Dick Merriwell's Backers; Or, Well Worth Fighting For

CHAPTER LV.

Chapter 554,913 wordsPublic domain

A BEAUTIFUL BINGLE.

In the eighth inning Manhattan betrayed dangerous symptoms, for she made a run and filled the bases, with two men out. Kates then struck out the last batter.

But the score was now four to two. Jones urged his men to get after Hogan without delay, and they responded in a promising manner. In a sharp batting rally, they drove in a score, but a fancy double play cut short their chances of tying or taking the lead.

Manhattan abated none of its fierceness when the ninth opened. The first batter landed on Kates for a safe single. Following this, came a fierce drive that got away from Tucker, and two men were on bases.

A moment later Sam hit a batter on the hip, and the sacks were filled.

Marone coached jubilantly, announcing his belief that something like a dozen runs would be chalked down to Manhattan’s credit in the ninth.

It was the critical point of the game, and Kates got the rattles at last. Try as he might, he could not find the plate, and, as a result, he walked the next batter, forcing in a run.

“It’s all off,” announced Bill Toleman, to his companions in the stand. “He couldn’t find the rubber now to save his life.”

Dagett seized Toleman’s wrist.

“Look!” he said. “What’s that mean?”

“What?”

“Merriwell——”

“By Jove! Kates is going to the bench!” exclaimed Ditson. “Who’ll pitch?”

“Merriwell,” said Poland. “He’s going into the box as sure as fate.”

“But he has a lame shoulder,” snickered Dagett.

“He’s let Kates lose the game,” said Toleman, “and now he’s going to show off. It’s too late for him to do anything.”

“That’s right,” nodded Ditson. “The game is over. Merriwell ought to be batted after sitting on the bench and letting those fellows have their own way.”

Mike Marone stood, hands on his hips, and laughed as Dick walked out to pitch.

“Like to limber up a little, Merriwell?” he inquired. “Give you all the time you want.”

“Thanks for your generosity,” said Dick. “I don’t believe I’ll bother to limber up.”

“Wow! wow! wow!” barked O’Mora. “He don’t have to limber up! He thinks we’re easy.”

Dick received the ball, and toed the slab in a position to pitch with his left hand. He could not use his right, but he hoped to check the enemy, just the same. The first ball delivered was so wild that it came near getting past Buckhart, who stopped it by a marvelous sidelong leap.

“Wow! wow! wow!” came again from O’Mora. “What do you think of that? Better use your other hand, Merriwell. You can’t find the pan with your left.”

“Everybody run!” shouted Marone. “Score on the first passed ball!”

“There won’t be any,” muttered Buckhart, as he resumed his position behind the bat and gave Dick a signal.

The next ball pitched by Dick came over the plate. It looked good to the batter, but he simply popped up an easy fly that was taken by Otis Fitch.

“Don’t try to kill the ball!” shouted Marone. “Don’t try to knock the cover off! You can all hit it!”

“Sure you can hit it,” said Buckhart, in a low tone; “but hitting it safe is what counts.”

When Dick had fooled the next batter with two elusive benders, it began to look as if hitting the ball was not such an easy thing, after all. Forced into a corner, the batter finally lifted a high foul, which Buckhart got under and gathered in.

“That’s two, partner,” laughed the Texan, as he tossed the ball to Dick. “Why, they couldn’t hit you safely if you pitched with your feet.”

“Get in there, now,” urged Marone, as O’Mora trotted to the plate. “A little single is all we want. A little safety is the goods. You know where to put it, Mat.”

But suddenly Dick bored over a fast one, and O’Mora literally threw himself off his feet in the effort to get against it.

“Wow! wow! wow!” he yapped, as he picked himself up. “Where’d you get that speed, Merriwell? How can you do it with your little left? Be gentle! be gentle! Give me a chance to look at the ball when it comes over.”

“All right,” said Dick. “How’s this?”

He lobbed up a slow one, and O’Mora nearly broke his back reaching out to hit the ball before it was anywhere near the plate.

Marone snapped at the batter, and O’Mora shook his head with a comical look of dismay.

“I won’t strike out!” he muttered to himself. But that was precisely what he did do. Dick worked with all the craft at his command, and finally led O’Mora into reaching for a nasty curve which he could not touch.

Yale came to bat in the last of the ninth, with the score four to two against them.

“We’ve got to have two to tie and three to win,” said Dick cheerfully. “Here’s where we get them.”

But the wrong end of the batting list was up. Jones was to be followed by Spratt, Bigelow, and Fitch, the three weakest hitters on the team.

