Frank Merriwell's Foes 
 
 BY 
 
 BURT L. STANDISH 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 Frank Merriwell's School Days," " Frank^Merriwell's Chums," etc. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 DAVID McKAY, PUBLISHER 
 
 604-8 SOUTH WASHINGTON SQUARE
 
 Copyright, 1902 
 By STREET & SMITH 
 
 Frank MerriweU's Foes
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 IThe Start 5 
 
 II The Professor's Dilemma . . . 1 1 
 
 III On the Train 16 
 
 IV Further Excitement .... 22 
 V Frank Introduces the Professor . . .27 
 
 VI Still More Trouble 32 
 
 VII A Startling Assertion 38 
 
 VIII Story of the Spectre .... 43 
 
 IX The Strange Ring 50 
 
 X Pursuing a Prowler 56 
 
 XI A Revelation 59 
 
 XII The Last of the Spectre .... 65 
 
 XIII Friends and Foes 70 
 
 XIV Frank is Wary 76 
 
 XV Training for the Contests . . . .81 
 
 XVI On the Field 86 
 
 XVII Accident or Design ? 92 
 
 XVIII Throwing the Hammer .... 98 
 
 XIX Jumping 105 
 
 XX Ready for the Dash . . . . 112 
 
 XXI Defeated by a Trick 118 
 
 XXII The Hurdle Race 124 
 
 XXIII The Last Match 130 
 
 XXIV An Eventful Night .... 137
 
 ii CONTENTS. 
 
 XXV Sailor Jack 142 
 
 XXVI Hodge in Trouble . . . . 147 
 
 XXVII The Hermit 152 
 
 XXVIII A Spy 1 60 
 
 XXIX The Shore of the Lake . . . .165 
 XXX Capture of the Boat . . . . 168 
 
 XXXI On the Island 174 
 
 XXXII The Burning of the Hut . . . 180 
 
 XXXIII Frank's Fate 188 
 
 XXXIV Last Words With the Hermit . = 192 
 XXXV The Hands of Friends . . . .198 
 
 XXXVI Go Ahead ! 203 
 
 XXXVII Boy Life-savers 210 
 
 XXXVIII 'Gainst Wind and Wave ... 217 
 
 XXXIX The Doomed Schooner . . . .223 
 
 XL The Coast Guard .... 228 
 
 XLI The Work of Rescue . . . .233 
 
 XLII Cast Into the Sea .... 239 
 
 XLIII Out of the Sea 244 
 
 XLI V Carlos Merriwell .... 249 
 
 XLV Jealousy 255 
 
 XLVI Fire! 261 
 
 XLVII From the Flames . 266
 
 FRANK MERRIWELL'S FOES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE START. 
 
 One day the mail for Fardale Military Academy 
 brought Frank Merriwell a letter from his uncle. Tear- 
 ing open the envelope, he was soon reading the following 
 brief and rather surprising message: 
 
 MY DEAR NEPHEW Come home without delay. Strange things 
 are happening here. I am not very well, and the end cannot be far 
 away. I wish to make arrangements concerning your future. I 
 have written Professor Gunn, asking that you be given a fur- 
 lough, and requesting him, if possible, to allow one of the pro- 
 fessors to accompany you. Come as soon as possible, for, since 
 the visitation of last night, I fear what the return of another 
 night may bring forth. My nerves are severely shaken. I am 
 not superstitious, but I have begun to believe that there are 
 actually "more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in 
 our philosophy." Your affectionate uncle, 
 
 ASHER D. MERRIWELL. 
 
 Having read this, Frank gave a long whistle, expres- 
 sive of the state of his feelings. 
 
 "What in the world can be the matter with Uncle 
 Asher?" he muttered, perplexed. "He was the picture 
 of health when I saw him last, and he has not mentioned 
 being ill in any of his other letters. Then he says strange 
 things are happening there, and speaks of a 'visitation.* 
 If there was a streak of insanity anywhere in our family, 
 I might think Uncle Asher off in his mind, but I know
 
 6 The Start. 
 
 better than to fancy anything of that sort, so I do not 
 know what to imagine." 
 
 He read the brief letter over and over, but the more he 
 studied it the greater became his bewilderment, and so he 
 finally abandoned the task as hopeless, knowing all would 
 'he explained when he arrived home. 
 
 As Frank anticipated, Professor Gunn sent for him, 
 and he went to the head instructor's tent, the letter from 
 Frank's uncle having been received during the first week 
 of the summer encampment at Fardale Academy. 
 
 "Mr. Merriwell," said the old professor, carefully ad- 
 justing his glasses on the end of his nose, and peering 
 over them with an owl-like expression, "I have received 
 a very surprising request from your uncle very sur- 
 prising. He asks that you be sent home on furlough, and 
 that one of my assistants accompany you. Both Pro- 
 fessor Scotch and Professor Jenks are anxious to em- 
 brace the opportunity to get away from their duties for a 
 short time, and, as your esteemed uncle has offered to 
 pay liberally for the privilege of having you come home 
 in charge of a careful and painstaking tutor, I have de- 
 cided to comply with his wishes yes, sir, I have decided 
 to do so." 
 
 Frank remained silent, waiting respectfully for the 
 professor to proceed. 
 
 Professor Gunn cleared his throat, pressed his thumbs 
 and the tips of his fingers together, and, still staring owl- 
 like over the glasses, which were recklessly perched on 
 the end of his long, thin nose, continued : 
 
 "I presume you will understand that this concession on 
 my part is quite unusual. Never in the history of Far- 
 dale Military Academy has such a request been made be- 
 fore, and I have concluded to ask you a few questions 
 a very few questions." 
 
 Frank bowed.
 
 The Start. 7 
 
 "I am listening 1 , professor," he said. 
 
 The head instructor seemed uneasy. He cleared his 
 throat again, and, still keeping the tips of the fingers of 
 both hands touching, began patting his thumbs together. 
 
 "Er er I do not wish to seem too inquisitive," he 
 hesitatingly declared ; "but I would like to inquire if this ' 
 uncle, with whom you have been living since your parents' ^ 
 death, is in any way er er eccentric?" 
 
 "Well, I don't know," replied Frank. "He is rather 
 bluff, and he may be slightly different from the common 
 run of people." 
 
 "Er er exactly. But is he is Re mentally sound? 
 Is his mind all right quite well balanced?" 
 
 "It has always seemed so. He has had mind enough 
 to make a very large fortune, for neither Uncle Asher nor 
 his brother, my father, had a dollar with which to start 
 out in life, and uncle Is a very rich man now. He 
 started in with the determination to buy back the family 
 homestead, which my grandfather lost by speculation, and 
 he now owns the old place, and a great deal of adjoining 
 property ; and his income is such that, for all of his ex- 
 penditures, which are not light, his wealth is steadily in- 
 creasing." 
 
 Professor Gunn coughed, nodded, and said: 
 
 "Very well, very well ! Such a man has a right to be 
 eccentric a perfect right. But his letter to me was 
 peculiar I did not understand it. He may be ill some- 
 thing may be troubling his mind/' 
 
 "It is possible, sir." 
 
 "Well, I will permit you to make your choice between 
 Professor Scotch and Professor Jenks. Both desire the 
 outing, and I have decided to spare one of them for a 
 short time. Which do you prefer as a companion during 
 your furlough?" 
 
 Frank hesitated. It was difficult for him to tell whicH
 
 8 The Start. 
 
 of the two professors he preferred, but he finally decided 
 to take Professor Scotch, whose fiery hair and peppery 
 temper had led the cadets sportively to nickname him 
 "Hot Scotch." 
 
 "Great Scott !" thought Frank ; "won't there be a cir- 
 cus if Uncle Asher and Professor Scotch take a dislike to 
 each other! Uncle has a temper that needs filing, and 
 Scotch is always prancing round with a chip on his 
 shoulder." 
 
 Professor Gunn directed Frank to be ready to take the 
 train early in the morning, stating that Professor Scotch 
 should be on hand to accompany him. 
 
 Frank did not lose the opportunity to seek permission 
 to spend the evening in Fardale village, for he did not 
 wish to leave without seeing Inza Burrage and letting her 
 know that he was going away for a short time. Inza 
 was the girl that Frank admired above all others in the 
 pretty village near which Fardale Military Academy was 
 located. 
 
 Being by far the most popular cadet in the school, it 
 was not strange that, having told one or two friends that 
 he was going away on furlough, the entire encampment 
 soon knew of it, and Frank found himself constantly sur- 
 rounded by a crowd of uniformed y_ouths, who protested 
 their regrets at the thought of losing him, even for a short 
 time. 
 
 Bartley Hodge, Frank's tentmate, was utterly cast 
 down and dejected. 
 
 "How long are you to be on furlough, Frank?" he 
 asked. 
 
 "I don't know," was the reply. "I believe no definite 
 length of time has been mentioned." 
 
 "But, great Jupiter ! what can we do if you are not on 
 hand to take part in our regular match ball games? 
 Who will be our star pitcher?"
 
 The Start. 9 
 
 "I may get back in time. If I do not, you will have 
 to find somebody to fill my place." 
 
 "That's impossible ; nobody can fill your place, old man. 
 Some fellow might make a bluff at it; but that's all it 
 would amount to." 
 
 "Yaw," nodded Hans Dunnerwurst, the only Dutch boy 
 in the school. "Dot peen a fact; und I vos goin' to do 
 my lefel pest to pring him pack bretty queek alretty in 
 dime to do der peeching dose games for." 
 
 "Going to do your best to bring him back ?" 
 
 "Dot vos vot I said, ain'd id?" 
 
 "Well, what do you mean by that ? How are you going 
 to bring him back ?" 
 
 "Don'd I lif der next town in dis side peyond vere 
 Vrankie lifs ? Veil, I shoult smile ! Und don'd you said 
 a vord apout dot ; but I hat a ledder mein mutter from dot 
 toldt me I hat pesser come righd avay home alretty yet. 
 I took dot ledder der brofessor to, und he peen gif me a 
 furlough der nexd two veeks for. Shimminy Gristmas! 
 I peen gone righd along mit Vrankie on der drain in der 
 morning, I pet you your life !" 
 
 "Well, Hans, this is good news !" cried Frank, grasp- 
 ing the Dutch lad's hand. "I shall be pleased to have you 
 for a traveling companion." 
 
 "Dot vos natural. I peen so arisdogratic my looks in 
 dot beople vill pelieve you vas draveling aroundt mit a 
 duke." 
 
 "Professor Scotch is going along with us for a little 
 vacation." 
 
 "You don'd pelieve me! Veil, we don'd done a thing 
 der brofessor to ! Yaw ! yaw ! yaw !" 
 
 After supper Frank found his opportunity to slip away 
 from the camp without attracting the attention of the 
 cadets t and he embraced it.
 
 !o The Start. 
 
 His call upon Inza was protracted as long as possible, 
 and he barely got into camp in time to answer at tattoo. 
 
 Not knowing how long he would remain away from the 
 academy, Frank packed his trunk in the morning so that 
 he would have all the things he could need in several 
 weeks. 
 
 Hans got everything he desired to carry into a huge 
 extension grip, and Professor Scotch took a small trunk. 
 
 In due time, an expressman from the village called for 
 the trunks and the passengers. 
 
 The cadets had gathered to see the trio off, and they 
 gave the school cry as the express wagon rolled away, 
 with Professor Scotch on the seat beside the driver, Hans 
 sitting on Frank's trunk, and Frank standing up to make 
 a farewell salute and wave his cap. 
 
 All together in one mighty chorus the battalion roared : 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha! Rah! rah! rah! Jigger-boom! Zig- 
 ger-boom! Grape-shot! Canister! All hail Fardale! 
 Ss-ss-ss-ss !" 
 
 The final mighty hiss was like the sound that comes 
 from a rocket as it soars heavenward, which it was prob- 
 ably intended to represent. 
 
 Frank waved his cap. 
 
 "Good-by, fellows !" he shouted. "I will be with you 
 again later on." 
 
 Once more the academy cry went up, and on the end of/ 
 it Bart Hodge was heard to shout: 
 
 "Merriwell! Merriwell! Rah! rah! rah!" 
 
 The boys took up the cry as if it came from one pair 
 of lips. It was a show of regard and esteem that brought 
 a mist to Frank's eyes.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 THE PROFESSOR'S DILEMMA. 
 
 As the express wagon approached the village, Profes- 
 sor Scotch became rather nervous. At his request, the 
 driver drove to the station by way of a back street. This 
 did not escape the notice of the boys, who wondered what 
 it meant. 
 
 Tickets were purchased and baggage checked, after 
 which they were forced to wait ten minutes for the train. 
 
 During this time the little professor acted as if he were 
 ready to run and hide at the slightest provocation. 
 
 "Vat vos der madder mit him, ain'd id ?" asked Hans of 
 Frank. "Anypody mighd pelief he vos sdole somedings." 
 
 "That's right," nodded Merriwell. "He certainly acts 
 as if he is running away from something or somebody." 
 
 The little professor carried a large umbrella, and, with 
 this held as if constantly ready for use, he sneaked up and 
 down the platform, peering cautiously round corners. 
 
 The train whistled for Fardale, and at that moment, 
 the professor was seen to open the umbrella quickly, and 
 hold it between himself and a tall, angular woman who 
 was hurrying toward the station. 
 
 "Great Scott !" gasped Frank, as the truth dawned on 
 him. "There comes Nancy Cobb, the widow who has 
 been receiving the attentions of both Professor Scotch and 
 Professor Jenks. She acts as if she were on Scotch's 
 trail." 
 
 "Dot's vot's der madder mit Hannah !" chuckled Hans. 
 "Look ad der brofessor ! He vos britty near scared fits
 
 12 The Professor's Dilemma. 
 
 into alretty yet. Shimminy Gristmas ! Dere vos peen a 
 bicnic britty queek !" 
 
 The professor was, indeed, ghastly pale, and his knees 
 seemed to quiver. He gazed wildly, longingly, at the 
 approaching train, and then peered in a terrified way over 
 the edge of the umbrella at the widow, who was hurrying 
 straight toward the spot 
 
 It was evident that the widow would arrive first. 
 
 The professor frantically beckoned for the boys to ap- 
 proach, and they hastened to his side. 
 
 "Say, can't you keep her off?" asked Scotch, des- 
 perately. "Can't you keep her away till I can board the 
 train ?" 
 
 "Keep who away?" asked Frank, innocently. 
 
 "Yaw ; who she vos ?" questioned Hans, with his mouth 
 open in a wondering manner. "Vos she tangerous ?" 
 
 "Dangerous? She's worse than dynamite! Jenks 
 must have told her I was going confound him! Keep 
 her away!" 
 
 "But I thought you were paying her attentions? I 
 thought you contemplated something serious in that di- 
 rection ?" 
 
 "I did," confessed Scotch, excitedly; "but I've changed 
 my mind. It's leap-year, you know, and she proposed to 
 me the last time I saw her. I about half accepted her; 
 but I have regretted it since. She means business ! She's 
 going to try to stop me, and compel me to marry her! 
 Boys, I am a desperate man ! I had rather die than meet 
 
 such a fate! Can't you save me? Can't you 
 
 Mercy ! here she is !" 
 
 The umbrella had not served to hide him sufficiently to 
 deceive the widow, who now confronted him. 
 
 "What's the meanin' of this, I want to know?" she 
 cried, in a shrill, high-pitched tone. "Where be you 
 goin', Horace Orman Tyler Scotch?"
 
 The Professor's Dilemma. 13 
 
 "Er er I'm going into the country," stammered the 
 little man, backing away, and keeping an eye on the train, 
 which was drawing up at the station. 
 
 "The country ? What country ?" sharply demanded the 
 widow, who was very hard of hearing, although she 
 never acknowledged it. 
 
 "Oh, to some place I may select by chance," evasively 
 replied the professor. 
 
 "Direct to France!" squealed the widow, wildly. 
 "Well, I ruther think I'll have something to say about 
 that ! You'll find I've got a claim on you, and when you 
 go to France, you'll take me along as your bride. You 
 have given me your promise, an' you can't break it ! I'm 
 not a female woman that you can trifle with, sir ! I am 
 no sixteen-year-old gal, with paper curls all over her 
 forrud ! I know a thing or two, an' I'm goin' to hold you 
 to your word, ur sue you for breeches of promise ! What 
 have you got to say to that, sir ?" 
 
 "Don't make a scene in public !" 
 
 "Ain't been published. Well, we can be mighty quick. 
 If you ain't got gumption enough to attend to that, I will, 
 and I'll get the license." 
 
 "Oh, go 'way !" 
 
 "Day ? Why, any day. I'd as lief be married one day 
 as another." 
 
 "You don't understand." 
 
 "Want my hand. Well, you can have it ; an' now I've 
 got evidence that you've asked for it, an' that you wanted 
 the weddin'-day sot. You can't squirm out of it now, 
 Horace Orman Tyler Scotch." 
 
 "Oh, dear !" groaned the little professor, wiping beads 
 of cold perspiration from his face and looking appealingly 
 at the boys, who were doing their best to keep from 
 shrieking with laughter. "How can I get out of this 
 trap?"
 
 14 The Professor's Dilemma. 
 
 "I don't see that there is any way out of it, professor," 
 replied Frank. "You will have to marry the lady." 
 
 "Yaw," chuckled Hans. "You vos caught her so tight 
 you can't neffer git avay." 
 
 The people on the station platform had gathered 
 around, and were grinning at what they saw and heard, 
 while others were looking from the car windows and 
 smiling. 
 
 The professor felt as if he longed to sink into the earth, 
 and thus get out of sight. 
 
 "Look here !" he suddenly shouted, standing on his toes, 
 so that he might bring his lips as near the widow's ear as 
 posssible, "you have made a mistake." 
 
 "Made what kind of a break? That's slang, pro- 
 fessor. I am shocked to hear you use it." 
 
 "Made a mistake! Made a mistake! Made a mis- 
 take !" shrieked the little man, getting red in the face. "I 
 never said I'd marry you ! Oh, I feel like taking human 
 life !" he exclaimed, in a lower tone. 
 
 "Feel like making me your wife! Well, how be you 
 goin' to do that if you don't marry me ?" 
 
 It was impossible for the boys to repress their merri- 
 ment longer, and the spectators joined with them in a 
 hearty burst of laughter. 
 
 By this time Professor Scotch's face was the color of a 
 piece of red flannel. He closed the umbrella, and 
 flourished it wildly in the air, as he howled : 
 
 "What do you think I want of an old woman like you,! 
 who can't hear a cannon when it's fired ! If you don't go 
 away and let me alone, I'll have you arrested and locked 
 up as a lunatic ! I mean business now, and don't you for- 
 get it!" 
 
 "Don't you strike me with that umbrella don't you 
 dast do such a thing !" squawked the widow, as she made 
 a grab and caught hold of it. "I could have you put in
 
 The Professor's Dilemma. 15 
 
 jail for threatenin' me, an' I'll do it, if you don't come to 
 time an' make me your wife." 
 
 She tugged at one end of the umbrella, and the pro- 
 fessor pulled at the other. 
 
 "Let go!" he thundered in his big, hoarse voice. 
 
 "Leggo yourself!" snapped the widow, trying to twist 
 it out of his hands. "I ain't goin' to give you another 
 chance to hit me with this deadly instrument." 
 
 "All aboard !" 
 
 The conductor gave the cry, and Frank and Hans has- 
 tened to get upon the nearest car. From the steps Frank 
 called: 
 
 "Come, come, professor! The train is going. You'll 
 be left, if you don't look out." 
 
 Professor Scotch cast one wild, despairing look at the 
 train. 
 
 "All aboard !" called the conductor, for the last time. 
 
 'The signal was given for the train to start. 
 
 The professor resolved to abandon the umbrella, and so 
 he let go suddenly, and started for the car, which began 
 to move. 
 
 "No, ye don't !" squealed the widow. 
 
 Reaching out quickly, she caught the hook at the end 
 of the umbrella handle into the little man's collar, and 
 held him fast. 
 
 "Coot -by, brofessor!" laughed Hans. 
 
 "Send us cards," called Frank. 
 
 But the professor was not going to be left. WEth a 
 sudden movement, he slipped out of his coat, and the 
 widow, who had been pulling so hard to hold him, fell 
 over backward and rolled off the station platform. 
 
 With a wild leap for liberty, the professor caught the 
 rail and swung safely onto the steps of the moving train.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ON THE TRAIN. 
 
 "Merciful goodness !" gasped the little professor, as he 
 came near collapsing in a fainting condition. "What a 
 narrow escape from a horrible fate !" 
 
 "You do not seem to be as much in love with the widow 
 as you were once on a time," observed Frank. 
 
 "In love with her in love with that woman !" roared 
 the professor, in his big voice. "I was never in love with 
 her! I pretended to be, in order to make Jenks jealous, 
 and I came near putting my foot in it. Now that I am 
 away, she will lay for him, and I hope by all that is mer- 
 ciful that she will get him. I'll never return to Fardale 
 till she does." 
 
 Leaning out from the steps and looking back, Frank 
 saw the widow scramble to her feet and stand on the plat- 
 form, waving the umbrella, and screaming after the train. 
 
 "Quick, professor!" cried Merriwell, with a chuckle; 
 "take a look at your lady love. She is cutting a figure 
 now." 
 
 "She isn't pursuing the train, is she?"asked Scotch, ex- 
 citedly. "She'll overtake it, if she starts out !" 
 
 He looked back, and the widow saw him, which made 
 her wave the umbrella still more frantically, and shake 
 her fist threateningly. 
 
 The professor drew back, with a shudder. 
 
 "Let's go into the car," he said. "I feel weak and 
 faint, and I must sit down." 
 
 Hans and the professor found a seat together, while 
 Frank sat directly behind them.
 
 On the Train. 17 
 
 The people in the car greeted the little man with grins 
 and smiles, making him feel as if he would like to dash 
 in and attack the whole crowd. 
 
 "Some people remind me of monkeys !" he rumbled, in 
 his deep voice. "They grin at everything they see." 
 
 He glared at a fat woman in the opposite seat, and the 
 fat woman tried to look haughty. She was carrying a 
 large covered basket in her lap. 
 
 Frank saw his opportunity for a little sport. Being a 
 skillful ventriloquist, he made the fat woman seem to 
 say: 
 
 "People are always seeing such things when they do 
 not have a gun !" 
 
 "What's that, madam what's that you say?" thun- 
 dered the professor. 
 
 "I didn't say a word," declared the fat woman, draw- 
 ing herself up as stiffly as she could. "You are very pre- 
 suming in addressing me, sir." 
 
 "Oh, is that so !" flung back the irate professor. "It is 
 possible, madam, that you do not know who I am." 
 
 "Well, you look like a lunatic. I should advise you to 
 hide that silk hat till you can get a coat to wear. You 
 look rather ridiculous sitting in your shirtsleeves with a 
 silk hat on your head." 
 
 "This is a free country, madam a free country !" 
 
 "Which is a fortunate thing for you." 
 
 "What do you mean what do you mean by that ?" 
 
 "I decline to have anything further to say to you, sir." 
 
 The fat woman braced back in her seat, with a very 
 scornful expression on her expansive countenance. 
 
 Just ahead of the fat woman a long, lank, thin-necked 
 farmer was sittin. He had twisted his neck around, and 
 was watching with his eyes and mouth wide open, and his 
 ears canted forward, like those of a mule that thinks he
 
 i8 On the Train. 
 
 hears something in advance. He had a face that would 
 have made a funeral procession look jolly in comparison. 
 
 This old fellow had a chew of tobaccco in his mouth, 
 and the moment he began to wag his jaws, Frank made 
 him seem to say : 
 
 "That's where yeoure right, madam, by gosh! Yeou 
 don't want to have nothin' to do with that air little runt. 
 He's a base deceiver of the ladies, an' he's runnin' away 
 from a gal tew which he's bin makin' love an' promised 
 tew marry." 
 
 The little professor went into the air like a jack-in-the- 
 box, landing in the aisle. 
 
 "You're a prevaricator!" he roared, shaking his fist 
 under the farmer's long nose. 
 
 The farmer was astonished. 
 
 "D'ye mean me?" he asked, blankly. 
 
 "Yes, I mean you !" howled Scotch. "And I can back 
 it up ! I will " 
 
 "Wai, darn my skin!" drawled the farmer. "I hain't 
 opened my trap tew yeou, but there kan't no children git 
 right up before the publick an' jawin' me without gittin* 
 spanked !" 
 
 Then, quick as thought, he caught the professor by the 
 arm, yanked the little man down across his knees, and be- 
 gan to spank him solidly, as he would have spanked a 
 saucy child. 
 
 The entire earful of people laughed, and Hans Dun- 
 nerwust came near having a fit. 
 
 "Shimminy Gristmas !" laughed the Dutch lad, holding 
 onto his sides. "Don't dot peat der band alretty yet! 
 Uf dis keeps ub, there don'd peen nottings left uf der 
 brofessor py der dime we ged to der end tud der 
 shourney." 
 
 Scotch roared and kicked, but the lank farmer was 
 strong, and he held the little man helpless till he was tired
 
 On the Train. 19 
 
 of spanking him. Then he rose up, stepped into the aisle, 
 and chucked the professor down into the seat at Hans' 
 side, observing: 
 
 "There ! jest you set right there, an' take keer who ye 
 call names next time. If yeou try tew git up, darn my 
 skin if I don't take off one of my shoes an' wear ther sole 
 plumb out on the most spankable part of your person !" 
 
 The farmer had a long neck and a long body, but his 
 legs were wonders. They seemed like pipestems, and 
 they were so long that he looked as if he were standing 
 on stilts. His head was away up in the top of the car. 
 
 Professor Scotch gazed up at the man, and then col- 
 lapsed. 
 
 "It's no use for me to try to defend myself in this case," 
 he muttered, sadly. "There isn't anything around here 
 that I can stand on so that I can hit him above the belt." 
 
 "That's where you show your sense," said the farmer, 
 as he resumed his seat. "You'd better find aout the kind 
 of people you call names afore you call 'em that, b'gosh !" 
 
 The professor was sadly discomfited. 
 
 "This is the first time in all my life that anything of 
 the kind ever happened to me," he said, sadly. "Half 
 stripped of my clothes by a deaf widow, sauced by a fat 
 woman, and spanked by a countryman with hayseed in his 
 hair ! Life has no terrors for me now, and I do not fear 
 death !" 
 
 "Then it would be a fine thing for you to commit sui- 
 cide," Frank made the fat woman seem to say. 
 
 The professor gave her a reproachful look, and then 
 turned away, mournfully shaking his head. He did not 
 Care to get into any further trouble. 
 
 Merriwell was possessed with the spirit of mischief. 
 He leaned over and asked the professor: 
 
 "What do you suppose she has in that basket ?" 
 
 "I don't know," was the reply. "And I don't care."
 
 20 On the Train. 
 
 "I will bet I can tell. She has two live pigs in there, 
 or I am greatly mistaken." 
 
 "Get out !" exclaimed Scotch. "Are you trying to have 
 some more fun at my expense ?" 
 
 "Not at all, professor. You know that even very 
 young pigs give themselves away by certain peculiarities. 
 Now she is plainly a lady who wishes to be considered as 
 perfectly proper in her way, and she would be rather em- 
 barrassed if it were known that she is carrying pigs 
 about in a passenger car, even though such places are 
 sometimes frequented by hogs who take entire seats to 
 themselves." 
 
 "If she is carrying pigs in that basket, I'd like to know 
 it," said the professor. "I'd complain to the conductor, 
 and have that basket removed to the baggage car." 
 
 "Well, listen you may hear them." 
 
 And it was not long before everybody in that vicinity 
 seemed to hear the grunting of one or more small pigs, 
 and the sounds appeared to come from the fat woman's 
 basket. The fat woman herself looked around in sur- 
 prise, not being able to locate the sounds. 
 
 Professor Scotch was electrified. 
 
 "I'll get even with her!" he delightedly whispered to 
 the boys. "Wait till the conductor comes around to take 
 up the tickets." 
 
 Long before the conductor appeared, Frank had caused 
 the mythical pigs to attract the attention of everybody 
 in the vicinity of the basket. 
 
 When the conductor demanded Professor Scotch's 
 ticket, that worthy assumed a very indignant air, and 
 asked: 
 
 "Is a man compelled to pay first-class fare and travel 
 in the same car with swine, sir?" 
 
 "Ticket, please," said the conductor, loftily, without 
 deigning to notice the question.
 
 On the Train. 21 
 
 l, sir," returned Scotch, haughtily, "you'll receive 
 no ticket from me till certain swine are removed from 
 this car. I know my rights, sir, and I will stand on 
 them. I am not speaking of human swine, either ; I mean 
 pigs, sir, pigs !" 
 
 "You must be loony !" said the conductor. 
 
 "Well, sir, I am not. This woman here with the bas- 
 ket, is carrying pigs about in a car that is set apart for 
 human beings. It is an outrage, and I demand that the 
 basket and its contents be removed." 
 
 The conductor looked at the fat woman, and then at the 
 basket. 
 
 "It is a base fabrication !" exclaimed the highly-indig- 
 nant woman, her face getting crimson. "That man must 
 be a lunatic ! Pigs, indeed !" 
 
 Then she lifted the cover of the basket, and showed 
 that it was quite empty.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FURTHER EXCITEMENT. 
 
 Professor Scotch had half risen, so that he might get a 
 good look into the basket. When he saw that it was 
 empty, he gave a groan of mingled astonishment and dis- 
 may, and dropped back limply in his seat. 
 
 "I have just been on a visrt to my daughter," explained 
 the indignant fat woman, "and I took her a few things in 
 this basket which I am carrying home. That insolent, 
 insignificant, half-clothed creature began by insulting me 
 the moment he entered the car, and this is his crowning 
 effort. I think he is crazy." 
 
 "But but," weakly stammered the professor, "we all 
 heard the pigs grunting, and the sound seemed to come 
 from that basket, so I " 
 
 "Hand over your ticket," demanded the conductor, 
 crushingly. "You certainly appear to be dangerous, and 
 it is my opinion that you ought to be confined where you 
 can do no harm. If you annoy this lady further, I shall 
 feel it my duty to have you ejected from the train at the 
 first station." 
 
 Never was a man more completely broken up than was 
 Professor Scotch at that moment. He felt through his 
 pockets for his ticket, but could not find it, which added 
 to his agitation and dismay. 
 
 "I I believe I have lost my ticket, sir," he stammered. 
 "I certainly had it, but " 
 
 "This railroad does not propose to carry beats, and, as 
 we are running ahead of time, I think we'll drop you right 
 here," said the conductor, as he reached for the bell-cord.
 
 Further Excitement. 23 
 
 "Hold on! hold on!" fluttered the professor. "The 
 ticket was in my coat ; I have lost my coat, but I have my 
 purse. I can pay my way, and I'd have you know I am 
 no beat. Appearances may be against me, but " 
 
 "Ninety-five cents," came sharply from the conductor's 
 lips, as he saw the professor produce his money. "That 
 will take you to the next station, where you must obtain 
 a ticket to your destination. You can get a rebate of ten 
 cents on this ticket at any station on this line." 
 
 He rapidly punched out a slip as he spoke, and this he 
 gave to the professor, who paid for it. 
 
 Frank and Hans had their tickets ready, and the con- 
 ductor soon passed on, but, before doing so, he assured 
 the fat woman that she should be protected from further 
 annoyance. 
 
 "Young gentlemen," said the professor, turning to his 
 companions for sympathy, "this is certainly the most hu- 
 miliating day of my life. Never before have I passed 
 through such an experience, and I never want to again." 
 
 "Veil, I don'd plame you for dot, brofessor," grinned 
 Hans. "It don'd peen some fun for you, ain'd id ?" 
 
 "Not much ! I am nearly prostrated." 
 
 "Brace up, professor," said Frank, encouragingly. 
 "You're all right. Those pigs are somewhere, and I be- 
 lieve they were in that basket." 
 
 "Then what became of them ?" 
 
 "The woman must have hidden them under her clothes. 
 I am keeping watch of her to see that she does not put 
 them back into the basket. If you can find those pigs, 
 you will be exonerated." 
 
 "And I demand exoneration !" rumbled Scotch, fiercely. 
 "What was that?" 
 
 This exclamation was produced by a smothered grunt- 
 ing that came from some mysterious locality.
 
 24 Further Excitement. 
 
 "It sounded like those pigs," said Frank. 
 
 The professor was now greatly excited, and he listened 
 attentively, determined to locate the mysterious pigs. 
 
 Of a sudden, a strange squealing, smothered, but dis- 
 tinct, was heard by every one in the car. The conductor, 
 who was about to pass through into the next car, stopped 
 and looked round in amazement. 
 
 Professor Scotch leaped into the aisle, exclaiming : 
 
 "Ladies and gentlemen, I call on you to witness that I 
 spoke the truth when I claimed there were swine in this 
 car! They are here somewhere, for you can all hear 
 them now." 
 
 The squealing continued. It semed to come from be- 
 neath the seat where the fat woman was sitting. 
 
 Down went the professor on his knees, and began to 
 claw around under the seat. 
 
 The fat woman gave a shriek, and climbed as quickly 
 as possible upon the seat, from which position she reached 
 down and belted the professor over the head with the 
 basket. 
 
 "You horrid man !" she cried. 
 
 The squealing continued, growing more distinct. 
 
 "I'll find those pigs or perish in the attempt !" roared 
 Scotch, as he clawed about wildly beneath the seat. 
 
 The squealing now seemed to come from beneath the 
 next seat, and the countryman began to grow excited. 
 
