CHAPTER XLVIII.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

It was half an hour before the colonel had rounded up the party he wished to take into Ophir with him, and during that time Frank was being congratulated warmly in the clubhouse on the success of the Ophir team. Mr. Bradlaugh, staid old gentleman that he was, fairly took the lad in his arms and gave him a hug.

“You did it, Merriwell,” he kept saying; “if it hadn’t been for you we couldn’t have won.”

When the colonel finally arrived with Jode and Ellis, Mr. Bradlaugh offered to give them a lift to the Ophir House in his car. Clancy and Ballard appeared just in time to form part of the load.

Merry’s chums had been wondering what it was that could have taken their chum off the field during the last half of that exciting game. Merriwell wouldn’t breathe a word on the ride into town, but told them to wait a little and the whole thing would be explained.

In less than fifteen minutes after leaving the clubhouse, Colonel Hawtrey, his two nephews, Merriwell, Clancy, and Ballard were ushered by Pophagan into a room where Hawkins was keeping watch over Shoup, alias Guffey.

Shoup had wrung out and dried off his clothes, and he had likewise washed his face and removed the rest of the color from his hair. The moment Jode Lenning saw him, he sank limply into a chair, white to the lips.

“I know you, you contemptible cur,” cried the colonel, shaking a finger in Shoup’s face. “You’re the fellow who, more than a year ago, brought a forged check to me and said my nephew, Darrel, gave it to you. I thought that Guffey and you might be one and the same person, and that’s why I was willing to bear with Jode for a while longer, and see what I could make out of his desire to get a new coach for Gold Hill. Tell me about that forgery, and do it quick. The truth, mind!”

“What will you do to me if I—I tell the truth?” quavered Shoup.

“Nothing, but if you lie I’ll see to it that you’re landed behind the bars.”

“And you’ll let that thirty dollars pass?” asked Shoup, looking toward Merriwell.

“I’ve already told you I would—if you tell the truth,” Merry answered.

“Well, here goes, then. I was a fool for ever coming back here, but Darrel had shown up and Lenning was scared, and wanted to do something to get rid of him. So I came on, when Lenning wired. I happen to be a fair football coach, and that was Lenning’s excuse for getting me here. But the main object of this trip, just as of the one before, was to do up Darrel.”

“Why did Jode want his half brother ‘done up’?” cut in the colonel.

“Why, Jode wanted all your property for himself,” answered Shoup, an ugly smile on his pasty face, “and that was his principal reason for wanting to get Darrel out of the way.”

“Go on,” said the colonel, between his teeth; “tell us about the forgery.”

“Jode planned it,” explained Shoup, “and furnished the forged check. I was to get Darrel into a game, dope his drink, and then accuse him of having given me the forged check. That’s the way it worked. Darrel was hazy and couldn’t remember what he’d done. Jode, of course, was at home with you, colonel, so you hadn’t a notion he was mixed up in it.”

“You’re a black-hearted scoundrel,” said the colonel, “but Jode Lenning is a whole lot worse. What have you to say, young man?” and he turned on his cowering and discredited nephew with gleaming eyes.

Jode tried to talk, but words failed him. He began to whimper.

“Is it true, what this fellow Shoup has told me?” thundered the colonel.

“Y-yes,” Jode answered.

“I already knew you were a coward,” said the colonel, “and I was tempted to think you were a knave as well, but I couldn’t be sure. It was necessary first to catch Shoup, and wring a confession from him. I thought, when you were so eager to have this Guffey come to Gold Hill, that he might be Shoup. Something in your manner aroused my suspicions. That is why I let the fellow come. To-day I asked Merriwell to coöperate with me and see what we could learn from the Gold Hill coach. Merriwell’s work surpassed my hopes and expectations. He made a star play, and, as a result, has cleared the name of his chum of every stain. As for you, Lenning, clear out. I’m done with you for good! I——”

Darrel caught his uncle’s sleeve, drew his head down, and whispered to him earnestly. The colonel shook his head, but Ellis continued to insist, and finally his uncle yielded.

“Ellis asks me to temper my indignation a little,” said he, “and to be a little more lenient. His motive does him credit, after the way he has suffered at your hands, Jode. You can go to my house and collect your traps; and, when you leave, I will give you a thousand dollars to make a fresh start in the world. Now, clear out! You go with him, Shoup!” he added.

Jode got up and staggered from the room. Shoup followed him, turning at the door to laugh derisively, and bid those in the room a mocking good-by.

“Sufferin’ horn toads!” muttered Hawkins, “that’s no way to treat a law breaker.”

“Better that, Hawkins,” answered the colonel, “than to put Shoup through for his crimes and not get the evidence to clear Darrel. My lad, will you now honor me with your hand?”

Darrel pressed the colonel’s palm joyfully, and then whirled to shake hands with Merriwell.

“You’re the one who did it, old man!” he exclaimed, in a trembling voice. “If it hadn’t been for you, Chip, I’d still be the ‘boy from Nowhere.’”