“Get to first, Blessed,” urged Merriwell. “Get there somehow.”

Although the captain felt that it might not do any good, he stalked forth and smote the ball a terrific crack that landed him on the initial sack.

“Hit and run, Spratt—that’s the game,” murmured Merriwell, as Jack walked out to the pan.

But Spratt simply lifted a high infield fly that was captured by Marone.

“Looks bad, partner,” whispered Buckhart, in Dick’s ear.

Merriwell made no reply. Claxton and Tucker were coaching. Bouncer Bigelow, looking pale and shaking like a jellyfish, walked out and swung with all his might at the first ball pitched by Hogan. The ball struck on the under side of the bat, shot down to the ground, and twisted off to one side with a queer, toplike motion.

Without the remotest idea as to what he had done, Bigelow hurled the bat straight up into the air and let himself out for first, while Jones went to second. It was a lucky stab, for the ball, after threatening to roll foul, stopped inside the base line, and Bouncer got a safe hit in this manner.

“Two to tie and three to win, Fitch,” said Dick, as the next batter left the bench.

Fitch had not touched the ball for the day. Hogan regarded the fellow as an easy mark. Otis surprised every one by smashing a hot grounder toward Marone, who made a startling stop, but juggled the ball and permitted the bases to fill. It was Merriwell’s turn to strike.

“Two to tie and three to win, partner,” said Buckhart, as Dick picked out a bat. “You’ve got to do it for us! You’ve got to save this game! Give us a bingle.”

Dick forgot his lame shoulder. He forgot everything except the necessity of getting a clean hit. After missing one of Hogan’s curves, he found the ball with a sharp, snapping swing, and lined it far into right field.

The Yale stand rose with a roar as it was seen that Hanley could not touch that long line drive. The ball struck the ground and went bounding away, away to the far extremity of the field, while man after man romped joyously over the plate. Dick had won the game by this beautiful bingle.

* * * * *

When Merriwell entered his room, followed by Jones and Buckhart, he discovered that everything was in disorder. The drawers of his desk had been pulled out and their contents emptied on the floor. This was likewise the case with his dresser.

“Hello!” he cried. “What’s this mean? Some one has been here while I was gone.”

A moment later he had reached the private drawer which he always kept locked. One glance showed him that it had been pried open and the lock broken. The contents of this drawer, however, had not been scattered upon the floor. Everything was there—everything save one thing.

The confession of Mike Lynch was gone.

It was about the time when Merriwell made this discovery that Duncan Ditson entered his own room and found Bern Wolfe waiting for him there.

“Hello!” exclaimed Dunc, in surprise. “Forgot about you in the excitement. Say, do you know what happened? Well, Merriwell went into that game and won it with a corking hit in the ninth inning. Isn’t that just his luck?”

“Don’t talk to me about luck!” snarled Wolfe. “I’m sore! I’m disgusted!”

“Eh? What’s happened? Did you try to get hold of that confession?”

“Try?” rasped Bern, producing an envelope and flinging it on the study table. “I should say I did! There it is!”

“There it is? Then what’s the matter? What ails you?”

Wolfe caught up the envelope, and drew forth the sheets of paper it contained.

“What ails me?” he hissed. “Just take a look at this! Here’s that valuable confession!”

He spread out the sheets of paper, and Ditson gazed at them in surprise, for apparently there was not a line of writing upon them.

“Confession?” muttered Duncan. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing there.”

“There was once. Look here—look close. Here, you can see the faintest tracing of a word. There, you can see part of another word. There was writing on this paper once. Why, I can even see a bit of my own signature down in this corner, but it’s gone. It’s faded. It’s no good to any one now.”

Looking intently at the paper, Ditson was able to make out the faint tracing of a few detached words upon it.

Suddenly Duncan smote his clenched right fist into his left palm.

“Well, if that wasn’t a slick trick on the part of Lynch!” he cried. “He wrote his confession with sympathetic ink.”

“With what? Sympathetic ink?”

“Yes. That’s ink that will fade and vanish entirely, a few days after it is used. I was with him when he bought it. He told me he had a girl to whom he was writing letters, and, as he feared she might not destroy his letters, he was taking care to use the kind of ink that would prevent those epistles from ever rising like ghosts to haunt and confuse him. Wolfe, we’re a couple of blamed fools!”

THE END.

