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[Illustration: "The outlaws entered Cade's Canyon amid the mountains and
finally reached an old hut." (See page 63)]
FRANK MERRIWELL'S BRAVERY
BY BURT L. STANDISH
Author of "Frank Merriwell's School Days," "Frank Merriwell's Chums,"
etc.
[Illustration: logo for Boys' Own Library]
PHILADELPHIA
DAVID McKAY, PUBLISHER
610 SOUTH WASHINGTON SQUARE
Copyright, 1903
By STREET & SMITH
Frank Merriwell's Bravery
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I--Two Travelers 9
II--"Hands up!" 16
III--A Thrilling Accusation 21
IV--For Life and Honor 29
V--Hurried to Jail 35
VI--Solomon Shows His Nerve 43
VII--In Jail 50
VIII--The Lynchers 55
IX--The Assault on the Jail 62
X--In Cade's Canyon 68
XI--Black Harry Appears 73
XII--A Chance in a Thousand 77
XIII--A Thrilling Rescue 84
XIV--Walter Clyde's Story 90
XV--Professor Septemas Scudmore 96
XVI--The Mad Inventor 102
XVII--Gone 109
XVIII--Miskel 114
XIX--Old Solitary 122
XX--Mouth of the Cave 130
XXI--Human Beasts 137
XXII--Professor Scudmore Returns 145
XXIII--Last of the Danites 152
XXIV--Yellowstone Park 159
XXV--Fay 164
XXVI--Old Rocks 170
XXVII--The Hermit 176
XXVIII--Vanishing of Little Fay 181
XXIX--Face to Face 188
XXX--Search for the Trail 195
XXXI--A Fight with Grizzlies 201
XXXII--Trailed Down 207
XXXIII--The Rescue 214
XXXIV--In Sand Cave 219
XXXV--A Peculiar Girl 231
XXXVI--Friends and Foes 237
XXXVII--Boy Shadowers 243
XXXVIII--"Queer" Money 249
XXXIX--Pursued 255
XL--Eluded 261
XLI--Big Gabe 267
XLII--Over the Precipice 273
XLIII--A Frightful Peril 280
XLIV--A Girl's Mad Leap 285
XLV--Queen of the Counterfeiters 292
XLVI--After the Fight 298
[Transcriber's Note: The following list of illustrations has been
created for this electronic edition. Some illustrations have been moved
to positions closer to their appearance in the text.]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
"The outlaws entered Cade's Canyon amid the mountains and finally
reached an old hut." (See page 63)
"You must not linger here. * * * Even now the Destroying Ones may be
moving to fall upon you." (See page 124)
"The grizzly folded Frank in his embrace, crushing the lad against his
shaggy breast." (See page 205)
"Frank brought the butt of his Winchester to his shoulder, and began to
work the weapon." (See page 296)
Frank Merriwell's Bravery.
CHAPTER I.
TWO TRAVELERS.
"Well, that's a pretty nervy piece of business!"
It was Frank Merriwell who spoke the words, more to himself than to any
one else.
Frank was westbound, from Oklahoma City at the time, continuing the
extensive tour mapped out after his Uncle Asher had died and left him so
much money.
As readers of former books in this series know, Frank was not making the
tour alone. Professor Scotch, his guardian, was with him as was also
Barney Mulloy, his old schoolmate from Fardale. But, as the professor
and Barney had not wanted to stop at Oklahoma, they had gone on ahead,
leaving Frank to catch up with them later.
The "nervy piece of business" to which Frank referred was the following
account of a hold-up published in a leading Oklahoma newspaper:
"BLACK HARRY'S LATEST STROKE.
"HE HOLDS UP AN EXPRESS TRAIN, AND SHOOTS AN EASTERN BANKER.