THE END.

“Frank Merriwell, Jr. in Arizona” will be the title of the next volume of the MERRIWELL SERIES, No. 217. Frank’s adventures in the West make up an absorbing tale.

BOOKS THAT NEVER GROW OLD

Alger Series

Clean Adventure Stories for Boys

The Most Complete List Published

The following list does not contain all the books that Horatio Alger wrote, but it contains most of them, and certainly the best.

Horatio Alger is to boys what Charles Dickens is to grown-ups. His work is just as popular to-day as it was years ago. The books have a quality, the value of which is beyond computation.

There are legions of boys of foreign parents who are being helped along the road to true Americanism by reading these books which are so peculiarly American in tone that the reader cannot fail to absorb some of the spirit of fair play and clean living which is so characteristically American.

In this list will be included certain books by Edward Stratemeyer, Oliver Optic, and other authors who wrote the Alger type of stories, which are equal in interest and wholesomeness with those written by the famous author after whom this great line of books for boys is named.

_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

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 January, 1929

24—Bob Burton 25—The Young Adventurer

To be published in February, 1929.

26—Julius, the Street Boy 27—Adrift in New York

To be published in March, 1929.

28—Tom Brace 29—Struggling Upward

To be published in April, 1929.

30—The Adventures of a New York Telegraph Boy 31—Tom Tracy

To be published in May, 1929

32—The Young Acrobat 33—Bound to Rise 34—Hector’s Inheritance

To be published in June, 1929

35—Do and Dare 36—The Tin Box

NOW IN PRINT

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 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 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 133—Work and Win 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 163—Poor and Proud 164—Little by Little 165—The Sailor Boy 166—The Yankee Middy 167—Brave Old Salt

* * * * *

175—Fighting for Fortune By Roy Franklin 176—The Young Steel Worker By Frank H. MacDougal 177—The Go-ahead Boys By Gale Richards 178—For the Right By Roy Franklin 179—The Motor Cycle Boys By Donald Grayson 180—The Wall Street Boy By Allan Montgomery 181—Stemming the Tide By Roy Franklin 182—On High Gear By Donald Grayson 183—A Wall Street Fortune By Allan Montgomery 184—Winning by Courage By Roy Franklin 185—From Auto to Airship By Donald Grayson 186—Camp and Canoe By Remson Douglas 187—Winning Against Odds By Roy Franklin 188—The Luck of Vance Sevier By Frederick Gibson 189—The Island Castaway By Roy Franklin 190—The Boy Marvel By Frank H. MacDougal 191—A Boy With a Purpose By Roy Franklin 192—The River Fugitives By Remson Douglas

A CARNIVAL OF ACTION

ADVENTURE LIBRARY

Splendid, Interesting, Big Stories

This line is devoted exclusively to a splendid type of adventure story, in the big outdoors. There is really a breath of fresh air in each of them, and the reader who pays fifteen cents for a copy of this line feels that he has received his money’s worth and a little more.

The authors of these books are experienced in the art of writing, and know just what the up-to-date American reader wants.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

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. 39—Trailing “The Josephine”

* * * * *

40—The Snapshot Chap By Bertram Lebhar 41—Brothers of the Thin Wire By Franklin Pitt 42—Jungle Intrigue By Edmond Lawrence 43—His Snapshot Lordship By Bertram Lebhar 44—Folly Lode By James F. Dorrance 45—The Forest Rogue By Julian G. Wharton 46—Snapshot Artillery By Bertram Lebhar 47—Stanley Holt, Thoroughbred By Ralph Boston 48—The Riddle and the Ring By Gordon McLaren 49—The Black Eye Snapshot By Bertram Lebhar 50—Bainbridge of Bangor By Julian G. Wharton 51—Amid Crashing Hills By Edmond Lawrence 52—The Big Bet Snapshot By Bertram Lebhar 53—Boots and Saddles By J. Aubrey Tyson 54—Hazzard of West Point By Edmond Lawrence 55—Service Courageous By Don Cameron Shafer 56—On Post By Bertram Lebhar 57—Jack Cope, Trooper By Roy Fessenden 58—Service Audacious By Don Cameron Shafer 59—When Fortune Dares By Emerson Baker 60—In the Land of Treasure By Barry Wolcott 61—A Soul Laid Bare By J. Kenilworth Egerton 62—Wireless Sid By Dana R. Preston 63—Garrison’s Finish By W. B. M. Ferguson 64—Bob Storm of the Navy By Ensign Lee Tempest, U. S. N. 65—Golden Bighorn By William Wallace Cook 66—The Square Deal Garage By Burt L. Standish 67—Ridgway of Montana By Wm. MacLeod Raine 68—The Motor Wizard’s Daring By Burt L. Standish 80—A Submarine Cruise By Donald Grayson 81—The Vanishing Junk By Remson Douglas 82—In Strange Waters By Donald Grayson 83—Afloat with Capt. Dynamite By Wilson Carew 84—Bob Steele’s Motor Boat By Donald Grayson 85—The Filibusters By Frederick Gibson 86—Bob Steele’s Reverse By Donald Grayson 87—On Wooded Trails By Frederick Gibson 88—Bob Steele’s New Aeroplane By Donald Grayson 89—Buck Badger’s Ranch By Russell Williams 90—Bob Steele’s Last Flight By Donald Grayson 91—In Full Cry By Richard Marsh 92—The Fatal Legacy By Louis Tracy 93—His Heritage By W. B. M. Ferguson 94—The Treasure of the Golden Crater By Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry 95—The Ape and the Diamond By Richard Marsh 96—The Camp in the Snow By William Murray Graydon 97—Nobody’s Fool By Frederick Gibson 98—A Case of Identity By Richard Marsh 99—Randy, the Pilot By Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry 100—The Reluctant Queen By J. Kenilworth Egerton 101—The Goddess—A Demon By Richard Marsh 102—The Survivor By E. Phillips Oppenheim 103—The Fate of the Plotter By Louis Tracy 104—Philip Bennion’s Death By Richard Marsh