 "That is a pig, b'gosh !" he shouted, as he doubled up 
 and tried to look under the seats. "Critter saounds 'zif 
 it was hungry. Hey, you little rooster! where be ye? 
 Come aout of this !" 
 
 But the squealing swiftly moved to the next seat, where 
 two demure maidens were sitting, and they lost no time in 
 attempting to climb to a safe place on the back of the seat. 
 
 Down the car went the sound, and, in less than ten 
 seconds, the entire place was in an uproar.
 
 Further Excitement. 25 
 
 The two demure maidens were clinging to each other 
 and trying to balance themselves on the back of the seat, 
 while they cried : 
 
 "Help ! help ! Save us !" 
 
 "All right," came gallantly from Frank Merri well's ; 
 lips, as he hastened across the aisle, incidentally stepping 
 on the small of Professor Scotch's back, as that worthy 
 was still trying to discover the pigs under the car seats. 
 
 "Wow !" roared the professor. "My spine is fractured ! 
 I'll sue this railroad for damages!" 
 
 "Help!" shrieked the demure maidens, again. 
 
 "Depend on me," said Frank, as he reached them, and 
 kept them from falling into the aisle. 
 
 One of the girls threw her arms about his neck, and 
 clung to him with all her strength. 
 
 "Shimminy Gristmas !" gurgled Hans. "Uf I don'd 
 peen in dot righd avay, I vos slow !" 
 
 He hurried across the aisle as swiftly as he could, and 
 addressed the girl who was not clinging to Frank. 
 
 "Oxcuse me; mein neck vos ad your service, young 
 laty. Uf you ged holt uf id dight, I don'd let more as 
 sefendeen regiments uf peegs do nottings to you." 
 
 "Oh, I am dreadfully frightened !" gasped the girl. "I 
 am afraid of such horrid things ! It is real good of you 
 to offer your protection." 
 
 Then she came near losing her balance, and was forced 
 to clasp him around the neck in the same way that the 
 other girl had clasped Frank. 
 
 "Yum, yum !" gurgled the Dutch boy. "Don'd I vos 
 glat I come !" 
 
 At this moment one of the train hands opened the door, 
 and there came a joyful squeal from that locality, as if 
 the mysterious pigs were delighted to obtain some fresh 
 air. The sound seemed to come from the train-hand's
 
 26 Further Excitement. 
 
 feet, and he made a wild jump into the air, craning his 
 neck to look downward. 
 
 Then the squealing seemed to come from the outside of 
 the car, and, of a sudden, it ceased entirely. 
 
 "Them pigs has got oaut an' run off the car, b'gosh !" 
 shouted the tall farmer. 
 
 "But everybody present knows they were in this car !" 
 roared Professor Scotch, struggling to his feet and con- 
 fronting the conductor. "You owe me an apology, sir !" 
 
 The other passengers were highly indignant, and they 
 crowded about the conductor, using threatening language 
 and gestures, so that he was glad to break away and 
 plunge precipitately from the car. 
 
 It was some time before the excitement subsided. 
 
 When Professor Scotch began to cool down some- 
 what, he looked around for his two youthful companions. 
 He found them without any trouble. They were seated 
 and chatting reassuringly, with the demure maidens at 
 their sides. 
 
 "How you vos, brofessor," nodded Hans, as the wild- 
 eyed little man regarded them in astonishmnet. 
 
 "Bah !" roared the professor, and he went off to a cor- 
 ner seat, where he sat and enjoyed himself immensely 
 for some time by hating all mankind.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 FRANK INTRODUCES THE PROFESSOR. 
 
 The professor grew fearful that Nancy Cobb would 
 wire an order for his arrest at the next station ; but noth- 
 ing of the kind occurred, and he was able to purchase a 
 ticket and continue the journey. 
 
 Not having time to stop anywhere long enough to pur- 
 chase a coat at a clothing store, he succeeded in buying a 
 light-weight overcoat of a passenger. 
 
 As the original owner of the coat was a large man, it 
 did not fit Professor Scotch very well, but he made the 
 best of it, and found that he attracted much less atten- 
 tion than when he was sitting in his shirtsleeves, with his 
 silk hat decorously perched on his head. 
 
 Frank and Hans seemed to enjoy themselves very much 
 chatting and laughing with their new acquaintances, and 
 the professor was left by himself till the girls came to 
 their stopping place, which was not far from midday. 
 
 The boys gallantly helped the girls from the train, and 
 lingered with them till the train was about to start again. 
 Then they boarded the train and waved their handker- 
 chiefs to the girls as long as they were in sight. 
 
 They found Professor Scotch still humped up in a cor- 
 ner of the car, looking extremely disgusted and discon- 
 solate. 
 
 "Well, professor," said Frank, lightly, "I hope you are 
 enjoying the journey." 
 
 "Oh, I am!" growled the little man, like an enraged 
 mastiff. "I am having such a delightful time that I feel
 
 28 Frank Introduces the Professor. 
 
 like committing suicide for fear I will be pleased to death ! 
 This has been one grand, hilarious picnic from the start ! 
 It has been nearly as funny as marrying the Widow 
 Cobb !" 
 
 "Oh, I am glad you are finding it so pleasant," came 
 innocently from Frank's lips. "Now, Hans and I 
 have " 
 
 "Been making fools of yourselves ! I looked out of the 
 window and saw it all. Everybody in the car laughed." 
 
 "Well, it is a pleasant thing to furnish amusement for 
 some people. I think you will continue to enjoy yourself 
 when you reach The Elms." 
 
 "The Elms? Where's that?" 
 
 "That is the old colonial place owned by my uncle. 
 You will find Uncle Asher a very gentle, mild-mannered 
 man. He has a few peculiar ideas that you will do well 
 to humor." 
 
 "Indeed? It will be well enough to let me know what 
 they are." 
 
 "Certainly. In the first place, he is a great admirer 
 of the new woman. He believes in women's rights." 
 
 "Well, he must be a fool!" roared Scotch. "Women 
 have too many rights now !" 
 
 "Well, you may hold such an opinion, and my uncle 
 may think differently. I advise you to humor him, and 
 you will do well to mention at an early date that you are 
 an ardent believer in women's rights." 
 
 "I'll try to do so ; but it may choke me. What other 
 peculiar ideas does your uncle entertain?" 
 
 "He is a personal friend of Dr. Mary Walker, and he 
 believes that women should be given the privilege to dress 
 like men, if they so desire." 
 
 Professor Scotch growled his deep disgust. 
 
 "He is also something of a temperance crank," con- 
 tinued Frank. "It is one of his beliefs that a person who
 
 Frank Introduces the Professor. 29 
 
 touches liquor is utterly depraved. You will do well to 
 ask him how the Good Templars are prospering in his 
 vicinity." 
 
 "Doesn't he believe in the moderate use of alcohol for 
 medicinal purposes?" 
 
 "He believes it is a creation of the Evil One, and he 
 will not tolerate it for any purpose." 
 
 The professor groaned. 
 
 "He has other peculiarities which I will enumerate 
 later," added Frank, airily. 
 
 At noon they stopped for refreshments at a station res- 
 taurant, and it was mid-afternoon when they arrived at 
 Bloomfield, the end of the journey for Frank and the 
 professor, who bade Hans farewell, as he was going on 
 to the next town. 
 
 Frank had not telegraphed that he was coming, and 
 so they found no one at the station to meet them. 
 
 "It is probable Uncle Asher is not looking for me before 
 to-morrow," he said. "We'll walk over, and give him a 
 surprise. It is not very far." 
 
 The village of Bloomfield seemed fast asleep. It was 
 a quiet old place, with many ancient houses. 
 
 At a distance beyond the outskirts of the village, they 
 came in view of a large, old-fashioned house and other 
 buildings, which were surrounded by lofty elms. Every- 
 thing about the place was in a state of perfect repair, and 
 it was plainly the home of a country gentleman of means. 
 
 "That is The Elms," said Frank, with pride. "It has 
 been the home of our family for generations. It passed 
 from my grandfather's hands ; but Uncle Asher bought 
 it back, with the intention of passing the last days of his 
 life here." 
 
 Professor Scotch was delighted with the beauties of 
 the place, and expressed himself freely. 
 
 "Ah," he said, "we are sure to spend our time quietly
 
 50 Frank Introduces the Professor. 
 
 and peacefully while we remain here. Now I am glad I 
 came." 
 
 "We will go round to the back door," said Frank. "I 
 want to make the surprise as pleasant as possible for 
 Uncle Asher. Follow me, and I will take you right into 
 the house." 
 
 So Frank led the way, and they entered from the back 
 door, which was unfastened. 
 
 Frank led the way toward the library, and they en- 
 countered no one. The old house, which was magnifi- 
 cently furnished in antique style, seemed deserted till 
 Frank threw open the library door. 
 
 At that moment a voice roared : 
 
 "I didn't ask for this, you blundering black rascal! 
 What do you mean by bringing me a bootjack when I am 
 in my slippers?" 
 
 Frank saw something coming through the air, and 
 dodged. The professor did not see it, and he did not 
 dodge. 
 
 The bootjack, for such it was, struck the professor over 
 the left eye and knocked him flat in a moment. 
 
 The unfortunate man gave a roar of astonishment and 
 pain. 
 
 Then a voice was heard crying : 
 
 "Golly sakes alibe, massa, dere's buglers in dis house 
 fo' suah ! Dat bootjack hit done knock one ob 'em ober 
 flat!" 
 
 Frank had fallen back from the door, not caring to en- 
 counter any missiles that might follow the bootjack. 
 
 "Burglars, eh ?" shouted the voice of the first speaker. 
 "Well, I've prepared for anything !" 
 
 Then a large, florid-faced man came rushing out of the 
 library, and flung himself heavily on the little professor, 
 who was just starting to get up. 
 
 "Lie still, you scoundrel!" roared the big man, as he
 
 Frank Introduces the Professor. 31 
 
 fished around in his hip-pocket, and finally succeeded in 
 bringing forth a revolver. "Lie still, or I will have your 
 life! I bought this revolver to-day, and it's warranted 
 to be a first-class shooting-iron !" 
 
 "Mercy !" hoarsely gurgled the professor. 
 
 "I'll give you mercy in jail, where you belong. Toots !" 
 
 "Yessar." 
 
 The face of a coal-black darky appeared at the library 
 door. 
 
 "Bring me some rope to bind this fellow with, you 
 black rascal!" 
 
 "All right, sar." 
 
 "Hold on, Toots," said Frank. "You needn't bother 
 about it. Uncle Asher, allow me the great pleasure of 
 introducing you to Professor Scotch, of Fardale Acad- 
 emy, on whose stomach you are sitting at this moment."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 STILL MORE TROUBLE. 
 
 "Golly sakes to goodness !" squealed Toots, in delight. 
 "Why, it am Massa Frank !" 
 
 "Eh, eh?" grunted Mr. Merriwell, still retaining his 
 seat astride Professor Scotch, and staring at the boy in 
 astonishment. "Frank? Wihy, I didn't expect " 
 
 "We came in by the back way, thinking* to give you a 
 slight surprise, uncle." 
 
 "But I rather think the surprise came the other way," 
 groaned the professor, clasping a hand over the eye that 
 had been struck by the bootjack. 
 
 "Well, blow me wide!" gurgled Asher Merriwell, in 
 amazement. 
 
 Indeed he was so greatly amazed that he continued to 
 sit heavily upon the professor; and, as he weighed not 
 far from two hundred and fifty pounds, the man at the 
 bottom was far from comfortable. 
 
 "Er excuse me," gasped Scotch. "You seem to be 
 crushing my liver-pad. If you will rise long enough for 
 me to remove it, I shall then be quite pleased to have 
 you sit on me till you get tired." 
 
 "I beg your pardon I beg your pardon!" spluttered 
 Uncle Asher. "Here, Toots, you ebony villain, give me 
 a hand, and help me arise !" 
 
 "Permit me, uncle," said Frank, quickly, thrusting 
 Toots aside. 
 
 Grasping his uncle's hand, the mischievous fellow 
 cried :
 
 Still More Trouble. 33 
 
 "Now we come all together, rise !" 
 
 He gave a surge, and pulled Mr. Merriwell half-way 
 to his feet. Then their hold on each other's hands broke, 
 and the corpulent gentleman fell back heavily upon the 
 unhappy professor, driving the breath from the little 
 man's lips. 
 
 "Oh, golly!" giggled Toots, doubling up with merri- 
 ment, and clasping both hands over his mouth to keep 
 from bursting into a shriek of laughter. 
 
 "Er Frank, Frank, Frank!" spluttered Uncle Asher. 
 "Be careful ! The professor may be injured in this man- 
 ner." 
 
 "Oh, no!" came faintly, but fiercely, from Scotch's 
 lips. "Don't mind me! If you find any pleasure in it, 
 jump on me with both feet. You won't harm me in the 
 least ! I am made of iron ; I haven't any feeling at all." 
 
 "My dear sir," said Mr. Merriwell, sternly, "I presume 
 you mean that such sarcasm shall be very cutting. I am 
 not pleased to be addressed in such a manner not at all." 
 
 "Well, I am delighted to be knocked down with a 
 bootjack, jumped on by a man who weighs a ton and 
 threatened with a loaded revolver ! Such a reception fills 
 my soul with delight !" 
 
 "An unfortunate mistake has occurred here, but it is 
 of small consequence." 
 
 "Oh, yes, it is a very insignificant affair! I still live, 
 so it is of no consequence. Would you mind shifting 
 your position a trifle, so that I may feel myself over to 
 learn how many of my ribs are broken ?" 
 
 "Here, Frank, get hold again !" 
 
 "Hold on !" faintly roared the professor. "If it is going 
 to be the same thing over again, I had much rather you 
 remain seated !" 
 
 "We will endeavor to make it a success this time. Cling
 
 34 Still More Trouble. 
 
 fast, Frank ! Toots, give me a push behind ! Now- 
 heave away !" 
 
 This time Uncle Asher was lifted to his feet, and a 
 great groan of relief came from the professor's lips. 
 
 "This is a very unfortunate affair, professor," said 
 Frank, as he lifted the little man to his feet; "but you 
 are still alive, for which you should be thankful." 
 
 "I am. I have passed through the most deadly perils 
 to-day." 
 
 "Sir," said Mr. Merriwell, "I welcome you to my 
 home. I am very glad to meet my son's instructor. I 
 will send to the kitchen immediately for a slice of steak 
 to be bound over that eye, for I see that it threatens to 
 turn black." 
 
 "You are very kind!" murmured Professor Scotch, as 
 he staggered forward and collapsed into a chair. 
 
 Toots was dispatched for the slice of steak. 
 
 "My dear boy !" exclaimed Uncle Asher, embracing 
 Frank, "I am delighted to see you once more ! You are 
 looking well and brown as a berry. Cadet life must 
 agree with you." 
 
 "It does, uncle. But you seem to be looking well, also. 
 I expected to find you an invalid. In your letter you asked 
 me to hasten here, saying you were not very well." 
 
 "I did not feel well at the time." 
 
 "What was the matter?" 
 
 "That I will explain later. I have some strange things 
 to tell you." 
 
 Toots soon returned with the slice of steak, and, with 
 the aid of a handkerchief, this was bound over Professor 
 Scotch's left eye. 
 
 "You know where your old room is, Frank," said Mr. 
 Merriwell. "The professor will be given the guests' 
 chamber. I will send to the station at once for your lug- 
 gage. Give Toots the checks."
 
 Still More Trouble. 35 
 
 Frank handed the checks to the darky, who was of 
 uncertain age, and had a face that continually wore a 
 repressed grin. 
 
 When Toots had departed, Frank said : 
 
 "I think I will run up to my room. It seems so good 
 to get back to the old place ! Professor, I will leave you 
 with Uncle Asher." 
 
 The little man looked alarmed, and beckoned for Frank 
 to approach. When the boy came near the chair on which 
 the professor was sitting, Scotch grasped his arm and 
 pulled him down, to whisper in his ear : 
 
 "Is it safe? Isn't there danger that he will become 
 violent again? My shattered system will not endure 
 much more of this business." 
 
 "Why, uncle is one of the mildest men in the world,' 1 
 Frank whispered back. 
 
 "Hum !" coughed the professor, doubtingly. "He may 
 be he may be, but he has a queer way of showing it." 
 
 "That's all right. He is a trifle odd; but you will 
 soon come to understand each other. Remember what I 
 told you about his peculiar likes and dislikes, and you 
 will soon be getting along famously with him." 
 
 Then Frank skipped away, and hurried upstairs. 
 
 Mr. Merriwell was standing with his hands under the 
 tails of his dressing-gown, pretending to look out of a 
 window. He turned round slowly, and found the pro- 
 fessor steadily regarding him with his uninjured eye. 
 
 "Hem !" coughed Uncle Asher. 
 
 "Hum !" coughed the professor. 
 
 "This is a world of progress," said Uncle Asher, by 
 way of saying something. 
 
 "It is, indeed," agreed the professor. "We have the 
 railroad, the telegraph, the telephone, the new Roentgen 
 system of photography, and the new woman. Of all
 
 36 Still More Trouble. 
 
 these things, the new woman is by far the greatest and 
 grandest." 
 
 "Humph!" grunted Uncle Asher. 
 
 "I have always been a sincere admirer of Dr. Mary 
 Walker," continued the professor. "I believe womeri 
 should be encouraged to adopt male attire." 
 
 "Woosh!" snorted Uncle Asher, beginning to pace up 
 and down the room. 
 
 "When women are allowed to vote and permitted to 
 wear male attire," continued the professor, thinking his 
 companion's agitation came from satisfaction, "the golden 
 age will again have dawned upon the world." 
 
 "Rot!" roared Mr. Merriwell, fiercely. "Confounded 
 rot, sir! I took you to be a man of intelligence !" 
 
 "And I pride myself that I am," snapped the professor, 
 stiffening up. "I believe you are a personal friend of 
 Dr. Mary Walker, sir?" 
 
 "You're a lunatic! Do you think that I would have 
 anything to do with a woman who wears men's clothes? 
 Whoop! Stuck on the new woman, are you? Well, 
 you're the biggest fool I have seen in a year !" 
 
 "What's that ?" roared the professor, who had endured 
 about all he could for one day. "Call me a fool ? Well, 
 you're another ! You are a lunatic, sir a raving maniac ! 
 I wouldn't remain beneath your roof another hour if 
 you would give me the place ! I shall leave immediately !" 
 
 "Well, that will save me the trouble of kicking you 
 out !" 
 
 "Kicking me!" thundered the professor, in his big, 
 hoarse voice. "If you dared so much as lift a foot against 
 me, I I I " 
 
 He pranced over and shook his fist fiercely beneath Mr. 
 Merriwell's nose.
 
 Still More Trouble. 37 
 
 About one second later, Frank heard a racket that 
 brought him downstairs on the double-quick. 
 
 Slam ! bang ! crash ! The sounds that came from the 
 library seemed to indicate that something was happening 
 inside.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A STARTLING ASSERTION. 
 
 Frank pushed open the door, and sprang into the room. 
 
 The professor and Uncle Asher were engaged in a 
 rough-and-tumble battle, and, having been enraged to a 
 point that was far beyond his endurance, Scotch was 
 giving Mr. Merriwell a very lively tussle. 
 
 They had upset a table, smashed a lamp, broken glass 
 from the door of a bookcase, and done other damage, but 
 they kept right on at each other merrily. 
 
 "Call me a lunatic, will you!" shouted Mr. Merriwell, 
 as he hit the professor a good one on his injured eye. 
 "Accuse me of being friendly with Dr. Mary Walker! 
 Whoop!" 
 
 "Call me a fool, will you !" roared the professor, strik- 
 ing back blindly. "Threaten to kick me out of the house, 
 will you ! I'll be avenged, or I will perish in the attempt !" 
 
 Frank rushed forward, crying: 
 
 "Stop, Uncle Asher! Stop, professor! This is dis- 
 graceful ! There is some mistake !" 
 
 "That's right!" howled Uncle Asher. "You made a 
 mistake in bringing such a creature into my house !" 
 
 "And you made a mistake in calling me a fool !" bel- 
 lowed Professor Scotch. "Is this the mild and gentle 
 uncle you told me about, boy? He is a perfect old can- 
 nibal!" 
 
 "If this little pirate is your favorite instructor, I am 
 going to keep you away from Fardale Academy," de- 
 clared Frank's uncle.
 
 A Startling Assertion. 39 
 
 At this moment they both tripped and fell, but Pro- 
 fessor Scotch was again underneath. 
 
 The back of the professor's head struck the floor with 
 such violence that he was stunned ; and when he recov- 
 ered he found himself in bed, with the village doctor in 
 attendance. 
 
 "Is there any hope for death, doctor?" asked the pro- 
 fessor, hollowly, when he found the man at the bedside 
 was a physician. "I trust I am in no danger of recov- 
 ering?" 
 
 "You will be all right to-morrow," assured the physi- 
 cian, in a manner intended to be cheerful. "You are 
 shaken up and bruised, as if you had passed through a 
 railroad accident; but, although you may be lame and 
 stiff for a day or two, you will eventually come out all 
 right. You have a strong constitution." 
 
 "And must I remain beneath this roof a single night?" 
 
 "You must not leave this bed till I call again. Your 
 condition demands absolute rest. I have left here on this 
 stand at the head of the bed liniments and lotions, and 
 have given young 'Mf. ,Merriwell full directions for their 
 application. It will be several days before the discolora- 
 tion will entirely leave your eyes." 
 
 "Doctor." 
 
 "Well, sir?" 
 
 "Did I kill him?" 
 
 "Whom?" 
 
 "That infernal old fiend who assaulted me with a boot- 
 jack, and attempted to assassinate me with a loaded re- 
 volver?" 
 
 "Mr. Merriwell ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "He does not seem to be harmed at all." 
 
 "Then let me die, doctor !" 
 
 "Nonsense! You must be crazy! Why, Mr. Mem-
 
 40 A Startling Assertion. 
 
 well says it was all an accident. You need rest. Here, 
 take this powder." 
 
 The doctor forced Scotch to swallow the powder, and 
 it was not long before the professor sunk into deep 
 slumber. 
 
 In the meantime Frank was doing his best to soothe his 
 uncle's ruffled feelings. 
 
 "This man may die, Uncle," he said. "You have as- 
 saulted him in a terrible manner." 
 
 "He brought it on himself!" shouted Asher, walking 
 wildly up and down amid the ruins of the library. "Wjhy, 
 the wretch even accused me of being friendly with Dr. 
 Mary Walker!" 
 
 "Then he must have misunderstood me. I have always 
 known that you regarded Dr. Mary Walker with scorn, 
 and I said something about it to the professor on the 
 train. He may have thought that I said you were friendly 
 with her." 
 
 "He upheld the new woman, and he even went so far 
 as to say that he thought it would be a fine thing for 
 women to wear male attire ! He ought to die !" 
 
 "Now, I am quite sure the professor holds views ex- 
 actly the opposite, and so I am led to infer that he mis- 
 understood me again, for I spoke of your ideas on this 
 point." 
 
 "Well, in case he prevaricated, he deserves what he got. 
 Look at the ruin he wrought here! Fifty dollars will 
 not begin to replace the articles broken." 
 
 "In case Professor Scotch should die, it would be 
 proved that you assaulted him with a loaded revolver, and 
 you might find yourself in serious trouble." 
 
 Uncle Asher began to look worried. 
 
 "Oh, there can't be any likelihood of his dying." 
 
 "I don't know about that. You handled b ; m very
 
 A Startling Assertion. 41 
 
 roughly. I shall remain in suspense till the doctor re- 
 ports." 
 
 By the time the doctor came down from the room in 
 which the professor lay asleep Uncle Asher had grown 
 quite nervous and alarmed. He immediately rushed at 
 the physician and asked : 
 
 "How is he? Will he pull through all right?" 
 
 "Well, it is possible," replied the physician, catching a 
 significant wink from Frank. "But I advise you to patch 
 matters up with him some way, Mr. Merriwell." 
 
 "Patch up ? What do you mean ?" 
 
 "I mean that you have given him a severe shaking up, 
 and he may take a notion to make you pay for it." 
 
 "How, sir how ?" 
 
 "By suing you for damages. He has the marks to 
 show, and he could make a very strong case." 
 
 The doctor then gave Frank a few instructions con- 
 cerning the professor, and departed. 
 
 Uncle Asher was in anything but a pleasant frame of 
 mind. 
 
 "Fate is against me," he said. "Everything has gone 
 wrong since the first visitation." 
 
 Frank looked at his uncle keenly, but the man seemed 
 perfectly sane, although agitated. 
 
 "What do you mean by 'the first visitation ?' " he 
 asked. "In your letter you spoke of a visitation." 
 
 Mr. Merriwell glanced nervously about. 
 
 "I will tell you, Frank," he said. "I must tell you 
 without delay. But I must have something to steady 
 my nerves. Sit down. I will tell you the story when I 
 return." 
 
 In a short time Uncle Asher came back, looking as if 
 he felt better. But he did not immediately begin with 
 his explanation. Instead, he walked nervously up and 
 down the library floor till Frank said :
 
 42 A Startling Assertion. 
 
 "I am waiting, uncle." 
 
 "Eh? Yes, I know, but it is not an easy thing to 
 begin on. You are not superstitious, my boy.?" 
 
 "Not in the least." 
 
 "You do not believe in ghosts ?" 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 "I knew it. It was not so very long ago that I did not 
 believe in them." 
 
 "And you do now ?" asked Frank. 
 
 "Well, I have been forced to," was the reluctant con- 
 fession. "I know this house is haunted, for I have seen 
 the ghost." 
 
 "Nonsense !" 
 
 "There is no nonsense about it," firmly returned Asher 
 Merriwell. "My boy, your father is dead ; but for three 
 nights in succession his disembodied spirit has entered 
 my chamber and been seen by my eyes !"
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 STORY OF THE SPECTRE. 
 
 Frank leaped to his feet. 
 
 "Uncle Asher, you are mad !" he hoarsely cried. 
 
 The old man shook his head. 
 
 "I knew you would think me deranged," he said ; "but 
 I am not. I have spoken the solemn truth." 
 
 "But such a thing is utterly impossible !" 
 
 "So I have always believed until convinced by my own 
 eyes and my own ears." 
 
 Frank was distressed. Mr. Merriwell seemed to be 
 perfectly sane, and yet the boy shrank from him. 
 
 "Sit down again," urged Uncle Asher. "Let's try to 
 be calm. I knew I should distress you, and, at first, I 
 resolved not to tell you. But the repeated appearance of 
 the spectre led me to change my mind. I accepted it as 
 a warning of my coming end, and I felt that it was my 
 duty to tell you all." 
 
 The man had grown calm, but now it was the boy 
 who paced excitedly up and down the room. At length 
 Frank came and stood before his uncle, saying: 
 
 "Tell me what you have seen." 
 
 "On the first night I was aroused by the sound of some 
 one moving about. At first I thought it might be a 
 trick of my imagination, and I tried to go to sleep. But, 
 as I lay in a doze, I distinctly heard light footsteps pass 
 my door. That brought me out of bed in a moment, for 
 I thought burglars might be in the house. Grasping my 
 revolver, I slipped out of the room into the corridor,
 
 44 Story of the Spectre. 
 
 which, as you know, leads from the head of the stairs to 
 the rear of the house. I moved silently and cautiously. 
 It was dark in the corridor, from the farther end of 
 which came a slight rustle. Then, as I stood there, some- 
 thing seemed to vanish into the room where your mother 
 died." 
 
 The man stopped, his voice having grown husky. 
 Frank was now quite pale, but was holding his excite- 
 ment in check. He made a motion for Uncle Asher to 
 continue. 
 
 After some moments, Mr. Merriwell went on : 
 
 "I stole down the corridor, and found the door of that 
 chamber slightly ajar. The moon was shining, and its 
 light sifted in at the window. By the light of the moon 
 I distinctly saw a figure standing at the dressing-case a 
 figure clad in white. For all that there was something 
 ghostly about it, I still believed it a burglar." 
 
 He cleared his throat, and the lad waited impatiently 
 for him to continue. 
 
 "This intruder was searching through the old dressing- 
 case. I watched him for several moments, and then T 
 cocked the revolver which I held in my hand. The 
 click-click of the weapon caused him to start and turn. 
 Then the moonlight fell full and fair on his white, ghastly 
 face, and I saw it was my brother Charles !" 
 
 Asher Merriwell was now shaking with excitement, 
 and his voice choked. 
 
 A strange, uncanny feeling began to creep over the 
 listening lad. Somehow, despite himself, he could not 
 shake off a sensation of awe and terror. 
 
 After a few moments, the man recovered and pursued 
 his narrative. 
 
 "The sight of that familiar face seemed to turn the 
 blood in my veins to water. I cried out, calling my dead
 
 Story of the Spectre. 45 
 
 brother's name, and clasping my hands to my eyes, stag- 
 gering backward, the revolver falling to the floor. 
 
 "When I recovered, which was in a moment, I looked 
 for the spectre, but it had vanished. It was gone, and 
 yet I knew no one had left the chamber by the door, 
 which stood open before me. Then I began to think I 
 had been tricked by my imagination. I began to believe 
 I had seen nothing at all." 
 
 "Which must serve as the real explanation of the 
 affair," said Frank, quickly. 
 
 'Mr. Merriwell shook his head. 
 
 "Not at all. Wait till you have heard the complete 
 story." 
 
 "Go on. I am listening." 
 
 "It did not take me long to recover my nerve. I en- 
 tered the room, revolver in hand, but found nothing to 
 reward my search. Besides myself, there was no human 
 being there. 
 
 "Of course, I had grown much calmer when I went 
 back to bed. I decided that I must be ill, and I would 
 call in the doctor the next day. I took a small drink of 
 brandy, and was soon sleeping soundly. During the re- 
 mainder of that night I was not disturbed. 
 
 "With the coming of morning, I decided that I had 
 been troubled by a nightmare. I was inclined to laugh 
 at myself; but, for all that, what I had seen was vividly 
 fixed in my memory. It seemed to follow me through all 
 the day. 
 
 "But I ate well and felt well, so I did not call a 
 physician. 
 
 "I wondered if another night would bring forth any- 
 thing of an uncanny nature. Something seemed to tell 
 me that it would, and I retired with a feeling of dread, 
 which I tried in vain to banish. It was some time before 
 I fell asleep, but I slept soundly at length.
 
 46 Story of the Spectre. 
 
 "It was exactly two o'clock, when I suddenly found 
 myself wide awake. I knew not why I had awakened 
 from deep slumber, but I felt that something had aroused 
 me. The illumined face of the little clock on the stand at 
 the head of the bed told me the hour. 
 
 "For some minutes I lay and listened, but I heard no 
 sound. Still I was impressed with the conviction that 
 some one or something was astir in the house. I could 
 not sleep again without investigating, and so I got out of 
 bed. 
 
 "Once more, with the revolver in hand, I crept from 
 my room and stole down the corridor. Gently I pushed 
 open the door of the chamber in which I had seen the 
 apparition the night before. Something made me ex- 
 pect to see it there again, and I was not disappointed. 
 
 "As on the previous occasion, the moonlight was shin- 
 ing in at the window, and it showed me the figure in 
 white. As on the previous occasion, the spectre seemed 
 to be searching through the old dressing-case. 
 
 "Lifting the revolver, I cried : 
 
 " 'Stand still, or I will shoot you in your tracks !' 
 
 "Again he turned, and again I saw the death-set face 
 of my brother ! I felt my strength oozing from my body. 
 I was fascinated by the eyes which seemed fixed on me 
 with a stony stare. Slowly the revolver sunk to my side. 
 
 "Then the spectre lifted a hand with a warning ges- 
 ture, and, without a sound, glided into the alcove in that 
 room and disappeared. I seemed to hear a faint scraping 
 sound, but that was all. I was alone. 
 
 "I do not know how I summoned courage to go in 
 there and investigate a second time, but I did so, and the 
 only satisfaction it gave me was to discover the room 
 was deserted, save for myself." 
 
 Frank Merriwell was breathing quickly, fitfully, his
 
 Story of the Spectre. 47 
 
 face hard and pale. The words of his uncle were mak- 
 ing a deep impression on him. 
 
 Now Mr. Merriwell once more sought relief from his 
 feelings by walking swiftly up and down the floor. Frank 
 waited in silence till the man continued: 
 
 "I went back to bed, but I did not sleep. I tossed 
 and turned, my mind troubled with a conflict of thoughts 
 and emotions. I began to believe that the apparition had 
 come as a warning of something soon to befall me. My 
 thoughts grew morbid, and a great fear came upon me. 
 I am an old man, and my course is nearly finished." 
 
 "No, no, uncle!" cried Frank, quickly; "y u are still 
 in the very prime of life. You have a score of good 
 years before you." 
 
 "Uncle Asher forced a faint smile. 
 
 "I am fifty-nine," he said. "In our family there have 
 ever been two classes. One class was slender, supple, 
 sinewy, hard as iron, and blessed with long lives, barring 
 accidents. To that class your father and yourself belong. 
 The other class was stout, thick-necked, sluggish of blood 
 and inclined to apoplexy. Nearly all of them have died 
 from fifty-eight to sixty-two. That is the class to which 
 I belong." 
 
 It was useless for Frank to try to convince Uncle Asher 
 that this was all a whim. 
 
 "I know, my dear boy I know," declared the man. 
 "For some time I have been thinking of making certain 
 provisions for you, in case I should be taken away sud- 
 denly." 
 
 "I am all right, uncle." 
 
 "I know it, but you are all I have in the world. When 
 I am gone, you shall inherit my wealth." 
 