No. 150 of the MERRIWELL SERIES is entitled “Dick Merriwell’s Best Work,” by Burt L. Standish. Admirers of Mr. Standish will find this story up to his usual high standard—and this is the highest praise we can give it.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN

MERRIWELL SERIES

ALL BY BURT L. STANDISH

Stories of Frank and Dick Merriwell

Fascinating Stories of Athletics

A half million enthusiastic followers of the Merriwell brothers will attest the unfailing interest and wholesomeness of these adventures of two lads of high ideals, who play fair with themselves, as well as with the rest of the world.

These stories are rich in fun and thrills in all branches of sports and athletics. They are extremely high in moral tone, and cannot fail to be of immense benefit to every boy who reads them.

They have the splendid quality of firing a boy’s ambition to become a good athlete, in order that he may develop into a strong, vigorous, right-thinking man.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1—Frank Merriwell’s School Days 2—Frank Merriwell’s Chums 3—Frank Merriwell’s Foes 4—Frank Merriwell’s Trip West 5—Frank Merriwell Down South 6—Frank Merriwell’s Bravery 7—Frank Merriwell’s Hunting Tour 8—Frank Merriwell in Europe 9—Frank Merriwell at Yale 10—Frank Merriwell’s Sports Afield 11—Frank Merriwell’s Races 12—Frank Merriwell’s Party 13—Frank Merriwell’s Bicycle Tour 14—Frank Merriwell’s Courage 15—Frank Merriwell’s Daring 16—Frank Merriwell’s Alarm 17—Frank Merriwell’s Athletes 18—Frank Merriwell’s Skill 19—Frank Merriwell’s Champions 20—Frank Merriwell’s Return to Yale 21—Frank Merriwell’s Secret 22—Frank Merriwell’s Danger 23—Frank Merriwell’s Loyalty 24—Frank Merriwell in Camp 25—Frank Merriwell’s Vacation 26—Frank Merriwell’s Cruise 27—Frank Merriwell’s Chase 28—Frank Merriwell in Maine 29—Frank Merriwell’s Struggle 30—Frank Merriwell’s First Job 31—Frank Merriwell’s Opportunity 32—Frank Merriwell’s Hard Luck 33—Frank Merriwell’s Protégé 34—Frank Merriwell on the Road 35—Frank Merriwell’s Own Company 36—Frank Merriwell’s Fame 37—Frank Merriwell’s College Chums 38—Frank Merriwell’s Problem 39—Frank Merriwell’s Fortune 40—Frank Merriwell’s New Comedian 41—Frank Merriwell’s Prosperity 42—Frank Merriwell’s Stage Hit 43—Frank Merriwell’s Great Scheme 44—Frank Merriwell in England 45—Frank Merriwell on the Boulevards 46—Frank Merriwell’s Duel 47—Frank Merriwell’s Double Shot 48—Frank Merriwell’s Baseball Victories 49—Frank Merriwell’s Confidence 50—Frank Merriwell’s Auto 51—Frank Merriwell’s Fun 52—Frank Merriwell’s Generosity 53—Frank Merriwell’s Tricks 54—Frank Merriwell’s Temptation 55—Frank Merriwell on Top 56—Frank Merriwell’s Luck 57—Frank Merriwell’s Mascot 58—Frank Merriwell’s Reward 59—Frank Merriwell’s Phantom 60—Frank Merriwell’s Faith 61—Frank Merriwell’s Victories 62—Frank Merriwell’s Iron Nerve 63—Frank Merriwell in Kentucky 64—Frank Merriwell’s Power 65—Frank Merriwell’s Shrewdness 66—Frank Merriwell’s Setback 67—Frank Merriwell’s Search 68—Frank Merriwell’s Club 69—Frank Merriwell’s Trust 70—Frank Merriwell’s False Friend 71—Frank Merriwell’s Strong Arm 72—Frank Merriwell as Coach 73—Frank Merriwell’s Brother 74—Frank Merriwell’s Marvel 75—Frank Merriwell’s Support 76—Dick Merriwell at Fardale 77—Dick Merriwell’s Glory 78—Dick Merriwell’s Promise 79—Dick Merriwell’s Rescue 80—Dick Merriwell’s Narrow Escape 81—Dick Merriwell’s Racket 82—Dick Merriwell’s Revenge 83—Dick Merriwell’s Ruse 84—Dick Merriwell’s Delivery 85—Dick Merriwell’s Wonders 86—Frank Merriwell’s Honor 87—Dick Merriwell’s Diamond 88—Frank Merriwell’s Winners 89—Dick Merriwell’s Dash 90—Dick Merriwell’s Ability 91—Dick Merriwell’s Trap 92—Dick Merriwell’s Defense 93—Dick Merriwell’s Model 94—Dick Merriwell’s Mystery 95—Frank Merriwell’s Backers 96—Dick Merriwell’s Backstop 97—Dick Merriwell’s Western Mission 98—Frank Merriwell’s Rescue 99—Frank Merriwell’s Encounter 100—Dick Merriwell’s Marked Money 101—Frank Merriwell’s Nomads 102—Dick Merriwell on the Gridiron 103—Dick Merriwell’s Disguise 104—Dick Merriwell’s Test 105—Frank Merriwell’s Trump Card 106—Frank Merriwell’s Strategy 107—Frank Merriwell’s Triumph 108—Dick Merriwell’s Grit 109—Dick Merriwell’s Assurance 110—Dick Merriwell’s Long Slide 111—Frank Merriwell’s Rough Deal 112—Dick Merriwell’s Threat 113—Dick Merriwell’s Persistence 114—Dick Merriwell’s Day 115—Frank Merriwell’s Peril 116—Dick Merriwell’s Downfall 117—Frank Merriwell’s Pursuit 118—Dick Merriwell Abroad 119—Frank Merriwell in the Rockies 120—Dick Merriwell’s Pranks 121—Frank Merriwell’s Pride 122—Frank Merriwell’s Challengers 123—Frank Merriwell’s Endurance 124—Dick Merriwell’s Cleverness 125—Frank Merriwell’s Marriage 126—Dick Merriwell, the Wizard 127—Dick Merriwell’s Stroke 128—Dick Merriwell’s Return 129—Dick Merriwell’s Resource 130—Dick Merriwell’s Five 131—Frank Merriwell’s Tigers 132—Dick Merriwell’s Polo Team 133—Frank Merriwell’s Pupils 134—Frank Merriwell’s New Boy 135—Dick Merriwell’s Home Run 136—Dick Merriwell’s Dare 137—Frank Merriwell’s Son 138—Dick Merriwell’s Team Mate 139—Frank Merriwell’s Leaguers 140—Frank Merriwell’s Happy Camp 141—Dick Merriwell’s Influence 142—Dick Merriwell, Freshman 143—Dick Merriwell’s Staying Power

