The Project Gutenberg EBook of Frank on a Gun-Boat, by Harry Castlemon

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Title: Frank on a Gun-Boat

Author: Harry Castlemon

Release Date: July 3, 2004 [EBook #12808]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK ON A GUN-BOAT ***

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[Illustration: FRANK SAVING THE BOAT]

THE GUN-BOAT SERIES.

FRANK ON A GUN-BOAT

BY

HARRY CASTLEMON,

AUTHOR OF "THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "THE GO-AHEAD SERIES," ETC.

1892.

Contents.

CHAPTER I.

IN THE NAVY.

CHAPTER II.

LEARNING THE ROPES.

CHAPTER III.

SQUARING THE YARDS.

CHAPTER IV.

A MIDNIGHT ALARM.

CHAPTER V.

A DISCOMFITED REBEL.

CHAPTER VI.

FRANK'S FIRST EXPLOIT.

CHAPTER VII.

ON A GUN-BOAT.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE LINES.

CHAPTER IX.

A UNION FAMILY.

CHAPTER X.

A SPUNKY REBEL.

CHAPTER XI.

FRANK A PRISONER.

CHAPTER XII.

THE ESCAPE.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE FAITHFUL NEGRO.

CHAPTER XIV.

CHASED BY BLOOD-HOUNDS.

CHAPTER XV.

THE RESCUE.

CHAPTER XVI.

A FRIEND IN NEED.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SCENE AT THE PLANTATION.

CHAPTER XVIII.

ALMOST BETRAYED.

CHAPTER XIX.

CONCLUSION.

FRANK ON A GUN-BOAT.

CHAPTER I.

In the Navy.

"Well, Frank, did you bring home the evening's paper?" inquired Mrs.
Nelson, as her son entered the room where she was sitting.

"Yes, ma'am. Here it is!" answered Frank, producing it. "But there is
no news in it. The Army of the Potomac has not moved yet. I don't see
what makes them wait so long. Why don't McClellan go to work and thrash
the rebels?"

"You must remember that the rebels have about as many men as we have,"
answered his mother. "Perhaps, if McClellan should undertake to 'thrash'
the rebels, as you say, he would get whipped himself"

"That makes no difference," answered Frank. "If I was in his place, and
the rebels _should_ whip me, it wouldn't do any good, for I'd renew the
battle every day, as long as I had a man left."

It was toward the close of the first year of the war, during the "masterly
i