Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona; or, Clearing a Rival's Record

"Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona; or, Clearing a Rival's Record" by Burt L. Standish, follows the escapades of Frank Merriwell, a talented young athlete, and his companions as they negotiate tests, competitions, and the complexities of friendship in the Arizona wilderness. Themes of allegiance, rivalry, and personal development are core to the developing story. The story initiates with two young men, Lenning and Shoup, struggling with fatigue while crossing the Bitter-root Canyon in Arizona. Shoup is battling drug addiction and near collapse, but Lenning is resolved to find a way to confront Merriwell, whom he resents. In an unexpected turn, they find an overturned stagecoach and its only passenger, an old woman, indicating likely trouble and the pair's urgent need for funds. This paves the way for confrontation as Merriwell and his friends participate in a canoe race while Blunt, a cowboy driven by revenge against Lenning and Shoup, starts a quest to recover stolen funds related to the old woman, intertwining their paths and fates.