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.

To be published in July, 1926.

144—Dick Merriwell’s Joke 145—Frank Merriwell’s Talisman

To be published in August, 1926.

146—Frank Merriwell’s Horse 147—Dick Merriwell’s Regret

To be published in September, 1926.

148—Dick Merriwell’s Magnetism 149—Dick Merriwell’s Backers

To be published in October, 1926.

150—Dick Merriwell’s Best Work 151—Dick Merriwell’s Distrust 152—Dick Merriwell’s Debt

To be published in November, 1926.

153—Dick Merriwell’s Mastery 154—Dick Merriwell Adrift

To be published in December, 1926.

155—Frank Merriwell’s Worst Boy 156—Dick Merriwell’s Close Call

Round the World Library

Stories of Jack Harkaway and His Comrades

Every reader, young and old, has heard of Jack Harkaway. His remarkable adventures in out-of-the-way corners of the globe are really classics, and every one should read them.

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_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

By BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG

1—Jack Harkaway’s School Days 2—Jack Harkaway’s Friends 3—Jack Harkaway After School Days 4—Jack Harkaway Afloat and Ashore 5—Jack Harkaway Among the Pirates 6—Jack Harkaway at Oxford 7—Jack Harkaway’s Struggles 8—Jack Harkaway’s Triumphs 9—Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands 10—Jack Harkaway’s Return 11—Jack Harkaway Around the World 12—Jack Harkaway’s Perils 13—Jack Harkaway in China 14—Jack Harkaway and the Red Dragon 15—Jack Harkaway’s Pluck 16—Jack Harkaway in Australia 17—Jack Harkaway and the Bushrangers 18—Jack Harkaway’s Duel 19—Jack Harkaway and the Turks 20—Jack Harkaway in New York 21—Jack Harkaway Out West 22—Jack Harkaway Among the Indians 23—Jack Harkaway’s Cadet Days 24—Jack Harkaway in the Black Hills 25—Jack Harkaway in the Toils 26—Jack Harkaway’s Secret of Wealth 27—Jack Harkaway, Missing 28—Jack Harkaway and the Sacred Serpent 29—The Fool of the Family 30—Mischievous Matt 31—Mischievous Matt’s Pranks 32—Bob Fairplay Adrift 33—Bob Fairplay at Sea 34—The Boys of St. Aldates 35—Billy Barlow 36—Larry O’Keefe 37—Sam Sawbones 38—Too Fast to Last 39—Home Base

To be published in July, 1926.

