Jack Ranger's Western Trip - Or, from Boarding School to Ranch and Range

Clarence Young

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• Publié par: oddi
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 66
• Langue: English

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Western Trip, by Clarence Young #2 in our series
by Clarence Young
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Title: Jack Ranger's Western Trip From BoardingSchool to Ranch and Range
Author: Clarence Young
Release Date: February, 2005 [EBook #7496]
[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of
schedule] [This file was first posted on May 11,
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Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK JACK RANGER'S WESTERN TRIP ***
Charles Franks
[Illustration: THE THREE RIFLES SOUNDED AS
ONE.]JACK RANGER'S WESTERN
TRIP
Or
From Boarding School to Ranch and Range
BY
CLARENCE YOUNGCONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. FUN AT WASHINGTON HALL II. JACK IN
TROUBLE III. A THREATENING LETTER IV. A
LESSON IN CHEMISTRY V. TURNING THE
TABLES VI. A PLAN THAT FAILED VII. FOILING
A PLOT VIII. THE BURGLAR SCARE IX. NAT'S
INVITATION X. A MEETING WITH CHOWDEN XI.
A GRAND WIND-UP XII. HO! FOR THE WEST
XIII. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE XIV.
PROFESSOR PUNJAB'S TRICK XV. SHOOTING
AN OIL WELL XVI. MR. POST'S ADVENTURE
XVII. THE WILD STEER XVIII. THE OLD
STOCKMAN XIX. A THIEF IN THE NIGHT XX. A
STRANGE SEANCE XXI. FINDING ORION TEVIS
XXII. JACK HEARS OF HIS FATHER XXIII. ON
THE RANCH XXIV. THE OLD MAN XXV. THE
COWBOY'S TRICK XXVI. JACK'S WILD RIDE
XXVII. THE CATTLE STAMPEDE XXVIII.
HUNTING MOUNTAIN LIONS XXIX. LOST ON
THE MOUNTAIN XXX. A VIEW OF GOLDEN
GLOW XXXI. JACK AND NAT PRISONERS
XXXII. THE ESCAPE XXXIII. DOWN THE
SLUICEWAY XXXIV. JACK'S GREAT FIND XXXV.
THE ROUND-UP—CONCLUSIONCHAPTER I
FUN AT WASHINGTON HALL
"Now then, are you all ready?" inquired a voice in a
hoarse whisper.
"Galloping grasshoppers! We're as ready as we
ever will be, Jack
Ranger!" replied one from a crowd of boys
gathered on the campus of
Washington Hall that evening in June.
"Nat Anderson, if you speak again, above a
whisper," said Jack
Ranger, the leader, sternly, "you will have to play
'Marching Through
Georgia' as a solo on a fine tooth comb seven
times without
stopping!"
"Sneezing snakes! 'Nuff said!" exclaimed Nat, this
time in the required whisper. "Playing combs
always makes my lips tickle."
"Now then, is every one ready?" asked Jack again.
"If you are, come on, for it's getting late and we'll
have to do this job quick and be back before Dr.
Mead thinks it is time to send Martin the monitor
after us. Forward march!"
Then the crowd of boys, from the boarding schoolThen the crowd of boys, from the boarding school
of Dr. Henry Mead, known as Washington Hall, but
sometimes called Lakeside Academy, from the fact
that it was on Rudmore Lake, in the town of
Rudmore, started forth on mischief bent.
It was Jack Ranger's idea,—any one could have
told that. For Jack was always up to some trick or
other. Most of the tricks were harmless, and ended
in good-natured fun, for Jack was one of the best-
hearted lads in the world. This time he had
promised his chums at the academy something
new, though the term, which was within a month of
closing, had been anything but lacking in
excitement.
"Fred Kaler, have you got your mouth organ with
you?" asked Jack, turning to a lad just behind him.
"He always has his mouth-organ, or how could he
speak?" asked an athletic looking lad walking
beside Jack.
"That's a poor joke, Sam Palmer," commented
Jack, and he ducked just in time to avoid a playful
fist Sam shot out.
"Want me to play?" asked Fred.
"Play? You couldn't play in a hundred years," broke
in Nat Anderson,
Jack's best chum. "But make a noise like music."
"Play yourself, if you're so smart!" retorted Fred.
"Simultaneous Smithereens!" cried Nat, using oneof his characteristic expressions. "Don't get mad.
Go ahead and play."
"Yes, liven things up a bit," went on Jack. "Give us
a good marching tune. We're far enough off now
so none at the Hall can hear us."
Fred blew a lively air and the score of boys behind
him began to march in step.
"What is it this time?" asked Sam in a low tone, of
Jack. "You haven't let on a word."
"We're going to administer a deserved rebuke to a
certain character in this town," Jack answered.
"You've heard of Old Smelts, haven't you?"
"That fellow who's always beating his wife and
hitting his little girl?"
"That's the old chap. Well, I heard he just got out
of the lock-up for being too free with his fists on the
little girl. Now if there's anything that makes me
mad it's to see a kid hurt, girl or boy, it doesn't
matter. I've got a surprise in store for Mr. Smelts."
"What is it?"
"You've heard of the Klu-Klux-Klan, I suppose?"
"You mean that southern society that made such a
stir during the
Civil War?"
"That's the one. We're going to be Klu-Klux-Klanersto-night."
"But we haven't got any uniforms."
"You'll find them in yonder wood!" exclaimed Jack
in tragic tones, and he pointed to a clump of trees
just ahead.
"What's this, amateur theatricals?" asked Nat,
catching the last words.
"Maybe," replied Jack. "Now Fred you can pay off
your orchestra," he added. "I want to do a little
monologue."
The boys crowded around Jack, and he told them
what he had related to
Sam.
"I have provided the necessary uniforms to enable
us to take the part of Klu-Klux-Klaners," he said.
"Old Smelts is a southerner and knows the
significance of the thing. We'll throw a good scare
into him, and maybe he'll let his wife and daughter
alone. Now we're to put on the sheets and the tall
white helmets, and you leave the rest to me. Do
just as I do when we get to Smelts's house."
"Hemispheres and hot handkerchiefs!" exclaimed
Nat. "This is going some!"
Jack went to the foot of a big hollow tree, from
which he pulled a large bundle. This he opened and
showed a number of ghostly uniforms. He
distributed these among the boys, who at once