"As we go to press, an imperfect account of Black Harry's latest
outrage reaches us from Elreno. Ten days ago this youthful
desperado was unknown to fame, but within that number of days he
has left a red trail from the Texas Panhandle to the Canadian
River. He began by raiding Moore's ranch, and killing a cowboy, and
he and his band of desperadoes, which he calls his 'Braves,' have
robbed and plundered and burned and murdered at their own sweet
will, till the climax was capped last night by the holding up of
the northbound express on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific,
shortly after leaving Chickasha and crossing the Washita. Between
Chickasha and Minco is a twenty-mile stretch of desolate track, and
a better place for a train hold-up could not be found.
"Just how the express was stopped we do not know at present, but
the trick was accomplished, and Black Harry and his Braves boarded
the cars. Strangely enough, they did not attempt to enter the
express car, but were satisfied to go through the train hastily and
relieve the passengers of their valuables. In this work, Black
Harry took the lead; but Mr. Robert Dawson, an Eastern banker, who
happened to have quite a sum on his person, objected, and snatched
the mask from the young ruffian's face. Before the eyes of Miss
Lona Dawson, who was traveling with her father, Black Harry
deliberately shot the banker down, and then relieved him of his
watch, diamond pin, and pocketbook, having first re-covered his
face with the mask.
"The robbers made a hasty but very thorough job of it, leaping from
the train at a signal from their boy leader, and quickly
disappearing in the darkness. But Black Harry's face was seen
fairly by the banker's horrified daughter, and by several other
passengers, so there will be no trouble in identifying him if he is
captured. Sheriff Kildare, of Canadian County, is aroused, and
Burchel Jones, an Eastern detective, has promised to round up Black
Harry within a very short time. Let us hope, for the good of the
Territory, that the young ruffian's career may be quickly
terminated, and that he may receive his just due at the hands of
the law.
"Mr. Dawson was taken to Elreno, where a surgical operation was
performed. He is still alive, but his chance of recovery is small.
His daughter, who seems to be a girl of spirit, has stated that, if
her father dies, she will know no rest nor spare no expense till
Black Harry is run to earth."
The article terminated abruptly, showing it had been hastily written,
and had been inserted at the last moment before publication.
"Truly an outrage!" Frank continued. "It would be a good scheme to
organize a hunting party, and give this Black Harry a run for it."
"Just my idea," said an oily voice, as a man slipped into the seat
beside the young traveler, without as much as saying "by your leave."
"The people out here do not seem to mind these things. I suppose they
are used to them."
Frank glanced the speaker over, with a pair of searching, brown eyes. He
saw a slender figure in a well-worn suit of gray. The striking features
of the man's face were his eyes and his nose. His eyes were too near
together, and his nose was long and pointed. He was smooth-shaved, and
there was a cunning, foxy look about his face.
Frank did not seem in any hurry about speaking; he continued to inspect
the man, who moved restlessly beneath the scrutiny, and said:
"I have not been very long in this country, but I have noted the
peculiarities of the people. They do not seem to have time to bother
much about an affair like this train hold-up, and the shooting of an
occasional tenderfoot, as they call all Easterners. If they should
happen to capture Black Harry, they would give him their full attention
for a short time--a very short time. They would be pretty sure to lynch
him, as they would consider that the easiest way of disposing of him,
and they would not consider it worth while to spend time in giving him a
regular trial. To be sure, this train robbery and tragedy occurred in
Indian Territory, but I understand that Hank Kildare, the sheriff at
Elreno, has offered three hundred dollars reward for the capture of
Black Harry himself, and fifty dollars each for his men. Er--ah--ahem!
My name is--Walker. I am from Jersey."
Frank bowed.
"How do you do, Mr.--er--ah--Walker. I presume that what you say about
Black Harry's chances, if he is captured, is quite true--he will be
lynched."
"Oh, it is not certain, of course; he might obtain protection by
officers of the law. But he would stand a good show of being lynched.
And Elreno is the worst place in Oklahoma for him to show his face in at
present."
"I should presume it might be. Dawson, the wounded banker, is there?"
"And his daughter--can she identify this young desperado the moment she
sees him?"