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 January, 1929.

105—Mysterious Mr. Sabin By E. Phillips Oppenheim 106—The Strange Disappearance of Lady Delia By Louis Tracy

To be published in February, 1929.

107—Master of Men By E. Phillips Oppenheim 108—The Whistle of Fate By Richard Marsh

To be published in March, 1929.

109—The Wooing of Esther Gray By E. Louis Tracy 110—The Great Awakening By E. Phillips Oppenheim

To be published in April, 1929.

111—A Strange Wooing By Richard Marsh 112—His Father’s Crime By E. Phillips Oppenheim

To be published in May, 1929.

113—At the Court of the Maharaja By Louis Tracy 114—In the Service of Love By Richard Marsh

To be published in June, 1929.

115—As a Man Lives By E. Phillips Oppenheim 116—The Glitter of Jewels By J. Kenilworth Egerton

_NOTE THE NEW TITLES LISTED_

Western Story Library

For Everyone Who Likes Adventure

Ted Strong and his band of broncho-busters have most exciting adventures in this line of attractive big books, and furnish the reader with an almost unlimited number of thrills.

If you like a really good Western cowboy story, then this line is made expressly for you.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1—Ted Strong, Cowboy By Edward C. Taylor 2—Ted Strong Among the Cattlemen By Edward C. Taylor 3—Ted Strong’s Black Mountain Ranch By Edward C. Taylor 4—Ted Strong With Rifle and Lasso By Edward C. Taylor 5—Ted Strong Lost in the Desert By Edward C. Taylor 6—Ted Strong Fighting the Rustlers By Edward C. Taylor 7—Ted Strong and the Rival Miners By Edward C. Taylor 8—Ted Strong and the Last of the Herd By Edward C. Taylor 9—Ted Strong on a Mountain Trail By Edward C. Taylor 10—Ted Strong Across the Prairie By Edward C. Taylor 11—Ted Strong Out for Big Game By Edward C. Taylor 12—Ted Strong Challenged By Edward C. Taylor 13—Ted Strong’s Close Call By Edward C. Taylor 14—Ted Strong’s Passport By Edward C. Taylor 15—Ted Strong’s Nebraska Ranch By Edward C. Taylor 16—Ted Strong’s Cattle Drive By Edward C. Taylor 17—Ted Strong’s Stampede By Edward C. Taylor 18—Ted Strong’s Prairie Trail By Edward C. Taylor 19—Ted Strong’s Surprise By Edward C. Taylor 20—Ted Strong’s Wolf Hunters By Edward C. Taylor 21—Ted Strong’s Crooked Trail By Edward C. Taylor 22—Ted Strong in Colorado By Edward C. Taylor 23—Ted Strong’s Justice By Edward C. Taylor

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 January, 1929.

24—Ted Strong’s Treasure By Edward C. Taylor 25—Ted Strong’s Search By Edward C. Taylor

To be published in February, 1929.

26—Ted Strong’s Diamond Mine By Edward C. Taylor 27—Ted Strong’s Manful Task By Edward C. Taylor

To be published in March, 1929.

28—Ted Strong, Manager By Edward C. Taylor 29—Ted Strong’s Man Hunt By Edward C. Taylor

To be published in April, 1929.

30—Ted Strong’s Gold Mine By Edward C. Taylor 31—Ted Strong’s Broncho Boys By Edward C. Taylor 32—Ted Strong’s Wild Horse By Edward C. Taylor

To be published in May, 1929.

33—Ted Strong’s Tenderfoot By Edward C. Taylor 34—Ted Strong’s Stowaway By Edward C. Taylor

To be published in June, 1929.

35—Ted Strong’s Prize Herd By Edward C. Taylor 36—Ted Strong’s Trouble By Edward C. Taylor

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There are over 1,800 different titles in our catalogue, and every title above reproach from every standpoint. The STREET & SMITH NOVEL has been rightly called the fiction of the masses.

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