Table of Contents.

CHAPTER I.
THE CASE OF BENJAMIN ASTLEY.

When it became noised about that Frank Reade, Jr., the distinguished inventor, was about to make a trip to the far West with his wonderful Steam Horse, public interest became greatly excited.

For those of my readers who may never have read any of the accounts of his wonderful adventures, I will state that Frank Reade, Jr., was a wonderful inventor of marvelous things; that his father was a famous inventor before him, and that Frank, Jr., took to the trade as naturally as a duck does to water.

Years ago, Frank Reade, Sr., had founded the town of Readestown, U. S. A.

And there had erected large machine shops, to which the younger Reade greatly added in later days.

The new Steam Man, invented by Frank Reade, Jr., had made a great furore.

But apropos of this came the New Steam Horse, and for a marvel of ingenuity and mechanical skill, it simply could not be surpassed.

For the benefit of certain of my readers, I will give a brief description of the New Steam Horse; a better idea of which, however, can be gathered from a study of the artist’s picture upon the front page of this book.