he addressed Frank Merriwell and
several others of his friends.
"It is certainly awful," came from Harry Rattleton, one of the boys.
"I can't stand much of this," put in Bruce Browning. "It is enough to
drive one crazy."
The boys had just entered the outer portals of a Chinese theatre,
located in Chinatown, the Celestial portion of San Francisco. There was
a great crowd, and it was only with difficulty that they made their way
along the narrow and gloomy passages leading to the theatre proper.
Frank Merriwell and his chums from Yale College had filled in their
summer vacation by a trip on bicycles from New York to San Francisco.
They had had numerous adventures, but had come out "right side up with
care," as Frank put it.
The party was composed of Frank Merriwell, Harry Rattleton, a former
roommate at Yale; Jack Diamond, from Virginia; Bruce Browning, fat, lazy
and good-natured; and Toots, a colored boy from the Merriwell homestead.
On reaching California, Frank had fallen in with Bart Hodge, a
schoolmate of years gone by, when Frank had attended Fardale Military
Academy. Bart had been in serious trouble, and it was Frank who helped
him out of it. For some time Hodge had found it best to "keep shady,"
and his troubles were not yet a thing of the past.
As the boys walked farther into the entrance of the Chinese theatre, a
clanging medley of the most horrible sounds came up from the passage
that lay at the foot of a steep flight of stairs.
Frank Merriwell laughed.
"That is music, old fellow!" he said.
Then came another burst of sounds, more horrible than the first, if
possible. There was a banging of brass, a clanging of gongs, a roaring
of drums, and a wild shrieking and wailing as of ten thousand fiddles
cut of tune.
Jack jabbed his fingers into his ears and actually turned pale.
"Music!" he gasped--"that music? That is enough to drive any man crazy!
It is the most frightful thing I ever heard. Music! You are joking,
Merriwell!"
"Not a bit of it," declared Frank. "Aren't we on our way to witness a
play in a Chinese theatre?"
"Well, I supposed so, but it strikes me now that this is one of your
jokes. You have put up a job on me. You are trying to horse me."
"Nothing of the sort, my dear boy."
Jack still continued suspicious.
"Who ever heard of such a way of getting into a theatre?" he exclaimed.
"We entered a narrow door in an old building, came through a long, dark
passage, climbed stairs, descended stairs, turned, twisted, climbed more
stairs, turned again, and now here we are with another flight of stairs
before us. A fine way of getting into a theatre!"
"That is the way the Chinese do the trick. Eh, John?"
The Chinaman who had been acting as their guide, and who stood on the
first stair, waiting for them to follow him downward, nodded his head,
saying:
"Allee samee legler way."
"It may be the regular way," admitted Jack; "but I doubt if I could find
my way out of here alone. This would be a fine place to run an enemy
into if one wished to murder him secretly. There would be little danger
that the police would ever find out anything about it."
Frank made a signal to the guide, and then the trio slowly descended the
stairs, which were dimly lighted by paper-shaded lamps.
At the foot of the stairs the boys passed a door that stood open,
enabling them to look into a room that was filled with bunks, upon many
of which lay Chinamen who were sleeping or smoking opium. The powerful
odor of "dope" that came from that room was sickening.
Then they came to an ordinary step-ladder that led downward again.
Jack halted in dismay.
"Why," he said, "we must be underground now! Where are we going?"
"To the theatre, dear boy. Hear the music."
"Why will you persist in calling it that? It seems that those sounds
come from the infernal regions, and this passage must lead down to the
old fellow's reception-room."
"Glit to theatal plitty soon," assured the guide.
Down the ladder they went, and then, at an open door, paid an admission
fee, after which they entered a room that was packed with human beings
and was not at all well ventilated.
The room had a low ceiling, from which Chinese lanterns were suspended,
shedding a soft light over the scene, which was so strange that it
actually seemed weird to the American visitors.
At either side of the theatre was a space railed off and raised somewhat
above the level of the general floor. This was reserved for women, and
was well filled. In the pit sat a closely packed throng of men, all with
hats upon their heads.
There were a great number of Caucasian visitors, drawn to the place by
curiosity.
The stage was on a level with the raised portion reserved for women, and
it was filled with actors, many of whom were richly dressed in oriental
robes.
Instead of sitting in front of the stage, like an American orchestra,
the musicians were on the stage.
As for scenery, there was none to speak of, save a few movable screens.
It was not thought necessary to attempt to please the eye further than
in the matter of costumes.
As no female actors are ever permitted on the stage of a Chinese
theatre, the female _roles_ were played by youths, who were carefully
made up for their parts.
