Produced by Giovanni Fini, David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.
[Illustration: “Glad to see you, Gerald,” said Jack Amsden as the boy descended from the stage.—Page 289.]
THE STORY OF GERALD LANE’S SUCCESS IN THE FAR WEST.
_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._
With Five Page Illustrations by J. Watson Davis.
A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, 52-58 DUANE STREET, NEW YORK.
XI. Jake Amsden Makes an Early Call, and Has a Warm Reception 84
XIV. Jake Amsden Turns Over a New Leaf 109
XXII. Bradley Wentworth Tries to Make Mischief 173
XXIII. Mr. Standish Receives a Commission 182
XXV. Gerald has an Unpleasant Adventure 199
XXVII. Mr. Standish States his Business 212
XXVIII. Mr. Standish Gains a Barren Victory 216
OUR story opens in a cabin among the foothills of Colorado. It was built of logs, and was not over twelve feet in height. In the center was a door, with a small window on each side. Through the roof rose a section of funnel, from which issued a slender cloud of smoke.
The interior of the cabin is a surprise—being comfortably furnished, while a carpet covers the floor. On one side is a bureau, a few portraits are on the walls, a pine bedstead and an easy-chair, in which is reclining a man of middle age whose wasted form and hollow cheeks attest the ravages of consumption. From time to time he looked wistfully toward the door, saying in a low voice: “Where is Gerald? He is gone a long time.”
Five minutes later the sound of hoofs was heard outside, and a boy of sixteen galloped up from the canyon on the left, and, jumping off at the portal, tethered his pony and pushed open the door of the cabin. He was a marked contrast to the sick man, for he was strongly made, with the hue of health in his ruddy cheeks, and a self-reliant, manly look upon his attractive face.
“How do you feel, father?” he asked gently.
“I shall never be any better, Gerald,” he answered slowly.
“Don’t look on the dark side,” said Gerald.
He took from the side pocket of his sack coat a bottle, which he placed on the table.