"Without doubt."
"Black Harry will be very foolish if he goes to Elreno."
"He is not likely to go there, I fancy."
"I don't know about that. He is a dare-devil fellow."
"So it seems."
"And he might take a fancy that Elreno would be the last place where he
would be expected to appear, and so he would go there."
"He might do that."
"Now, in your own case, if you were Black Harry, for instance, you might
put on a bold face, and show yourself in Elreno, while everybody outside
that town would be on the lookout for you."
"Possibly, you are right."
"I think such a trick would be very like Black Harry. He might go so far
as to take the train to Elreno from some place that would make it seem
that he could not have been in the locality where the hold-up was
committed. If he were to come into Elreno on this train, for instance,
it would be a blind."
"How far is Oklahoma City from the place where the train was robbed?"
"Between thirty and forty miles, direct."
"That distance could be made on horseback between the time of the
robbery and this morning--do you think so?"
"Well, it is very likely. What do you think, Mr.--ah--er--I beg your
pardon?"
"My name is Frank Merriwell."
"Really?"
Walker lifted his eyebrows in a very odd manner, which Frank did not
fail to observe.
"You appear as if you doubted me," came a trifle warmly from the lad's
lips, while the color rushed to his cheeks.
"Oh, not at all--not at all! You are in Oklahoma on business?"
"No, sir."
"Not?"
"No."
"Pleasure?"
"Yes, sir."
"How? Traveling?"
"I am."
"Alone?"
"No."
"Didn't notice you had company."
"I have not, at present."
"H'm! Ha! Your friends--are they on this train?"
"No, sir."
Walker elevated his eyebrows again. His nose seemed longer and more
pointed than ever. It was a nose that reminded the boy of an
interrogation point. It seemed built to thrust itself into other
people's business.
"Ha! Not on the train?"
"No."
"You expect to meet them?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"In Elreno."
"How many of them?"
"Two."
"No more?"
"No."
Frank was answering curtly, and his manner announced his dislike for his
inquisitive companion. Still, he was courteous and cool, holding himself
in check.
"I presume your companions are older than yourself?" questioned the
prying Jerseyite, his small eyes glistening.
"One is; the other is a boy about my age."
"Ha! H'm! Just so. You are from the East, I presume?"
"Yes, sir."
"It seems to me that I have seen you before, but I cannot remember where
it was. And I do not remember your name. Do you mind giving me the names
of your traveling companions?"
"Not at all. They are Professor Horace Orman Tyler Scotch, of Fardale
Military Academy, sometimes known as 'Hot' Scotch, as he has a peppery
temper, and the initials of his first three names form the word 'hot.'
The other is Barney Mulloy, a youth who was born in Ireland, and has not
recovered from it yet. The latter was a classmate of mine at Fardale,
and he is traveling with me as a friendly companion, which he can
afford to do, as I pay all the bills."
"Haw!" exclaimed Walker. "You must have money to burn!"
"No, I have not. My uncle left me a comfortable fortune, and his will
provided that, in order to broaden my knowledge of the world, I should
travel in company with my guardian. He selected Professor Scotch as a
proper man to become my guardian, and specified that I might take along
a schoolmate as a companion, if I so desired."
"Re-e-markable!" cried Walker. "A most astonishing will! And how does it
happen that you have become separated from your guardian and friend?"
"We were going through to Texas on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific.
I wished to visit Guthrie, the capital of Oklahoma, and they did not
care to do so. I left them at Caldwell, in Kansas, with the
understanding that they were to proceed to Elreno, and wait for me
there."
"H'm!"
Walker's nose seemed pointing at the boy like an accusing finger. Doubt
was expressed all over that foxy face.
"You tell it well," said the man, with another queer lifting of his thin
eyebrows.
"What do you mean by that?" demanded the youth, sharply, wheeling
squarely toward Walker. "Do you insinuate that I am not telling the
truth?"
Before Walker could reply, a commotion arose in the seat directly behind
them.