The Chinese guide found seats for Frank and Jack, but retired himself to
the back of the room, where he stood and waited till they should see
enough of the show and wish to go.
The audience never applauded, although there was a quick rippling
response to what seemed to be an occasional witty passage or clever
situation.
But the musicians--the musicians wearied and tortured Jack Diamond's
soul. They were there to accentuate the emotional parts of the play, and
they seemed bent upon doing their duty and doing it fully. At times they
poured forth a maddening volume of sounds, and then they seemed to get
weary and rest, with the exception of two or three stringed instruments,
which sawed, and squeaked, and squawled, and growled, and muttered till
the Virginian's blood was cold and his hair standing like porcupine
quills.
"Frightful! frightful!" he gasped.
Frank chuckled with satisfaction. It was a new experience for Diamond,
and Merriwell was enjoying it as one always enjoys introducing his
friends to something new and novel.
"My dear fellow," whispered Frank, "I fear your ear is not educated to
appreciate the beauties of Chinese music."
"Music! music! Why, a boiler factory in full blast makes better music
than this!"
"You are prejudiced. It is a fact that their music is based on ah
established scale and a scientific theory."
"Oh, come! that's too much! Why, see, those players have no leader, and
every man is going it alone for himself. It is exactly the same as if
every person in one of our orchestras should play a different tune than
anybody else and all play at the same time--only I don't believe these
heathens are playing tunes at all. They are just hammering, and tooting,
and sawing away, and letting it go at that."
"It does seem so," confessed Frank, "although at certain points they all
come together with a grand burst, like sprinters making a dash."
Jack's hand dropped on Frank's wrist.
"Look!" he excitedly whispered, pointing to a Chinaman who had risen
amid the spectators at a short distance. "What is that fellow going to
do? I saw him conceal a knife in his sleeve."
"And he acts as if he meant to use it on some one," said Frank, made
suspicious by the fellow's manner. "That's exactly what he is up to!"
But the Chinaman did not succeed in his purpose, for a stout youth
suddenly arose from a seat and gave the heathen a terrific crack on the
jaw, knocking him down in a twinkling.
"Take thot, ye thafe av th' worruld!" cried the one who had delivered
the blow. "It's Barney Mulloy thot wur watchin' yez all th' toime, ye
haythen spalpane!"
"Barney Mulloy!"
Frank uttered the name in a joyous cry of recognition; but his voice was
drowned by the sudden uproar in the theatre. Men sprang to their feet,
and women screamed.
Frank caught Jack by the arm, shouting in his ear: "Come, we must stand
by that fellow! He is an old friend of mine!"
"I am with you," assured Diamond, who had good fighting blood, which was
easily aroused.
They forced their way through the throng which surrounded the boy who
had struck the Chinaman.
"Barney!" cried Frank.
"Mother av Mowses!" shouted the Irish lad in amazement. "Is it mesilf
thot's gone crazy, or am Oi dramin'?"
"Not a dream," assured Merry, as he grasped Barney's hand.
"Is it yesilf, Frankie?"
"It is!"
"Dunder und blitzens!" cried another voice at Frank's side. "Uf id don't
peen Vrankie Merriwell, you vos a liar!"
Then Frank's amazement and wonder was complete, for he was grasped and
hugged by the arms of a fat boy who was laughing all over his fat, jolly
face, and that boy was Hans Dunnerwust, who, with Mulloy, had known him
at Fardale Academy when all were students there.
"Hans! Why, where--how----"
But Frank was given no time for questions, as an angry crowd was
pressing about them, and they were in danger.
Merriwell lifted his voice, crying:
"Every American in the place should stand by us! My friend struck the
Chinaman because he saw him draw a knife, and the blow was delivered in
self-defense."
Several voices answered, and bursting through the crowd came three men
in yachting suits, who assured the boys that they would stand by them.
The yachtmen seemed to be on a lark, and they took great delight in
knocking Chinamen right and left, which they did in a highly
entertaining manner.
"For the door!" cried Frank, commandingly. "We must get out of here!"
For the door they rushed, sweeping everything before them. Crack! crack!
crack! sounded the blows of the yachtsmen's fists, and they gave a
hoarse cheer that seemed to have in it the boom of the surf on a rocky
coast.
"Hurro!" shouted Barney Mulloy, in a wild fever of excitement. "It's
mesilf thot's not been in a bit av a scrap loike this fer a wake! It's
fun, it is! Git out av th' way, ye pig-tailed rat-'aters! Ye nivver wur
made ter live in a whoite man's country at all, at all!"
"Say, you nefer saw such a fight as this, did I?" cried the Dutch boy,
flourishing his arms in a furious manner and striking friends almost as
often as foes. "Uf this don'd peat der pand, you don'd toldt me so!"