 "Don't speak of that !" 
 
 "I must speak of it, for the time has come. Merriwell 
 is a good old name, and through you it must go dpw
 
 48 Slory of the Spectre. 
 
 to posterity. I want to see you educated, or want to 
 know that your complete education is assured. For that 
 reason, I asked you to bring one of your instructors 
 with you. I have a scheme of adding to your complete 
 education by travel, and I wished you to see the world 
 in company with a highly intellectual tutor. I am greatly 
 disappointed in Professor Scotch, and " 
 
 "You may not be so disappointed when you come to 
 know the professor better." 
 
 "Oh, he is not the man to satisfy me." 
 
 "Wait and see. But you have not completed your 
 ghost story, uncle." 
 
 "So I haven't. There is not much more to tell. I 
 found myself in a rather shaken condition in the morning. 
 I called in the doctor, and asked him what it meant 
 when a person got to seeing spooks. He said it meant 
 their liver was out of order, and he gave me some medi- 
 cine. This medicine, however, did not prevent the spec- 
 tre's appearance on the third night." 
 
 "Did it appear in the same manner?" 
 
 "No. This time it visited me in my own chamber." 
 
 Frank whistled. 
 
 "This grows still more exciting !" 
 
 "Yes. As you may fancy, I did not find it easy to go 
 to sleep on the third night, and I took the utmost care to 
 lock my chamber door. I did not mean to arise and go 
 spectre-hunting again, no matter how strong the inclina- 
 tion might be. But I did not have to do so. 
 
 "Again it was two o'clock when I awoke ; but this time 
 I looked up and saw the spectre at my bedside. It was 
 standing there quietly, and seemed waiting for me to 
 awaken. The moment I opened my eyes, it lifted a hand, 
 and then, in a faint, far-away whisper, came these words : 
 
 " 'Brother Asher, where is the mystic ring the ring I
 
 Story of the Spectre. 49 
 
 gave my wife, and told her to keep till I called for it? 
 I have called at last!'" 
 
 A cry broke from Frank's lips. 
 
 ''The ring there it is !" he cried, holding up his hand, 
 and showing a strangely twisted band of gold, in which 
 an odd black stone was set. "My mother gave it to me 
 when she died. She told me to keep it always. It has 
 caused me a great deal of trouble, of which I have not 
 written you a full account, as I did not wish to worry 
 you. First, complete your story, and then I will tell you 
 about this ring." 
 
 ;Mr. Merriwell looked closely at the old ring, and then 
 he huskily said : 
 
 "This is the ring for which he called. He described it 
 I told him that it was not in my possession." 
 
 "And then what?" 
 
 "He stepped back from sight, I heard a click, and when 
 I sat up in bed, shaking with fright, he was gone." 
 
 "Then you wrote me to come home without delay ?" 
 
 "Yes. I accepted these visitations as a warning of my 
 approaching end." 
 
 "Nonsense, uncle! However, I am glad you wrote 
 me to come. You were not visited last night ?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "I may be able to solve the mystery. I have a favor . 
 to ask." 
 
 "Name it, my boy, and it shall be granted." 
 
 "I want to spend to-night in the chamber where vou 
 first saw the spectre !"
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE STRANGE RING. 
 
 Mr. Merriwell was greatly agitated. 
 
 "My boy, you cannot know what experience you might 
 have to go through!" he cried. 
 
 "I shall be ready for anything," assured Frank. 
 
 "But but that chamber your mother died there." 
 
 A look of pain passed over the lad's face. He turned 
 away for a moment, and then slowly said : 
 
 "I know. Possibly that is why this this spectre 
 visits that room." 
 
 "Without doubt." 
 
 "Then I shall not mind I shall not be easily fright- 
 ened." 
 
 Uncle Asher hesitated. 
 
 "Remember, uncle, you told me to name my favor and 
 it should be granted." 
 
 "I spoke hastily." 
 
 "But you will not refuse me now?" 
 
 "It is of you that I am thinking; there could be noth- 
 jing selfish in such a refusal." 
 
 "And it is of you that I am thinking, dear uncle. If I 
 can succeed in solving this mystery " 
 
 "My boy, there is no solution. I have seen my broth- 
 er's spirit, and you would simply behold that of your 
 father. Isn't it better that you should not venture to look 
 upon it" 
 
 "But Uncle Asher, I have the ring, and it belongs to 
 him. He did not call for it while he lived; and now "
 
 The Strange Ring. 51 
 
 "I see, I see ; you think that you may 'lay' the spectre 
 by surrendering the ring." 
 
 This was not what Frank had thought, but he did not 
 care to make a full explanation just then. 
 
 Some time before, he had written his uncle how the 
 ring had been stolen from him, and, in trying to escape 
 from pursuers, the thief had fallen into an old quarry and 
 been killed ; but he had not thought it best at that time 
 to explain that the fine lines cut on the black stone were 
 really a chart to a lost gold mine that was situated some- 
 where in the Santa Catarina Mountains, in Arizona. 
 
 Now, however, he told his uncle the full truth about the 
 ring, and showed the chart which he had had drawn on 
 paper by one who had copied and enlarged the marking 
 on the strange stone in the ring. 
 
 Quite naturally, Asher Merriwell was greatly inter- 
 ested. He looked the chart over carefully, and then he 
 examined the ring. He asked many questions, ending 
 with : 
 
 "And you really mean to give up this ring ?" 
 
 "It belonged to my father." 
 
 "True." 
 
 "He asked mother to keep it until he called for it." 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "He did not call for it while mother lived." 
 
 "No." 
 
 "And now that he has called, should he not receive 
 it?" 
 
 "What value can that ring be to a spectre ?" 
 
 "Oh, I cannot answer that. You have not yet given 
 me an answer." 
 
 "I will not. Boy, your mother gave you that ring, told 
 yon to keep it, and you must do with it as you believe 
 is right and proper. I shall not try to dictate in the mat- 
 ter. The events of the last few nights have shaken me
 
 52 The Strange Ring. 
 
 severely. I am not myself I am not capable of giving 
 good advice. I scarcely know what I think or feel." 
 
 "You need a rest, Uncle or, better still, you need a 
 change. You should go away on some kind of a diver- 
 sion-seeking expedition. But, let me hear you agree that 
 I may sleep in that chamber to-night." 
 
 "Do as you choose, Frank. You may regret it I may 
 .regret that I permitted it." 
 
 "I scarcely think you will." 
 
 A little later Toots arrived from the station with the 
 trunks, which the hostler aided him in bringing into the 
 house. 
 
 Frank went up and saw Professor Scotch, finding him 
 sleeping peacefully, with one eye bandaged and the other 
 slightly discolored. 
 
 "Poor old professor !" laughed Frank, softly. "He has 
 had a sorry time since leaving the academy. Another 
 such day would be his death. He must be given a chance 
 to rest and recuperate." 
 
 Leaving the professor, he sought Toots, whom he di- 
 rected to go and sit with the unfortunate man, assuring 
 the darky that he would make it all right with Mr. Merri- 
 well. 
 
 Thus it came about that, when Professor Scotch opened 
 his eyes, he looked straight at Toots, who was in the act 
 of taking a sip from a suspicious-looking bottle. 
 
 Seeing that he was detected, Toots exclaimed : 
 
 "Golly!" 
 
 Professor Scotch instantly sat up in bed. 
 
 "Look here, my brunette friend," he cried, "what have 
 you in that bottle?" 
 
 "MedVne fo' mah cold, sar," replied Toots, speaking 
 hoarsely, and beginning to cough. 
 
 The professor sniffed the air.
 
 The Strange Ring. 53 
 
 "Seems to me I recognize that odor," he muttered. "I 
 am sure I cannot be deceived." 
 
 "Wouldn't deceibe yo' fo' de vvoiT, sar," assured the 
 agitated darky. 
 
 "Look here, Toots !" rumbled Scotch, in his deep, awe- 
 inspiring voice, "I think I need a little of that medicine 
 myself." 
 
 "No, sar no, sar!" cried Toots, in alarm. "Dis am 
 bad fo' white fo'ks 'deed it am! It am 'speshully bad 
 fo' p'ofessors, sar. It am deadly po'son fo' p'ofessors." 
 
 "Well, Toots, I have decided to commit suicide. Bring 
 forward the poison !" 
 
 Toots' teeth began to chatter and his eyes to roll. 
 
 "Su-su-sar," he stammered, "I done don' like to refuse 
 a gemmen, sar ; but dis is a case whar de gen'ral health 
 ob de communerty done deman' it, sar. If yo' took one 
 li'l tinty drap ob dis p'oson, sar, it would be shore deff, an* 
 I might be hung fo* yo' murdah." 
 
 "Now, that won't go with me, you black pilferer!" 
 roared the professor. "You confiscated that bottle and 
 its contents from Mr. Merriwell, and I shall report your 
 offence if you do not immediately hand it over to me." 
 
 "An' yo' won't repo'te it if I gib yo' de bottle ?" 
 
 "No, I will keep mum." 
 
 "Well, jes' let me hab one mo* good s waller ob dis 
 tned'c'ne, an' I will gib it up." 
 
 "Stop!" commanded Scotch, sharply. "Not another 
 swallow till I have analyzed the contents of that bottle. 
 You have taken it at random from the wine-cellar, and, 
 as it was put up especially for white folks, it may be 
 poison for darkies." 
 
 "Good land ! I nebber fought ob dat," cried Toots, as 
 he quickly surrendered the bottle. 
 
 The professor held it between his unbandaged eye and 
 the window.
 
 54 The Strange Ring. 
 
 "Now," said he, soberly, "we will begin the analysis. 
 First, it looks like brandy." 
 
 He smelled of it. 
 
 "It smells like brandy," he declared. 
 
 He took a good pull at the bottle. 
 
 "It tastes like brandy," he said, with a. catch in his 
 breath and a look of deep satisfaction. "I believe it is 
 brandy. I'll try it again, just to make sure." 
 
 He did try it again, and the way he allowed the fiery 
 Stuff to gurgle down his throat caused Toots to clasp his 
 hands and murmur : 
 
 "Fo' de Ian' sakes !" 
 
 "Yes," said the professor, gasping for breath, "that 
 is brandy. According to my analysis, it is a very fine 
 grade of brandy. But I thought Mr. Merriwell was a 
 temperance worker? I thought he believed in putting 
 down this kind of stuff?" 
 
 "By golly ! He does/' grinned Toots. "Yo' ought to see 
 him put it do'n when he feels dat way !" 
 
 "I am shocked I am surprised!" asserted the pro- 
 fessor. "Now, I believe in the use of liquor for purely 
 medicinal purposes nothing else, nothing else. I am 
 rather ill at the present time, and brandy is, without 
 doubt, exactly what I need. Ill take a little more." 
 Toots coughed. 
 
 "Dis yere cole ob mine is po'erful bad," he said. 
 
 "Rum and molasses is a very good mixture for a cold," 
 said the professor, glibly. "Of course, I would not rec- 
 ommend it for children, but it very good for a mature 
 person like yourself." 
 
 "How about brandy, p'ofessor?" 
 
 "Avoid it, sir avoid it ! It will do for one whose sys- 
 tem is in a badly shattered condition, but should not be 
 indulged in by a young man."
 
 The Strange Ring. 55 
 
 The bottle was again inverted, and it remained thus till 
 the last of its contents had disappeared. 
 
 "What have they chucked me into bed for?" the pro- 
 fessor continued. "I am not ready to retire. What time 
 do they dine in this house, Tootsie?" 
 
 "Berry soon, sar berry soon." 
 
 "Is that so? Well, they won't leave Professor Horace 
 Orman Tyler Scotch out this evening. I propose to arise, 
 don my raiment, and dine." 
 
 "But de doctah " 
 
 "Hang the doctor, Tootsie, old boy ! Doctors are neces- 
 sary evils. I am my own boss. Help me out of bed. 
 That's it, so. Now I am all right. Give me some assist- 
 ance in getting into my garments. Going to dine without 
 me, eh? Well, I should smile!" 
 
 With Toots to aid, the professor succeeded in getting 
 dressed, after which he washed his face and hands, 
 combed his hair after a fashion, cast aside the cloth that 
 had been bound over his eye, and declared that he vras 
 ready to descend to the dining-room.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PURSUING A PROWLER. 
 
 Frank and his uncle had seated themselves at the table, 
 and soup had been served, when Professor Scotch came 
 prancing into the dining-room, with Toots close behind. 
 
 "Excuse me," said the professor, with a flourish. "I 
 have fallen into the extravagant habit of eating occasion- 
 ally myself. Of course, I do not wish to intrude " 
 
 "Hem! hem!" coughed Uncle Asher, embarrassed. 
 "We presumed you were too too tired to come down." 
 
 "Well, hardly ; but if I am not wanted " 
 
 There was something about the professor's manner that 
 caused Asher Merriwell to burst into hearty laughter. 
 
 "Professor Scotch," he cried, "I believe I have mis- 
 understood you I am beginning to understand that you 
 are a practical joker." 
 
 It was not long before the professor was seated at the 
 table, and the way he stowed away the food told that he 
 was decidedly hungry. For all that he seemed to drink 
 quite freely, he did not show it more than when he sat 
 down, and Uncle Asher drank several glasses with him. 
 
 Then they both turned to and gave Frank a temperance 
 lecture. The professor insisted that he took liquor for 
 medicinal purposes only, and Uncle Asher declaring it 
 had been recommended for his use in moderate quantities 
 by his physician. 
 
 But Frank did not stand in need of a lecture, for he 
 never touched the stuff in any form, and he had made 
 up his mind that he never would. He was one ^f those 
 boys who seldom break a resolution.
 
 Pursuing a Prowler. 57 
 
 But the brandy which Toots had pilfered from the 
 wine cellar had served to restore peace and amity between 
 Mr. Merriwell and the professor. By the time the meal 
 was over they were ready to embrace each other, and 
 Frank left them smoking and chatting together. 
 
 He walked over to the village in the dusk of early even- 
 ing, and met a number of his friends and schoolmates, 
 all of whom regarded him with awe and admiration. 
 
 Frank surely did cut a fine figure in his handsome cadet 
 uniform, and it was not strange that his less fortunate 
 companions of other days regarded him with awe, and 
 were somewhat doubtful as to the proper manner of ap- 
 proaching him. 
 
 But Merriwell was not the lad to forget old friends, and 
 he greeted them all heartily and cordially, soon putting 
 them at ease by showing that he was the same boy that 
 they had known in other days. 
 
 During his furlough the village boys often gathered 
 round Frank to listen to his tales of cadet life at Fardale, 
 and in the breast of more than one lad he awakened a 
 great longing to become a student at some military 
 academy. 
 
 When Frank strolled back home on the evening of his 
 arrival, darkness had come on, and banks of dark clouds 
 were lying far down in the west, where the lightning 
 played at intervals, and the thunder muttered. There 
 was a great hush in the air. 
 
 As Frank came near his home, he saw a dark figure 
 leave the road a short distance in advance, and enter the 
 grounds. 
 
 He hurried forward, curious to know who was prowling 
 about the place at that hour. 
 
 The figure hesitated, seemed to look back, and then 
 hurried onward swiftly. 
 
 "Hello, there '" called Frank. "Wait a minute 1"
 
 58 Pursuing a Prowler. 
 
 At the sound of his voice, the figure took to flight, 
 plunging straight through a hedge. 
 
 "That's wrong!" muttered the boy. "I wonder if I 
 can't overtake you." And he sprang away in pursuit. 
 
 Across the grounds darted the unknown, plunged 
 through a rustic arbor, and darted round the corner of 
 the house. 
 
 "Stop !" ordered Frank ; "stop where you are !" 
 
 The fugitive did not heed. 
 
 Round the corner leaped the boy who was the best 
 sprinter in Fardale Academy. He was gaining. 
 
 "You can't get away !" he hissed, through his set teeth. 
 
 Two more leaps took him so close to the unknown that 
 he reached out a hand to grasp the fellow's shoulder. 
 
 Just then Frank tripped and fell heavily to the ground. 
 
 The shock was sufficient to stun him, but he got up as 
 swiftly as possible. 
 
 Then he looked in amazement. 
 
 The unknown had disappeared.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 A REVEL ATIO N . 
 
 That night Frank slept in the haunted chamber. Of 
 course the surroundings brought a flood of sad memories 
 to overwhelm him, but he resolutely put them aside, and 
 he read for more than an hour after retiring to the room. 
 
 He did not undress, but flung himself on the bed, and 
 drew the outer spread over him. 
 
 He left the window open, in order to obtain plenty of 
 fresh air. 
 
 Qose at hand were matches and a lamp. 
 
 His first thought had been not to sleep at all, and he 
 had believed that, considering his surroundings, this 
 would not be difficult. 
 
 Even when he had extinguished the light and lay there 
 in the darkness, he did not intend to sleep. 
 
 The thunder-shower that had threatened earlier in the 
 evening had passed around, and the later hours of the 
 night, when the moon had risen, promised to be pleasant 
 and peaceful. 
 
 Outside, the night breezes were whispering amid the 
 trees. Far away in the village a dog howled. 
 
 For some time Frank lay listening and thinking. He 
 tried to direct his thoughts, and succeeded in a measure ; 
 but, without being aware that he was growing drowsy, he 
 finally fell asleep. 
 
 The hours of the night slipped away. The moon rose 
 and threw its light into the eastern window, but the bed 
 was in the shadow, and Frank Merriwell slept as softly 
 and peacefully as a child.
 
 60 A Revelation. 
 
 At length Frank dreamed. He thought that within the 
 alcove at the farther side of the chamber where he now 
 lay he saw the partition slowly and noiselessly open till 
 the aperture was wide enough to admit a man. Then 
 into the room stepped the spectre of the old mansion, and, 
 with noiseless step, glided to the dressing-case. As it, 
 passed through the full light of the moon, Frank saw the 
 face of the apparition, and it was in truth that of his dead 
 father. 
 
 In a moment Frank's eyes opened, and he lay quite still 
 on the bed, looking directly toward the dressing-case. 
 
 Had he dreamed? \V]as he still dreaming? 
 
 Before the dressing-case stood a figure in white the 
 figure of a man who was searching through the drawers 
 of the old case. 
 
 The boy on the bed held his breath and watched. He 
 could hear a rustling sound as the drawers were moved. 
 
 To Frank it seemed that he lay thus for several min- 
 utes. At length the ghostly figure made a gesture of im- 
 patience and despair, and the boy distinctly heard these 
 words : 
 
 "I know the secret drawer is here somewhere, but I 
 cannot find the hidden spring." 
 
 With the stealth of a creeping cat, Frank Merriwell 
 slipped from the bed to the floor. He was in his stock- 
 ings, and he made no sound. 
 
 Then the boy did something that told of his wonderful 
 nerve. Slowly, surely, step by step, he crept up behind 
 the ghostly visitor to that chamber. 
 
 It was no simple thing to retain his nerve, for he was 
 oppressed with a great desire to rush from the room. 
 This he fought against and conquered. 
 
 If the thing was, indeed, a spectre, Frank did not be- 
 lieve he could be harmed by it. If it was not a 
 spectre
 
 A Revelation. 61 
 
 "I will soon know !" he thought, as he nerved himself 
 to spring upon the intruder. 
 
 He was very near, and he crouched for the spring. If 
 he encountered anything solid and material, he would 
 cling to it and shout for aid. 
 
 Just as he was on the point of making the leap, the 
 man turned about squarely, and they were face to face ! 
 
 The moonlight fell fairly on the ghostly-appearing 
 visitor fell full upon his face. 
 
 Frank saw that it was, indeed, the face of his father- 
 ghastly pale and fear-inspiring. 
 
 In a moment Frank Merriwell was frozen to the spot, 
 chained fast by a power he could not resist, and boy and 
 man stared into each other's eyes. 
 
 After a time, Frank succeeded in hoarsely whispering: 
 
 "My father it is my father !" 
 
 The "ghost" recoiled, as if struck a blow in the face. 
 
 "Frank, my boy !" 
 
 That was enough for Frank Merriwell. In a moment 
 he was done with doubts and fears. 
 
 "You are no disembodied spirit!" he cried, joyously. 
 "You are my father alive !" 
 
 "Hush, boy hush ! You will be heard ! It will bring 
 others to this room !" 
 
 Frank was determined to satisfy himself beyond the last 
 shadow of a doubt. Swiftly he reached forward and 
 caught the man by the arm. 
 
 That was quite enough. It was no apparition ; it was a 
 creature of flesh and blood. 
 
 "But but," stammered the boy, astounded, dazed, 
 wondering, "you should be dead !" 
 
 "I am dead to the world," was the solemn reply. 
 "Charles Conrad Merriwell is as dead as if his body lay 
 beneath six feet of earth !"
 
 62 A Revelation. 
 
 "But the reports of your death the proofs ! We had 
 them all. Mother believed you dead." 
 
 "I know it." 
 
 Frank fell back a step. 
 
 "You deceived her !" he cried, passionately. "Why did 
 you do such a terrible thing ?" 
 
 The man lifted his hands to his head. 
 "Don't shrink from me, my boy !" he entreated. "Fate 
 has been against me the whole world has been against 
 me. It was even reported that I was a gambler; but it 
 was not true, Frank I swear it was not true! I may 
 have foolishly risked the money that I had I have done 
 so but I never wronged any one." 
 
 "Why were you always away from home?" 
 
 "I will tell you. You know that my father failed, leav- 
 ing Asher and myself to fight our battles with the world. 
 I was always something of a dreamer, and I believed that, 
 some day, I should come suddenly into a great fortune. 
 I dreamed of buying back this old place it was the vision 
 that lured me to the golden West, made me a miner, wan- 
 derer, fortune hunter. I got the fever in my blood I 
 swore I would never know rest till I struck it rich and 
 was able to return to the East a wealthy man. I had 
 been scorned for my poverty by people who should have 
 been my friends; even Brother Asher told me I lacked 
 ambition and would never amount to anything. I re- 
 solved to show them that they were all wrong." 
 
 He paused a moment, moistened his lips with his 
 tongue, and then went on swiftly: 
 
 "It was not strange that lies should have been told 
 about me. I did not wonder at that I did not mind it. 
 I kept up the wearisome hunt for gold. Several times I 
 thought I had struck it rich ; but each time this hope was 
 born to die. I became desperate. I would not give up. 
 
 "One day I came upon a starving miner in the Santa
 
 A Revelation. 63 
 
 Catarina Mountains, Arizona. He had been thrown 
 from his horse, and his leg was broken. He was de- 
 lirious, and he raved of a rich mine, to which a ring that 
 he wore on his hand could guide one who knew the secret 
 of the ring. Before I could get him to the nearest town 
 he died, and I was obliged to bury him in the wilds of the 
 ^'mountains. In his last moments he was sane, and he 
 gave me the ring. He told me how to read the secret 
 upon it. 
 
 "I placed the ring upon my hand and wore it into a 
 place called Pirate Hole. It was a wicked little camp, 
 and I had not been there an hour before I was set upon 
 by two -men who demanded the ring, and then, when I 
 refused to give it up, attempted to murder me. I es- 
 caped with my life, but I was sorely wounded. I clung 
 to the ring. 
 
 "From that hour murderous ruffians were constantly 
 on my trail, always trying to get possession of that ring. 
 I was never safe. I fled like a hunted fox, and like 
 hounds they kept on my track. Time after time I nar- 
 rowly escaped death. 
 
 "At length I came East, and placed the ring in my 
 wife's keeping, telling her to hide it where it would be 
 safe. I resolved to go back and fight. I did go back. 
 I was captured, held a captive for three months, and tor- 
 tured to force me to reveal the place where I had hidden 
 the ring ; but I kept my secret, and escaped. 
 
 "Assailed by one of my foes, I killed him in self-de- 
 fense. Then the others swore to have me hanged. 1 
 was charged with murder, and I knew my chances were 
 slim, even though I was forced to kill the man to save 
 myself from death. They had me cornered, trapped. 
 Then it was that I died." 
 
 The man paused again. Frank was fascinated, hell* 
 spell-bound.
 
 64 A Revelation. 
 
 "Then it was that I died," repeated Charles Merriwell 
 "With the aid of a friend, I worked the plot very well. 
 I took a drug that threw me into a trance that resembled 
 death. I was placed in a coffin^ where I was seen by 
 many. The coffin was sealed and buried, but I was not 
 in it when it was placed in the ground. I had been re- 
 moved and restored to consciousness. 
 
 "Thus it came about that Charles Conrad Merriwell 
 died. Now you understand it all. I have been waiting 
 till my enemies should perish, and now they are all gone. 
 I have come back here for the ring I gave your mother, 
 but I have been unable to find it."
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE LAST OF THE SPECTRE. 
 
 Frank had listened with unbounded amazement to this 
 remarkable story from his father's lips. It seemed almost 
 beyond belief, and yet here was the man whom the world 
 believed dead, and that he was alive and in the flesh the 
 boy well knew. 
 
 "But why should you fail to let Uncle Asher know that 
 you still live ?" asked Frank. 
 
 Charles Merriwell made a gesture that the lad did not 
 understand. He 'bowed his head a moment, and then 
 slowly replied: 
 
 "Asher has never felt a great amount of brotherly love 
 for me. He believed the lies they told about me, and it 
 is not strange that I felt resentment. I am still a poor 
 man, although I am sure the ring could lead me to a for- 
 tune. If I were to let Asher know how I have deceived 
 him if I were to tell him the whole truth, he would be 
 likely to still regard me as of old. I fancy he would 
 scorn me for my subterfuge. No, I wish him to continue 
 to believe me dead. You must not tell him of this meet- 
 ing to-night you must promise me that you will not 
 tell. Do you promise?" 
 
 "If it is necessary, father, I will give my promise." 
 
 "It is necessary." 
 
 "Then I promise." 
 
 "Some time I hope to tell him the full truth myself, but 
 I mean to find the lost mine of the Santa Catarinas be- 
 fore I do."
 
 66 The Last of the Spectre. 
 
 "How are you going to find it without the aid of the 
 ring ?" 
 
 "How, indeed !" 
 
 The man bowed his head upon his breast. 
 
 Frank slipped the ring from his finger, and quietly 
 said: 
 
 "Here it is father." 
 
 The ring was placed in the man's hand. He uttered a 
 cry of unbounded joy and astonishment. 
 
 "The ring !" he panted, eagerly, holding it in the moon- 
 light for inspection. "It is truly the ring !" 
 
 "Yes ; it was given me by mother when she was dying. 
 She believed you dead, and she told me to keep it always. 
 But, had she known you still lived, I am sure she would 
 have wished me to return it to you when you called for 
 it!" 
 
 "You are right, my son you are right !" 
 
 As briefly as possible, Frank told how the ring had been 
 stolen from him, and how the mysterious man had 
 plunged to his death while fleeing from pursuers. 
 
 Charles Merriwell was puzzled ; he could not conceive 
 who the mysterious thief could have been. 
 
 "I shall return to the West, and I shall not rest till I 
 have found the lost mine of the Santa Catarinas," he de- 
 clared. "When I am wealthy, you shall hear from me, 
 Frank. After this night Asher Merriwell will not be 
 troubled by the spectre of his dead brother." 
 
 "How is it that you can enter this house and move about 
 without detection?" asked the still wondering lad. 
 
 "It is because I know the secret of the old place. To- 
 night, as I entered the grounds, I was pursued and nearly 
 overtaken " 
 
 "I was the pursuer." 
 
 "You?" 
 
 "Yes."
 
 The Last of the Spectre. 67 
 
 "Well, I must say that you are livejy oh your feet, my 
 boy. If you had not fallen, you must have overtaken me. 
 But I escaped you and entered by the secret way. There 
 are passages within these heavy walls, and sliding panels 
 that open into many of the rooms. That explains the se- 
 cret of my appearances and disappearances. I did not 
 wish to be shot for a burglar by any one who might run 
 upon me by accident, and so I donned this white flannel 
 suit and powdered my face. I have nearly frightened 
 Asher out of his wits, but I am sure I kept him from tak- 
 ing a shot at me." 
 
 "Why did you come to this room so often ?" 
 
 "I learned this was the chamber in which your mother 
 died. I know there is a secret drawer in this old dresser, 
 and I was searching for that drawer, thinking I might find 
 the ring hidden therein. I did not see you on the bed 
 when I entered a short time ago. How came you in this 
 room?" 
 
 Frank told how Uncle Asher had sent for him and told 
 him of the ghostly visitor in the house, and how he had 
 asked to spend the night in that chamber, so he might see 
 the spectre. 
 
 "You are a very nervy lad," declared the man, in admi- 
 ration. "There is the right kind of stuff in you. I am 
 greatly indebted to Asher for all he has done for you; 
 but I will pay him every dollar he has spent, and re- 
 munerate him for his trouble. You shall be rich some 
 day, my son; the lost mine of the Santa Catarinas shall 
 pour its golden treasure into your hands." 
 
 "What do I care for the treasure, father ; I had much 
 rather have you ! Why do you return to that wild land 
 of murderous men? Why not stay here, and spend the 
 remainder of your life in peace?" 
 
 Charles Merriwell shook his head. 
 
 "In that way I could prove myself the worthless crea-
 
 68 The Last of the Spectre. 
 
 ture my own brother has been fain to confess me. No, 
 Frank, I must go back. The future cannot have so many 
 perils as I have safely passed in the past. Nothing could 
 keep me here, now that I have this ring." 
 
 In his heart Frank felt well satisfied that his father 
 should make this reply to his appeal. 
 
 When everything was made clear, and they understood 
 each other, they finally sat down together. Till the night 
 was far spent and dawn was at hand they sat and talked 
 in low tones, holding each other's hand. Frank told his 
 father all about himself, his fortunes, and his plans. 
 They spoke of the future, but as to that neither knew nor 
 dreamed what things lay before them. 
 
 The first faint streaks of gray had begun to show in 
 the east when the man and boy bade each other an af- 
 fectionate farewell. 
 
 Then Charles Merriwell slipped through the opening in 
 the wall made by the panel, which dosed behind him, and 
 Frank was alone. 
 
 In the morning, Frank's uncle eagerly asked the boy if 
 he had not seen the "spectre," 
 
 "I saw no spectre," was Frank's truthful reply. "And 
 I do not believe the place is haunted, uncle." 
 
 "Then I must be insane !" spluttered the owner of the 
 Elms. "I saw it with my own eyes, and you will see it, 
 if you remain long enough." 
 
 "I am willing to sleep in that room every night during 
 my furlough." 
 
 "You may sleep there till you are frightened out." 
 
 "Which will not be this year, uncle." 
 
 "We'll see, sir we'll see." 
 
 "All right ; you shall see." 
 
 So Frank remained in the chamber, but the spectre was 
 never again seen at the Elms. 
 
 Uncle Asher and the professor became great cronies.
 
 The Last of the Spectre. 69 
 
 Many were the practical jokes Frank played on them, 
 aided sometimes by Toots ; but nothing could bring them 
 to another battle. 
 
 Hans came over and spent several days with Frank, 
 and they made things howl around the Elms. The Dutch 
 boy and the darky proved very diverting to Frank, fon 
 whom the time passed very swiftly. 
 
 Still Frank did not regret when his furlough was 
 ended, and the day arrived for the return to Fardale 
 Academy. He had received many letters from his com- 
 rades at the academy, and he knew he was greatly missed 
 there. No one could fill his place as a leader in all ath- 
 letic sports. 
 
 Before Frank left for school, Uncle Asher said to him : 
 
 "I have a plan for your future, as I stated on the day 
 that you came home, and I think Professor Scotch will 
 prove an excellent tutor and companion for you. I am 
 well satisfied and pleased with him. He is not going back 
 to Fardale at present " 
 
 "Not going back?" cried Frank, in astonishment. 
 "Why is that?" 
 
 One day Professor Scotch burst into the house tri- 
 umphantly and exultantly waving a letter over his head. 
 
 "Hurrah !" he roared, in his hoarse voice. "The coast 
 is clear! I shall return to Fardale." 
 
 "The coast is clear.?" questioned Frank. "What do you 
 mean by that?" 
 
 "The widow will not trouble me again." 
 
 "Is that so?" 
 
 "It is a fact." 
 
 "You don't mean that she is dead ?" 
 
 "No, she isn't dead, but Professor Jenks will wish he 
 were dead very soon, for she has married him. She 
 didn't let the grass grow under her feet after I escaped." 
 
 ' "Poor old Jenks !" said Frank.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 - FRIENDS AND FOES. 
 
 Back again to Fardale ! 
 
 Frank Merriwell's furlough was over, and he had re- 
 turned to the famous Military Academy. 
 
 Being still the most popular cadet in the school, he 
 was given a royal welcome, and the boys crowded around 
 him, eager to grasp his hand. 
 
 Of his own class there was one who drew aside and 
 offered him no welcoming hand. 
 
 Hugh Bascomb, who had once been the bully of the 
 academy, could not forget that they had been enemies in 
 the past and that whenever he had plotted to injure Mer- 
 riwell the tables had been turned on himself. 
 
 Bascomb had thought that he would brace up and pre- 
 tend that he was. glad to see Frank back, but, at the last 
 moment, he found himself unable to play the hypocrite to 
 that extent, so he kept by himself, and let the other lads 
 express their pleasure at Merriwell's return. 
 
 Among the first to grasp Frank's hand and declare his 
 pleasure was Rupert Reynolds, who had once been Bas- 
 comb's ally and backer, but who seemed to have changed 
 into one of Merriwell's most sincere admirers. 
 
 Paul Rains was not effusive, although he shook hands. 
 Rains was still Merriwell's strongest rival in athletics. 
 
