Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

Harry Castlemon

Description

Harry Castlemon was the nom de plume of Charles Austin Fosdick, a writer who penned dozens of juvenile action-adventure tales. Many of his stories feature an indefatigable young protagonist known as Frank. In this installment of the series, Frank spends time tending to horses and cattle on a sprawling California ranch.

Sujets

• Children's

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 août 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776528288
• Langue: English

Extrait

FRANK AT DON CARLOS' RANCHO
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HARRY CASTLEMON
 
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Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho First published in 1868 ISBN 978-1-77652-828-8 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter I - All About Horses Chapter II - About Bears Chapter III - A Strange Story Chapter IV - “Old Davy” Chapter V - A Running Fight Chapter VI - Don Carlos' Rancho Chapter VII - A Heavy Reward Chapter VIII - Archie Learns Something Chapter IX - Archie and Beppo Chapter X - Archie Makes a Bold Dash Chapter XI - A Companion in Trouble Chapter XII - Frank's Adventures Chapter XIII - An Old Acquaintance Chapter XIV - The Don in Trouble Chapter XV - The Bridge of Clouds Chapter XVI - A Race in the Dark Chapter XVII - Conclusion
Chapter I - All About Horses
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Archie Winters found that he had been mistaken in the opinions he hadformed concerning life in California. When he first arrived at hisuncle’s rancho, he had declared that the fun and excitement were allover, and that he and Frank were destined to drag out a weary,monotonous existence until the time came for them to return home. ButArthur Vane, with the assistance of Pierre Costello and his band, hadmade things exceedingly lively for him and Frank, and now they wereboth willing to acknowledge that they had had much more than theywanted of perilous adventure.
The time never hung heavily on their hands, for there was alwayssomething interesting going on. First, Dick Thomas returned from SanFrancisco, and he and Johnny Harris became constant visitors at Mr.Winters’s rancho. Then came several unsuccessful hunts after a grizzlybear, which persisted in breaking into the cow-pen every night, andfinally an incident happened that brought about a long string ofadventures, and raised Frank and Archie higher than ever in theestimation of the settlers. On the morning on which we introduce them,they, together with Johnny and Dick, were gathered in a room in Mr.Winters’s rancho—the same room in which Frank had had one of thosememorable encounters with the highwayman—talking the matter over.
The boys were in a state of siege. Every opening, except theport-holes, through which a breath of air might find its way in tothem, was closed, and the room was as hot as an oven. They wereperspiring like butchers; but not one of them thought of throwing opena door or window. Frank was stretched out on the bed, drumming on hisguitar; Archie was walking restlessly up and down the floor,thrashing his boots with his riding whip; Dick Thomas was looking upat the pictures on the walls; and Johnny Harris was standing with hisface close to one of the port-holes, fanning himself vigorously withhis hat. Silence reigned in the room, broken only by the crack ofArchie’s whip, and light footsteps outside the door, with which wereoccasionally mingled low angry growls, and the rattling of a chain.None of the boys had spoken during the last ten minutes; and that, tothose who knew them, would have been sufficient evidence that theywere thinking about something exciting.
“Frank,” said Archie, at last, “why don’t you stop that noise? I don’tsee how you can lie there and pound on that thing. One would think youwere making merry over our misfortune.”
Frank very good-naturedly laid down the obnoxious guitar, and placinghis hands under his head, looked at Archie as if waiting to hear whathe had to say next.
“I would do something desperate, if I only had half a chance,”continued the latter, shaking his fist in the air, and flourishinghis whip about so recklessly that Dick retreated into a corner, out ofhis reach. “If I had those villains here I’d—I’d”—
“O, take it easy,” said Frank. “I don’t see the use of making any fussabout it, for the mischief has been done, and we can’t help it.”
“Take it easy!” repeated Archie, in disgust, “how can I? It wouldprovoke any body in the world, except you, and you never get provokedat any thing. I don’t believe you are even sorry.”
“Yes, I am. I feel as badly about it as you do. I would not have lostRoderick for five hundred dollars. He carried me many a mile, and Iowned him so long that I had become greatly attached to him. He wasthe swiftest and best trained horse in the settlement.”
“Except mine,” returned Archie, quickly. “Would your horse walk on hishind legs, or pick up your hat or whip for you? Mine would; and ifRoderick was not once badly beaten by him in a fair race, no horse wasever beaten in the world.”
