Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. 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.