Frank Reade Library No. 12: Frank Reade and His Steam Man of the Plains

# Museum Catalog Note

This issue of "The Steam Man of the Plains" features an ongoing serialized adventure. The narrative centers on Charley's escape from captivity among the Osage tribe, pursued by tribal warriors. Barney and Frank, accompanied by the eponymous steam man, mount a rescue operation. The central sequence depicts Frank Reade, described as a "boy-genius," infiltrating an Osage village to save the prisoner Dash Hallett from execution by fire. Using prestidigitation and sleight-of-hand tricks involving a knife—demonstrating that a blade can rebound harmlessly from human flesh yet penetrate wood—Frank convinces Chief Motzer-Ponum that he possesses supernatural powers as a "medicine-man." This performance impresses the tribe and challenges a rival medicine-man named Mowsher Abiner. The narrative emphasizes ingenuity, mechanical marvels, and adventure across the American plains.