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Frank Reade, Jr., with his new steam man in Mexico or, hot work among the greasers
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Kidnapped by Greasers
Frank Reade, Jr., the inventor of many wonderful machines and whose fame was world wide, sat in his study one day in September looking over a heap of mail matter which the servant had just brought in.
He was a handsome dark complexioned young man with a distingue air and that individuality of appearance which stamps the man of genius.
Frank’s father was a famous inventor before him.
Foremost among Frank Reade, Jr.’s inventions was the New Steam Man, a machine of truly wonderful character.
We will not attempt a description of the Steam Man for certain good reasons until later; first let us give our attention for the moment to the young inventor.
Frank Reade, Jr., was naturally the foremost man in Readestown, a respectable sized and thriving town, founded by and named after the Reades.
Here they had built the wonderful machine shops for the construction of their own machines.
These employed many of the most skilled workers in wood and steel.
Money was not a scarcity with the Reades nor was it ever likely to be, with their superlative genius to make it.
Frank opened one letter after another, hastily read them and placed those on a file which he meant to answer.
Some of them were of importance, some were not, but he encountered none which claimed his attention greatly for some while.
Then a letter lay before him, superscribed in a foreign style, and bearing the stamp and postmark of Mexico.
He opened it with a curious premonition of its importance.
The letter was written in Spanish, but Frank knew the language well, so he read it easily.
Thus it read:
“SENOR READE--Pardon me for addressing you, a stranger, but I am impelled to lay before you a matter of the utmost moment. A gentleman from New York has been sojourning in the city of Laredo for the past year, being interested in a certain mining claim in Los Pueblos Mountains, five hundred miles from here, in the interior of Mexico.
“He has busied himself contracting for men and material to dig a shaft and open a rich gold mine upon his claim. He is a gentleman of means, and I am told a former acquaintance of yours. His name is Harvey Montaine.”
“Harvey Montaine!” repeated Frank. “Indeed, he is a dear friend of mine.”
However, the young inventor continued reading the letter.
“This gentleman has made many friends here in Laredo. Both the Spanish people and the natives like him for his courtly manners and his generous heart.
“But his efforts to open up the Los Pueblos claim have been attended with ill-fortune. It seems that his first expedition was set upon by bandits who infest the region, and who are under the command of Miguel Costello, a noted desperado.
“His men were slaughtered, and he escaped himself by a narrow chance. But Senor Montaine is a gentleman of pluck, and he once more began to plan an excursion to Los Pueblos, when one morning he disappeared.
“From that day to this he has never been seen. A notice has been posted in Laredo, signed by Costello calling for a reward of ten thousand dollars, or Montaine will be slain.
“This reward, or ransom money, was quickly raised here among Senor Montaine’s friends, but the bandit promptly raised the figures to fifty thousand.
“This money cannot be raised, nor is it believed that Costello would release his prisoner for it.
“It is believed by many that this is a subterfuge employed by the bandit to cover his purpose of working the Los Pueblos claim himself. “It is rumored that he has a large gang of men at work at the mine, and that they are sinking a shaft.
“It may be readily understood that this is a dishonest trick of the villain’s, and the sense of justice of every good man must be aroused. Meanwhile, a deserter front Miguel’s band brings us the story, also a request from Montaine, who begs us to write you to come to his relief with your New Steam Man. We are obeying the dictates of Senor Montaine in writing this letter.
“That you may best follow your own conclusion in granting your friend’s request, we have no doubt that you will appreciate fully his extreme peril.
“This is the case, and in laying it before you, dear senor, we believe that we are but doing our duty as Christian gentlemen. Your answer and decision we await with some impatience and much hope. I have the honor, senor, to faithfully subscribe myself yours,
“JOSE RAVELLO.
“Hotel San Juan, Laredo, Mexico.”
Frank read the letter through carefully. Then he leaned back in his chair.
There was a strange excited light in his fine eyes, and he exclaimed in a musical, but tense voice:
“Poor Montaine! He is one of my best friends. So he is in trouble, eh? Well, I would be inhuman indeed not to respond to his appeal.”
Frank sprang up and put on his hat.
As he left the study he met a colored man in the hall. He was a fat, jolly little darky, and as black as the ace of spades.
“Pomp,” said Frank, sharply.
“What am it, sah?”
“I want you to go with me.”
“A’right, sah.”
The darky followed Frank out of the fine mansion and down to the street.
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