The Half Dime Library No. 1047

Flyer Fred, the Cyclist Ferret; or Running Down the Rough and Ready Rascals (Roy Rockwood)

This serialized adventure narrative follows Fred Farley, an orphan wrongly deprived of his inheritance by the corrupt lawyer Ezra Darston and bound to the brutal farmer Uriah Whop. The story opens with Fred's confrontation with Darston's spoiled son Caleb on a country road. After outwitting Caleb in a fight and borrowing his bicycle, Fred is pursued home by new troubles: a runaway mare and an accusation of window-breaking from the Whops. Whipped by Uriah, Fred rebels, lashing back with the cowhide whip before fleeing into the night with only seventeen cents. While seeking shelter, he encounters two tramps robbing an elderly man in an abandoned barn, discovering a mysterious brown package in the victim's vest pocket. The narrative combines coming-of-age struggles with mystery and action.