 "It's a soight fer sore oies to see yez again, Frankie, me 
 b'y!" cried Barney Mulloy, as he wrung Frank's hand. 
 "It's nobody else could th' b'ys miss so much at all, at all." 
 
 "I assure you I am glad to get back," said Frank, in
 
 Friends and Foes. 71 
 
 his hearty, convincing way. "The old academy seems like 
 home to me, and I feel that we all belong to one big 
 family." 
 
 Bart Hodge was next to give Frank's fingers a strong 
 pressure. His face wore a look of deep satisfaction, and 
 he said, in a low tone : 
 
 "Give me an opportunity to speak with you as soon as 
 possible, old man. Something's in the wind." 
 
 Those words aroused Frank's curiosity, and, before 
 long, he found an opportunity to slip away from the 
 crowd and join Hodge. Together, arm in arm, they 
 strolled out beyond the limit of the rows of white tents, 
 which formed the summer encampment of the cadets, and 
 found a seat beneath the trees. 
 
 "Well, Bart," said Frank, "how have things moved 
 since I have been away?" 
 
 "All in one direction," replied the dark-faced lad. 
 
 "What direction is that?" 
 
 "Rains." 
 
 Merriwell started and looked at his companion keenly. 
 
 "What do you mean by that ?" he asked. 
 
 "I told you there was something in the wind." 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Rains has been at work since you went away." 
 
 "At work how ?" 
 
 "For his own advantage." 
 
 Frank's hand fell on Bart's arm. 
 
 "Tell me just exactly what you mean," he said. "What 
 has Rains been up to?" 
 
 "Snuff. You know it was not so very long ago that he 
 attempted to defeat you at certain things, with the hope of 
 shaking your popularity and stepping into your shoes." 
 
 "I remember." 
 
 "Well, he has been working at that little game while 
 you have been away, and he has made long strides. He
 
 72 Friends and Foes. 
 
 is much more clever than I imagined. In rowing he pulls 
 a beautiful stroke, he is an elegant swimmer, he holds the 
 academy record for putting the shot and throwing the 
 hammer, and he pitched for us last Saturday when we 
 defeated the Brighton Medical School ball team nine to 
 four." 
 . Frank whistled. 
 
 "By jingoes!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know the fel- 
 low was a pitcher." 
 
 "Nor did any of us; you were away, and we had to 
 have somebody. He is left-handed and throws a swift, 
 sure ball, so we thought it barely possible he might bother 
 them some ; they weren't in the game from start to finish. 
 They didn't score till the seventh inning, when they 
 made two, and they got the others in the ninth. Our half 
 came last, and so, of course, we did not play it." 
 
 "But has he anything more than speed and a left- 
 handed delivery?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Bart, slowly, and with apparent reluc- 
 tance, "he has curves. They are neither wide nor sharp, 
 but his left-handed delivery makes them nasty." 
 
 "Then," said Frank, with satisfaction, "he is the very 
 fellow I need to help me out in our games. Occasionally 
 any team will fall on a pitcher and pound him. If such 
 a thing should happen to me, I could step out and let 
 Rains go in. The change would be almost, certain to 
 bother the batters who went up against him." 
 
 Bart smiled in an odd way. 
 
 "That would be exactly what Rains would like," he de- 
 clared. "He is not the fellow to play second fiddle to 
 any one." 
 
 "And you think " 
 
 "That he would do his best to throw you, and take 
 your place as captain of the team." 
 
 "If he were chosen to captain the team, I would step
 
 Friends and Foes. 73 
 
 down and out. I do not want to hold the position a mo- 
 ment after it is thought that some other fellow is more 
 competent." 
 
 "You are altogether too generous, Frank. You have 
 a position that you will have to fight to maintain." 
 
 "You should know that I am capable of fighting some." 
 
 Hodge nodded. 
 
 ""That's right ; you are a born fighter and a natural 
 general. The fellows acknowledge that. You will retain 
 your present position and popularity in this school just 
 as long as you show yourself worthy." 
 
 "I defeated Rains once." 
 
 "In certain things ; but it is said that he has practiced 
 and worked constantly from that time to this. Yesterday 
 I was told that he had beaten your running jump by two 
 inches, and he says he will not rest till he can beat it a 
 foot." 
 
 "That's good stuff!" cried Frank, heartily. "A fel- 
 low with that sort of determination is a rival worth hav- 
 ing. He will wake me up, and put me on my mettle." 
 
 Bart looked at his companion queerly. 
 
 "You are a peculiar chap, Frank Merriwell !" he ex- 
 claimed. "Are you never envious or jealous?" 
 
 "I am not perfect, by a long distance, but I do not be- 
 lieve in being envious or jealous, and I honor an honor- 
 able rival or foe. It is the sneak that I detest." 
 
 "Well, I do not think Rains is a sneak, but I fancy you 
 shook hands with one not long ago." 
 
 "Is that so?" 
 
 "It is just so." 
 
 "I don't know," came slowly from Frank's lips. "It 
 doesn't seem to me as if any of the fellows could wish me 
 harm any of those who shook hands with me." 
 
 "But there was one who shook your hand and hated
 
 74 Friends and Foes. 
 
 you at the same time a fellow who will injure you at the 
 first opportunity." 
 
 "Name him." 
 
 "Rupert Reynolds." 
 
 "Now, aren't you a little hard on Reynolds, Bart? You 
 dislike him because he seconded Bascomb when I had 
 some difficulty with the bully. Since that time Reynolds 
 has seemed very friendly, and I think he was well con- 
 verted." 
 
 "You'll find you are mistaken. That fellow is a snake 
 in the grass, and he is waiting a good opportunity to 
 strike you. He is playing the hypocrite now, and I de- 
 test a hypocrite. There was a time when I was your 
 enemy, Frank, but there never was the time that you could 
 truthfully accuse me of playing the hypocrite. I let you 
 know what I thought of you. I won't say I did not try 
 one or two mean tricks, but you made me heartily 
 ashamed of them by your generosity." 
 
 "You have proved a good friend to me since, and I am 
 inclined to believe you misjudge Reynolds. It does not 
 seem possible the fellow is an enemy." 
 
 "Wait and see ; you will find out in due time. A week 
 from next Saturday is our field day, and you will find 
 Rains a hot rival for all honors. At the same time, I 
 advise you to look out for Reynolds." 
 
 "Are Rains and Reynolds friendly?" 
 
 "Somewhat." 
 
 "Are they very friendly ?" 
 
 "I don't know as you can call them that, but I have 
 seen them talking together several times." 
 
 "That's nothing strange. Almost any two fellows in 
 the academy may be seen talking together. Why should 
 Reynolds help Rains to throw me ?" 
 
 "Because he hates you. Reynolds would like to be- 
 come popular himself, but he is not built of the right stuff.
 
 Friends and Foes. 75 
 
 As long as he dislikes you, he would be willing to pull 
 you down and help lift almost anybody into your place. 
 I tell you to look out for him, old man." 
 
 "All right; I'll look out. See, some of the fellows 
 have located me again. They are coming this way, and 
 we won't be given a chance to chat privately any longer. 
 You can tell me all about things later on. Come, let's 
 go to meet them." 
 
 "All right." 
 
 So the tent-mates and chums arose and advanced to 
 meet the group approaching.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 FRANK IS WARY. 
 
 "Pwhat are yez troying to do, Frankie, me b'y?" cried 
 Barney Mulloy, as they approached. "Is it yer friends ye 
 are troying to run away from, Oi dunno?" 
 
 "I was having a little chat with Bart," Frank replied. 
 "What's in the atmosphere anything new?" 
 
 "Nivver a thing," assured the Irish lad, but he gave 
 Frank a shrewd wink that meant a great deal. 
 
 The cadets gathered around Merriwell, who noted that 
 Barney drew a little aside, making a slight beckoning mo- 
 tion with his head. 
 
 At the first .opportunity, Frank joined the Irish youth, 
 who drew him a little away from the others, and swiftly 
 said, speaking in a low, cautious tone: 
 
 "Av ye don't fale loike runnin' up against Rains, don't 
 go to th' gym whin ye're asked. He'll be there, doin' av 
 his pritty. Take me advoice an' soize th' felly up before 
 ye tackle him. He manes to lay over yez this trip." 
 
 "Is it a put up job ?" 
 
 "Well, something loike thot. Th' b'ys think it would 
 be sport to see th' two av yez run up against ache other." 
 
 "What do you think, Barney?" 
 
 "Rains is roight in it, take me worrud fer thot. Ye'll 
 do well to get in thrim before ye troy him a whirrul." 
 
 "I am rather soft from my laziness during fur- 
 lough, and " 
 
 "Harden up before ye go against Rains." 
 
 "How will it be then ?"
 
 Frank is Wary. 77 
 
 "Frankie, me b'y, ye know phwat Oi think av yez. 
 There don't be wan in Fardale thot is yer aquil whin ye 're 
 in trim." 
 
 "Thank you, Barney. I am glad to find you have not 
 lost your confidence in me." 
 
 At that moment, Rupert Reynolds cried : 
 
 "Come, Merriwell, old man, let's go over to the gym. 
 You must want to try a whirl at the clubs by this time, 
 and you know it is a treat for us to see you juggle them." 
 
 To Barney's surprise, Frank allowed himself to be 
 borne off toward the gymnasium. 
 
 The Irish lad followed, muttering to himself : 
 
 "Av he thinks Rains is aisy, he'll make a big mistake. 
 Oi warned him so he wouldn't be thrapped." 
 
 Frank had no idea of being trapped, but he wished to 
 see Rains at his best. If the fellow had made such im- 
 provement, it was best to know just how expert he had 
 become. 
 
 There was an unusually large gathering in the gym- 
 nasium for that time of year, as the boys preferred to take 
 their exercise out doors in warm weather. 
 
 Frank saw there was really something in the wind. 
 The cadets seemed to understand that Rains had become 
 an open rival of Merriwell's, and it seemed as if a rumor 
 had gone round that the two lads would meet that after- 
 noon in the gym. 
 
 Rains had donned tights since Frank was with him a 
 short time before, and he was just beginning work on the 
 bars. 
 
 "That is crafty," thought Frank. "He knows I do not 
 believe there is any real advantage to be obtained from 
 that kind of work, and I seldom indulge in it. He has 
 Delected my weakest point." 
 
 The spectators noted Merriwell's entrance, and there 
 was a stir among them. .
 
 78 Frank is Wary. 
 
 Frank joined the others, and stood watching Rains, 
 chatting easily with the lads who flocked around him. 
 
 Rains began with the simplest feats, gradually working 
 up to the more difficult ones, and doing everything with 
 an ease and skill that indicated he was destined to become 
 a master in that line. 
 
 As his feats became more intricate and difficult, oc- 
 casionally applause came from the spectators, and, once 
 or twice, Merriwell led in the hand-clapping. 
 
 "That fellow is a wonder," declared Rupert Reynolds, 
 speaking to Frank. 
 
 "He is certainly most expert on the bars." 
 
 "I don't think he has his equal in the academy." 
 
 "I don't know as he has." 
 
 "You are something of an athlete," said Reynolds, with 
 a hidden sneer, although outwardly showing great friend- 
 liness. "We'd like to see what you can do on the bars." 
 
 Frank smiled. 
 
 "Without doubt you would. I seldom try the bars, 
 and I do not pretend to be an expert in that line." 
 
 "What's that?" cried Reynolds, attracting attention by 
 his loud words. "Do you, the champion athlete of Far- 
 dale, acknowledge that you can be defeated at anything ?" 
 
 "I can be defeated at many things," was the quiet reply. 
 "I am not conceited enough to think myself the smartest 
 fellow in the world." 
 
 "And you acknowledge that Rains can outdo you on 
 the bars?" 
 
 "I believe he can. Not taking much interest in that 
 kind of work, I am not well up in it." 
 
 "Well, I never thought that of you !" declared Rupert, 
 as if greatly astonished. "I thought you set yourself up 
 as an all-round champion." 
 
 The warm color began to glow in Frank's cheeks. He 
 did not fancy Reynolds' words or manner, but he was a
 
 Frank is Wary. 79 
 
 strong believer in self-control, and so he remained calm 
 and repressed. 
 
 "You made a mistake, Reynolds ; I do not set myself 
 up as a champion." 
 
 "But the fellows call you that." 
 
 "They have a right to do so, if they wish." 
 
 "You do not mean to say you don't intend to defend the 
 title?" 
 
 "Defend it? Why, I am always ready to take part in 
 friendly sports and contests, as you must know, and I 
 usually do my best. If I am defeated, it will be by some 
 fellow who is smarter than I am. And I assure you I 
 shall not be churl enough to sulk over it." 
 
 This did not seem to satisfy Reynolds, who plainly 
 wished to bring about a trial of skill between Rains and 
 Merriwell. 
 
 "Of course there are things which you pretend to be 
 expert at," he observed. "Just what do you consider your 
 best hold?" 
 
 "Talking," laughed Frank. "I am exceedingly expert 
 with my mouth, and you are the only fellow to whom I 
 willingly surrender the palm. You keep yourself in such 
 perfect practice that you must be an expert." 
 
 Reynolds flushed and bit his lip, hearing some of the 
 boys laugh softly. 
 
 , "You're not serious, Merriwell," he declared. "Of 
 course you do not mean to pose as a champion if some- 
 body else is your superior, and " 
 
 "I have told you that I do not pose as a champion at all. 
 You persist in misrepresenting my position, Reynolds." 
 
 "Do you dare go up against Rains in an all-round con- 
 test?" demanded Rupert, flatly. 
 
 "I expect to do so." 
 
 "When?"
 
 8o Frank is Wary. 
 
 "On our regular field day, if he takes part in the sports 
 and contests." 
 
 "That is putting it off." 
 
 "Not very far." 
 
 "I believe you defeated Rains at the long running jump 
 once on a time?" 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "He has beaten your record." 
 
 "So I have heard" 
 
 "Say, Merriwell, old man, if you've got nerve, you'll 
 meet him to-day and now right here. You are both 
 here, and there are enough fellows present to decide who 
 is the best man. He'll jump with you, or he will do any- 
 thing you like. What shall it be?" 
 
 "Nothing," replied Frank, quietly and firmly. 
 
 "Nothing! It can't be you refuse?" 
 
 "I do. You seem to forget that I have been on fur- 
 lough for the last three weeks, and so must be slightly 
 out of condition. You seem to forget that I have just 
 returned, and I have not even had time to rest and re- 
 cuperate from the journey. You seem to have an idea 
 that you can touch my pride or vanity, and lead me into 
 making an exhibition that will not do myself justice. I 
 am not nearly so conceited as you appear to imagine, 
 Reynolds, but I fancy I am shrewd enough to see through 
 your little game. There are other days coming, and I 
 will be on hand." 
 
 Then Frank turned away and left the gymnasium.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 TRAINING FOR THE CONTESTS. 
 
 Frank's action was a disappointment to many, as the 
 boys had been eager for a contest between him and Rains. 
 Some were ready enough to hint that he had not dared 
 face his rival, but the most of them agreed that he had 
 shown good judgment and would be found ready enough 
 for anything when the proper time came. 
 
 Rains said nothing. He was a fellow who seldom com- 
 mitted himself in words, but he had a way of looking un- 
 utterable things. When asked if he felt confident of 
 holding his own with Merriwell in athletics, he simply 
 smiled, but it was a smile of conscious ability. 
 
 Frank returned to his studies and his duties with new 
 courage and enthusiasm. In the short time that he had 
 been away he found the new cadets, or plebes, had 
 changed greatly for the better, now being able to pass 
 through the drills and attend to their duties with a 
 promptness and precision that spoke well for the system 
 at Fardale. 
 
 Frank's own company, however, of which he was first 
 sergeant, had lost ground, if anything. Everything 
 seemed to indicate that the officer in charge of them dur- 
 ing his absence had lacked force, and so the boys had 
 grown somewhat negligent and careless. 
 
 .Merriwell was strict, without being overbearing. He 
 would tolerate no negligence or laziness, and so it came 
 about that he had occasion to reprimand several of the 
 cadets, both at drill and inspection, which, however, he
 
 82 Training for the Contests. 
 
 did in a quiet way that was not meant to attract general 
 attention. 
 
 Frank's secret enemies sought to turn this against 
 him. He was said to be "boning military" in order to 
 make a show. 
 
 As it was not unusual for a cadet in Merriwell's posi- 
 tion to find fault with those beneath him in rank and pick 
 flaws where such a proceeding was quite uncalled for, it 
 was not strange that some members of other companies 
 were led to believe that Frank's rise in the world had 
 given him a swelled head. 
 
 But those who knew him best could not be led to be- 
 lieve that he had allowed the chevrons on his sleeves to 
 change his nature. 
 
 Hodge heard murmurs of all this, and, of course, he 
 told Frank. Merriwell looked troubled, but said: 
 
 "If anybody is trying to injure me, it is for no just 
 cause, and their efforts are liable to bring discomfort on 
 their own head, as has happened in the past." 
 
 "What do you mean to do about it ?" asked Bart. 
 
 "I mean to keep right about my business, and ignore 
 it completely." 
 
 This was so much unlike Hodge's passionate, re- 
 vengeful nature that it filled him with wonder. 
 
 "You are a singular fellow, Frank Merriwell," he de- 
 clared. "I cannot understand you yet." 
 
 Among Frank's enemies who were working secretly 
 and accomplishing much was Rupert Reynolds. 
 
 This fellow's father was dead, and a considerable for- 
 tune had been left to Rupert, over whom his mother was 
 appointed guardian. His mother was illy adapted to the 
 task, for she was of a weak and indulgent nature, and 
 Rupert had been allowed to do about as he pleased till he 
 was thoroughly spoiled. He spent his money lavishly,
 
 Training for the Contests. 83 
 
 unchecked and unrebuked by his mother, who continually 
 kept him well supplied. 
 
 With his free use of money, it was not strange that 
 Rupert had succeeded in gathering about him a large 
 number of sycophantic fellows, who were delighted to 
 help him spend his money, and whom he seemed to mold 
 easily and quickly to his own ideas and opinions. 
 
 For the most part, this was outward seeming, as there 
 were not a few among them who accepted his hospitality 
 and seemed to agree with his opinions, but secretly enter- 
 tained a sort of contempt for him. 
 
 Friendship bought by money is always shallow and 
 easily broken. 
 
 Knowing he was not able to outmatch Merriwell in 
 athletics, yet wishing to overthrow Frank in some way, 
 Reynolds selected Rains as the instrument to accomplish 
 his desires. 
 
 Rains was a fellow who seemed modest and retiring, 
 
 but who was, in truth, exceedingly conceited. Although 
 
 he never boasted, he had a way of thinking that he could 
 
 accomplish almost anything, and he often regarded with 
 
 scorn those who were his superiors. 
 
 He formed one of the circle who accepted Reynolds' 
 hospitality and held Reynolds in contempt as a shallow- 
 brained spendthrift. 
 
 Reynolds had sought to push Rains to the front while 
 Frank was absent from the academy. 
 
 Rains pretended to be quite indifferent to any prospect 
 of advancement over Merriwell, but he lent himself readi- 
 ly to Rupert's scheme, even while he seemed to be passive. 
 
 Rains had all the shrewdness that Reynolds lacked. 
 Although he somewhat underestimated Merriwell's abil- 
 ity, he had encountered Frank in the past, and had been 
 humiliated. He was determinated that, if any "accident" 
 should prevent him from defeating Merriwell when they
 
 84 Training for the Contests. 
 
 came together again, he would hold a position that would 
 not cover him with shame. 
 
 So Reynolds continued his secret work against Merri- 
 well after the latter had returned from furlough, and 
 Rains looked on with passive and pretended indifference. 
 
 If Hodge had told the truth, Merriwell must have seen 
 there was an influence at work against him. After his 
 refusal to meet Rains in the gymnasium there were a few 
 that had greeted him heartily on his return that grew 
 rather distant and formal. 
 
 The more Hodge saw of this the more he felt like 
 fighting. He growled a great deal to himself, but he 
 saw it was useless to say anything to Merriwell. 
 
 Frank was no wire-puller. He had won his popularity 
 and standing by genuine worth and merit, and by these 
 would he retain the position, if he retained it at all. 
 
 It must not be fancied that he did not heed the intrigues 
 against him. The knowledge that he had enemies who, 
 were working to bring about his overthrow put him on 
 his mettle and aroused his pride. He determined to let 
 them know just what he was capable of doing. 
 
 For this reason, beginning with the very day after his 
 return, he began visiting the gymnasium regularly, and set 
 to work putting himself in the best condition possible in 
 the short time remaining before field day. 
 
 Of course, his movements were watched, and it was 
 but natural that he should on several occasions find Rains 
 and Reynolds where they could watch him at work. 
 
 As soon as he made out that they were trying to size 
 him up at everything, he began to practice a little decep- 
 tion on them, for he did not put forth his best efforts, al- 
 though he frequently seemed to do so. 
 
 Thus it came about that Rains was led to fancy that 
 he could match Frank or excel him in most things. In 
 the standing and running wide jump he fancied he was
 
 Training for the Contests. 85 
 
 now able to defeat the lad whom he meant to rival, for 
 Reynolds had put the tape on the marks left by Frank, and 
 they were found to be six or eight inches under Rains' 
 record. 
 
 Although Merriwell and Rains were certain to be the 
 two leaders in the fieldday exercises, there were others 
 who expected to make records for Fardale. 
 
 Hodge, Mulloy, and Dunnerwust contemplated enter- 
 ing for various contests, Gray and Winslow had declared 
 their intentions to take part, and short-legged, jolly 
 Sammy Smiles said he would "show 'em he was no 
 snail" when it came to sprinting. 
 
 Amot/g the plebes Ephraim Gallup, of Vermont, had 
 expressed a determination to "show um what kind of trees 
 makes shingles, b'gosh !" and he was said to possess re- 
 markable strength, although he was rather slow and cum- 
 bersome in his movements. 
 
 Of course Frank had visited Inza Burrage since his re- 
 turn to school. That he did at the first opportunity. 
 
 Somehow Inza had heard of the rivalry against the lad 
 she admired above all others in the academy, and she 
 was highly indignant over it. She asserted her faith in 
 Frank's ability to "beat them all," and she said she would 
 be on hand to encourage him in any and every way pos- 
 sible. 
 
 Frank felt that, with such encouragement, he could not 
 fail, and he told her so. 
 
 Her words led him to put every energy to the task 
 before him, and he found very few spare moments before 
 the day appointed for the contests came around.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ON THE FIELD. 
 
 The day was perfect. The sun shone bright and warm, 
 but a cool breeze from the sea came in and tempered the 
 heat. It was such a day as serves to put an athlete at his 
 best. 
 
 The country far and near knew it was field day at Far- 
 dale, and the early morning trains brought loads of spec- 
 tators to the village. Later in the forenoon an excursion 
 train brought in a mighty crowd. 
 
 Shortly after seven o'clock people began to gather at 
 the grounds, plainly determined to obtain positions of 
 vantage from which the exercises and feats could be wit- 
 nessed. 
 
 By eight o'clock the road to Fardale village was lined 
 with people, all headed toward the academy. 
 
 Carriages and conveyances of all sorts did a most flour- 
 ishing business, and the road was soon ankle deep in dust. 
 
 The field where the parades and athletic feats were to 
 take place had been properly inclosed. On three sides 
 was rising ground, so that the spectators would have po- 
 sitions enabling them to witness everything at an ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 No efforts had been made to provide seats, except for 
 certain dignitaries and people of prominence. 
 
 There was a band stand at one side of the field. It 
 was decorated with flags, and other flags were promi- 
 nently displayed at various points. The forenoon was to 
 be given to military drills and displays, which were to 
 commence promptly at nine o'clock. 

 
 On the Field. 87 
 
 Before that hour arrived the field was surrounded on 
 three sides by a great throng, all eager, expectant, and 
 excited. Sentinels patrolled the lines and kept the crowd 
 back. 
 
 The spectators were not allowed to close in on the 
 side nearest the encampment, which was kept clear and 
 open. 
 
 Shortly before nine the raised seats for dignitaries were 
 filled. Professor Gunn and his faculty filed in, accom- 
 panied by numerous honored guests, among whom were 
 no small number of ladies. 
 
 The appearance of the professors brought a round of 
 applause from the great crowd. 
 
 A hush followed. Everybody was eagerly awaiting 
 the appearance of the cadets. 
 
 Over in the camp there was a certain stir, but every- 
 thing was being done with order and precision. 
 
 Boom! 
 
 The heavy report of a cannon startled the throng. 
 
 It was a signal, and on the instant the cadet band was 
 heard to strike up a popular march, and the music ap- 
 proached from the direction of the encampment. 
 
 "Here they come !" 
 
 The cry went up from the great crowd, and the excite- 
 ment and expectation became intense. 
 
 Out from the camp came the foremost subdivision, 
 platoon after platoon of bluedad figures, each line straight 
 as a ruler, marching as if one brain and one impulse 
 governed them all, their uniforms spotless, their equip- 
 ments and weapons glittering in the sunshine, their youth- 
 ful faces grave and dignified, their bearing soldierly. 
 
 The band was in advance, and on no previous year 
 had the Fardale Cadet Band been as perfect as this year. 
 They played like veterans, and their music was blood- 
 quickening and soul-inspiring.
 
 88 On the Field. 
 
 Along the side of the field they came till a certain 
 point was reached, and then, somewhat back from the 
 front, a strong, manly voice was heard to order : 
 
 "Column left!" 
 
 In a twinkling the officer in advance whirled about and 
 ordered : 
 
 "Left wheel." 
 
 Still with the band in its proper position, around swept 
 the perfect line, and platoon after platoon did the same 
 thing at exactly the same point. 
 
 Boom! Boom! Boom! 
 
 At the instant that the head of the line entered the field 
 the distant batteries down by the cove thundered forth. 
 In some way it had been arranged so that this occurred 
 at precisely the right moment. 
 
 Then it was that the magnificent flag was run up to the 
 head of the flagstaff near the bandstand, and the specta- 
 tors burst into a mighty cheer that was heard far beyond 
 Fardale village. 
 
 The professors and the guests were standing. As they 
 passed, the cadets saluted, and the cheering continued. 
 On the three sides of the field where the spectators gath- 
 ered white billows of fluttering handkerchiefs could be 
 
 Never before had such a spectacle been witnessed at 
 Fardale Academy. The day had surely opened most aus- 
 piciously. 
 
 Among the guests of honor with the professors was 
 one whose bright eyes searched excitedly and eagerly for 
 Frank Merriwell. When he was found, those eyes fol- 
 lowed his splendid figure with open admiration, and Inza 
 Burrage regretted that he could not even give her a 
 glance. 
 
 iWhen the cadets were all on the field, they formed in
 
 On the Field. 89 
 
 order for inspection, while the band took its place in the 
 stand and played "The Star Spangled Banner." 
 
 At this point something occurred that was not on the 
 programme. 
 
 Almost with one accord, the great throng of people 
 began singing, and a mighty chorus it was. 
 
 " 'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, oh, long may it wave 
 O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." 
 
 Many an eye was dimmed with mist, and hundreds of 
 hearts beat strong with patriotism and love of country. 
 
 When this was over, Professor Gunn spoke briefly, and 
 his words aroused further enthusiasm. 
 
 Then the professors and their guests were seated, and 
 the inspection began. 
 
 Following the inspection was the parade and drill, and 
 this was most successful. The cadets acquitted them- 
 selves in a manner that aroused unbounded admiration, 
 and caused not a few to remark that Fardale Academy 
 could not possibly be far behind West Point. 
 
 Ten o'clock was the time set for the skirmish drill to 
 come off. It was expected that this would prove exciting 
 and of unusual interest, and it was no disappointment. 
 
 Long before this, Frank had succeeded in locating Inza, 
 and he knew her eyes were watching him almost con- 
 stantly. 
 
 In the skirmish drill Frank handled his company with 
 a skill that brought rounds of applause from the wit- 
 nesses. Some days before he had seen the possibility of 
 making a hit in this drill, as it allowed something besides 
 the ordinary evolutions, and he had practiced and per- 
 fected his company in one or two novel movements which 
 could not fail to attract attention. 
 
 They did attract attention, and the company was given 
 a kearty cheer, while more than one among the great
 
 90 On the Field. 
 
 throng was heard asking the name of the manly-looking 
 lad in command. 
 
 Frank's foes burned with envy. 
 
 But for the fact that he must have drawn censure on 
 himself, Reynolds would have bungled in these move- 
 ments, so that the unity of action would have been broken. 
 
 He longed to do so, but he knew what must follow, 
 and he scarcely cared to arouse Lieutenant Gordan, be- 
 neath whose eye every movement was taking place. 
 
 When the parade was over, the lieutenant called for 
 Merriwell. Frank was soon saluting before him. 
 
 "Mr. Merriwell," said the lieutenant, distinctly and 
 clearly, "allow me to congratulate you on the success of 
 your command in the skirmish drill. From what source 
 did you obtain those new movements ?" 
 
 "To the best of my knowledge, they were my own in- 
 vention, sir," replied Frank, his voice steady, although 
 his face was flushed. 
 
 "Then you have more than ordinary military tact and 
 ability, sir," declared the lieutenant, after which Frank 
 was dismissed and returned to his command. 
 
 Rupert Reynolds was boiling, and he felt that no words ' 
 could express his feelings. 
 
 "Look at the cad !" he hissed, beneath his breath. "See 
 him swell like a peacock! But I'll fix him before the 
 day is over !" 
 
 Wat Snell, Frank's old enemy, stood shoulder to shoul- 
 der with Reynolds, and he plainly heard the words, re- 
 plying in a whisper : 
 
 "Take my advice, and let him alone. Nobody has been 
 able to harm him here, and whoever tries it is sure to be 
 sorry." 
 
 "Bah !" almost muttered Rupert. . "They have all 
 blundered. I will not be so bungling."
 
 On the Field. 91 
 
 "May you be successful," returned Wat; "but I don't 
 think you stand any show." 
 
 Inza was delighted at the honor Frank had won. May 
 Blossom, her particular friend and chum, was at her side, 
 and the two girls clapped their hands with enthusiasm 
 (and delight on several occasions. Neither of them missed 
 the lieutenant's words, and, as Frank returned to his posi- 
 tion, Inza gave May a hug, as she whispered : 
 
 "Isn't he just perfectly splendid!" 
 
 "Of course he is," replied May. "Next to Mr. Rains, 
 I think he is the handsomest fellow on the field." 
 
 "Next to Mr. Rains !" returned Inza, with great scorn. 
 "Why, Mr. Rains doesn't cut any figure at all with him !" 
 
 "That is your opinion, Inza, but you know I think Mr. 
 Rains a splendid fellow. You must remember that he 
 pulled us both out of the water last winter, when we had 
 broken through the ice, and saved us from drowning !" 
 
 "I remember it very well, but I also remember that 
 Frank Merriwell plunged into the water and kept us 
 from going under the ice. But for that act, we should 
 have been lost, and Mr. Rains would never have pulled 
 us out." 
 
 "I do not deny it, Inza. (Mr. Merriwell is a very brave 
 fellow ; but you must allow me to admire Mr. Rains the 
 more. You would not like it much if I were to prefer 
 Frank Merriwell, and try to win his favor. You must 
 remember that you thought so once, and " 
 
 "Oh, do hush !" interrupted Inza, her face growing 
 scarlet. "The next thing will be a mock engagement or 
 battle. That will surely be exciting." 
 
 "But not nearly so pleasant as a real engagement that 
 is likely to take place some day," said mischievous May.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ACCIDENT OR DESIGN? 
 
 The mock battle had been planned as the great event 
 of the forenoon. 
 
 It was near eleven o'clock when everything was ready 
 for this exhibition. 
 
 The engagement began in a spirited manner, and it 
 was not long before the spectators grew breathless with 
 suspense and excitement 
 
 As the engagement grew hotter, Frank Merriwell led 
 a bayonet charge against the enemy. 
 
 Just how it happened no one seemed able to tell, but 
 at a certain point he tripped and fell. The line broke 
 over him, and then several persons were seen gathered 
 around him. 
 
 "What's happened?" was the question that came from 
 many lips. 
 
 "The handsome fellow who was leading the charge is 
 hurt," was the reply sent round. "When he fell, the 
 cadet behind wounded him with his bayonet." 
 
 A hurry call was sent to the hospital, and in a very 
 few moments a stretcher was brought, on which Frank 
 Merriwell was carried from the field. 
 
 Pale-faced and panting, Inza Burrage had witnessed all 
 this. 
 
 "He is hurt!" she gasped, dutchmg May Blossom's 
 arm till May gave a little cry of pain. "I saw the fellovV 
 behind deliberately strike at Frank with his bayonet!" 
 
 "It must have been an accident," said May. "How
 
 Accident or Design? 93 
 
 could any one be vile enough to thus injure him with 
 malicious intent !" 
 
 "I don't know how any one could do it, but I know that 
 fellow did. The distance was not so great that I could 
 not see the look on his face, and I am certain he inten- 
 tionally struck Frank with the bayonet !" 
 
 "It is natural for you to think so." 
 
 "But I know Frank has a few dangerous enemies in 
 the school. His foes are resolved that he shall not excel 
 in the games and feats this afternoon, and you can't make 
 me believe this was not a dreadful trick to get him out of 
 the way if you talk a thousand years." 
 
 "Well, I shall not try to convince you, for I know it is 
 folly to make the attempt when you have once made up 
 your mind." 
 