40—Spider and Stump By Bracebridge Hemyng 41—Out for Fun By Bracebridge Hemyng

To be published in August, 1926.

42—Rob Rollalong, Sailor By Bracebridge Hemyng 43—Rob Rollalong in the Wilds By Bracebridge Hemyng 44—Phil, the Showman By Stanley Norris

To be published in September, 1926.

45—Phil’s Rivals By Stanley Norris 46—Phil’s Pluck By Stanley Norris

To be published in October, 1926.

47—Phil’s Triumph By Stanley Norris 48—From Circus to Fortune By Stanley Norris

To be published in November, 1926.

49—A Gentleman Born By Stanley Norris 50—For His Friend’s Honor By Stanley Norris

To be published in December, 1926.

51—True to His Trust By Stanley Norris 52—Facing the Music By Stanley Norris

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By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK

1—The Desert Argonaut 2—A Quarter to Four 3—Thorndyke of the Bonita 4—A Round Trip to the Year 2000 5—The Gold Gleaners 6—The Spur of Necessity 7—The Mysterious Mission 8—The Goal of a Million 9—Marooned in 1492 10—Running the Signal 11—His Friend the Enemy 12—In the Web 13—A Deep Sea Game 14—The Paymaster’s Special 15—Adrift in the Unknown 16—Jim Dexter, Cattleman 17—Juggling with Liberty 18—Back from Bedlam 19—A River Tangle 20—Billionaire Pro Tem 21—In the Wake of the Scimitar 22—His Audacious Highness 23—At Daggers Drawn 24—The Eighth Wonder 25—The Cat’s-paw 26—The Cotton Bag 27—Little Miss Vassar 28—Cast Away at the Pole 29—The Testing of Noyes 30—The Fateful Seventh 31—Montana 32—The Deserter 33—The Sheriff of Broken Bow 34—Wanted: A Highwayman 35—Frisbie of San Antone 36—His Last Dollar 37—Fools for Luck 38—Dare of Darling & Co.

To be published in July, 1926.

39—Trailing _The Josephine_ By William Wallace Cook 40—The Snapshot Chap By Bertram Lebhar

To be published in August, 1926.

41—Brothers of the Thin Wire By Franklin Pitt 42—Jungle Intrigue By Edmond Lawrence 43—His Snapshot Lordship By Bertram Lebhar

To be published in September, 1926.

44—Folly Lode By James F. Dorrance 45—The Forest Rogue By Julian G. Wharton

To be published In October, 1926.

46—Snapshot Artillery By Bertram Lebhar 47—Stanley Holt, Thoroughbred By Ralph Boston

To be published in November, 1926.

48—The Riddle and the Ring By Gordon MacLaren 49—The Black Eye Snapshot By Bertram Lebhar

To be published in December, 1926.

50—Bainbridge of Bangor By Julian G. Wharton 51—Amid Crashing Hills By Edmond Lawrence

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_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

By HORATIO ALGER, Jr.

