# Boys of the Fort

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Book Five in the Flag and Frontier series.
BOYS OF THE FORT
Or, A Young Captain's Pluck
BY
CAPTAIN RALPH BONEHILL
AUTHOR OF "THE YOUNG BANDMASTER," "WHEN SANTIAGO
FELL," "A SAILOR BOY WITH DEWEY," "OFF
FOR HAWAII," ETC.
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS :: :: NEW YORK
DEFENDING THE FORT.—Frontispiece.
PREFACE.
"Boys of the Fort" is a complete story in itself, but forms the fifth volume of a line of works issued under the general title of "Flag of Freedom Series."
In penning this tale I had it in mind to acquaint my young readers with the ins and outs of military life at one of our Western forts of to-day, showing what both officers and privates are called upon to do, and what troubles the Indians and the bad men of that locality are still in the habit of making. The field is one about which little has been written, although abounding in interest, and one which is worthy the attention of all who have the proper development of our country at heart.
To some, certain scenes in this book may appear overdrawn, yet such is far from being the case. In this wild territory there are those who have lived all their lives beyond the pale of civilization, men who grow up dwarfed and crooked in mind, and who resent every effort made to better their condition.
The young captain is a fine specimen of the ​wide-awake American army officer, yet he is no more brave and dashing than are thousands of others, officers and privates, who serve under our Flag of Freedom. He is trained to do his duty, and he simply does it, regardless of possible consequences.
Once more I take this opportunity to thank my young friends for the kindness with which they have received my former stories, and I earnestly hope this present tale merits equal commendation.
       Captain Ralph Bonehill.
July 1, 1901.
CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER | CHAPTER | PAGE |
| I. | Bound for the Fort, | 1 |
| II. | Caves in the Mountain, | 9 |
| III. | An Important Conversation, | 17 |
| IV. | Lost in the Forest, | 25 |
| V. | The Big Black Bear, | 33 |
| VI. | Darry Makes a Discovery, | 41 |
| VII. | At Hank Leeson's Cabin, | 48 |
| VIII. | The Stealing of the Horses, | 56 |
| IX. | Arrival at the Fort, | 63 |
| X. | The Result of a Swim, | 71 |
| XI. | Something about Drilling, | 79 |
| XII. | Deer Hunting, | 87 |
| XIII. | A Fish and a Snake, | 95 |
| XIV. | Over the Mountain Top, | 104 |
| XV. | The Result of a Hurricane, | 113 |
| XVI. | Captain Moore's Adventure, | 122 |
| XVII. | Three Prisoners, | 130 |
| XVIII. | Benson Puts Some Men in a Hole, | 137 |
| XIX. | Escaping in the Darkness, | 144 |
| XX. | Something about White Ox, | 151 |
| XXI. | A Trick of the Enemy, | 158 |
| XXII. | In the Hands of the Enemy, | 166 |
| XXIII. | A Panther in Camp, | 175 ​ |
| XXIV. | The Skirmish in the Brush, | 182 |
| XXV. | A Lucky Meeting, | 189 |
| XXVI. | The Enemies within the Fort, | 198 |
| XXVII. | Signals and what Followed, | 205 |
| XXVIII. | The Demands of the Enemy, | 212 |
| XXIX. | Opening of the Battle, | 219 |
| XXX. | Signals in the Dark, | 226 |
| XXXI. | Burning of the Stockade, | 235 |
| XXXII. | Relief at Last—Conclusion, | 243 |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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