Originally published: 1901
Genres: Adventure, Children's
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51188248-dick-merriwell-s-glory-or-friends-and-foes-the-merriwell-series-77
Gutenberg link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62411
Chapters: 30
Warning: This may include outdated and derogatory language and attitudes.
CHAPTER I
FRIENDS AND FOES
In more ways than one Dick Merriwell had become the wonder of the Fardale Military School. His astonishing work in the football game against White Academy was the talk of Fardale. By running with the ball the length of the field, he had made both of Fardale’s touchdowns in the game and, to crown these thrilling plays, he had kicked two clean goals.
Naturally, at the conclusion of the game, the delighted cadets had rushed onto the field, raised the hero of the day aloft, and carried him about on their shoulders, cheering until they were hoarse.
But there were some who took no part in these demonstrations, and they were the jealous enemies of the remarkable young plebe who had created such a sensation. Singularly enough, not a few of these enemies were in Dick’s own class, being such envious chaps as Uric Scudder, Zeb Fletcher, and Jim Watson.
However, Dick’s most dangerous enemy was Jabez Lynch, a first-class man, whose ambition had been to play half-back on the eleven—a position that had been given to Merriwell.
On account of a treacherous attempt to injure Dick, Jabez had been nearly forced to leave school. In Dick’s heart, there had been no thought of mercy toward Jabez, but his brother Frank had been more forbearing, especially as Jabez might bring a serious complaint against Old Joe Crowfoot, the Indian, who had threatened him with torture and death because of his action toward Dick.
When Dick fully understood that Jabez might retaliate by having Old Joe arrested, in case he was forced out of Fardale, he agreed to keep still concerning the treachery of his enemy. But he told Frank that he could never feel anything but contempt for Lynch, and he did not believe it possible that such a fellow could reform and become decent.
In his heart Frank Merriwell doubted if Jabez could change his natural inclinations; but, at the same time, he was confident that the course chosen was the proper one, for he did not wish Old Joe to come to harm through his affection for Dick and his desire to punish the boy’s enemy.
There was something about the old redskin that Frank admired. Joe knew little of white men’s laws and cared less. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" was the law that appealed to him, and in which he firmly believed. To Joe, there seemed nothing particularly wonderful in the feat of Dick. For years the old Indian had trained the lad to be fleet of foot, keen of eye, and quick of hand, and it had been his expectation and belief that Dick would excel in feats and games calling for these qualities.
Frank had quickly understood the immense good the training of Old Joe had done the boy, who might have been weak and sickly but for his free, open-air life, with the redskin as his chief tutor.
But Merry saw that there were points Old Joe had neglected, and Dick was far from perfect physically when Frank took him in hand. In a short time, Frank had wrought an improvement, but he was keeping the work up at Fardale, seeking to develop his brother into a youth who should be an absolute physical model.
Frank believed he could accomplish the work, though he realized that it could not be brought to a successful conclusion at once. It would take time and patience to make Dick Merriwell as near perfect as possible, but time and patience Frank was ready to give.
At first Old Joe regarded Merry’s work with silent disdain. There was something of a look of scorn in his beady black eyes when he saw the magnificent Yale athlete instructing the boy in the use of dumb-bells and Indian clubs to strengthen and round out certain muscles, but the beady eyes were keen to detect the slightest improvement, and it finally happened that the old fellow nodded and pronounced it "heap good."
It must not be supposed that Frank’s only thought was to make his brother perfect physically. On the contrary, he had entered Dick at Fardale because he was satisfied that the course of mental instruction there would be the very best the lad could obtain.
Fortunately for Dick, he was much like his famous brother in one respect. He had a wonderfully active and retentive mind so he could learn almost anything quickly and well when he applied himself fixedly to the task of doing so. Thus it happened that in this respect, as well as others, he was a wonder to his classmates, many of whom, discovering somehow that he had never attended a regular school, had felt positive he would have a difficult time at Fardale, even if he was able to get along at all after being admitted.
Until her death, Dick’s mother had been his tutor, and her instructions were of the very best.
It was with untold satisfaction that Frank Merriwell had taken up the task of developing his brother into perfect manhood; and it was now his great aim in life to make a complete success in this work, into which he had entered with all his heart and soul.
At first, the boy had not understood how fortunate he was to have such a brother and friend, but, little by little, his eyes had been opened, and at last, he was coming to know just what it meant. Dick had been frivolous to a certain extent, and he had seemed wild and untamable, but his journey from the Rockies to the Atlantic coast had opened his eyes and filled him with respect for Frank. He had found that Frank was known everywhere and that by the youth of the United States, he was regarded as a model young American.
This knowledge had brought about something of a change in Dick, in whose heart was born a desire to emulate his brother and become like him, in some degree, at least. And the lad’s modesty—which at first he had not seemed to possess in any degree—had led him to doubt his ability to ever rise to the heights attained by Frank.
At one time Old Joe had sought to turn Dick against Frank, being consumed by the belief that Merriwell meant to carry the boy away where they would never meet again; but Merry had found a way to conquer the jealous Indian, and Crowfoot became one of his greatest admirers. Then it was that the Indian had said to Dick:
"Do what um broder, Steady Hand, say for um to do. Him know best. Him got heap big head, all right. Ugh! Him heap mighty young white chief."
And these words of the old Indian had been, to a great extent, instrumental in the change that came over the lad. Not that Dick was able to at once fling off all his wild ways; not that he became immediately sober and serious. Far from it. He was still a boy, with a boy’s love of sport and play and pranks. The advent at Fardale had cast him into a life far different from anything to which he had been accustomed, and for a time he had seemed reserved and distant, which led many to think him haughty and overbearing.
In time they were to learn that he was anything but haughty. In time, when he came to know them better and they to understand him, they were to find in Dick Merriwell a frank, honest, companionable, whole-souled, fun-loving boy, who would make friends and keep them.
Already Dick had made a few stanch friends. Hugh Douglass, one of his roommates, an uncouth, farmerish plebe, was one of these. Douglass had seen beneath the surface, and he was convinced that Dick was all right.
Brad Buckhart, "the Texan Maverick," as he delighted to call himself, was another friend Dick had found. At first, Buckhart did not take to young Merriwell, but a change quickly came over him when he found Dick beset by envious and jealous enemies, and the breezy chap from the Lone Star State soon evinced a hot desire to fight for Dick on the slightest provocation.
And now, since Dick had astonished everybody with his amazing work in the game against White Academy, scores of fellows were praising him, and many who had held aloof were willing to know him and become friendly. But Dick did not like to be patronized, and he found that the men of the classes above him were inclined to praise him in a manner that was not wholly unoffensive. Some of them had a way of speaking compliments as if they were patting a precocious boy on the head and offering him a penny.
This caused Dick to shun them still more, and thus it came about that he was thought "stuck up." His enemies knew how to make capital of this, and they did not lose the opportunity to do so.
Dick kept about the even tenor of his way, however, studying, drilling, training, and practicing on the football field. He had tremendous energy, and the number of things accomplished by him continued to astound and anger his jealous foes, who soon found a new method of striking at him.
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