1—Driven from Home 2—A Cousin’s Conspiracy 3—Ned Newton 4—Andy Gordon 5—Tony, the Tramp 6—The Five Hundred Dollar Check 7—Helping Himself 8—Making His Way 9—Try and Trust 10—Only an Irish Boy 11—Jed, the Poorhouse Boy 12—Chester Rand 13—Grit, the Young Boatman of Pine Point 14—Joe’s Luck 15—From Farm Boy to Senator 16—The Young Outlaw 17—Jack’s Ward 18—Dean Dunham 19—In a New World 20—Both Sides of the Continent 21—The Store Boy 22—Brave and Bold 23—A New York Boy 24—Bob Burton 25—The Young Adventurer 26—Julius, the Street Boy 27—Adrift in New York 28—Tom Brace 29—Struggling Upward 30—The Adventures of a New York Telegraph Boy 31—Tom Tracy 32—The Young Acrobat 33—Bound to Rise 34—Hector’s Inheritance 35—Do and Dare 36—The Tin Box 37—Tom, the Bootblack 38—Risen from the Ranks 39—Shifting for Himself 40—Wait and Hope 41—Sam’s Chance 42—Striving for Fortune 43—Phil, the Fiddler 44—Slow and Sure 45—Walter Sherwood’s Probation 46—The Trials and Triumphs of Mark Mason 47—The Young Salesman 48—Andy Grant’s Pluck 49—Facing the World 50—Luke Walton 51—Strive and Succeed 52—From Canal Boy to President 53—The Erie Train Boy 54—Paul, the Peddler 55—The Young Miner 56—Charlie Codman’s Cruise 57—A Debt of Honor 58—The Young Explorer 59—Ben’s Nugget 60—The Errand Boy 61—Frank and Fearless 62—Frank Hunter’s Peril 63—Adrift in the City 64—Tom Thatcher’s Fortune 65—Tom Turner’s Legacy 66—Dan, the Newsboy 67—Digging for Gold 68—Lester’s Luck 69—In Search of Treasure 70—Frank’s Campaign 71—Bernard Brook’s Adventures 72—Robert Coverdale’s Struggles 73—Paul Prescott’s Charge 74—Mark Manning’s Mission 75—Rupert’s Ambition 76—Sink or Swim 77—The Backwoods Boy 78—Tom Temple’s Career 79—Ben Bruce 80—The Young Musician 81—The Telegraph Boy 82—Work and Win 83—The Train Boy 84—The Cash Boy 85—Herbert Carter’s Legacy 86—Strong and Steady 87—Lost at Sea 88—From Farm to Fortune 89—Young Captain Jack 90—Joe, the Hotel Boy 91—Out for Business 92—Falling in with Fortune 93—Nelson, the Newsboy 94—Randy of the River 95—Jerry, the Backwoods Boy 96—Ben Logan’s Triumph 97—The Young Book Agent

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER

98—The Last Cruise of _The Spitfire_ 99—Reuben Stone’s Discovery 100—True to Himself 101—Richard Dare’s Venture 102—Oliver Bright’s Search 103—To Alaska for Gold 104—The Young Auctioneer 105—Bound to Be an Electrician 106—Shorthand Tom 107—Fighting for His Own 108—Joe, the Surveyor 109—Larry, the Wanderer 110—The Young Ranchman 111—The Young Lumberman 112—The Young Explorers 113—Boys of the Wilderness 114—Boys of the Great Northwest 115—Boys of the Gold Field 116—For His Country 117—Comrades in Peril 118—The Young Pearl Hunters 119—The Young Bandmaster 120—Boys of the Fort 121—On Fortune’s Trail 122—Lost in the Land of Ice 123—Bob, the Photographer

By OLIVER OPTIC

124—Among the Missing 125—His Own Helper 126—Honest Kit Dunstable 127—Every Inch a Boy 128—The Young Pilot 129—Always in Luck 130—Rich and Humble 131—In School and Out 132—Watch and Wait 133—Work and Win 134—Hope and Have 135—Haste and Waste 136—Royal Tarr’s Pluck 137—The Prisoners of the Cave 138—Louis Chiswick’s Mission 139—The Professor’s Son 140—The Young Hermit 141—The Cruise of _The Dandy_ 142—Building Himself Up 143—Lyon Hart’s Heroism 144—Three Young Silver Kings 145—Making a Man of Himself 146—Striving for His Own 147—Through by Daylight 148—Lightning Express 149—On Time 150—Switch Off 151—Brake Up 152—Bear and Forbear 153—The “Starry Flag” 154—Breaking Away 155—Seek and Find 156—Freaks of Fortune 157—Make or Break 158—Down the River 159—The Boat Club 160—All Aboard 161—Now or Never 162—Try Again

To be published in July, 1926.

163—Poor and Proud By Oliver Optic 164—Little by Little By Oliver Optic 165—The Sailor Boy By Oliver Optic

To be published in August, 1926.

166—The Yankee Middy By Oliver Optic 167—Brave Old Salt By Oliver Optic

To be published in September, 1926.

168—Luck and Pluck By Horatio Alger, Jr. 169—Ragged Dick By Horatio Alger, Jr.

To be published in October, 1926.

170—Fame and Fortune By Horatio Alger, Jr. 171—Mark, the Match Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr.

To be published in November, 1926.

172—Rough and Ready By Horatio Alger, Jr. 173—Ben, the Luggage Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr.

To be published in December, 1926.

174—Rufus and Rose By Horatio Alger, Jr. 175—Fighting for Fortune By Roy Franklin 176—The Young Steel Worker By Frank H. MacDougal

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Listing, moved the first four pages book listings to the end of the novel and before the listings at the end. 2. 70, supplied “fight” as unknown 5 letter word in “By this time the girl’s _____ had been answered.” 3. Table of Contents added by transcriber. 4. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. 5. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. 6. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Dick Merriwell's Backers, by Burt L. Standish