Frank Merriwell's Bravery Read online

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  "The outlaws entered Cade's Canyon amid the mountains andfinally 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.

  logo for Boys' Own Library]

  PHILADELPHIADAVID McKAY, PUBLISHER610 SOUTH WASHINGTON SQUARE

  Copyright, 1903By 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 beencreated for this electronic edition. Some illustrations have been movedto positions closer to their appearance in the text.]

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  "The outlaws entered Cade's Canyon amid the mountains and finallyreached an old hut." (See page 63)

  "You must not linger here. * * * Even now the Destroying Ones may bemoving to fall upon you." (See page 124)

  "The grizzly folded Frank in his embrace, crushing the lad against hisshaggy breast." (See page 205)

  "Frank brought the butt of his Winchester to his shoulder, and began towork 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 anyone else.

  Frank was westbound, from Oklahoma City at the time, continuing theextensive tour mapped out after his Uncle Asher had died and left him somuch money.

  As readers of former books in this series know, Frank was not making thetour alone. Professor Scotch, his guardian, was with him as was alsoBarney Mulloy, his old schoolmate from Fardale. But, as the professorand 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 followingaccount 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 toorganize 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 seatbeside the young traveler, without as much as saying "by your leave.""The people out here do not seem to mind these things. I suppose theyare used to them."

  Frank glanced the speaker over, with a pair of searching, brown eyes. Hesaw a slender figure in a well-worn suit of gray. The striking featuresof the man's face were his eyes and his nose. His eyes were too neartogether, and his nose was long and pointed. He was smooth-shaved, andthere was a cunning, foxy look about his face.

  Frank did not seem in any hurry about speaking; he continued to inspectthe man, who moved restlessly beneath the scrutiny, and said:

  "I have not been very long in this country, but I have noted thepeculiarities of the people. They do not seem to have time to bothermuch about an affair like this train hold-up, and the shooting of anoccasional tenderfoot, as they call all Easterners. If they shouldhappen to capture Black Harr
y, they would give him their full attentionfor a short time--a very short time. They would be pretty sure to lynchhim, 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 aregular trial. To be sure, this train robbery and tragedy occurred inIndian Territory, but I understand that Hank Kildare, the sheriff atElreno, has offered three hundred dollars reward for the capture ofBlack 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 aboutBlack Harry's chances, if he is captured, is quite true--he will belynched."

  "Oh, it is not certain, of course; he might obtain protection byofficers 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 atpresent."

  "I should presume it might be. Dawson, the wounded banker, is there?"

  "And his daughter--can she identify this young desperado the moment shesees 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 hewould 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 mightput on a bold face, and show yourself in Elreno, while everybody outsidethat 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 faras to take the train to Elreno from some place that would make it seemthat he could not have been in the locality where the hold-up wascommitted. 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 therobbery and this morning--do you think so?"

  "Well, it is very likely. What do you think, Mr.--ah--er--I beg yourpardon?"

  "My name is Frank Merriwell."

  "Really?"

  Walker lifted his eyebrows in a very odd manner, which Frank did notfail to observe.

  "You appear as if you doubted me," came a trifle warmly from the lad'slips, 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 morepointed than ever. It was a nose that reminded the boy of aninterrogation point. It seemed built to thrust itself into otherpeople'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 hisinquisitive companion. Still, he was courteous and cool, holding himselfin check.

  "I presume your companions are older than yourself?" questioned theprying 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 whereit was. And I do not remember your name. Do you mind giving me the namesof your traveling companions?"

  "Not at all. They are Professor Horace Orman Tyler Scotch, of FardaleMilitary Academy, sometimes known as 'Hot' Scotch, as he has a pepperytemper, 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 notrecovered from it yet. The latter was a classmate of mine at Fardale,and he is traveling with me as a friendly companion, which he canafford 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 willprovided that, in order to broaden my knowledge of the world, I shouldtravel in company with my guardian. He selected Professor Scotch as aproper man to become my guardian, and specified that I might take alonga schoolmate as a companion, if I so desired."

  "Re-e-markable!" cried Walker. "A most astonishing will! And how does ithappen 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 notcare to do so. I left them at Caldwell, in Kansas, with theunderstanding that they were to proceed to Elreno, and wait for methere."

  "H'm!"

  Walker's nose seemed pointing at the boy like an accusing finger. Doubtwas expressed all over that foxy face.

  "You tell it well," said the man, with another queer lifting of his thineyebrows.

  "What do you mean by that?" demanded the youth, sharply, wheelingsquarely toward Walker. "Do you insinuate that I am not telling thetruth?"

  Before Walker could reply, a commotion arose in the seat directly behindthem.