 Inza was restless and distressed. She did not know 
 how severely Frank was wounded, and a horrible fear 
 that he might be maimed for life or hurt so he would die 
 kept wringing at her heart At length she whispered : 
 
 "Come, May, let's slip away while this battle is going 
 on. We can do so without attracting great attention." 
 
 "Slip away? What for? Where?" 
 
 "Oh, I feel ready to fly ! I can't keep still !" 
 
 "What do you want to do?" 
 
 "Go somewhere anywhere! Perhaps we may find 
 out how seriously poor Frank is hurt. Come." 
 
 She clasped her companion's hand, and May allowed 
 herself to be drawn away. They left their seats, and 
 pressed into the crowd that held hard down to the field. 
 
 Inza was a resolute, fearless girl, and she boldly en- 
 tered the crowd, telling May to keep close behind her. 
 
 "Please let me pass, gentlemen," she said, and thert 
 was something in her expression and air that causec* 
 strong men to clear a path for the girls ; so they passed
 
 94 Accident or Design? 
 
 through the thickly packed throng and finally reached the 
 open space beyond. 
 
 Inza knew where the hospital was located, and thither 
 she hurried. 
 
 Of course, she was unable to obtain admission, but 
 word was brought her that Mr. Merriwell had been but 
 slightly injured. 
 
 In truth, Frank had not been injured very severely, 
 although his escape was most fortunate. 
 
 When he fell, Rupert Reynolds had stumbled, and the 
 bayonet on his gun was driven straight toward Frank's 
 legs. 
 
 The calf of Frank's left leg was grazed by the weapon, 
 which tore through his trousers. 
 
 The fall itself had stunned Merriwell, so that, when 
 he tried to rise, he found himself dizzy and dazed. He 
 made a great effort to get upon his feet, but things were 
 whirling around him, and he was forced to give over the 
 attempt. 
 
 However, he had asserted that he could walk from the 
 field, with assistance. 
 
 It was thought, however, that the effect would be more 
 striking, and would illustrate the methods of the school 
 in such cases, if he were taken away on a stretcher. 
 
 Thus it came about that, although his severest injury 
 came from the fall, the report quickly went round that 
 Merriwell had been bayoneted through the leg, and would 
 take no further part in the exercises of the day. 
 
 Reynolds was severely reprimanded for carelessness, 
 and seemed very sorry and contrite. 
 
 In his heart the malicious fellow was laughing with 
 exultation. 
 
 "I have fixed him!" he thought. "At the very mo- 
 ment when he fell I was longing for something of the 
 kind to occur, and so I was ready to jab at his legs the
 
 Accident or Design? 95 
 
 moment he went down. Rains will be the champion this 
 afternoon. Merriwell will win no honors to-day !" 
 
 The two stretcher bearers had been Bart Hodge and 
 Barney Mulloy, both of whom lingered in the hospital 
 when they saw Frank on a cot, with Dr. Brown examin- 
 ing his injury. 
 
 "This is a mere scratch," said the doctor, as he in- 
 spected the slight abrasion on Frank's leg. "This will 
 amount to nothing." 
 
 "It is not that, doctor," said Frank. "I fell with such 
 force that I was stunned and dazed, and I feel weak and 
 unsteady now." 
 
 "You must rest. If you remain quiet for two hours, 
 you should be nearly, if not quite, recovered. Your leg 
 shall be bathed." 
 
 "Arrah, dochtor," broke in Barney, anxiously, "will he 
 be able to take a hand in th' ixorcises this afternoon, Oi 
 dunno ?" 
 
 "He may." 
 
 "Don't worry about that," smiled Frank. "I will do 
 my share. I do not propose to be knocked out in this 
 manner." 
 
 "It was certainly a deliberate attempt to knock you 
 out," declared Bart. 
 
 "How? What do you mean?" 
 
 "I mean what I say." 
 
 "What makes you think so?" 
 
 "I do not think I know. Rupert Reynolds was be- 
 hind you." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "It came near being anything but well for you. He 
 saw you fall, and his bayonet tore through your trou- 
 sers." 
 
 "Which must have been an accident." 
 
 "Which must have been nothing of the sort. It was
 
 96 Accident or Design? 
 
 a deliberate and malicious attempt to maim you, and I 
 know it." 
 
 "Tut ! tut !" cried Doctor Brown, astonished and hor- 
 rified. "Be careful what you say, young man ! You may 
 be called on to prove your words." 
 
 "I don't care," said Hodge, doggedly. 
 
 "An 5 it's th' truth he do be spakin', Oi'll bet me hat !" 
 cried the impulsive Barney. 
 
 Still Frank looked as if he were not convinced. 
 
 "You fellows do not like Reynolds. I cannot think 
 he would do such a thing, even though he may be some- 
 what favorable to my rival. He might have lamed me 
 for life." 
 
 "What do you suppose he cared for that, if he could 
 make it seem an accident!" 
 
 "An' th' report is out now that ye're badly hurt, 
 Frankie, me b'y." 
 
 "In that case," said Merriwell, "it would be something 
 of a surprise to my enemies if I were to turn up in good 
 form this afternoon." 
 
 "Thot it would, Frankie/' 
 
 Frank was silent a moment, as if thinking of some- 
 thing. His face lighted up, and he said : 
 
 "It will be a jolly joke to spring on them. Boys, can't 
 you spread the impression that I am knocked out can't 
 you do it without actually lying?" 
 
 "Have Oi a tongue in me head !" laughed Barney. "Oi 
 should soay we could do thot soame, eh, Hodge ?" 
 
 "Rather," assured Bart. "But the doctor must remain 
 silent, and no one else be allowed to examine Frank's 
 wound." 
 
 Now, the doctor was not such an old man that he 
 could not enter into the spirit of such a deception, and 
 he readily agreed to remain silent in regard to the extent
 
 Accident or Design? 97 
 
 of Frank's injuries, and not to allow any one else to in- 
 vestigate them. 
 
 After the mock battle, the spectators in large numbers 
 sought favorable spots in the vicinity to enjoy picnic 
 luncheons, while many returned to Fardale village. 
 
 The cadets, somewhat wearied by the efforts of the 
 forenoon, eagerly discussed what had taken place. 
 
 And it was not long before the report was generally 
 circulated that Frank Merriwell had been hurt so severely 
 that he might not be able to leave the hospital for several 
 days. 
 
 Merriwell's enemies were filled with unbounded satis- 
 faction. Even Paul Rains felt his heart give a great 
 throb of exultation. 
 
 "That settles it!" he thought. "I'll carry off the 
 honors this afternoon."
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THROWING THE HAMMER. 
 
 At one-thirty o'clock that afternoon the cadet band 
 struck up a lively air from the bandstand, and the con- 
 testants in the afternoon sports and exercises came trot- 
 ting onto the field, to be welcomed by a rousing cheer 
 from the spectators, who were once more packed on three 
 sides of the roped-off arena. 
 
 The judges had been selected for everything, and there 
 was to be no needless delay. 
 
 Most of the contestants were dressed in tights and 
 wore sweaters. They were indeed a manly looking col- 
 lection of youths, overflowing with animal spirits and en- 
 thusiasm. 
 
 Immediately on entering the field, the boys stripped 
 from their sweaters, and set about getting into condition 
 by running, jumping, putting the shot, throwing the 
 hammer, and doing a hundred and one things of the 
 sort. 
 
 Inza Burrage and May Blossom were once more in 
 the position which they had occupied during the fore- 
 noon. 
 
 In vain Inza looked about for Frank. 
 
 "Where is he ?" she murmured, in disappointment and 
 alarm. "They said he was not badly hurt. He ought to 
 be here somewhere." 
 
 "Perhaps he was hurt just bad enough to prevent him 
 from taking any part this afternoon." 
 
 "In that case he is severely injured, for, under the cir-
 
 Throwing the Hammer. 99 
 
 cumstances, nothing else could keep him from taking 
 part." 
 
 "There is Mr. Rains." 
 
 "Bother Mr. Rains !" 
 
 "Why, Inza! You expect me to be sympathetic to- 
 ward Frank Merriwell, but you are not even respectful 
 toward Paul Rains." 
 
 "Oh, I beg forgiveness, May ! but you must know how 
 distressed I am. Why didn't they tell us the truth at the 
 hospital? Frank must be badly hurt, or they would not 
 have deceived us. Don't you think that is the way of it?" 
 
 No answer. May was following Rains' movements 
 with her eyes, and she did not hear the question. 
 
 May Blossom was not the only one who was watching 
 Paul's every move. The eyes of his friends were on him. 
 More than that, the best judges among the spectators 
 had singled him out, and were commenting on his hand- 
 some build and graceful carriage. He had been selected 
 as a fellow worth watching. 
 
 In a very few moments the first contest was announced, 
 and the names of those who had entered for it given. 
 
 It was to be a trial at throwing the hammer, and the 
 contestants were Paul Rains, Hans Dunnerwust, Barney 
 Mulloy, Ephraim Gallup and Frank Merriwell. 
 
 The last name created a stir. 
 
 Frank Merriwell, where was he? 
 
 "I should have thought they would have withdrawn 
 his name," observed Rupert Reynolds. "They must have 
 known he was in no condition to take part." 
 
 "Is it a sure thing he is not in condition ?" asked Hugh 
 Bascomb, who was with Reynolds. 
 
 "Why, of course it is dead sure." 
 
 "Well, I'll not feel that it is sure till he fails to show 
 up on the field." 
 
 "He has already failed."
 
 ioo Throwing the Hammer. 
 
 "Wait. The first contestant is Dunnerwust. I won- 
 der what he thinks he can do throwing the hammer ?" 
 
 The roly-poly, jolly-looking Dutch boy advanced, and 
 spat on his hands before picking up the big sixteen-pound 
 hammer. 
 
 "I pet you your life I preaks der recort," he observed, 
 and his appearance caused the spectators to break into 
 laughter. "Veil, you may laugh at dot uf you don'd vant 
 to," he cried, "but maype you don'd laugh on der oder 
 side uf your mouts pime-py. Ged avay oudt! Sdand 
 from under !" 
 
 He squared off, with a look on his face that seemed to 
 say he was going to throw the hammer clean across the 
 field. 
 
 Over and over he swung the hammer once, twice, 
 three times. 
 
 But it did not complete the third swing. 
 
 In some way the hammer slipped out of his hands, and 
 went sailing through the air in the wrong direction ! 
 
 "Look oudt !" squawked Hans, as he stared up into the 
 air for the hammer, not knowing whither it had gone. 
 "Uf dot comes down your headt on, I vill ged hurt !" 
 
 A great shout of laughter went up from the spec- 
 tators, for the Dutch lad presented a most ludicrous 
 spectacle. 
 
 "Look here, b'jee!" muttered Ephraim Gallup, who 
 had been standing behind Hans, but a little to one side,, 
 which was fortunate, as the hammer would have struck 
 him if he had been directly in line; "if you've got a 
 grutch ag'in me, say so." 
 
 "Oxcuse me !" supplicated the Dutch boy. "Dot vos a 
 misdake." 
 
 "Wai, it come nigh bein' a serious one fer me, b'gum !" 
 
 The hammer was returned to Hans, and he prepared to 
 make another effort-
 
 Throwing the Hammer. 101 
 
 "Shust eferypody stant avay off," was his advice. 
 
 This piece of advice was accepted. He was left alone. 
 
 This time the Dutch boy rubbed dirt on his hands, and 
 got a firm grip on the handle of the hammer. 
 
 "Now you shust see der oldt thing go !" he cried. 
 
 He made the swings successfully, but sent the hammer 
 up into the air on a curve, so it struck the ground not 
 very far away. 
 
 The judges gravely made the measurement, and the 
 record went up on a big blackboard twenty-three feet 
 and seven inches ! 
 
 "Veil, I don'd pelief I vill lower der recort righd 
 avay," grinned the Dutch lad. "Vait a vile till I ged me 
 at someding else. I don'd care apout dot hammer- 
 drowing peesness." 
 
 Barney Mulloy was next on the list, and the Irish lad 
 came forward. 
 
 "Oi'll beat th' Dutchman, av Oi don't do anything 
 else," he observed. 
 
 Barney was a muscular-looking fellow, and he looked 
 as if he were able to do something astonishing with the 
 hammer. The spectators who had been laughing at the 
 exhibition made by Hans now became silent, and watched 
 Barney. 
 
 With the very first swing he made, a good judge in the 
 crowd remarked : 
 
 "He is strong enough, but he is too thick about the 
 shoulders to make a big throw. At lifting he will be all 
 right, but he is slightly shoulder-bound." 
 
 In truth, Barney could not get the free, sweeping 
 swing that is necessary in order to make a long cast with 
 the hammer. The swing gave his body a jerky motion, 
 which broke the steady sweep. 
 
 With all his strength, he cast the hammer, and he made
 
 102 Throwing the Hammer. 
 
 a fairly good throw, for the distance was eighty-three 
 feet. 
 
 Ephraim Gallup was next on the list, and he came for- 
 ward with a queer grin on his thin, homely face. 
 
 "Gol darned if I don't feel zif I could fling this thing 
 clean over dad's old barn !" he muttered, as he picked up 
 the hammer. "Somebody's got to hustle if they beat me 
 this day, an' don't ye fergit it" 
 
 He rubbed his hands in the dirt, and then secured a 
 firm grip on the handle of the hammer. 
 
 "Look avay oudt where you throw dot," warned Hans, 
 as Ephraim cast a queer look over his shoulder at the 
 Dutchman. 
 
 Then Hans quickly placed himself behind Mulloy, 
 which caused another burst of laughter. 
 
 Ephraim had long arms, and he swung the hammer 
 easily and gracefully, making a long and beautiful throw 
 a throw that caused the spectators to clap their hands. 
 
 "That's purty good, b'gosh !" muttered the country lad, 
 his face flushed. 
 
 Paul Rains looked anxious, for, to his great surprise, 
 he saw that Gallup had made a remarkable throw. 
 
 Was this countryman to become a dangerous rival, 
 now that Merriwell was out of the way? 
 
 It looked like that. 
 
 Paul watched the board to see the result given by the 
 tape, and he caught his breath when it appeared. 
 
 The boy from Vermont had made a throw of one hun- 
 dred and nineteen feet and nine inches ! 
 
 "By Jove! that is wonderful!" burst from the lips of 
 Bart Hodge. "Why, Hickok, of Yale, made but one 
 hundred and twenty-three and nine. Gallup is not far 
 behind him, and he has never had a hundredth part of 
 the training. I doubt if that mark is beaten." 
 
 "Oh, you doubt it, do you!" fiercely thought Paul
 
 Throwing the Hammer. 103 
 
 Rains. "You are one of Merriwell's particular friends, 
 and you don't want to see me make a showing here to- 
 day. Well, I'll beat that throw if it is in me to do such 
 a thing." 
 
 He came out of his sweater in a twinkling, and ad- 
 vanced to receive the hammer. 
 
 Then Rains' friends sent up a burst of applause, which 
 followed close after the applause the spectators had given 
 Gallup. 
 
 Determination was written on Paul's face. He made 
 two short throws to get the swing and limber his shoul- 
 ders for the supreme effort, and then he grasped the ham- 
 mer firmly, and put himself in position for the cast. 
 
 A hush settled over the field. Every one seemed to 
 know that Rains was going to make a mighty effort to 
 beat the countryman. The band played a soft, lively 
 air, that was of the right sort to nerve one to his best. 
 
 Over and over swung the hammer, and then it went 
 hurtling through the air, hurled with every ounce of 
 strength at Rains' command. 
 
 The moment the hammer struck the ground, it was 
 seen that Paul had tied or beaten Ephraim. 
 
 Then there was an expectant hush till the board should 
 announce the result. 
 
 Paul walked back and got into his sweater, feeling 
 that he had done his best, and believing he had beaten 
 Gallup. 
 
 He was right. In a few moments the following score 
 was chalked against his name: 
 
 "One hundred and twenty feet, one inch." 
 
 Rains had beaten Gallup by four inches; and the ap- 
 plause he received made his heart leap with exultation. 
 
 But his exultation swiftly turned to astonishment and 
 dismay, for, in response to his name, Frank strode out 
 from the crowd, and walked swiftly toward the scratch.
 
 IO4 Throwing the Hammer. 
 
 Then the cadets sent up a shout that told how popular 
 Merriwell really was, and the band burst into a lively air 
 that set hundred of hearts throbbing tumultuously. 
 
 As if actuated by a single impulse, the boys gave a 
 variation of the academy yell : 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha! Rah! rah! rah! Merriwell! Merriwell! 
 Rigger-boom ! Zigger-boom ! Zz-zz-zz-zz !"
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 JUMPING. 
 
 The final mighty buzzing hiss sounded like the noise 
 made by a rocket in its flight. 
 
 Paul Rains actually staggered. 
 
 "Merriwell !" 
 
 He turned pale, and his hands were clinched till the 
 fingernails pressed into the palms. 
 
 To his unutterable amazement, Frank did not even 
 limp in the least. He never looked better in all his life 
 than he did at that moment when receiving the ovation 
 from his comrades and classmates. He bowed and 
 smiled, his face flushed, and his pulse throbbed heavily 
 and swiftly. 
 
 Inza Burrage could not repress her unbounded delight. 
 As the academy yell burst from the throats of Frank's 
 admirers, she sprang to her feet and waved her handker- 
 chief till pulled back to the seat by May, who swiftly 
 said in her ear: 
 
 "Don't, Inza! You are attracting everybody's atten- 
 tion !" 
 
 "I don't care for that !" was the excited reply. "There 
 he is see him ? There's Frank ! And did you hear the 
 fellows yell when he appeared ! That tells what they 
 think of Frank Merriwell here at Fardale Academy !" 
 
 "Of course he is popular," said May, "but he will have 
 to do something wonderful if he beats Paul at throwing 
 the hammer." 
 
 "Pshaw !" returned the dark-eyed girl. "He can beat 
 Paul Rains without half trying !"
 
 106 Jumping. 
 
 "We'll see about that," said May, rather sharply, feel- 
 ing not a little touched. 
 
 "That's right, we will," came from the lips of the other 
 girl, as if it were already settled. 
 
 Frank peeled out of his sweater, which he tossed to 
 Barney, who anxiously hastened to his side, asking : 
 
 "How do yez fale, Frankie, me b'y ?" 
 
 "Never felt better in my life," was the quiet and con- 
 fident reply. 
 
 "Do yez think ye can bate Rains ?" 
 
 "I am going to try it, but I shall not be able to beat 
 him a great deal, if at all. That fellow has made an 
 astonishing throw, and he deserves congratulations." 
 
 "Desarves nothing !" snorted the Irish lad. "It's th' 
 big head he do be afther gettin'. Av ye don't bate him, 
 Oi'll fale loike committin' suicoide, so Oi will !" 
 
 Frank was ready to do his best. He picked up the 
 hammer, balanced it to suit his fancy, gave it two wide, 
 swift swings, and threw it before such an act was ex- 
 pected. 
 
 For all that he had seemed to do all this so easily, 
 Merriwell had put his entire strength and skill into the 
 effort, and he felt that he could not better it if he were to 
 try twenty times. 
 
 Once more there was a hush, for it was seen that Rains 
 and Merriwell were nearly tied. 
 
 Paul held his breath while the tape was being run, and 
 it was with a great effort that he held back a bitter curse 
 as he saw the figures which were soon displayed on the 
 board in connection with his rival's name. They were : 
 
 "One hundred and twenty feet, three inches." 
 
 Rains had beaten Gallup four inches, and Merriwell 
 had beaten Rains two. It was not a large margin in 
 either case, but it was death to Paul's hope of being the 
 winner in the first contest.
 
 Jumping. 107 
 
 In a moment a surge of rage and hatred filled the 
 heart of the ambitious youth. He actually longed to fly 
 at Frank's throat, but, with all his self-command, he put 
 this desire aside, and actually smiled. 
 
 Reynolds came forward and expressed his feelings in 
 a few words spoken for Paul's ear alone, to which Rains 
 laughingly replied: 
 
 "Only two inches, and I don't mind that, but, had I 
 known he was to follow me, I should have put a foot 
 more of muscle into my throw. I am beaten by a trick." 
 
 Now, this was not true, and Paul knew it, but the 
 rancor in his heart brought the words from his lips. He 
 had thrown the hammer with every pound and every 
 ounce of strength at his command, and he could not have 
 cast it farther if he had known beyond a doubt that Frank 
 was to follow him. 
 
 Frank heard Paul's words, but he did not show by a 
 look or a sign that they reached his ears. He also heard 
 Reynolds say : 
 
 "Well, you know what to expect now, and you can 
 surely beat him in the next contest, which is jumping." 
 
 "Well, there will be more than two inches difference 
 between us," said Paul, in a tone and manner that made 
 Frank's blood leap hotly in his veins. 
 
 No one could have imagined Merriwell was aroused 
 and angered not a little at that moment, for he stood 
 chatting and laughing with his friends, having resumed 
 his sweater. 
 
 Frank's admirers and the crowd in general had greeted 
 the last score with a cheer of delight, and he was now 
 regarded as something of a wonder by almost everybody. 
 
 Inza Burrage was delighted beyond measure. She 
 gave May a big hug, laughing: 
 
 "What did I tell you, dear ! I knew he could do it !"
 
 io8 Jumping. 
 
 "But he did not beat Mr. Rains very much only two 
 inches. That is scarcely worth mentioning." 
 
 May's lip quivered a little, and, seeing this, Inza swiftly 
 said: 
 
 "Of course it isn't much, dear. They are very nearly 
 matched. It is possible that Frank did not beat him at 
 all, for the men who took the measurements may have 
 made a mistake," 
 
 "It's good of you to say that!" cried May. "I shall 
 not care so much if Mr. Merriwell does beat Paul, now 
 that I know you feel so generous about it" 
 
 The best of feeling was immediately restored between 
 the two girls, and it was not marred during the rest of 
 the day, as Inza took care to praise almost everything 
 Paul did. 
 
 Though there were many more trials, no better record 
 was made, and the moment the hammer-throwing contest 
 was over, preparations for the jumping-match were made. 
 In less than a quarter of a minute after the last score was 
 shown on the board the marks were swept away, and the 
 names of the contestants in the jumping match went up. 
 They were Harvey Dare, Hans Dunnerwust, Frank Mer- 
 riwell, and Paul Rains. 
 
 It had been decided to drop the standing jump, 
 which could be of very little interest for the spectators. 
 First came the running broad jump, and Harvey Dare ad- 
 vanced promptly to the scratch. 
 
 Dare was a slender, racy fellow, and he looked as if he 
 would be able to fly over a long stretch of ground. 
 
 The spectators held their breath as he suddenly leaned 
 forward and dashed toward the scratch. 
 
 Dare made a beautiful leap, but good judges saw in a 
 moment that there was nothing record-breaking about it. 
 
 The board soon announced it as being nineteen feet 
 eleven inches. 

 
 Jumping. 109 
 
 This was good, but the record at Fardale was twenty- 
 one feet and one inch, so the applause was not great. 
 
 Hans Dunnerwust had two of the boys drag him out 
 of his sweater, and then, grinning till his face looked like 
 a full moon, he waddled toward the starting point. 
 
 The crowd outside the field set up a shout of laughter. 
 
 "Now you'll see all records smashed," shouted some 
 one. "The Dutchman can bounce himself twenty-five 
 feet, like a rubber ball." 
 
 "He's got wings," yelled another voice. "I can see 
 'em under his shoulderblades." 
 
 "Say, mein frient," called Hans, as he paused at the 
 starting point, "uf you open your mout' so vide as dot, 
 you catch coldt mit your chillplains in.*' 
 
 This was said in a way that caused the crowd to roar 
 again, and Hans was given a round of applause. 
 
 He proceeded to gather himself together, spat on his 
 hands, rubbed them in the dirt, flung his cap aside, and 
 then started for the scratch. 
 
 "He's off!" bellowed a loud voice. 
 
 Hans stopped short with remarkable suddenness, and 
 shook his fist in the direction whence the words had 
 come. 
 
 "Uf you don'd say dot again, I pet me your life you vill 
 ged hurt !" he cried, angrily. "I don'd vos off, und can't 
 you vorget id ! peen sassed enough alretty yet righd avay 
 soon ! peen a vighter, und you vos in danger uf my life 
 uf you sass me some more !" 
 
 Having thus delivered himself, he walked back to the 
 starting point with dignity three inches thick all over his 
 person. 
 
 The crowd literally howled with delight, and the band 
 played "Ta-ra-rum." 
 
 Having recovered himself, Hans started off again, and 
 he ran for the scratch with all his might, seeming de-
 
 1 io Jumping. 
 
 termined to make a leap that would amaze everybody. 
 But when the mark was reached, he stopped like a stone, 
 looked at the place where Dare had landed, shook his 
 head, and observed: 
 
 "I don'd feel like shumping shust now. Dot vos too 
 easy to peat." 
 
 Then he walked away and began getting into his 
 sweater, as if thoroughly satisfied with what he had done. 
 
 Frank was next, and the throng received him warmly. 
 
 As Rains was to follow, Frank did not know the dis- 
 tance he would have to cover in order to be the victor. 
 
 He was determined to set Rains a stint that would come 
 near "breaking his heart" before he had begun. Rains' 
 insinuation that he had been beaten by a trick in throwing 
 the hammer rankled in Frank'c breast. 
 
 Every eye was on the athletic youth, who wore dark- 
 blue trunks, and whose figure was seen to be finely 
 molded, closely knit, compact, yet supple. 
 
 Frank balanced himself for the start, and then dashed 
 at the scratch, gaining headway with every stride. 
 
 He did not leap high into the air, but he seemed to sail 
 over the ground in a most remarkable and amazing 
 way, bringing a gasp of delighted surprise from those 
 who knew him best and were most confident in his ability. 
 
 It was with no little difficulty that Rains repressed an 
 exclamation of dismay. He saw Frank had done some- 
 thing wonderful, but he was not prepared for the record 
 that went up on the board. 
 
 Merriwell had covered twenty-two feet, eleven and one- 
 fourth inches ! 
 
 That was better than Paul had been able to do at his 
 best in private trials, and it was one-fourth of an inch 
 more than an entire foot above any previous record 
 made at Fardale.
 
 Jumping. 1 1 1 
 
 No wonder Frank's friends crowded about him and 
 shook his hand. 
 
 "By Jove, old man !" cried Hodge, in the greatest de- 
 light, "you have astonished your friends to-day. None 
 of us believed you able to do anything like this. That 
 is exactly the record made in the inter-collegiate contests 
 'two years ago, and it has not been broken in any inter- 
 collegiate tournament since." 
 
 The excitement over the making of a new record at 
 Fardale was intense. 
 
 Rains' particular friends looked blue. Some began to 
 desert and crowd around Merriwell, and these were loud- 
 est in their congratulations and assertions that they had 
 known all the time that he would do it. Frank knew 
 every one of them, and the smile on his lips gave them a 
 cynical curl at the corners. 
 
 In his heart Rains felt that he was defeated, but he re- 
 solved to do his level best, hoping against hope that, by 
 some remarkable chance, he might out-do himself and 
 defeat Merriwell. 
 
 This hope was vain. 
 
 He fell nine inches behind Merriwell, and, although he 
 had beaten the old record at Fardale, he was thoroughly 
 disgusted, and not a little disheartened.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 READY FOR THE DASH. 
 
 The running high jump followed, and the contestants 
 came up in the same order as for the broad jump. 
 
 In this each contestant was given three trials. 
 
 "It is useless to buck against Merriwell," smiled Har- 
 vey Dare. "He is bound to carry off the record in this 
 kind of work." 
 
 "Oh, I don't know about that," said Frank. "There is 
 a vast difference between the broad jump and the high 
 jump, and the fellow who is good at one may not stand 
 any show at the other." 
 
 "That's all right, old man, but it happens that I have 
 seen you go into the air, and you have springs in your 
 feet." 
 
 But Harvey had pride, and he was determined to do his 
 best, being entered for the affair. He lost no time in 
 display, but made three leaps in astonishingly swift suc- 
 cession, and his showing of five feet eight and one-half 
 inches was certainly good. 
 
 Once more Hans Dunnerwust was dragged from his 
 sweater, and again he aroused the merriment of the spec- 
 tators by his manner as he prepared to leap. 
 
 "Put her up shust two veet to start mit," he directed. 
 "I don'd vos goin' to hurt meinseluf der peginnin' from, 
 you pet !" 
 
 So the pole was pegged at two feet, and he bore down 
 on it like a hurricane. He hurled himself into the air 
 with all his strength, succeeded in getting his feet over,
 
 Ready for the Dash. 113 
 
 out came down squarely across the pole, an^ broke it in 
 two. 
 
 Hans struck the ground with a thump that brought a 
 grunt from his lips. He landed in a sitting posture, and 
 he did not offer to arise till the assistants helped him to 
 his feet. Then he walked gravely round the uprights, 
 and looked at the ground with the solemnity of an old 
 owl. 
 
 "Dot groundt vos nod in coot gondition," he declared. 
 "It vos too slibbery. Oxcuse me uf I don'd shump some 
 more." 
 
 Then, amid the laughter and cries of the crowd, he 
 walked over and began getting into his sweater. 
 
 A new pole was supplied, and Frank prepared to jump. 
 To start with, he had it placed at five feet six, which he 
 cleared with what seemed to be scarcely an effort. 
 
 Then he had it raised to five feet ten, and this was 
 cleared. His third and last venture was at six feet and 
 one inch, five feet and eleven being the record at Far- 
 dale. 
 
 Frank gathered himself for his best effort, and made 
 the run. 
 
 Just as he reached the last point of the run he made a 
 false step, and that threw him out slightly. 
 
 Up into the air he went, but he did not clear the pole. 
 His heel touched, although it did not dislodge it, and his 
 score was given at five feet and ten. 
 
 Frank's friends were filled with dismay at his misfor- 
 tune, but he simply smiled. 
 
 "A fellow can't expect to have luck with him all the 
 time," he said, philosophically. 
 
 Hope came into Paul Rains' face, and he was quickly 
 prepared to take his turn. 
 
 "Rains will show what he is good for this time," de- 
 clared Rupert Reynolds. "If Merriwell fancied he is go-
 
 114 Ready for the Dash. 
 
 ing to have a walk-over here to-day, he will find himself 
 mistaken." 
 
 Paul first had the pole placed at five feet ten, and this 
 he cleared in dashing style, which brought a generous 
 round of applause. 
 
 Then Rains boldly told the judges to place the pole at 
 six feet and one inch, which was the third and hardest 
 essay made by Merriwell. 
 
 Frank had failed, and Paul resolved to have more 
 than one try at it, if he did not succeed the first time. 
 
 When everything was ready, he gathered himself for 
 the mighty effort, and dashed like a crimson meteor at 
 the pole. 
 
 It was a beautiful jump, and he cleared the pole fairly 
 and gracefully. 
 
 This time it was Rains who received the applause. He 
 declined to make another effort, being well satisfied with 
 what he had done. 
 
 As Merriwell had established a record for Fardale in 
 the running broad jump, so had he established one in 
 the running high jump. 
 
 Now his friends were eager to congratulate him. 
 They crowded around him, and shook his hand. 
 
 When this was over, Frank walked straight up to 
 Rains, held out his hand, and said : 
 
 "That was a beautiful jump, old man, and I congratu- 
 late you most heartily." 
 
 There was something so genuine and so generous in 
 this that Paul instantly accepted the proffered hand, re- 
 turning : 
 
 "Thank you, Merriwell. That is my highest notch, and 
 I think you would have made it, if you had been for- 
 tunate." 
 
 "Possibly I might," admitted Frank, but he said noth- 
 ing about the false step he had made.
 
 Ready for the Dash. 115 
 
 May Blossom had been more than delighted by Paul's 
 success. 
 
 "There, there!" she cried, pinching Inza's arm, "that 
 shows you what Paul Rains can do! He has beaten 
 Frank Merriwell fairly and squarely ! What have you 
 to say now ?" 
 
 "Oh, it was an accident !" declared Inza, in confusion. 
 "He never could have done it otherwise." 
 
 "Now, I don't think that's fair," protested May. "I 
 didn't say it was an accident when Paul was beaten." 
 
 "But it really was an accident in this case," persisted 
 the dark-eyed girl, biting her lips. "You must have seen 
 it plainly enough." 
 
 But May would not acknowledge that she had seen 
 anything of the sort, and it is not at all probable that she 
 did detect Frank's misstep, which Inza's sharp eyes had 
 noted. 
 
 In neither of the next two contests, which were putting 
 the shot and pole-vaulting, did Merriwell and Rains take 
 part. 
 
 Putting the shot was somewhat different from throw- 
 ing the hammer, and Barney Mulloy was once more a 
 contestant. 
 
 In this case the Irish lad's remarkable development of 
 muscles about his chest and shoulders stood him in good 
 stead, and, although he did not make a record for Far- 
 dale, he defeated Hugh Bascomb, who made a put of 
 thirty-two feet and two inches. 
 
 Mulloy's put was thirty-two feet five and a half. 
 
 Pole-vaulting was essayed by six contestants, among 
 whom were Reynolds and Hodge. Bart's sole desire was 
 to beat Reynolds, but, in doing so, he exerted himself to 
 his utmost, and, to his surprise, came off victor in the 
 contest, having covered ten feet and one inch, which
 
 n6 Ready for the Dash. 
 
 was three inches better than Reynolds, who was tied by 
 two others. 
 
 The dash of one hundred yards was next in order. For 
 this both Merriwell and Rains were entered, as well as 
 Reynolds, Hodge, and Dare. 
 
 By the time the last contest was finished arrangements 
 for the dash were being perfected, and it was not long 
 before the contestants were directed to get into line at 
 the mark. 
 
