Rights for this book: Public domain in the USA. This edition is published by Project Gutenberg. Originally issued by Project Gutenberg on 2008-01-14. To support the work of Project Gutenberg, visit their Donation Page. This free ebook has been produced by GITenberg, a program of the Free Ebook Foundation. If you have corrections or improvements to make to this ebook, or you want to use the source files for this ebook, visit the book's github repository. You can support the work of the Free Ebook Foundation at their Contributors Page. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Down The River, by Oliver Optic This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Down The River Buck Bradford and His Tyrants Author: Oliver Optic Release Date: January 14, 2008 [EBook #24283] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOWN THE RIVER *** Produced by David Edwards, Barbara Kosker, Irma Spehar and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain material produced by Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.) DOWN THE RIVER; OR, BUCK BRADFORD AND HIS TYRANTS. BY OL IVE R OP TIC, AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE ARMY AND NAVY STORIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE RIVERDALE STORIES," ETC. BOSTON LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by WILLIA M T. A D A MS. In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. C OP YRIGHT , 1896, BY W ILLIAM T. A DAMS All rights reserved. DOWN THE RIVER. THE SETTLEMENT.—Page 52. TO M Y Y OUNG F RIEND WI LLI AM H. LOW This Book IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. PREFACE. "D OWN THE R IVER " is the sixth of the continued stories published in "O UR B OYS AND G IRLS ," and the last of "T HE S TARRY F LAG S ERIES ." It is the personal narrative of Buck Bradford, who, with his deformed sister, made an eventful voyage down the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, to New Orleans. The writer's first book—not a juvenile, and long since out of print—was planned during a long and tedious passage up the Father of Waters; and it seems like going back to an old friend to voyage again, even in imagination, upon its turbid tide. Buck Bradford tells his story to suit himself; and the author hopes it will also suit the young reader. Whatever moral it may contain will be found in the reading; and the writer trusts it will impart a lesson of self-reliance, honesty, and truth, and do something towards convincing the young reader that it is best always to do right, whatever the consequences may be, leaving results, in the choice between good and evil, to take care of themselves. However often the author may be called upon to thank the juvenile public for the generous favor bestowed upon his books, he feels that the agreeable duty cannot be so frequently repeated as ever to become a mere formality; for with each additional volume he finds his sense of obligation to them for their kindness renewed and deepened. W ILLIAM T. A DAMS H ARRISON S QUARE , M ASS ., October 28, 1868. CONTENTS. CHAP T E R I. T WO OF THE T YRANTS CHAP T E R II. F LORA B RADFORD CHAP T E R III. O N THE D EFENSIVE CHAP T E R IV. W HO IS M ASTER CHAP T E R V. A B ATTLE AT L ONG R ANGE CHAP T E R VI. S QUIRE F ISHLEY CHAP T E R VII. A FTER M IDNIGHT CHAP T E R VIII. M ISS L ARRABEE ' S L ETTER CHAP T E R IX. T HE H UNGRY R UNAWAY CHAP T E R X. W HAT S IM G WYNN W ANTED TO SEE ME FOR CHAP T E R XI. B UILDING THE R AFT CHAP T E R XII. S QUIRE F ISHLEY MAKES IT RIGHT