Fred Fenton on the Track; Or, The Athletes of Riverport School

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23763

Title

Fred Fenton on the Track; Or, The Athletes of Riverport School

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Fred Fenton, a modest yet determined athlete at Riverport School, balances his cross-country running ambitions with deep personal anxieties regarding his family's financial future. When a syndicate threatens to seize his father's Alaskan property, Fred relies on the loyalty of his friends and the integrity of a missing witness to secure his family's claim. Blending thrilling athletic competition with mystery and moral growth, this story appeals to young readers who enjoy sports, adventure, and tales of boyhood friendship.

Summary up to 500 words

Set against the backdrop of Riverport School, Allen Chapman's *Fred Fenton on the Track* weaves a tale of athletic rivalry, mystery, and moral redemption. The story centers on Fred Fenton, a talented and modest athlete whose life is shadowed by a looming legal battle over his family's valuable Alaskan inheritance. A powerful syndicate, led by the antagonistic Squire Lemington, seeks to seize the mine, leaving Fred's father in despair. Their only hope lies with Hiram Masterson, a former associate who vanished while gathering crucial evidence against the syndicate. The narrative intertwines Fred's dedication to sports with a series of mysterious incidents designed to sabotage the Riverport track team. During a cross-country run, Fred and his friend Bristles Carpenter encounter a runaway horse and subsequently discover Colon, a teammate who has been kidnapped. The kidnappers, revealed to be led by the school bully Buck Lemington, intend to cripple the team to ensure victory for their rival school, Mechanicsburg. Buck and his cronies disguise themselves to avoid detection, intending to hold Colon hostage until the athletic meet. Fred and his friends, including the reformed Gabe Larkins, embark on a quest to solve the mystery and locate Colon. Through careful deduction and bravery, they identify Buck as the culprit. A pivotal moment occurs when Colon is found bound in an abandoned mill; Gabe Larkins, having turned over a new leaf after a past incident involving stolen opals, helps free Colon by gnawing at the knots. The boys deduce the kidnappers' identity by noticing a bruised eye on one of Buck's associates, confirming the plot. As the athletic meet approaches, Fred faces the dual challenge of maintaining his physical form while worrying about his family's fate. To prevent the rival school from studying his running style, Fred secretly practices on a hidden course, dropping out of the official lineup to run a harder, unseen route. Ultimately, the mystery is solved, and evidence provided by Hiram Masterson secures the Fenton family's property. The novel concludes with Fred enjoying the camaraderie of his friends and the satisfaction of a fair victory, reinforcing the enduring values of integrity, loyalty, and perseverance in both sports and life.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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data/epubs/pg23763.epub

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Categories

• Adventure
• Fiction
• Sports
• Schools