 In this dash there would be something far more ex- 
 citing for the spectators than in anything that had come 
 before, and favorites were chosen when the boys lined up. 
 
 By chance Frank and Paul were placed side by side, 
 and they were the universal favorites. It was seen that 
 they were much alike in build. If anything, the lad who 
 wore the crimson trunks attracted the greater attention, 
 and was more generally selected for a winner. 
 
 Hodge was a rangey lad, and his dark face seemed full 
 of determination. Many times had Frank told him that 
 he might excel in athletics if he would abandon cigarettes, 
 and Bart had finally given them up, but the time since 
 doing so had not been sufficient for him to recover from 
 their bad effects and get into good trim. Still, he re- 
 solved to see what he could do in both the one hundred- 
 yard dash and the two hundred and twenty-yard run, 
 hardly expecting to do much at either. 
 
 The spectators must have seen the notice that betting 
 was strictly prohibited, but such a notification could not 
 prevent wagers being made, and considerable money was 
 posted on the result of the dash. 
 
 Reynolds had seemed anxious to get close to Merri- 
 well on the line, and had succeeded in obtaining a posi- 
 tion to suit himself. Frank gave the fellow no atten- 
 tion, although he could not help wondering why Rupert
 
 Ready for the Dash. 117 
 
 had entered, as he stood scarcely a ghost of a show of 
 taking one of the first three positions. 
 
 "Ready !" rang out the clear voice of the starter. 
 
 With both hands clinched and one outstretched, the 
 Contestants leaned forward over the line. 
 
 "One !" counted the starter. 
 
 The band played softly and quickly, while the spec- 
 tators held their breath. 
 
 "Two!" 
 
 Yet a bit further did some of the contestants lean over 
 the line, anxiety and determination written on their 
 faces. 
 
 "Three " 
 
 Bang! 
 
 The pistol in the starter's hand spoke, and away leaped 
 the line of supple, muscular figures, while the band burst 
 forth in a wav that seemed to fairly lift them over the 
 ground.
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 DEFEATED BY A TRICK. 
 
 "They're off !" 
 
 "Hurrah!" 
 
 As if with a single impulse, the line of figures sprang 
 away, but, within the first twenty yards, Paul Rains 
 forged to the front, running like a fawn. 
 
 To the surprise of many, Rupert Reynolds took second 
 place, while Frank Merriwell was third, with Hodge 
 close behind him. 
 
 Rains' friends were delighted. Merriwell had a repu- 
 tation as a sprinter, but it seemed that he was out of 
 condition, and not a few fancied he had been injured 
 enough in the mock battle to prevent him from doing his 
 best in the dash. 
 
 Reynolds was straining every nerve to keep his place, 
 but he was watching from the corners of his eyes for 
 Merriwell to forge alongside at any moment. Knowing 
 Merriwell's ability as a runner, Rupert had not entered 
 the race with the hope of winning. He had quite an- 
 other object in view. 
 
 In his hand Rupert held concealed an object that might 
 have much to do with the result of the race. 
 
 Dare, of whom something had been expected by his 
 friends, proved a disappointment from the start. He 
 was clearly outclassed, and at no time was he in the race. 
 
 The excitement was great as the lithe-limbed youths 
 sped over the ground. 
 
 Hodge forged ahead, and reached the side of Merri- 
 well, and it was thought that he would pass.
 
 Defeated by a Trick. 119 
 
 Nothing of the kind happened. 
 
 Fifty yards had been covered when Frank was seen to 
 gather himself and literally fly over the ground, quickly 
 making a gap between himself and Hodge. 
 
 A gasp of relief came from Merriwell's friends, for it 
 was seen that he had not put himself at his very best to 
 start with. 
 
 In a moment he was at Rupert Reynolds' side. In an- 
 other moment he would have passed and pressed hard 
 upon Rains. 
 
 Then Just what happened and how it happened 
 
 nobody seemed able to tell. All at once, Merriwell gave 
 a cry, clasped his hands to his eyes and nose, and went 
 down in a heap, rolling over and over. 
 
 With a flying leap, Hodge cleared his fallen friend, 
 and he succeeded in passing Reynolds without trouble. 
 
 But Rains came in first, although Bart was not more 
 than a yard and a half behind when Paul broke the tape. 
 
 Reynolds was third, and Dare was seen bending over 
 Frank Merriwell, who was sitting on the ground, with 
 his hands clasped over his nose and eyes. 
 
 Rains' time went up at ten and one-half seconds, which 
 was excellent, although many college amateurs have done 
 the distance in ten seconds. 
 
 "What's the matter with Merriwell ?" was the cry that 
 was heard on all sides. 
 
 "He fell!" 
 
 "He's hurt !" 
 
 "Something has happened to his eyes !" 
 
 Harvey Dare had asked : 
 
 "What's the matter, old man? Are you hurt?" 
 
 In reply, Frank gasped: 
 
 "It it's my eyes !" 
 
 "What's the matter with them?"
 
 120 Defeated by a Trick. 
 
 "I don't know. Something struck them something 
 that stung and took away my sight and breath." 
 
 "Don't you know what it was? Why, I can smell- 
 hartshorn !" 
 
 "That's it!" 
 
 "But how in the world " 
 
 "That's what I can't tell. Of a sudden a fine spray 
 seemed to strike in my eyes, and it knocked me down 
 as if I had been hit by a hammer." 
 
 "There's foul play here !" said Dare. 
 
 From every side the boys came running in, and sur- 
 rounded Frank, eagerly asking what had happened. 
 
 Harvey Dare was on the point of telling what he knew 
 when Merriwell silenced him, saying swiftly: 
 
 "Mum's the word. Don't peach. Let me explain." 
 
 Then he told them he had been seized with dizziness, 
 which had caused him to fall, an explanation which was 
 satisfactory to the most of them. 
 
 There were those, however, who saw Merriwell had 
 not spoken the whole truth, and they were curious to 
 know just what had taken place. Among them were 
 Hodge and Mulloy. 
 
 Between these two friends, Frank walked from the 
 spot where he had fallen. 
 
 "You were going to the front when you went down," 
 said Bart. "In two more seconds you would have been 
 even with Rains." 
 
 "Thot's roight," nodded Barney. "Ye put on stame 
 just whin it wur naded. Pwhat made yez fall, Oi 
 dunno ?" 
 
 "Do you remember my fight with Bascomb some time 
 ago?" asked Frank. 
 
 "Av course we do." 
 
 "You know red pepper was flung into my eyes?" 
 
 "Yi, an' a dirthy thrick it wur, begobs !"
 
 Defeated by a Trick. 121 
 
 "You do not mean to say you had pepper flung ill 
 your eyes just now, do you ?" asked Bart, fiercely. 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Then what " 
 
 "Wait, and keep still. If anybody asks you, say I fell 
 from dizziness. That's all." 
 
 It was enough to make both lads curious and excited, 
 but Frank would say no more, and he again cautioned 
 them to be sure and answer questions as he had directed. 
 
 "It's me proivate opinion, Frankie, me b'y," observed 
 Barney, "that there's a job afoot to bate yez by crooked 
 manes t'-day, av ye can't be bate inny other way." 
 
 "In which case my enemies will simply put me on my; 
 mettle, and I will show them what kind of stuff I am 
 made of," said Frank, as he held a handkerchief to his 
 eyes to stanch and conceal the flow of tears caused by 
 the hartshorn spray which had struck him. "I am in 
 the hurdle race, and dizziness will not stop me." 
 
 Frank was thoroughly angry, but he was careful to 
 make no assertions he could not prove. It seemed 
 strange to him that Reynolds had been able to throw the 
 hartshorn spray in his eyes without being detected. If 
 a fellow was skillful enough to do such a thing in the 
 open light of day, he felt sure it would be no easy thing 
 to prove him guilty. 
 
 There was quite a different set of contestants in the] 
 two hundred and twenty-yard run, which followed the' 
 dash. Neither Merriwell nor Rains had entered this con- 
 test. 
 
 Supreme in his confidence in his own abilities, Rains 
 had selected to compete in such contests as Merriwell 
 chose. His confidence had received a rude shock at first, 
 but he was now recovering swiftly. 
 
 Frank wondered if Paul knew anything of the harts-
 
 122 Defeated by a Trick. 
 
 horn trick. He would have given much to have been 
 satisfied in his own mind on that point. 
 
 He did not wish to think Rains guilty of knowing any- 
 thing about such a perfidious piece of business, but 
 Rains had profited by it, which made his case look some- 
 what suspicious. 
 
 Paul sought Frank out, and found him bathing his face 
 and eyes in a bucket of water which somebody had 
 brought. 
 
 "It was a most unfortunate accident, Merriwell," said 
 Rains, with the least bit of a condescending air. "How 
 did it happen ?" 
 
 "Can't you tell me?" asked Frank, significantly. 
 
 Rains fell back a bit, knitting his brows. 
 
 "Tell you!" he echoed. "Of course not! I did not 
 see you at the time." 
 
 "There are plenty who did see me, and yet nobody 
 seems to know just what happened." 
 
 "Nobody but yourself." 
 
 "Well," said Frank, slowly, wiping his face with a 
 towel and looking over it at Paul, "there may be others." 
 
 "Did you stumble?" asked Rains, with apparent inno- 
 cence. 
 
 "I felj, but I did not stumble. I was knocked down." 
 
 "What's that? You don't mean to say you were 
 fouled?" 
 
 "Oh, yes I do ! That is exactly what I mean to say." 
 
 There was a murmur of excited astonishment from the 
 crowd that had gathered around the rivals. 
 
 Frank had not meant to say so much, but, having 
 stepped out upon such ground, he was not the fellow to 
 retreat. 
 
 Rains' face grew pale, and he scowled angrily. 
 
 "Then how happens it that no one saw the foul com-
 
 Defeated by a Trick. 123 
 
 mitted?" he demanded, sharply. "The judges gave me 
 the race, and I won it fairly and squarely." 
 
 "There may have been a foul committed which was not 
 seen by the judges." 
 
 "Explain your meaning, sir!" 
 
 "I am not going to explain at present, but this affair 
 shall be investigated, and I may make charges, as well as 
 an explanation, later on. That's all." 
 
 Quivering, pale, and angry, Rains cried : 
 
 "I fail to understand how there could have keen a foul 
 that no one saw. It looks to me as if you took your de- 
 feat with bad grace, and were endeavoring to find some 
 way of belittling my victory. But I will tell you some- 
 thing I have heard, and it may not make you feel any 
 better. I heard one of the spectators declare that you 
 saw you were beaten, and so you fell down of your own 
 accord."
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE HURDLE RACE. 
 
 If Paul Rains had not lost his head with anger, he 
 would not have given utterance to those words. He re- 
 gretted them the moment they left his lips, but it was 
 then too late to recall them. 
 
 Frank's face flushed, and then paled; but he com- 
 manded his passions, and he held himself in check. When 
 he spoke his voice was cold and calm. 
 
 "I have no doubt but you heard somebody say that, 
 Rains, and, as it is not true, you should understand that 
 it does not add pleasure or satisfaction to my feelings. 
 I do not claim that I could have beaten you, but I do claim 
 that I was put out of the race by " 
 
 Frank checked himself, but was about to continue, 
 when Rains burst forth: 
 
 "The only way to settle this matter satisfactorily is for 
 you and me to run the race over again, and I challenge 
 you to do so at the conclusion of the regular program." 
 
 "I accept the challenge," said Frank, quietly. 
 
 This caused no little stir and excitement, and the report, 
 that Rains and Merriwell would contest in a one hun-i 
 dred-yard dash at the conclusion of the regular exercises 
 spread with great rapidity. 
 
 Rains now had plenty of supporters, and it was as- 
 serted by them that he would defeat Merriwell by half-a- 
 second at least. 
 
 Frank's friends smiled, and there were very few of 
 them who had lost a particle of confidence in him.
 
 The Hurdle Race. 125 
 
 Merriwell and Rains were the two figures to attract in- 
 terest on the field. The rivalry between them had be- 
 come known to the great crowd of spectators, and each 
 lad had won admirers and would-be backers. 
 
 If Merriwell won the dash, Rains would have fallen 
 into the background ; but the result was quite enough to 
 make Paul prominent as a formidable rival of the lad 
 who had been most popular in the academy. 
 
 As for Rupert Reynolds, he shook in his shoes, fearing 
 Merriwell would denounce him. He had not stopped to 
 count the cost of exposure, and now that his contempt- 
 ible trick had resulted in Frank's defeat he was terror- 
 stricken. 
 
 Rupert fancied that somebody must have seen him 
 elevate one hand and throw the hartshorn spray into 
 Merriwell's eyes as Frank was passing, and proof of such 
 an act would mean disgrace and dismissal for him. 
 
 As soon as possible, while the other contestants were 
 being rubbed down in their tents, he slipped away and got 
 rid of the tiny squirt-gun with which he had thrown the 
 spray into Frank's eyes. He did not mean to have it 
 found on his person in case Merriwell should denounce 
 him and he were searched. 
 
 Being treacherous and tricky, Rupert was a genuine 
 coward. He had little foresight in discerning the pos- 
 sible result of any mean action, but when the act was per- 
 formed he was invariably filled with terror at the thoughts 
 of the probable outcome. 
 
 Paul Rains did not approve of any tricky schemes pro- 
 posed to him by Reynolds. In his heart, Paul held Ru- 
 pert in genuine contempt, but, being ambitious to defeat 
 Merriwell, and finding that Reynolds could purchase 
 favors with his money, he tolerated the fellow. 
 
 Now it happened that Hugh Bascomb had seen Rey-
 
 126 The Hurdle Race. 
 
 nolds' trick, but, being an enemy of Merriwell's, Bascomb 
 was not liable to tell what he knew. 
 
 However, the former bully of the academy followed 
 Rupert stealthily, and saw him get rid of the tiny squirt- 
 gun. 
 
 When Rupert returned to the field, Bascomb lost no 
 time in securing the squirt-gun. 
 
 "Ha, ha!" he laughed, maliciously. "This is worth 
 something to me. Reynolds has plenty of money, and 
 I'll milk him of a few dollars." 
 
 By the time Rupert returned to the field, arrangements 
 for the two hundred and twenty-yard run had been com- 
 pleted, and the four contestants were soon sent away by 
 the starter. 
 
 The excitement of this race soon made the crowd for- 
 get the queer happening of the one hundred yard dash. 
 
 For one hundred yards a cadet named Bristol led, with 
 Dodge second, and Dare third. Then Dare astounded 
 himself <uid everybody else by making a spurt and pass- 
 ing both Hodge and Bristol, holding the lead for a sec- 
 ond, perhaps. 
 
 Bristol seemed to lose heart, and Hodge darted past, 
 overtook Dare, and forged to the front, a position which 
 he held to the finish. 
 
 Dare broke himself by his spurt, for he fell back rap- 
 idly after being passed by Hodge, and Bristol was soon 
 second again, a position which he could not hold, how- 
 ever, as St. Elmo, the fourth man, pressed to his side 
 and took second place before the finish. 
 
 Hodge's time was twenty-five seconds. 
 
 Panting and triumphant, Bart approached Frank, who 
 gave him his hand. 
 
 "You never could have done that had you stuck to 
 cigarettes, old man," said Frank.
 
 The Hurdle Race. 127 
 
 "That's right," agreed Bart. "My wind astonishes 
 myself." 
 
 The four hundred and forty yard run followed, but 
 neither Merriwell nor Rains took part in it. 
 
 They were holding themselves in reserve for the hurdle 
 race of one hundred and twenty yards. 
 
 The winner of the four hundred and forty-yard run 
 was St. Elmo, who seemed to have gotten into condi- 
 tion by the preceding race. He made the distance in 
 fifty-five and one-half. 
 
 Then came the hurdle race. 
 
 The hurdles had been erected. Ten of them had been 
 placed at varying distances of not less than twelve nor 
 more than twenty feet apart, the first one being fifteen 
 yards from the scratch mark. 
 
 Five contestants had entered for this race. They were 
 Reynolds, Dare, Bristol, Rains and Merriwell. 
 
 By this time, finding Frank had not denounced him, 
 Rupert was beginning to breathe easier. 
 
 As Frank came up to the scratch, he gave Reynolds a 
 look that made the fellow quail. That look plainly said 
 there would be serious trouble if any monkey-business 
 was tried in this race. 
 
 Rains had begun to believe that he would be able to de- 
 feat Merriwell in the hurdle race. He did not expect a 
 "snap," but he was willing to do his level best if he 
 could win by a foot. 
 
 On the other hand, Frank was now thoroughly aroused, 
 and he felt able to set a hot pace for anybody who might 
 try to crowd him. 
 
 The afternoon was well advanced, and the starter lost 
 no time in "sending" the contestants. 
 
 At the crack of the pistol, the five lads darted like 
 tigers at the first hurdle.
 
 128 The Hurdle Race. 
 
 Rains took the lead in two springs, and he was first to 
 rise to the hurdle, clearing it with at least a foot to spare. 
 
 "He jumps too high," said Hodge, who was watching 
 the race with his heart seeming to throb in his throat. 
 "Merriwell clears it by scarcely two inches. He does 
 not expend so much force as Rains." 
 
 "But Rains has th' lade, worse luck !" exclaimed Barney 
 Mulloy. 
 
 "Don'd you mindt," put in Hans Dunnerwust, with 
 confidence. "Dot poy Vrankie don'd peen peat alretty 
 yet." 
 
 Reynolds did not seem to have any heart for the race, 
 as he fell to the rear at once, and he was not seen to 
 make any severe effort to better his position throughout 
 the race. 
 
 Bristol seemed in good form for the hurdles, as he 
 secured second position, which he held for four hurdles. 
 
 But his judgment was not good in measuring the dis- 
 tance between the hurdles, and he made a miscalculation 
 on the fifth. The break caused him to jump poorly, and 
 his foot struck the bar, throwing him heavily to the 
 ground. 
 
 The fall put him out of the race. 
 
 Frank went over the bar like a leaping fawn, and, to 
 the intense astonishment of everybody, he seemed to clear 
 ;the distance that lay between him and the next hurdle 
 with the speed of a whirlwind. He was scarcely behind 
 Rains when the sixth bar was passed. 
 
 Rains realized that Merriwell *vas right upon him, and 
 threatening to take the lead. He put all his energy into 
 the attempt to hold his position. 
 
 Vain effort ! 
 
 A cheer went up as Merriwell was seen to pass Rains 
 and clear the seventh hurdle slightly in advance.
 
 The Hurdle Race. 129 
 
 "Begobs! Oi knew th' b'y'd do it!" shouted Barney 
 Mulloy, in the greatest delight. 
 
 "Vot I told you, ain'd id!" roared Hans, reaching up 
 to thump Barney in the small of the back with his 
 clinched fist. "Don'd I know dot all der time? Veil, uf 
 I don'd, you vos a liar !" 
 
 And now everybody gasped with amazement, for they 
 saw Merriwell draw away from Rains with such speed 
 that Rains seem to be "standing still," as one enthusiastic 
 friend of Frank remarked. The distance widened be- 
 tween the two boys with great rapidity, so that the hearts 
 of Paul's friends were heavy with disappointment. 
 
 "Oh, confound the luck !" grated Wat Snell, who had 
 been hoping against hope that Merriwell would be beaten 
 and lose his prestige. "That fellow can't be defeated, 
 and it is useless for anybody to try to do it ! I have had 
 my fill of it." 
 
 Snell had, indeed, found it was not a profitable thing to 
 scheme and work against Merriwell, for his crooked tricks 
 had brought such disgrace upon himself that he was 
 shunned and scorned by the cadets, having scarcely a 
 friend left in the academy. 
 
 Having taken the lead, Frank held it to the end, beat- 
 ing Rains by ten yards. 
 
 Indeed, Dare came near passing Rains, who seemed to 
 have slackened when he saw there was no hope of coming 
 in first. 
 
 The race was over, Frank was the winner, and again 
 the cry went up: 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha! Rah! rah! rah! Merriwell! Merriwell! 
 Rigger-boom! Zigger-boom! Zz-zz-zz-zz !"
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE LAST MATCH. 
 
 Rains was not a little disappointed and disheartened by 
 the result of the hurdle race. 
 
 Reynolds was thoroughly disgusted. 
 
 Now the fickle crowd was ready to accept Frank Mer- 
 riwell as the superior all-round athlete. 
 
 The remaining games and contests lasted less than half- 
 an-hour, at the end of which time it was announced that 
 the exhibitions of the day would close by a special one- 
 hundred-yard dash between Merriwell and Rains. 
 
 This announcement was received with great applause, 
 and people who had been departing turned back to wit- 
 ness this final event. 
 
 For all that the lads had participated in so many races 
 and sports, they had been rubbed down thoroughly, and 
 they came up to the scratch smilingly, feeling compara- 
 tively fresh and ready for the last struggle. 
 
 Rains had regained his confidence, for he reasoned that 
 though Merriwell had beaten him fairly and squarely in 
 a hurdle race, he could not repeat the trick in a straight 
 dash. 
 
 Rains believed he had lost in clearing the hurdles, not 
 having done the trick with as much skill as Merriwell. 
 
 In this he was right. He had jumped too high in every 
 instance, while Frank had barely seemed to skim over 
 the hurdles without touching them. 
 
 Paul found that his circle of friends had dwindled, and 
 those who remained were not over-enthusiastic or con- 
 fident.
 
 The Last Match. 131 
 
 "All this will change in a moment when I defeat Merri- 
 well in the dash," he told himself. "It is this final race 
 which decides who is the best man. We stand tied at 
 the present time." 
 
 This was quite true. Frank had thought of that, and 
 he felt that the time had come when he must not be de- 
 feated. A sort of cool determination had taken posses- 
 sion of him, and he had made up his mind that Rains 
 should not come off victor. 
 
 There was a great hush of expectancy when the two 
 lads lined up. Then the starter's voice was heard direct- 
 ing them to make ready. 
 
 A moment later the pistol spoke, and away leaped the 
 young gladiators. 
 
 Side by side they started, and that position was held for 
 thirty yards, neither seeming to gain or lose an inch. 
 
 Then Rains fell back a foot or two; but, before the 
 half-way point was reached, he forged back to Frank's 
 side, and so, shoulder to shoulder, they sped down toward 
 the tape. 
 
 A hoarse murmur of applause greeted Rains' display 
 of pluck as he recovered the position he had lost. 
 
 Frank was doing his level best, and still Rains clung 
 like a leech to his side. Try as he might, Frank could 
 not shake Paul off in the next forty yards. 
 
 The excitement was great, for there had been no such 
 spirited and plucky race for the day. Neither lad seemed 
 to have an inch of advantage, and it began to look as if 
 they would finish in that manner. 
 
 Still that look of unyielding resolution and determina- 
 tion was on Frank Merri well's face. 
 
 On the other hand, Paul Rains' face wore a look of 
 pain, and it was plain that he could not hold out much 
 longer. Pride and pluck had caused him to exert his
 
 132 The Last Match. 
 
 energies as never before in all his life had he exerted 
 them. 
 
 Had he been able to leap to the front at a bound and de- 
 feat Merriwell in the last foot of the race, he would have 
 made that leap even though he knew it would cause his 
 death. 
 
 It is lads with such pluck as this who make records in 
 the race of life. 
 
 But Paul was unable to make that final needed leap. 
 
 On the other hand, Frank had a last bit of unspent 
 energy in store, and he flung himself to the front so that 
 he struck the tape two feet in advance of his rival, doing 
 the distance in the remarkable time of ten seconds. 
 
 Paul stumbled across the line, and, his entire strength 
 leaving him in a second, fell headlong to the ground. 
 
 Frank ran on a little distance, slackened, reeled, and 
 fell into the arms of Bart Hodge, a smile on his face as 
 he panted : 
 
 "That was a dandy !" 
 
 Things reeled around him, and he seemed to hear 
 hoarse cheering that was miles and miles away. In the 
 midst of the cheering he heard the familiar academy yell, 
 and heard the voices of his companions roaring his name 
 to the skies. 
 
 "Oh, Frank, Frank, you did not let him beat you! I 
 knew you wouldn't I knew it !" 
 
 The words sounded in his very ears, and yet he heard 
 them faintly. He recognized Hodge's voice, and through 
 a rose-colored mist he seemed to see the face of his faith- 
 ful friend and comrade. 
 
 "No," he replied in a whisper, "he didn't beat me, but 
 he came mighty near it !" 
 
 "Water here bring water!" shouted Hodge. "Be 
 quick about it, too!"
 
 The Last Match. 133 
 
 Water was brought. Some was placed on Frank's 
 temples and wrists, and a dipperful was held to his lips. 
 
 He drank, and seemed to recover with surprising swift- 
 ness, soon standing erect, and pushing aside those who 
 would have supported him. 
 
 "Where's Rains ?" he asked, looking around. 
 
 "He fell just as he crossed the line," was the answer. 
 "The crowd there are gathered around him." 
 
 In a moment Frank strode into the crowd, thrusting 
 cadets to the right and left, and quickly reached Paul's 
 side. 
 
 Paul was sitting up, supported by Harvey Dare. He 
 did not seem to comprehend what had taken place, and 
 Frank heard him ask: 
 
 "Where am I ? How did I come here?" 
 
 "You are at the end of the hundred-yard line, old man," 
 said Frank, "and your feet brought you here with such 
 speed that I had to hurry or be left." 
 
 Paul gazed at Frank a moment, and then he slowly 
 said : 
 
 "You beat me." 
 
 "Well, I'll never go round bragging about it," was the 
 instant reply. "I believe I did strike the tape first, but 
 you weren't a mile behind. Rains, you can run like an 
 express train !" 
 
 Paul looked sad and dejected, his breast heaving. 
 Frank held out his hand. 
 
 "Shake, old man shake! You should not take this 
 kind of a defeat to heart, for it can scarcely be called a 
 defeat. We are as nearly matched for one hundred yards 
 as two fellows can be." 
 
 Paul hesitated a moment, but he could not refuse that 
 hand, and he said : 
 
 "You are generous, Merriwell ; but you rate me too 
 high. This race satisfies me on one point I am no
 
 134 The Last Match. 
 
 match for you. I could not make such time again if I 
 were to try a year. Merriwell, you are a wonder !" 
 
 Frank's generosity, his honest, manly nature, had con- 
 quered Rains completely. They shook hands warmly, 
 and at that moment each felt that he was ready to fight 
 for the other. 
 
 With the exception of a few sore-heads, the cadets all 
 seemed delighted by the outcome of the race, and the 
 good-will shown between Merriwell and Rains. 
 
 Rupert Reynolds drew away by himself, his heart full 
 of bitterness. 
 
 "I hate a softy who will knuckle down when he is 
 beaten !" he thought. "Rains makes me sick !" 
 
 The delighted cadets seized Frank, and lifted him to 
 their shoulders to bear him from the field. 
 
 "Rains, too," he demanded. "Put me down, or take 
 Rains up." 
 
 So Paul Rains was caught up, and the rivals rivals 
 no longer were carried in triumph from the field of 
 honor, where that day they had displayed their courage 
 and manhood. 
 
 The crowd cheered, the band played "The Conquering 
 Hero Comes," and the excitement of the day was over. 
 
 A few moments later the road to Fardale was black 
 with people hurrying from the grounds. 
 
 There were no awards. The boys had simply 
 struggled to break old records and make new ones for 
 Fardale Academy. Merriwell and Rains were the only 
 ones who succeeded in this. 
 
 In celebration of the event, it was decided to have a 
 display of fireworks, burn tar barrels, and fire a salute 
 that evening. 
 
 Permission for this jollification was easily and readily 
 secured, and then the boys "chipped in" to make up a 
 purse for the necessarv outlay. Hodge, who happened
 
 The Last Match. 135 
 
 to be flush, was generous. He felt more than delighted 
 over the result of the day, and he dropped twenty dollars 
 into the purse. 
 
 Rupert Reynolds could not be found, and so he escaped 
 contributing anything. 
 
 Tar barrels were purchased in Fardale, and a supply 
 of fireworks was ordered from the nearest city, to be 
 shipped so they would arrive in Fardale on the train that 
 passed through at eight-thirty. This order was sent by 
 telephone, and the dealer in fireworks replied that he 
 would do his best to fill the order. 
 
 The entire town of Fardale was cordially invited to the 
 celebration, and the stock of fireworks left over on the 
 hands of a local dealer from the Fourth of July was se- 
 cured, so they would have something in case the large 
 order did not arrive. 
 
 The people of the village turned out well that evening, 
 the thundering boom of a cannon telling them that the 
 jollification was about to begin. 
 
 This celebration was in every way a success. The fire- 
 works arrived at eight-thirty, and were immediately 
 brought post haste to the academy. 
 
 Tar barrels blazed, the cannon boomed, trumpets 
 blared, and then Frank Merriwell was called on for a 
 speech. 
 
 Laughing and blushing, Frank was lifted to the top of, 
 a box, and a cheer went up. This was repeated three,' 
 times, and gave him time to recover his composure suffi- 
 ciently to say a few appropriate words, which were 
 warmly received. 
 
 As he finished, somebody cried : 
 
 "Tell us what happened in the first hundred-yard dash, 
 Merriwell explain why you fell." 
 
 "That's it that's it !" was the general cry that went up. 
 ;< Tell us ! We want to know !"
 
 136 The Last Match. 
 
 "Well," said Frank, "I can tell you in a very few 
 words." 
 
 At that moment he caught sight of Rupert Reynolds' 
 face, which bore a look of absolute terror, and was turned 
 toward him in a mute appeal. 
 
 That was enough ; that appeal sealed Frank's lips. 
 
 "I can tell you in a very few words," he repeated, "but 
 it would do you no good to know, and it would harm 
 somebody else if I told. For those reasons, I shall re- 
 main silent." 
 
 That was all ; he could not be persuaded to tell. 
 
 "I am glad you decline to tell," thought Hugh Bas- 
 comb. "I happen to know, and I propose to work my 
 knowledge for all it is worth. Reynolds shall pay for 
 the fun he has had, and as long as he pays well, I will 
 keep his secret." 
 
 Rupert was not to escape punishment for his dastardly 
 act. 
 
 As soon as possible, Frank escaped from his comrades 
 and friends, and found Inza, who, in company with May 
 Blossom and Paul Rains, was waiting for him. 
 
 "I am so glad you have come !" she said. "You won't 
 have to go away again, will you?" 
 
 "What, never?" he whispered, as he sat down by her 
 side and covertly secured her hand. 
 
 "I didn't say that," she protested. 
 
 "But you meant it, didn't you ?" 
 
 She stammered. 
 
 "Why I I Oh, see that rocket ! Isn't it beau- 
 tiful?" 
 
 The display of fireworks had begun, and she did not 
 answer Frank's question.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AN EVENTFUL NIGHT. 
 
 A few days later there was trouble brewing at Fardale 
 Military Academy. 
 
 Hugh Bascomb was under arrest, and confined in the 
 guard tent, charged with brutally assaulting and beating 
 Rupert Reynolds, without cause or provocation. 
 
 Reynolds had not been seriously injured, but he de- 
 clined to tell how the affair came about. It was found 
 to be quite useless to question him. 
 
 Nor did Bascomb seem inclined to talk much. When 
 closely questioned, he simply answered: 
 
 "I will tell a few things at the regular investigation." 
 
 These words were repeated to Reynolds, and they 
 seemed to make him look decidedly anxious and uneasy. 
 
 Reynolds became restless. He moved about through 
 the encampment when at liberty to do so, and was seen 
 talking earnestly in low tones to several of his particular 
 friends. 
 
 Bart Hodge noted these movements, and, happening to 
 come upon Frank, he said : 
 
 "There's something in the wind, old man." 
 
 "What is it air?" asked Frank, with a twinkle in 
 his merry eyes, and a faint smile on his face. 
 
 "I'm not chaffing." 
 
 "No ? Then what's up ?" 
 
 "I don't know just what it is, but Reynolds is in it." 
 
 "He seems to be in everything latel'*."
 
 138 An Eventful Night. 
 
 "He's up to some kind of a game. You know he ic- 
 fused to tell why Bascomb thumped him ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Well, he is collaring all his friends and talking them 
 into the earache. That means something." 
 
 Frank nodded. 
 
 "You're right; Reynolds always calls on his friends 
 when he gets into a scrape." 
 
 "But he doesn't seem to be in any scrape. Bascomb is 
 the one who " 
 
 "Remember that Bascomb promised to tell a few things 
 at the regular investigation." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "It's my opinion Reynolds had a great deal rather 
 Bascomb would not tell." 
 
 "What has that to do with the way he is running round 
 and chinning his friends?" 
 
 "Possibly a good deal. He may be trying to scratch 
 up evidence to refute any charge Bascomb makes." 
 
 "Or he may be up to something else." 
 
 'What?" 
 
 "That I don't know, but I've got an idea that Rey- 
 nolds is desperate, and ready for anything. I'd give 
 something to find out what kind of a scheme he is trying 
 to work." 
 
 "Keep cool, and we will find out later on." 
 
 "I suppose that's all we can do." 
 
 It was true that Reynolds worked very hard among his 
 friends, or those who pretended to be his friends. Rupert 
 had money to spend freely, and he had gathered abo^ 
 himself a number of boy sycophants, who were ready to 
 show extreme friendliness as long as the money lasted. 
 There was no heart or sincerity in this kind of friend- 
 ship, but it seemed the only kind of regard that Reynolds 
 was able to win.
 
 An Eventful Night. 139 
 
 Rupert had not ceased to dislike Frank thoroughly, 
 although Frank had spared him when exposure would 
 have meant disgrace and dismissal. 
 