Frank and Archie, as we know, had been rivals from their earliestboyhood, and now they had enthusiastic opponents in Johnny and Dick.Each one insisted that he owned the best horse, the best dog, and thebest gun; and that he could beat the others at riding, running,jumping, wrestling, and throwing the lasso. They all made loud boasts,claiming superiority in every boyish accomplishment, but that was donemerely for sport; for each of them knew that, in some things, he was along way behind the others. The honors were about equally divided, theextra ones falling to the lot of Frank Nelson. He was the strongestfellow, the swiftest runner, the best shot with a rifle or revolver,and wonderfully expert in wrestling. Johnny Harris had once ridden awild mustang, which was so vicious and unruly that none of the otherboys could be induced to mount him, and consequently he was thechampion horseman. Archie was the best jumper, and, until within a fewdays, had owned a horse that was equal to any trick pony the boys hadever seen in a circus. Archie’s whole soul was wrapped up in thathorse, for he was the only one that had ever beaten Roderick in a fairrace. Dick Thomas was the happy possessor of a pack of splendidhounds, and could boast that he never missed his mark with the lasso.He had been a formidable rival for Archie in jumping, and for Frank inshooting and running; but had, at last, been compelled to give up thecontest, and acknowledge himself beaten.
Frank and Archie were in great trouble—they had lost their horses.The animals had gone the way a good many other chargers had goneduring the last three weeks, for nearly every farmer in thatneighborhood had to mourn the loss of some favorite nag, which haddisappeared, and left no trace behind. Every one said that there wasan organized band of horse-thieves around; but who they were, or whatthey did with their booty, could not be ascertained. Large rewards hadbeen offered; the ranches had been patrolled of nights; the settlershad turned out to a man, and searched every nook and corner of themountains they could get at; but, in spite of all their vigilancevaluable horses were stolen every night, and no traces could bediscovered of them or the robbers. The settlers seemed to have givenup all hopes of ever bringing the guilty parties to justice; for now,when a horse was missing, there was nothing done, and but little saidabout it. There was no blowing of horns, and gathering of armed men,as had been the case a few days before. The farmers smiled, said thatmisery loved company, and seemed to think no more about the matter;but they were wide awake, and every man was watching his neighbor. Mr.Winters had been a heavy loser, and now Frank and Archie had come infor a share of the trouble. Roderick and King James (that was the nameof the horse that had taken the place of Sleepy Sam in Archie’saffections) were gone, and of course the boys were highly indignant.One thing that made Archie so angry was the fact that no one, exceptJohnny and Dick, seemed to sympathize with him. Frank played livelytunes on his guitar, and advised him to “take it easy,” while UncleJames, when Archie reported his loss to him, poked him in the ribswith his finger, and said: “Aha! now you can have the pleasure ofgoing afoot, like the rest of us.”
There was no danger that the boys would be obliged to go afoot. Therewere plenty of fine horses on the ranch, and Dick and old Bob, andhalf a dozen other Rancheros, were ready and willing to capture andbreak any nag they might select; but was there a Roderick or a KingJames among all these horses? The lost steeds were regarded by theiryoung owners as perfect specimens of their species. They were sointelligent that they could be taught any thing that horses everlearned; so swift that nothing in the settlement could keep pace withthem; so restless and fiery that they would never stand still longenough for their masters to be fairly seated in the saddle; and yet sodocile that they could be managed, and driven any where, without abridle. Were there any horses on the rancho that possessed all thesegood qualities? The boys were sure there were not.
We must stop here long enough to tell how Archie came by his horse,and why he gave him that odd name.
We have spoken of Captain Porter, an old fur-trader, who owned arancho a few miles distant from the one belonging to Mr. Winters. Hewas a fleshy, jolly old gentleman, who always took a great deal ofinterest in every thing the boys did, and listened to the stories oftheir adventures with as much good nature as he exhibited in relatinghis own. Having lived on the frontier from his earliest boyhood, hehad seen a world of excitement and adventure; and the easy way he hadof recounting his exploits over his after-dinner pipe, proved anattraction too strong to be resisted by the boys, who scarcely alloweda day to pass without a visit to his rancho. They had a happy facultyof making friends wherever they went; and it was not long before theold