With a few exceptions, the Chinamen did not seem at all anxious to get
in the way of the Americans. It was not the first occasion when an
affair of a similar nature had occurred in a Chinese theatre.
Sometimes some of the bloods of the town would come down into Chinatown
full of wine and "good intentions," and it was their custom to end the
racket whenever possible by "cleaning out" a Chinese theatre.
Many of the spectators on this occasion believed it was a pre-arranged
plan to clean out the theatre, and so they made haste to get out
themselves as soon as possible.
The boys and their sailor friends were among those who early rushed out
through the door, and they clambered up the step-ladder with no small
haste.
It was not difficult to find their way out, for it was only necessary to
follow the crowd. Now and then a few of the Chinamen disappeared by
means of side doors, but the most of them kept straight on to the open
air.
The main streets of the quarter were lighted by paper lanterns, which
gave out a dim, mellow light, beneath which the oriental throng looked
strange and fantastic.
To Frank it seemed as if they were in Pekin instead of the American city
of San Francisco.
Barney Mulloy laughed heartily.
"Did yez ivver see th' bate av thot?" he cried. "It's th' divvil's own
ruction it wur, but nivver a Chink came back fer a sicond dose afther
gettin' a chrack av me fist."
"Dot's vot's der madder mit Hannah!" put in Hans. "Ven I hit somepody my
fist mit they nefer lif to dell uf him. Yah!"
"They nivver knew ye shtruck thim, ye Dutch chase," said Barney,
contemptuously.
"Dot vos righd," agreed Dunnerwust. "Ven I hit nopody it alvays means
sutten death."
"G'won!" snorted the Irish boy. Then Barney caught hold of Frank once
more, and gave him a genuine bear hug.
"Begorra! Oi thought Oi'd nivver see yez again, Frankie!" he cried. "Oi
hearrud ye wur in Yale Collige, an' it's yersilf Oi thought moight get
such a great gintlemon ye'd care nivver a bit to see yer ould fri'nds
any more at all, at all."
"You should know me better than that, Barney," said Frank, protestingly.
"No matter what happens to me, you may be sure I'll always be true to my
old friends."
"Dot vos righdt!" grinned Hans. "Vrankie Merriwell nefer goes pack on
his friendts, ur don'd you pelief me. He vas all righdt vrom der top uf
his headt ubvard."
Other visitors kept pouring from the small door that had admitted them
to the passage leading to the theatre, and one of the sailors, a
handsome-looking man with a full beard, said:
"I think, we'll get away from here, as the police seem to have a grudge
against any one in a sailor's suit, and this racket may bring some of
them down here."
Immediately Frank said:
"We owe you thanks, sir, for the aid you gave us in getting out of a bad
scrape. You responded to my appeal for help immediately, and----"
The man interrupted with a laugh.
"We were only too glad of a chance to do it, as we were looking for a
good opportunity to smash a few Chinks in the mug. Eh, boys?"
"That's right," nodded his companions.
Merriwell looked at the men curiously, and he saw they were anything but
ordinary sailors. All were fine-appearing men, and they spoke like
persons of education.
"We will go along with you, if you don't mind," he said. "I think we
have seen quite enough of Chinatown to suffice for to-night. What do you
say, fellows?"
"I am sure I have," said Diamond.
"And Oi," nodded Barney.
"You vos anodder," grinned Hans, who meant to say he was quite willing
to leave Chinatown for the night.
So the little party moved away, and as they went along the leader of the
yachtsmen said:
"My name is Chandler and I am stopping at the Baldwin. Have been
cruising in my yacht with several friends, but just now I am trying to
sell her, as some business has arisen which defeats my plans for a
summer's outing."
Frank introduced himself, and in a short time the boys were chatting
freely with the yachtsmen, who proved to be rather jolly gentlemen.
Passing out of Chinatown they were soon on Market Street, and a walk of
a few blocks brought them to the hotel where Merriwell and the friends
who had accompanied him on the bicycle tour across the continent were
stopping.
Chandler wished to go in and "blow off," but Frank insisted that none of
the party drank.
"If that is the case, you are a queer set of college lads," said
Chandler, with a laugh. "I never saw a college boy who would not swim in
beer every chance he found."
"There are exceptions, you see."
"I see, and I consider it most remarkable. Will you smoke?"
But Frank declined to drink or smoke, shook hands with his accidentally
found friends, and they parted.
"Now," he said, addressing Barney and Hans, "you must come in and see
our rooms."
They entered the hotel and ascended in the elevator to the floor on
which the boys had their rooms.
A few minutes later Barney and Hans were thoroughly at home.