 Bascomb liked Frank no better than did Rupert, and 
 these two lads had seemed to be the very best friends up 
 to the time that Reynolds received the beating at Bas- 
 comb's hands. 
 
 Bascomb had allowed a burst of temper to get the best 
 of him, and he had shown very poor judgment in attack- 
 ing Rupert within the confines of the cadet encampment, 
 where he had been quickly dragged from his victim and 
 placed under arrest. 
 
 Hodge's words caused Frank to note Rupert's move- 
 ments, and he saw that the fellow was really up to some- 
 thing. He had more or less difficulty in bringing his 
 friends to his way of thinking, but he appeared to suc- 
 ceed in almost every case. 
 
 At supper there were rumors of a great lark to come, 
 but what it meant only a select few of the cadets seemed 
 to know. 
 
 They were to find out that night. 
 
 Bascomb slept in the guard tent, with armed sentries 
 on the four sides. 
 
 Thirty minutes before the time to relieve the guard 
 arrived, the sentries were assailed by overwhelming num- 
 bers. 
 
 As the night was very dark, the assailants had been 
 able to creep close in upon the sentries without being 
 challenged, and had attacked them at a signal agreed 
 upon. 
 
 It is possible some of the sentries were in the plot, for 
 the resistance, with a single exception, seemed feeble. 
 
 One fellow fought savagely, discharging his gun, and 
 shouting for the officer of the guard. 
 
 But while he was fighting the assaulting party accom-
 
 140 An Eventful Night. 
 
 plished their purpose, and he was finally knocked down, 
 and left dazed and stunned, while the assailants disap- 
 peared as swiftly as they had appeared. 
 
 It was all over when Lieutenant Gordan and the officer 
 of the guard arrived on the scene. 
 
 A hurried investigation showed that Bascomb was 
 gone. Either he had been set at liberty, or carried away I 
 
 "Turn out the entire camp !" raged Lieutenant Gordan. 
 "This is outrageous ! Somebody shall suffer for this 
 piece of work !" 
 
 In another moment, bugles sounded, and the muffled 
 roar of drums was heard. 
 
 The long roll was given, and, in obedience to this sig- 
 nal, the cadets came hurrying from their tents, to fall in, 
 in class companies, on the parade ground. 
 
 The roll was called, and it was found that ten cadets 
 failed to answer to their names. Reynolds, Bascomb, 
 Snell, and Harris were among the missing. 
 
 Lieutenant Gordan, who was thoroughly aroused and 
 angry, gave orders for the arrest of every one of the ten. 
 
 But not one of the missing returned to their tents that 
 night, and in the morning they were still absent from 
 camp. 
 
 Once, years before, there had been a revolt among the 
 cadets at Fardale Academy, and it began to look as if 
 something of the kind had occurred again. 
 
 Now it was plain enough to both Merriwell and Hodge 
 what Reynolds had been doing the previous afternoon 
 and evening. 
 
 The attack on the guard tent and release of the pris- 
 oner had been planned by Rupert, who was the leader of 
 the movement. 
 
 Every one of his comrades in the attack were fellows 
 who did not bear the best of reputations and whose rec-
 
 An Eventful Night. 141 
 
 ords since entering the academy had not been of the best 
 order. 
 
 Some of them were cadets who had barely escaped dis- 
 missal on various occasions, and who seemed to court 
 such a fate in this case. Two or three were weak- 
 minded fellows, who were easily influenced by Reynolds. 
 
 Lieutenant Gordan declared that not one of the ten 
 should escape just and proper punishment. 
 
 Without delay, he instructed Frank to form a picked 
 company of twenty cadets, and go in pursuit of the 
 rebels. 
 
 "Take twenty men you can depend on, Mr. Merriwell," 
 he said, "and do not return to camp until you hare 
 effected the capture of the deserters."
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 SAILOR JACK. 
 
 Frank was well pleased to think he had been selected 
 to take charge of the force that was going in pursuit of 
 the rebels, and he was still more pleased when Lieutenant 
 Gordan directed him to select his company for the expe- 
 dition. 
 
 It did not take him long to decide on the twenty cadets 
 he preferred. Among them were Bart Hodge, Barney 
 Mulloy, Hans Dunnerwust, Ephraim Gallup and Fred 
 Davis. 
 
 As the first movement, Hodge and Mulloy were sent 
 out as scouts to discover whither the deserters had gone. 
 
 Mulloy was gone less than two hours, when he re- 
 turned and reported that the rebels seemed to have fled 
 in the direction of Blue Lake, a large sheet of water about 
 five miles away. 
 
 Frank waited a while for Hodge, but Bart did not 
 show up, and further delay was not thought advisable, 
 so the company marched away, escorted to the limits of 
 the academy grounds by the cadet drum corps and two 
 of the regular companies. The drum corps played a 
 lively march, and the cadets were permitted to give a 
 farewell cheer, as Frank marched his picked command 
 away. 
 
 Frank had requested Lieutenant Gordan to send 
 Hodge on after them, if he showed up at camp. 
 
 Frank chose the shortest route to Blue Lake. 
 
 On the northern shore of this sheet of water lay a large
 
 Sailor Jack. 143 
 
 strip of forest, known as Ten-Mile Woods. From Bar- 
 ney's report, Frank was led to believe the deserters had 
 fled to the shelter of this wild section. 
 
 Frequent inquiries along the road failed to give any 
 satisfaction till near noon, when they came to a farm- 
 house within half-a-mile of the lake. 
 
 The farmer informed them that a party of ten cadets, 
 who said they were on a vacation, had taken breakfast 
 there. He had thought it strange that boys on a vaca- 
 tion should be carrying muskets, and nine of them were 
 thus armed. 
 
 One of them had paid for what they had eaten, and 
 then they purchased potatoes, flour, pork, beans, salt, 
 pepper, coffee, and other provisions of him, together with 
 a kettle, fryingpan, coffeepot, and so forth. 
 
 When he heard this, Frank looked serious, for it was 
 evident that the deserters were determined on a genuine 
 rebellion, having no thought of returning to the academy 
 for some time. 
 
 Although the farmer had been pretty well cleaned out 
 of food and provisions, his wife agreed to get up some 
 kind of a dinner for the boys, if they would wait for her 
 to cook it. 
 
 This Frank decided to do, and, while they were wait- 
 ing for dinner, he held a council with all of his com- 
 pany, at which he informed them that Hodge was second 
 in command, and would have full control whenever he 
 was absent. 
 
 The boys were inclined to consider the whole affair a 
 great lark, but, while he was enjoying it, Frank began to 
 see that they had serious work before them. 
 
 Knowing their punishment would be severe in any 
 case, and believing it would be no more severe if they 
 took a vacation and refused to return to the academy until
 
 144 Sailor Jack. 
 
 compelled to do so, the rebels plainly meant to stay away 
 as long as possible. 
 
 Frank wondered what could have become of Bart, as 
 he had expected to meet him somewhere on the march. 
 
 It was some time past noon when the farmer's wife an- 
 nounced that dinner was ready for the first ten. 
 
 The meal consisted mainly of boiled potatoes, butter 
 gravy, stripped codfish, and cornmeal bread. 
 
 This fare was certainly of the plainest sort, but the 
 boys took hold heartily, and they seemed to enjoy it 
 immensely. 
 
 The meal over, they took up the march again, soon 
 reaching the lake and the edge of the Ten-Mile Woods. 
 
 Within sight of the lake lived a strange old fellow, 
 who was a sort of recluse. He had once been a sailor 
 and it was hinted by those who claimed to know that 
 his record on the high seas would not bear close investi- 
 gation. No one had the boldness to assert that he had 
 once been a smuggler and pirate, but it was said that 
 he knew a great deal about people who had followed 
 such unlawful callings. 
 
 He had given his name as Jack Duff, and he was 
 known in the vicinity as "Old Jack," or "Sailor Jack." 
 
 He was a fierce, grizzled old fellow, whose language 
 was plentifully sprinkled with strange sailor oaths, and 
 who always wore a belt, which supported a sheath that 
 contained a long-bladed, murderous-looking knife. 
 
 Some time in his career, Sailor Jack had lost his left 
 leg near the knee, and he wore a wooden "peg" in place 
 of the missing member. His right eye was smaller than 
 the left, and, when he was angry, seemed to glow like a 
 coal. 
 
 It was said that Jack had been rather free with his 
 money when he first settled near Blue Lake, but the fact 
 that his money was always in gold, and often in strange
 
 Sailor Jack. 145 
 
 pieces of foreign countries, excited the curiosity of the 
 people in that vicinity, some of whom ventured to ask him 
 where he got it. 
 
 The old salt had resented their inquisitiveness, and he 
 flatly told them it was none of their business. After that 
 he seemed to draw into his shell, like a turtle, and he, 
 grew to resent any attempt at friendliness, so that people 
 came to fear and avoid him. 
 
 Regularly once a week he visited the groggery in Far- 
 dale, and purchased a supply of rum, for which he con- 
 tinued to pay in gold, and all the pieces being dated far 
 back, it seemed to indicate they had been hoarded. 
 
 The story got around that Old Jack was the possessor 
 of large treasure, which he had secreted somewhere 
 about the wretched old house in which he lived. 
 
 The old sailor knew this story was in circulation, and 
 he seemed to fear that he would be robbed. He regarded 
 everybody with suspicion, and he became more and more 
 cross and ugly as years advanced. More than once it 
 had been declared that he would murder somebody in 
 time, if he continued to grow suspicious and fierce. 
 
 This strange old fellow seemed to avoid as far as pos- 
 sible the sea coast, but he was not able to give up his 
 sailor habits, and so, with great labor and pains, he built 
 himself a small two-masted schooner, which he launched 
 on Blue Lake. 
 
 Strangely enough, he named this schooner Captain 
 Kidd, which caused the country people to regard him 
 with still greater suspicion. 
 
 He had arranged running lines, so that he could sit 
 with his feet in the cock-pit and his hand on the tiller, 
 and trim the sails without leaving the helm. 
 
 Whenever a wild storm came up, Jack would repair 
 aboard the schooner, get up anchor and sails, and go 
 cruising around over the lake in a way that told how
 
 146 Sailor Jack. 
 
 much he enjoyed such tempestuous sport. How he suc- 
 ceeded in handling the schooner all alone was more than 
 could be told, but he did so, and he did not mind that 
 the country people prophesied he would be drowned some 
 day. Some of them would have been not a little relieved 
 if this had actually happened, but Jack refused to be 
 drowned, although the sails were blown out of the Cap- 
 tain Kidd once or twice. 
 
 There were lads in the academy, who sometimes visited 
 Old Carter's groggery in Fardale village, and there they 
 heard a great deal about Sailor Jack, so his history since 
 his appearance in the neighborhood became well known 
 among the cadets. 
 
 The moment Frank came in sight of Old Jack's house, 
 he recognized the place from descriptions he had received 
 of it. 
 
 The boys marched briskly down the old road, little 
 looking for what was to take place. 
 
 As they approached the house, Old Jack came round 
 the corner and saw them. He paused and glared at 
 them in amazement, and then he went stumping into the 
 house as fast as his wooden peg would carry him. 
 
 In a moment he reappeared, and the boys were not a 
 little surprised to see that he grasped a long-barreled, 
 old-fashioned gun. 
 
 "Lay to, there, ye lubbers!" roared the man, bringing 
 'the breech of the gun to his shoulder and pointing it at 
 the lads "lay to, or, shiver my timbers, if I don't give 
 ye a broadside !"
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 HODGE IN TROUBLE. 
 
 "Shimminy Gristmas!" gurgled Hans Dunnerwust, in 
 great alarm. "Uf he don'd peen bointing dot gun 
 sdraight ad me!" 
 
 "G'wan, ye Dutch chaze !" cried Barney Mulloy. "Ye 
 can't see straight, ye spalpane! It's mesilf th' ould 
 odamahon is pointing th' gun at." 
 
 "Wai, I be gol dinged if ye ain't both blind ez moles !" 
 palpitated Ephraim Gallup, trying to dodge behind some- 
 body else. "He's got that thunderin' ole cannon p'inted 
 at me !" 
 
 "Halt!" commanded Frank, promptly. 
 
 The company having come to a -halt, he addressed 
 Sailor Jack : 
 
 "What is the meaning of this, sir?" came sternly from 
 his lips. "You are liable to get yourself into serious 
 trouble." 
 
 "Avast there !" rumbled the old tar, his right eye filled 
 with a red fire. "I mean business, keelhaul me if I don't. 
 I want pay for my dog and my windows, and I'll have it, 
 or I'll give ye the contents of this gun, and you may lay 
 to that, my beauties !" 
 
 "What have we to do with your dog and your win- 
 dows ? You are crazy, man !" 
 
 "If you didn't break my windows and shoot my dog, it 
 was a lot of lubbers dressed like you, and you're all from 
 the academy, so you will pay the damages." 
 
 Frank instantly understood that Reynolds and his 
 gang had been pestering the old tar.
 
 148 Hodge in Trouble. 
 
 "It must have been the party we were sent out to cap- 
 ture," he said. "How did they happen to smash your 
 windows and shoot your dog?" 
 
 "How did they happen to !" roared the sailor, fiercely. 
 "They done it when I refused to let them have Cap'n 
 Kidd to go sailing on the lake. Then they took to 
 stoning the house and breaking out the windows. When 
 I cast Gibbs adrift and sicked him at 'em, they shot him 
 full of lead, shiver my timbers if they didn't!" 
 
 "Well, we have nothing to do with that. Those fel- 
 lows revolted, and we were sent out after them." 
 
 "What's that ? They're mutineers ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "You're sure there're none of 'em with you ?" 
 
 "Dead sure." 
 
 The old man seemed to hesitate a minute, and then, as 
 he thought of the death of his dog, he grew furious again. 
 
 "You're all from the same vessel !" he snarled. "If I 
 don't collect of you, I won't get anything at all, so you're 
 going to pay for my windows and my dog before you 
 hoist anchor and get under way again, and you may lay 
 to that, my hearties !" 
 
 "But we refuse to pay for the damage done by those 
 deserters. At the same time, if you will call at the 
 academy, and present your claim to Professor Gunn, I 
 have no doubt but he will see that you are remunerated 
 for your loss." 
 
 "That don't go with me, mate. I believe in collecting 
 when I have the chance, so fork over twenty dollars be- 
 fore I give you a broadside that will blow you clean out 
 of the water." 
 
 "Will you listen to reason, or " 
 
 "Hand over the cash, you lubber, and be lively about 
 it ! I am a bad man to fool with, and I may take a no- 
 tion to shoot first and collect afterward."
 
 riodge in Trouble. 149 
 
 Frank turned to his company. 
 
 "Prepare to load !" 
 
 His order rang out sharp and clear, and it was obeyed 
 with mechanical accuracy. 
 
 "Load!" 
 
 Nineteen blank cartridges were snapped into nineteen 
 guns. 
 
 Sailor Jack did not know the cartridges were blank, 
 and he looked somewhat astonished and uneasy. 
 
 "What do you mean, you scoundrel?" he shouted. 
 
 "We are simply preparing for the emergency," replied 
 Frank, coolly, not a smile changing the expression of his 
 face, although he felt like laughing outright at the sud- 
 den change which had come over the sailor. "In case 
 you fire into us, we are going to do a little shooting, too. 
 You will have a lively time dodging nineteen bullets." 
 
 "Shiver my timbers!" gurgled Jack, hesitatingly. 
 "You wouldn't dare to fire !" 
 
 "You will find you are greatly mistaken if you shoot 
 into us." 
 
 "And you won't pay for my windows?" 
 
 "Not a window." 
 
 "Nor my dog ?" 
 
 "Nary dog." 
 
 "And blow me if I don't believe you'd like an excuse to 
 shoot me !" gasped the fierce old tar. who had been quite 
 set back by the stand Merriwell had taken. "Of all the 
 murderous young cutthroats I ever saw, you're the 
 worst ! But I'll fool ye, keelhaul me if I don't ! I won't 
 give ye any excuse for shooting, but I'll get even with ye 
 some way, and you may lay to that, my hearties !" 
 
 Having thus delivered himself, Old Jack turned 
 squarely about and pegged away, trying to appear as 
 dignified as possible. 
 
 "That's the way to suppress a fierce and bloodthirsty
 
 150 Hodge in Trouble. 
 
 pirate !" laughed Frank. "He may take a fancy to shoot 
 at us from some place of shelter, so we will move along. 
 Shoulder arms ; forward, march !" 
 
 Away they went down the old road, more than half- 
 expecting the man with the gun would shoot after them ; 
 but he did nothing of the kind, and they passed without 
 , further trouble. 
 
 At the edge of the woods Frank halted his men. 
 
 "We have had no trouble in tracing the deserters thus 
 far," he said. "It is likely they are somewhere in the 
 shelter of this strip of forest, and we must find out just 
 where they are. They are liable to be somewhere near 
 the shore of the lake. Still, they may have entered by this 
 road. This road, as you can see, is seldom traveled. It 
 was once the only road between Edgefield and Fardale, 
 but there is now a shorter and more direct route, which 
 causes the road through Ten-Mile Woods to be avoided. 
 If ten men have marched into the forest by this road, they 
 must have left marks on the ground, and some of us 
 will be able to find those marks." 
 
 He then selected two lads besides himself, and they 
 went forward to examine the road in search for the trail 
 left by the deserters. 
 
 It was not long before they found all the trail they de- 
 sired, making it plain the fellows they were pursuing had 
 entered the woods by that road. 
 
 While thus engaged, Frank fancied he heard a faint, 
 far-away shout. They all listened, and, after a time, it 
 was repeated. 
 
 "They are not far away," observed one of the boys. 
 "I fancy that was one of them shouting." 
 
 "It sounded like a cry of distress," said Frank. 
 
 "Perhaps one of them has strayed away from the 
 others and is lost." 
 
 "Possibly."
 
 Hodge in Trouble. 151 
 
 Having found that the deserters had entered the forest 
 by way of the road, Frank lost little time in marching 
 forward. 
 
 The company had not proceeded far before an old 
 wood road was seen leading off to the right toward the 
 lake. 
 
 Another investigation showed that Reynolds and his 
 friends had left the main road and taken to the wood 
 road. 
 
 And now the cries could be plainly heard at intervals, 
 and, more than at first, they sounded like cries of dis- 
 tress. 
 
 Down the wood road hurried Frank, at the head of the 
 party. 
 
 There was a strangely familiar sound to those cries. 
 
 Some of the boys were for answering, but Frank 
 would not allow this, as it might warn the enemy of their 
 proximity. 
 
 In a very short time they were near to the person who 
 was uttering the cries, and, despite the fact that this in- 
 dividual's voice was hoarse from much shouting, Frank 
 believed he recognized it. 
 
 "Forward!" he commanded. "It is Hodge!" 
 
 "That's pwhat Oi thought mesilf," said Barney Mul- 
 loy, excitedly. "Th* b'y's in some kind av a schrape." 
 
 They were now guided by the shouts, but did not find 
 it necessary to abandon the old wood road. 
 
 In a very short time they came in sight of a lad who 
 was standing with his back to a tree, and, as they came 
 nearer, they made a surprising discovery. 
 
 It was Bart Hodge, sure enough, and he was bound to 
 the tree !
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE HERMIT. 
 
 Hodge gave a cry of relief when his eyes rested on his 
 approaching comrades. 
 
 "Help !" he called, and, now that rescue was at hand, 
 his voice sank to a whisper. 
 
 Frank dashed forward. 
 
 "Bart, what does this mean? Who did this?" 
 
 "Set me free, old man. I am nearly dead from being 
 tied up here so long." 
 
 Frank quickly produced a pocketknife, and cut the 
 cords which held the unfortunate fellow to the tree. On 
 being thus released, Bart collapsed, and fell in a heap at 
 the foot of the tree, while the excited and wondering 
 boys gathered around him. 
 
 It was some moments before Hodge seemed in condi- 
 tion to talk, and then, sitting up and placing his back 
 against the tree, he said : 
 
 "It seems to me as if I had been tied up here for a 
 week. I didn't mind it at first, but it became the most 
 painful torture after a while. I'd begun to think I'd 
 never succeed in making anybody hear me. Oh, won't I 
 get square for this !" 
 
 "How did it happen?" asked Frank. "Who tied you 
 to the tree ?" 
 
 "The rebels." 
 
 "Reynolds and his gang?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "But how did they happen to have the opportunity to 
 tie you up in such a manner?"
 
 The Hermit. 153 
 
 "I ran into an ambush." 
 
 "They found you were after them, and set a trap for 
 you?" 
 
 "Just that." 
 
 "The scoundrels ! I didn't think they would dare do 
 such a thing." 
 
 "I didn't know I was anywhere near them till they sud- 
 denly sprang up all around me," Hodge explained. "I 
 saw I was in a trap, but I did not propose to give up 
 tamely, and so I tried to break away. I got a good crack 
 at Bascomb, and I knocked him flat the first pop. But it 
 wasn't any use, for they just jumped on me and crushed 
 me down. I had to give up." 
 
 The boys were listening with breathless interest, and 
 Frank urged Bart to go on. 
 
 "I didn't suppose they would dare punish me ; but they 
 held a sort of trial, and convicted me of being a spy. I 
 was sentenced to be hanged. They had a big bundle, 
 tied up with a rope. Part of the rope was taken off the 
 bundle, and my hands were tied, for all that I fought. 
 Then they made a noose, which they put around my neck, 
 and pretended they really meant to hang me. But they 
 could not scare me in that way; so Bascomb, whose left 
 eye I buttoned up when I hit him, proposed that I be 
 stripped to the waist, tied to the tree, and whipped with 
 withes. He was bound to make me beg. They fell to 
 quarreling over this, for Reynolds was against it. It 
 divided them into two parties, but Reynolds had five sup- 
 porters, and Bascomb had three, so the big bully was 
 forced to give in. Then it was decided that I should be 
 tied up here, and left till somebody released me. They 
 tied me up, and I have been here ever since." 
 
 "When were you tied to the tree ?" 
 
 "Some time this forenoon."
 
 154 The Hermit. 
 
 "And you have been there ever since ! No wonder you 
 were pretty well exhausted." 
 
 "It was terrible/' declared Bart. "I wouldn't go 
 through it again for a hundred dollars." 
 
 "Dot vos righd," nodded Hans, who had been listening 
 with his mouth wide open. "I vos ruter haf a huntret 
 tollars than do dot meinself." 
 
 "I told Bascomb I would be even with him," said Bart, 
 "and I am going to keep my word." 
 
 "I should think they would fear punishment when they 
 return to the academy." 
 
 "They don't mean to return till they are obliged to do 
 so. Besides that, you know Bascomb hates me for an 
 old score. He says I went back on him, and he wanted 
 to tie me up and flog me to get even. He would have 
 done it if it hadn't been for Reynolds; but Rupert was 
 scared, and so I escaped." 
 
 "Which way did they go when they left you ?" 
 
 "Toward the lake." 
 
 "Then we'll follow." 
 
 "I am not going to follow far till I have something to 
 eat. I am nearly starved." 
 
 "I don't wonder. Davis." 
 
 "Yes, sir," promptly replied Fred Davis, stepping for- 
 ward and saluting. 
 
 "Conduct Mr. Hodge to the farmhouse where we took 
 dinner. Tell the people there that it is barely possible 
 we may call for supper." 
 
 "All right, sir." 
 
 In a few moments Bart and Fred ware on their way 
 back to the farmhouse, while Frank led his company to- 
 ward the lake. 
 
 Deep in the heart of the woods they came upon an old 
 hut, from the chimney of which smoke was issuing. 
 
 "I wonder who lives there?" speculated Frank.
 
 The Hermit. 155 
 
 "Mebbe them rebels are in there," suggested Ephraim 
 Gallup, nervously. 
 
 "It is possible. We will surround the house. Let no 
 one escape. Forward!" 
 
 They dashed forward at a run, and quickly surrounded 
 the old hut. 
 
 The front door was partly open, and a small, cur-like 
 dog stood in the opening, snarling and showing his teeth. 
 
 "Get out !" shouted Frank, making a kick at the dog. 
 
 The creature plunged into the hut and disappeared. 
 
 Merriwell hesitated but a moment, and then he pushed 
 open the door and walked in, followed closely by Barney, 
 Ephraim, and Hans. 
 
 The hut seemed to consist of but one room, at the 
 further end of which was an open fire, on which some 
 green wood was smoldering and sending up a thick 
 smoke. On the floor, or, rather, on the ground, in one 
 corner was a wretched bed. There was a table, one 
 chair, some blackened tin dishes hung around the walls, 
 and that was about all. 
 
 Apparently the place was deserted. 
 
 "Shimminy Gristmas !" gurgled Hans. "Vot kindt uf 
 a blace dis pee, ain'd id?" 
 
 "Don't seem to be nobody to hum," muttered Ephraim 
 Gallup, in a scared whisper. "Guess we'd better be 
 goin'." 
 
 "It must be the hut of Black Tom, the hermit, of whom 
 such queer stories are told," said Frank. 
 
 "Thin, begobs, it's mesilf thot fales loike movin'," said 
 Barney. "Oi'd rayther make a call on Sailor Jack, so Oi 
 had." 
 
 "Yaw, dot vos so," gurgled Hans. "Dot Plack Dom 
 he peen shut up a brison in, und he got avay oudt py 
 killing der guard, ain'd id?" 
 
 "That is the story they tell of him," affirmed Frank.
 
 156 The Hermit. 
 
 "If all they tell about the old fellow is true, he would 
 make a good mate for Sailor Jack." 
 
 "They lie ! they lie ! they lie !" quavered a feeble voice. 
 
 With exclamations of surprise, the boys turned to see 
 between them and the door the bent form of an old man, 
 who was leaning on a crooked cane, and at whose heels 
 the wretched dog was crouching. The old man's hair 
 and beard were white, and his hands trembled from old 
 age. He presented a most pitiful spectacle of ruin, want, 
 and wretchedness. 
 
 In strong contrast to his white hair and beard was his 
 dark skin, which was wrinkled and flabby. His eyes, 
 however, seemed to have retained the fire and brilliancy 
 of youth, and they were very keen and piercing. 
 
 The old man was dressed in ragged clothes, and the 
 boots on his feet were held together by strings. He wore 
 no hat. 
 
 It was not surprising the boys were startled, for they 
 had not seen the man when they entered, and he seemed 
 to have materialized out of the air. 
 
 Several lads were looking in at the door of the hut, and 
 they afterward declared they were unable to tell whence 
 the old man had come. It seemed as if he had risen 
 from out of the ground which composed the floor of the 
 hut. 
 
 Frank Merriwell's nerves were not easily shaken, and 
 he saw nothing to fear about the aged and feeble-appear- 
 ing old man. 
 
 "We beg your pardon for intruding, sir," he said, with 
 the respect and politeness due an aged person. 
 
 The man looked at him keenly, searchingly. 
 
 "You are the first one to beg Black Tom's pardon in 
 years," he faltered, as if thoroughly astonished. 
 
 "Well, sir, I am quite aware we have no right here, 
 and it is proper that we all beg your pardon."
 
 The Hermit. 157 
 
 "Right!" exclaimed the old hermit, bitterly. "Who 
 considers the right of the weak and friendless !" 
 
 "I do, for one." 
 
 "Then you are an exception you are a wonder. It 
 is the way of the world to trample on the weak and help- 
 less to crush them. The world does not give a man 
 any rights unless he is strong enough to defend them. 
 Boy, what is your name?" 
 
 "Frank Merriwell." 
 
 "A good name, and that is a good face you have. T am 
 something of a character-reader, although I may be old 
 and wretched. I see fine things in that face brave 
 things, manly things, noble things ! You are sincere in 
 all you do, and you have great moral stamina and 
 strength of character. In the battle of life, you are 
 pretty sure to come forth a winner." 
 
 "Thank you." 
 
 "You have nothing to thank me for, Frank Merriwell, 
 as I am simply telling you the truth, as revealed by your 
 face. Frank is a good name, for it suggests openness, 
 honesty, heartiness. Merriwell seems to suggest a jovial 
 nature and a strong spirit. I believe I never before knew 
 of a person whose name fitted him so well." 
 
 "By gum!" Ephraim Gallup was heard to whisper-, 
 "the old feller ain't no fool, arter all!" 
 
 As for Frank, he was not a little taken back by the 
 words of the strange man of the woods, but he said : 
 
 "All I can ask is that you have read my character 
 aright." 
 
 "I am sure of that," declared Black Tom. "Never in 
 my life have I made a mistake in such matters. If I had 
 seen by your face that you were a sneak and a scoundrel, 
 I should have told you so just as readily. It is my frank- 
 ness in such things that drove me to be what I am an 
 outcast and a hermit. Men who did evil things shunned
 
 158 The Hermit. 
 
 me and turned other men against me. They seemed to 
 think that I could read the black secrets of their hearts 
 because they carried the truth written on their faces. 
 Now they point me out with scorn, and say I am a 
 criminal that I am hiding from the grasp of the law." 
 
 The hermit's voice rose to a shrill cry, and he shook his 
 cane angrily in the air, causing the boys to fall back. In 
 doing this Hans tripped, and sat down heavily on the 
 ground, which brought a grunt from his lips. 
 
 "Atch! Dot came near mein prains to knock oudt!" 
 he exclaimed. 
 
 Frank saw the hermit was getting excited, and, not 
 knowing what the man might do, he fancied it would be 
 best to move on as soon as possible. First, however, he 
 would ask the old man if he had seen anything of the 
 rebels, and he did so. 
 
 Immediately, Black Tom showed signs of mingled an- 
 ger and alarm. 
 
 "Yes, I saw such a party," he acknowledged, although 
 he seemed to do so reluctantly. 
 
 "How long ago ?" 
 
 "Some hours." 
 
 "They passed this hut ?" 
 
 "They stopped here a while." 
 
 "For what purpose?" 
 
 "To have sport with me !" cried the old man, bitterly. 
 '"'They thought it great fun to beat my dog and threaten 
 to serve me the same." 
 
 These words seemed wrung from his lips against his 
 will, as Frank observed. This aspect of fear aroused 
 Merri well's curiosity. He desired to know just what it 
 meant. 
 
 "So they threatened you?" he asked. 
 
 "Yes," whispered the hermit his eyes moving restlessly 
 about.
 
 The Hermit. 159 
 
 "But they did you no personal injury?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "And they all departed together ?" 
 
 Black Tom was silent. 
 
 "Tell me the truth, man!" cried Frank. "Are they 
 gone ? Are you not hiding them near at hand ?" 
 
 "They are gone." 
 
 "All of them?" 
 
 Again the hermit was silent, but Frank saw his eyes 
 turn a flitting glance toward the peak of the hut, where 
 some crossed poles and a thin layer of bark and brush 
 made a small loft. 
 
 That was quite enough for Frank. 
 
 "Boys," he cried, "a spy has remained behind to listen 
 to our conversation !" 
 
 "Where is he? Show him to us! We'll fix him!" 
 
 "Dot vos richt ! Show me to him !" bellowed Hans, in 
 great excitement. "Oh, he won't do a thing to me!" 
 
 "He is within reach," declared Frank. 
 
 "Let me put me hand on th' spalpane!" shouted 
 Barney. 
 
 "Fix bayonets !" ordered Merriwell. 
 
 Clatter, rattle, snap ! 
 
 "See the loft up there? You can all reach it, and your 
 bayonets will pierce the bark and brush. If the spy is 
 there, he'll be likely to get prodded. Ready to stir him 
 up!" 
 
 The boys made ready. 
 
 Before Frank could give the command, however, a 
 shrill cry of terror rang through the hut, following which 
 a portion of the loft gave way, and down came a sprawl- 
 ing human figure amid a mass of bark and broken poles
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A SPY. 
 
 The person who had fallen thus scrambled to his feet 
 as soon as he struck the ground, attempting to rush out 
 of the hut. 
 
 "Seize him !" cried Frank. 
 
 A broken pole had struck Ephraim Gallup on the head 
 and knocked him down. The Vermonter was on the 
 ground, but he was within easy reach of the spy's feet, 
 and he clutched one of them, crying : 
 
 "Hold right on there, b'gosh! Don't be in sech a 
 rush !" 
 
 The spy was tripped up, but he jerked his foot from 
 Ephraim's grasp, and again scrambled up and made a 
 break for the door. 
 
 He ran plump into Hans Dunnerwust, who fastened to 
 the fellow with a desperate clutch, and down they went 
 together, the Dutch boy squawking : 
 
 "Hellup i hellup ! Shimminy Gristmas ! If I don'd 
 hellup you I vos a deat man alretty yet !" 
 
 Ready hands clutched the spy, who was dragged to his 
 feet, and the boys obtained a fair look at his face. 
 
 "Wat Snell !" cried Frank. 
 
 Wat Snell it was, and he looked thoroughly frightened 
 and ashamed. 
 
 "Dud-dud-don't hurt me, bub-bub-bub-boys!" he 
 quavered, his knees shaking beneath him. 
 
 Frank immediately saw an opportunity to have some 
 sport, and give Wat a bad scare at the same time.
 
 A Spy. 161 
 
 "You shall have a fair trial, Snell," he said, "and, if 
 you can prove your innocence, you'll not be hanged." 
 
 "Oh, say !" mumbled Wat, forcing a laugh ; "you can't 
 work that kind of a racket on me. I'm not afraid of 
 being shot, but I didn't know I kind of thought that is, 
 I suspected " 
 
 He broke down completely, but his eyes were moving 
 about in a restless manner, as if searching for some one. 
 
 "You suspected what?" demanded Frank, sharply. "I 
 fancy I know. You thought Bart Hodge might feel like 
 settling a part of his account against your gang. It is 
 possible he may feel that way. But we are going to try 
 you as a deserter and a spy. As I said before, if you are 
 able to prove your innocence, you shall not be hanged." 
 
 Then, directed by Frank, they removed the captive 
 from the hut to the open air, where he was quickly sur- 
 rounded. 
 
 Frank bade the hermit good-day, but Black Tom 
 seemed -greatly agitated, and he caught hold of the boy, 
 saying : 
 
 "They will come back and keep their word I know 
 they will !" 
 
 "Who the party that visited you first?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "I scarcely think there is much danger of that, for they 
 will not be given the opportunity if I can help it. They 
 are fugitives and deserters from Fardale Academy, and I 
 was sent out to capture them. They will avoid me, if 
 possible." 
 
 "Well, I am sure you will be successful in the end ; but 
 keep them from returning here, if possible. Why, they 
 even threatened to burn my cabin, saying it would be a 
 good thing if I were driven from these parts." 
 
 Frank had heard other persons make such a statement, 
 but he did not say so then, for he pitied the wretched old
 
 162 A Spy. 
 
 man who lived a hermit's life there in the heart of Ten- 
 Mile Woods. 
 
 Leaving the hut, Frank found the cadets gathered 
 about Snell, who now looked thoroughly chagrined and 
 disgusted. 
 
 "We will organize an impromptu court-martial," said 
 Frank. "No time is to be wasted in carrying this mat- 
 ter through." 
 
 "Bring out Black Tom," suggested Paul Rains. "We 
 need him as a witness." 
 
 "That's right !" cried the boys, those who had remained 
 outside being eager to get a better view of the old hermit. 
 
 Frank stepped back to the door of the hut, when, to his 
 amazement, he saw that the place was empty. Black Tom 
 had disappeared in a most surprising manner. 
 
 Into the hut Frank plunged, looking around for the oW 
 man, for he knew Black Tom had not left the place by 
 the door, which was the only exit. 
 
 But the hermit was actually gone, nor was his wretched 
 dog to be seen. 
 
 Puzzled and mystified, Frank went out and told the 
 boys of this astonishing disappearance. 
 
 The boys could not believe it possible that Black Tom 
 had vanished thus unaccountably, but none of them 
 seemed to care about investigating. 
 
 "Pwhoy don't ye go in an' foind th' ould gent, 
 Dutchy ?" asked Barney Mulloy, with a sly twinkle in his 
 eyes. 
 
 "Say, you come righd avay off, Parney!" exclaimed 
 Hans. "Vy don'd you do him yourseluf, hey?" 
 
 "I'll tell ye one thing," spoke up Ephraim Gallup, as he 
 moved still farther from the cabin; "yeou don't git me 
 inter that air hole ag'in, if I know myself! Darned if I 
 don't b'lieve it'd scare me aout of a year's growth to go 
 in there naow."
 
 A Spy. 163 
 
 "Veil, dot peen a goot thing vor you, Ephy," declared 
 Hans. "Uf you grown some taller you don'd peen aple 
 to go der door uf a house in raitoudt knockin' your bom- 
 padour down, ain'd id?" 
 
 "Well, there's no danger of that so far as you are con- 
 cerned," laughed Sammy Smiles ; "so you are the one to 
 go in, Hans." 
 
 "That's right ! that's right !" shouted the boys, ready to 
 have some sport with Hans, who was beginning to quake 
 with apprehension. "You are the one to go in and dig 
 Black Tom out. Go ahead now, and don't be all day 
 about it!" 
 
 "Veil, I peen shot uf I do!" shouted the Dutch boy, 
 taking to his heels and running at top speed down the old 
 wood road, while the others of the party were convulsed 
 with laughter. 
 
 It did not take Hans long to disappear, and Ephraim 
 Gallup, who had been edging farther and farther from 
 the hut, suddenly said: 
 
 "Gol derned if he's goin' to git away like that! I'll 
 jest ketch him an' bring him back." 
 
 Then he started after Hans, and the way he handled his 
 long legs added greatly to the merriment of the party. 
 
 When this merriment had subsided somewhat, it was 
 resolved to make sure that Black Tom had really disap- 
 peared. Many strange tales had been told of the old her- 
 mit's astonishing doings, but the boys had never taken 
 much stock in any of them. Frank Merriwell was de- 
 cidedly skeptical about anything he could not understand, 
 and he still thought it possible Black Tom was concealed 
 somewhere about the hut. 
 
 Having selected three companions, Rains, Smiles and 
 Gray, Frank entered the hut once more, with the trio at 
 his heels. 
 
 The interior of the cabin looked the same as it had a
 
 1 64 A Spy. 
 
 few minutes before, but nothing could be seen of the her- 
 mit and his dog. 
 
 There seemed to be no place of concealment, but the 
 boys began a search, and they carried it out in a very 
 thorough manner, looking into every corner that could 
 have hidden a rat. 
 
 At last they were compelled to give up, baffled, and 
 they stood looking at one another in utter bewilderment. 
 
 "The man and the dog must have left the hut at our 
 very heels when we went out in the first place," said 
 Frank. "We did not observe them, and they slipped 
 away into the woods." 
 
 "That may be right," acknowledged Sammy Smiles, 
 who was unusually sober for him, "but I think it is 
 mightly queer not one of us saw them come out." 
 
 "So it is ; but we must accept that as the only possible 
 explanation. They could not have left by that window, 
 for it is too small and too high. The door offers the only 
 means of leaving the hut, and that must be the way they 
 went." 
 
 "Well, I motion we leave it, and go on about our busi- 
 ness," put in Ned Gray, who had grown decidedly ner- 
 vous. 
 
 Frank led the way to the open air. 
 
 Outside another surprise awaited them. 
 
 Wat Snell had disappeared !
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE SHORE OF THE LAKE. 
 
 "What is the meaning of this ?" demanded Frank, hold- 
 ing himself in check with an effort. "How did he hap- 
 pen to get away?" 
 
 No one knew, it was said. While they had been dis- 
 cussing the surprising vanishing of Black Tom, Snell 
 had found an opportunity to slip into the bushes and 
 make good his escape. 
 
 Frank reprimanded them severely for carelessness. 
 
 "This is very unfortunate," he said. "Snell will lose 
 no time in joining the rebels, and they will know just 
 where we are. They will be on their guard." 
 
 The boys knew this was true, and they felt that they 
 had been guilty of gross carelessness. 
 
 "Wle have already spent too much time here," declared 
 Frank. "Snell must not -get too much the start of us." 
 
 In a few seconds they were again moving briskly along 
 the old wood road, leaving the hut of the strange hermit 
 behind. 
 
 They had not proceeded far when a great commotion 
 was heard in the bushes, and Ephraim Gallup appeared, 
 dragging Hans Dunnerwurst, who was angrily pro- 
 testing. 
 
 "Uf you don't let go uf mein person, I vill ged hurt !'* 
 cried Hans, threateningly. 
 
 "Come erlong!" roared Ephraim. "Yeou're the big- 
 gest scarecrow I ever saw !" 
 
 "Oh, you go fall mit yourseluf on !"
 
 166 The Shore of the Lake. 
 
 "Come erlong!" 
 
 "Uf you don'd leggo mein person, I peen goin' to hit 
 you real hard !" 
 
 "Do it if you dast !" 
 
 Then Hans punched Ephraim in the pit of the stomach, 
 doubling the Vermonter up like a jack knife. 
 
 "Ow-wow-wow !" howled the country boy, when he 
 could catch his breath. "That warn't no fair ! That was 
 below the belt, gol ding ye !" 
 
 "Veil," grinned Hans, who thoroughly enjoyed the con- 
 vulsions of the lank lad, "uf I don'd peen aple to reach up 
 apove der pelt, you vill haf to excuse me." 
 
 "Say, you thunderin' Dutchman! d'ye know what I'm 
 goin' to do to you fer this air ?" 
 
 "Veil, I don'd oxpect I do." 
 
 "Well, by gum! I'm goin' to set on you, an' I'm 
 goin' ter set so hard that when I git up there won't be 
 northin' of you left but a grease-spot !" 
 
 Ephraim was preparing to go at Hans in earnest, but 
 Frank Merriwell's voice checked further hostilities. 
 
 "You may quit that !" he cried. "We've got no time to 
 waste in this way. Wait till we overtake the rebels, and 
 then you may have all the scrapping you want. Fall in !" 
 
 They did not dare disobey, and so they fell in, and the 
 little company continued its brisk march toward the lake. 
 
 They were not far from the lake, which was soon seen 
 glittering through the trees. 
 
 Frank brought the company to a halt, not believing it ' 
 best to march boldly out to the shore of the lake, as they 
 might be seen by the deserters. 
 
 With Fred Davis as a companion, he went forward, 
 leaving the boys stretched at ease on a mossy spot. 
 
 They proceeded cautiously, not knowing but they might 
 come upon the deserters unexpectedly. 
 
 At length they came out to the lake, and there they
 
 The Shore of the Lake. 167 
 
 found the smoldering remains of a fire, and every evi- 
 dence to show that the party they were after had camped 
 there some time before. 
 
 It was not far from sunset, and Frank was not at all 
 satisfied with their day's work, for he had expected to 
 overtake and capture Reynolds and his companions that 
 afternoon. 
 
 Carefully following up the trail left by the party, the 
 boys found they had taken to the sandy beach ? and had 
 turned back toward the edge of the woods. 
 
 "They may have sought a camping spot on that point 
 over there," said Frank. "It will be a good plan to re- 
 connoiter." 
 
 "If we go along the beach, we may be seen." 
 
 "That's true, and so we will keep within the edge of the 
 trees as far as possible. Come on." 
 
 Not wishing to waste any time, Frank advanced at a 
 rapid pace, and Fred found it no easy thing to follow. 
 As they approached the point, they halted frequently to 
 listen. Knowing the point must give them a good view 
 along the shore in both directions, Frank led the way out 
 upon it. 
 
 Suddenly, from far away beyond the point, came a wild 
 cheer of youthful voices, followed by the heavy report of 
 a gun.
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 CAPTURE OF THE BOAT. 
 
 "Hullo !" exclaimed Frank. "Those are the deserters, 
 and they're up to something. Come on, Davis!" 
 
 He started at a run straight across the point, and Fred 
 followed closely. They did not mind the bushes and 
 underbrush, and they soon came out on the other side, 
 
 To Frank's surprise, they were not far from the edge 
 of the forest, the old woodroad having led them back as 
 it came down to the shore of the lake. 
 
 At no great distance lay Sailor Jack's schooner beside 
 the floating pier. The mainsail was up, and it seemed 
 evident that some one had been attempting to get the boat 
 under way. The deck was swarming with lads in the 
 cadet uniform of Fardale Academy. 
 
 But there was trouble on board the Captain Kidd, and a 
 glance showed Frank that a struggle was going on. 
 
 "Those fellows are trying to get away on the schooner/' 
 cried Merriwell. "They must be stopped." 
 
 Along the beach he ran, and Davis still followed, won- 
 dering how in the world Frank was going to stop ten des- 
 perate and determined deserters from sailing away in the 
 Schooner. 
 
 That was something Frank could not have told himself, 
 but he hoped to find some method of preventing the re- 
 bellious cadets from accomplishing their design. 
 
 "If they get away it may take a week to overhaul them 
 and bring them back," he thought. 
 
 As the boys ran forward, they saw a man who was
 
 Capture of the Boat. 169 
 
 battling desperately with the lads on the schooner, and he 
 was easily recognized as the owner of the craft, Sailor 
 Jack himself. 
 
 It had become apparent that he had discovered the boys 
 in the act of appropriating his vessel, and had hastened 
 to prevent the accomplishment of their design, if possible. 
 
 But the boys meant to sail away in the Captain Kidd, 
 and, while several were struggling with Sailor Jack, 
 others were casting off and pushing the schooner out 
 from the pier. 
 
 The sailor proved himself a desperate fighter, for he 
 flung the boys off as fast as they sprang upon him, and 
 he struck some blows that sent them staggering. 
 
 Frank and Fred were seen running along the shore, and 
 the deserters sent up a shout of defiance. 
 
 Frank had hoped to reach the schooner before it could 
 swing out from the pier, but the light breeze caught the 
 sail and the craft began to drift away. 
 
 That the boys knew little about handling such a ves- 
 sel was apparent, as they had run up the mainsail first, 
 when the jib or foresail should have been set to swing the 
 head of the schooner. 
 
 Seeing Frank approaching, Reynolds was heard to 
 order up every sail, and, with bungling haste, the de- 
 serters sought to obey his directions. 
 
 "Ten to one they beach her," thought Merriwell. 
 "They will with her heading as she is now." 
 
 But the faint breeze blew directly off shore, so no one 
 but the most bungling lubber was liable to beach the 
 schooner. Her sails filled, and she swung away. 
 
 At about this time Bascomb and the fellows who had 
 been struggling with the owner of the schooner, suc- 
 ceeded in knocking Jack down and stunning him. 
 
 "Over with him !" shouted Bascomb. "Let him swim 
 ashore. .We don't want to take him with us."
 
 170 Capture of the Boat. 
 
 Then the man was lifted bodily and cast overboard. 
 
 It is a singular fact that few sailors are good swimmers, 
 and it is doubtful if Sailor Jack ever knew how to swim. 
 When cast into the water in the first place, he immediately 
 sank from view, and he was beneath the surface some 
 /time. 
 
 When he came up, Jack tried to keep his head above 
 water, but his desperate efforts to do so were baffling to 
 his own hopes, and he went down a second time. 
 
 By this time Frank realized that the man could not 
 swim, and was liable to drown. 
 
 The schooner had acquired considerable headway, and 
 was at last pointing straight out into the lake. No one 
 on board seemed to be paying much attention to the un- 
 fortunate sailor who had been cast overboard. 
 
 Out upon the floating pier dashed Frank Merriwell, 
 stripping off his coat as he ran, and casting it aside. Not 
 a single instant did he hesitate. Having noted the spot 
 where Sailor Jack had disappeared, he plunged in and 
 swam toward it. 
 
 Frank was in time to reach the drowning man as he 
 came up for the last time. Jack had long hair, and the 
 boy fastened his fingers in that, crying: 
 
 "Steady, now, and I will save you !" 
 
 But Jack was frantic, and without reason, like all 
 drowning persons, and he tried to clutch his would-be 
 rescuer. 
 
 Frank fought him off, but found the man so fierce that 
 it was with no small difficulty he could be kept at a 
 distance. 
 
 "Keep still !" he repeated, over and over. "Stop it, and 
 I will get you out !" 
 
 At length, becoming exasperated, he lifted one clinched
 
 Capture of the Boat. 171 
 
 hand out of the water and struck the old sailor a heavy 
 blow on the temple. 
 
 That was enough to daze Jack, and Frank succeeded in 
 swimming 1 with him to the pier, where Fred Davis aided 
 him in drawing the man out of the water. Together they 
 carried him ashore. 
 
 It was not very long before the sailor began to come 
 round, so Frank decided it was not necessary to labor 
 over him. 
 
 In the meantime, the schooner was bearing the tri- 
 umphant deserters away, and a wild chorus came from 
 the lips of the reckless crew, growing fainter and fainter 
 with the increasing distance : 
 
 "Oh ! my name was Captain Kidd, 
 When I sailed, when I sailed; 
 And so wickedly I did, 
 When I sailed, when I sailed." 
 
 Frank was thoroughly disgusted with the result of the 
 day's pursuit of the deserters. They had not been over- 
 taken, and they were sailing away jubilantly, tri- 
 umphantly. 
 
 Sailor Jack sat up and shook his fist after the schooner, 
 gurgling in his throat: 
 
 "May I be. keelhauled if I don't get even with ye, you 
 lubbers ! Steal my schooner, well ye ? I'll pay you back 
 in your own coin, and you may lay to that, my hearties !" 
 
 Then he looked at Frank and Fred in a dazed sort of 
 way. 
 
 "Why ain't you with 'em ?" he asked. 
 
 "We do not belong to that gang," replied Frank. 
 
 "But you are dressed like 'em." 
 
 "They are the party we are pursuing." 
 
 "The mutineers?" 
 
 "Yes."
 
 172 Capture of the Boat. 
 
 "They threw me overboard, and I came near going to 
 Davy Jones' locker." 
 
 "Rather." 
 
 "You pulled me out ?" 
 
 "I did." 
 
 , "Well, shiver my timbers if I forget it, mate ! It's the 
 first good turn any human being has done me in years, 
 and I'll remember it. What's your name?" 
 
 "Frank Merriwell." 
 
 "Well, Frank Merriwell, give us your fin, and may you 
 get your grog reg'lar till you take your last cruise to 
 that country from which no sailor ever ships again. No, 
 I won't forget that you done a good turn for Old Jack." 
 
 "I wish you might have taken the time and attention of 
 those fellows two minutes longer," said Frank. "That 
 would have given me time to reach the schooner." 
 
 "I done my best, mate. I was at the house when I 
 first saw them around the Kidd. I took my old gun and 
 made for her as fast as I could. They saw me coming, 
 and tried to get her away ; but they couldn't do it. I tried 
 to scare the lubbers off with my gun, but shiver my tim- 
 bers if they would go! Then I boarded her, and in the 
 scrimmage the old gun went off. I fought them till they 
 threw me over, and you know the rest." 
 
 "I wonder where they are going ?" speculated Frank. 
 
 He wrung some of the water out of his clothes, and 
 they watched the schooner till it swung round an island 
 that lay about a mile away. She was not seen again, and 
 Sailor Jack said it was evident the deserters intended to 
 pass the night on the island. 
 
 "Is there no way of getting over to them to-night?" 
 asked Frank. "If boats could be found to carry my com- 
 pany " 
 
 "I can find ye two boats, mate, and they'll take five men 
 each."
 
 Capture of the Boat. 173 
 
 "Where are they?" 
 
 "Within a mile of here." 
 
 "Can you get them and bring them here within two 
 hours?" 
 
 "Keelhaul me if I can't !" 
 
 "Do it, and I will pay you well." 
 
 "I don't want any pay, mate ; but I'd like to get my ves- 
 sel back." 
 
 "Well, I'll help you do that." 
 
 "Then I'll be on hand with the boats, and you may lay 
 to that." 
 
 "And I'll be on hand with all the men they will carry," 
 assured Frank. "Reynolds and his gang shall not pass a 
 peaceful night on the island." 
 
 After a few more words, Frank and Fred left the old 
 sailor, hastened back to join the boys who were still wait- 
 ing in the woods. 
 
 The sun dropped down in the west, and darkness was 
 coming on when Frank rejoined his command. 
 
 The boys were all eager to know where he had been, 
 but he did not remain there while relating his adventure. 
 Without delay he got the party in motion, and marched 
 them back along the old woodroad, past the hut of the 
 hermit, which seemed dark and deserted, and reached the 
 highway through the forest. 
 
 During the march he told them what had happened, and 
 gave his plan for following the deserters when they had 
 taken supper at the old farmhouse.
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 ON THE ISLAND. 
 
 Two hours later the entire party was at Sailor Jack's 
 floating pier. They found the sailor waiting for them 
 with the boats. 
 
 Frank selected eight companions to accompany him, 
 the sailor being the ninth. Barney, Hans and Ephraim 
 were eager to go along, and Frank accepted them. 
 
 Hodge was placed in charge of one boat, and Frank 
 took the other. Preparations were made for muffling the 
 oars when they came near the island, and they pulled off 
 from the pier. 
 
 For all that it was a decidedly dark night, Sailor Jack 
 found no difficulty in piloting them over the lake directly 
 toward the island. 
 
 By the time half the distance was made they could hear 
 shouting and singing on the island, which made it evi- 
 dent that the deserters were enjoying themselves. 
 
 From the time that they first heard these sounds there 
 was no difficulty in bearing straight toward the island. 
 
 It seemed quite unnecessary to muffle the oars, but 
 Frank saw that the precaution was taken, and they slipped 
 noiselessly up to the shore of the island. 
 
 Having secured the boats where it seemed certain they 
 would remain safely concealed until wanted, Frank led 
 the way toward the point from whence the singing and 
 shouting came. 
 
 Passing through a thick growth of timber and bushes, 
 they saw a campfire gleaming before them.
 
 On the Island. 175 
 
 "They're in the old fort," whispered the sailor. 
 
 "What's the old fort?" asked Frank. 
 
 "It's a circular wall of stones on that little elevation, 
 and nobody knows why she were built there or who built 
 her." 
 
 "Well, fort or no fort, we're going to attempt the cap- 
 ture of that gang." 
 
 The deserters had built two large fires, the light of 
 which revealed their surroundings plainly, and shone out 
 on the water of a deep cove that made into the island on 
 that side. The schooner lay in the cove, close to the 
 shore, so close, in fact, that a long plank had been run 
 from her deck to the top of a low bluff. 
 
 Frank's first move was to pass around the camp of the 
 deserters, and get between them and the vessel. 
 
 It was easy enough to pass round the camp, but it was 
 not so easy to cut them off from the schooner without 
 being seen. 
 
 Believing Reynolds and his companions would be over- 
 whelmed by a sudden attack, Frank made every arrange- 
 ment, and, at a signal decided upon, the cadets gave the 
 academy yell and charged. 
 
 But the deserters had prepared for such an emergency. 
 They leaped up behind the low wall of the fort, and Rey- 
 olds was heard to shout : 
 
 "Stones, boys stones ! Give 't to 'em !" 
 
 Then a shower of stones flew at Frank and his party. 
 
 "Shimminy Gristmas !" howled Hans Dunnerwurst. "I 
 vos kildt alretty yet ! I vos hit der small uf der stomach 
 as done mit ! Ouch ! Dunder and blitzens !" 
 
 "Shut up your tarnal towse!" cried Ephraim Gallup. 
 
 "You make more fuss We-ow ! My leg is broke ! 
 
 I can't step on it! Don't throw any more stones this 
 way ! I'll surrender !" 
 
 The first volley of stones served to check the rush
 
 176 On the Island. 
 
 somewhat, but Frank, hit three times, kept to the front, 
 shouting : 
 
 "Forward ! Drive them out, and then we've got 'em ! 
 Come on, lads !" 
 
 "I'm with you !" assured Bart Hodge. 
 
 The words had barely left Bart's lips when he was 
 struck in the head by a stone, and fell heavily to the 
 ground. 
 
 Frank saw Bart go down, and he paused a moment. 
 Then he realized that his party had turned and were tak- 
 ing to their heels. 
 
 An exclamation of anger came from Frank's lips, but 
 he saw he could not check his demoralized company. The 
 deserters had prepared to fight if they were followed, and 
 the volleys of stones were too much for the attacking 
 company. 
 
 Frank caught Bart up and, flinging his limp comrade 
 over his shoulder, hurried away into the darkness beyond 
 the reach of any stones that could be thrown from the 
 fort. 
 
 Merriwell was thoroughly angered by the manner in 
 which his comrades had fled before the shower of stones, 
 but he held himself in check, believing in controlling and 
 governing his temper. 
 
 However, when he found the cadets huddling in the 
 darkness nursing various wounds, he expressed his 
 amazement at the readiness with which they were re- 
 pulsed. 
 
 But he was concerned over Bart, for an injury such as 
 Hodge had received might prove serious. 
 
 In a few seconds, however, Bart showed signs of re- 
 turning consciousness, and he finally struggled to a sit- 
 ting posture, holding his head with his hands, and 
 groaning. 
 
 "I beheld more fireworks than were ever seen at any
 
 On the Island. 177 
 
 Fourth of July celebration," he declared. "Murder ! how 
 my head aches !" 
 
 When he found the deserters had beaten them off, he 
 did not hesitate to express his feelings freely and forcibly. 
 
 Suddenly a cry of consternation came from the de- 
 serters, and the light of the fires showed Sailor Jack on 
 board the schooner. The old salt had drawn in the plank, 
 and was getting up the jib. That it was his intention to 
 make sail and get away with the vessel as soon as possible 
 became evident. 
 
 The deserters were thrown into a state of dismay, but 
 Reynolds was heard to shout: 
 
 "Out, boys, out! Don't let him get off with the 
 schooner ! We are trapped if he does !" 
 
 Out of the fort came the deserters, some of them 
 stumbling and falling in their haste to reach the Captain 
 Kidd. 
 
 "Now is our time, lads !" said Frank, in a low, distinct 
 tone. "Jack has pulled in the plank, and the schooner 
 has swung off a little. They will not succeed in reach- 
 ing her. Follow me, and we will take and hold the fort. 
 That will turn the tables on those fellows, and force them 
 to surrender." 
 
 For all of his aching head, Hodge was on his feet in a 
 moment, and the other boys were eager to carry out 
 Frank's plan. 
 
 Merriwell held them in check long enough to let the de- 
 serters get a considerable distance from the fort. Then 
 came the low, sharp order : 
 
 "Forward! Follow me!" 
 
 They made a dash to cut off the deserters, and the 
 movement was successful, not being discovered till they 
 were nearly into the fort. 
 
 By that time the deserters saw they could not reach
 
 178 On the Island. 
 
 the schooner, and they realized the tables had been turned 
 on them. 
 
 "Back, lads back to the fort!" cried Rupert, in con- 
 sternation. "We'll have to fight for it, but we mustn't let 
 those fellows hold it." 
 
 Into the fort leaped Frank, with his friends close be- 
 hind him. His eyes fell on the little heaps of round 
 stones that had been gathered for the purpose of defend- 
 ing the fort, and his voice rang out : 
 
 "Here's our ammunition, fellow.s ! Beat 'em off, as 
 they did us ! Hurrah ! We've got 'em !" 
 
 He set the example by catching up a stone in each hand 
 and turning to send them whizzing at the charging foe. 
 
 The other lads were not slow to catch on, and now 
 Reynolds and his crowd faced a volley that drove them 
 back precipitately, and sent them scampering into the 
 darkness. 
 
 The victors gave the academy yell, and gave it with a 
 will. 
 
 The defeat of the deserters now seemed complete, for 
 they had left provisions, guns and so forth, on board the 
 schooner, and Merriwell had turned the tables on them. 
 
 "Veil," observed Hans Dunnerwurst, "uf dis don'd 
 peen a recular war, alretty ! You pet me your life I vos 
 going to abbly vor a bension." 
 
 "It strikes me those fellows will have to surrender un- 
 conditionally," said Frank. 
 
 There was a lull of a few moments. It was impossible 
 to tell what the enemy was doing, but Frank more than 
 half expected Reynolds was making preparations to lead 
 another charge on the fort. 
 
 But the minutes slipped away, and the charge did not 
 come. 
 
 Frank began to grow uneasy. Finally he said :
 
 On the Island. 179 
 
 "Seven can hold this fort as well as nine. Come on, 
 Bart, let's go on a scouting expedition." 
 
 "I am with you," assured Hodge. "Lead the way." 
 
 Frank leaped over the wall of the fort and ran like a 
 deer into the darkness, followed by Bart Of course they 
 were not sure they would not run straight into the 
 clutches of the enemy, but they took their chances on it. 
 
 Nothing of the kind occurred. 
 
 As soon as they were concealed by the darkness, Frank 
 halted and said : 
 
 "I have a feeling that something is wrong, Bart." 
 
 "Same here. Those fellows are altogether too still." 
 
 "We will soon find out. Come on." 
 
 Frank led the way, and it did not take them long to 
 reach the shore where they had left the two boats. 
 
 But the boats were not there ! 
 
 And far out on the bosom of the lake came the sound 
 of working oars !
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE BURNING OF THE HUT. 
 
 "Tricked !" gasped Frank. 
 
 "Beaten !" palpitated Bart. 
 
 "Those fellows have found our boats and gotten away 
 in them !" 
 
 "Sure!" 
 
 There was a moment of dismayed and disgusted silence, 
 and then Frank slowly said : 
 
 "I was afraid of it. Sailor Jack is gone with the 
 schooner, and we are beautifully trapped. Oh, but won't 
 Reynolds and Bascomb chuckle in their sleeves! How 
 they ever found those boats is a mystery; it must have 
 been by sheer accident." 
 
 It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the only thing they 
 could do was to make the best of it. To make sure they 
 were not mistaken, they searched along the shore for the 
 boats, but it was a waste ot time. The boats were gone 
 beyond a doubt. 
 
 Never in all his life had Frank felt more disgusted than 
 he did at that moment. He had taken pains to conceal 
 the boats, and the rebels had stumbled on them by pure 
 blundering luck. A short time before it had seemed that 
 the deserters were well overtaken and defeated in such a 
 manner that they would soon be forced to surrender, but 
 now 
 
 "I hate to go back and tell the boys the truth," said 
 Frank. 
 
 Bart groaned. He was fully as disgusted as Frank.
 
 The Burning of the Hut. 181 
 
 There was nothing to do but return to the fort and 
 make the situation known, and this they proceeded to do. 
 Frank braced up and assumed a careless air, laughing 
 heartily as he told how they had been tricked. 
 
 "Great gosh all thutteration !" fluttered Ephraim Gal- 
 lup. "You don't mean to say we are left here on this 
 islan', an' we ain't got no way of gittin' ashore?" 
 
 "Oh, there is a way to get ashore all right," smiled 
 Frank. 
 
 "Hoaw?" 
 
 "Swim." 
 
 "Shimminy Gristmas !" gurgled Hans. "Vot you dink 
 we peen vish?" 
 
 After a time the boys recovered sufficiently to laugh 
 over the affair, which they were inclined to accept as a 
 good joke on themselves, and let it go at that. 
 
 "The fellows we left on shore will get us off some way 
 in the morning," assured Frank. "We can raise a sig- 
 nal of distress, and that will bring them over." 
 
 So they made preparations to spend the night on the 
 island. 
 
 While they were thus engaged, an exclamation of sur- 
 prise and relief came from Frank, who sprang up on a 
 large stone, standing in the full light of the fires, and 
 waving his cap about his head, while he cried : 
 
 "Schooner ahoy !" 
 
 The light of the fires showed them the Captain Kidd 
 swinging round in the little cove, with Sailor Jack at the 
 helm. 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir," called back the old tar. "What's hap- 
 pened on the island?" 
 
 "We're castaway marooned Robinson Crusoed," 
 Frank replied. "Those deserters have escaped in our 
 boats, and left us here." 
 
 The sailor was surprised, but he recognized Frank, and
 
 1 82 The Burning of the Hut. 
 
 he knew there could be no trick about it, so he brought 
 the schooner into the deep water that allowed her to lay 
 close to the bluff. Frank and Bart were on hand to catch 
 the line that was cast ashore, and then the plank was run 
 out, and the relieved and delighted boys walked aboard. 
 
 "I thought I would lay into the cove and see how 
 things were going," said the old salt. "I didn't think of 
 finding you in this scrape, my hearties." 
 
 Frank explained how it came about, using as few 
 words as possible. 
 
 "It's a good thing for us you cruised round this way 
 again," he said, in conclusion. "We were making prepa- 
 rations to spend the night on the island." 
 
 "Well, it'll take me some time to set you ashore," said 
 Jack, "for I'll have to beat her up against the wind, which 
 is not very strong. If it holds till we make the pier we'll 
 be in luck." 
 
 The plank had been drawn in, and the boys pushed the 
 Captain Kidd off with oars till some flaws of wind cut 
 down into the cove and gave her start enough so she 
 slowly worked her way out into open water, where there 
 was a better breeze. 
 
 It was, indeed, a long, wearisome task of beating the 
 schooner up against the wind, but Old Jack was sailor 
 enough to take advantage of everything, and, two hours 
 after leaving the island, they were beating past the edge 
 of Ten-Mile Woods on their "last leg." Through an 
 opening in the trees they caught a glimpse of a camp- 
 fire, around which a party of lads were gathered. 
 
 "They must be Reynolds and his gang," said Frank. 
 "I do not believe the fellows we left on shore would have 
 come away over there to camp." 
 
 When the pier was reached, the rest of the party was 
 still waiting for them there, so it was settled be*
 
 The Burning of the Hut. 183 
 
 yond a doubt that the campers in the woods were the 
 rebels they had come out to capture. 
 
 "It is quite probable they believe themselves safe, and 
 they will not be expecting us," said Frank. "We must 
 lose no time in falling on them." 
 
 In a very few minutes the entire company was march- 
 ing briskly along the beach, determined to end the hunt 
 as soon as possible. 
 
 Beyond the wooded point they came upon the boats, 
 which had been drawn out upon the beach, and they soon 
 saw the fire gleaming through the trees. 
 
 Frank proposed to creep up on the deserters and sur- 
 round them, so they began stealing forward through the 
 woods, making as little noise as possible. 
 
 Each csidet was now armed with a gun, to which a 
 bayonet was set, and it was Frank's scheme to form a cir- 
 cle of steel about the rebels, so there could be no escape 
 for any of them, unless they chose to rush straight upon a 
 bayonet. 
 
 The campft're had died down, and an awesome silence 
 reigned in the forest. The boys were forced to proceed 
 very slowly, in order not to make noise enough to alarm 
 the enemy. 
 
 In this way considerable time was spent in getting near 
 enough to the fire to discover that there seemed to be no 
 one in the vie "nity. A fear that he had been fooled again 
 came upon Frank, and he hastened on with less caution. 
 
 In a few moments the boys were gathered by the fire, 
 looking inquiringly into each other's faces. 
 
 "Vere dey vos, ain'd id ?" asked the puzzled Dutch lad. 
 "Dey don'd peen here so much as dey vos yet avile, I pe- 
 lief me." 
 
 "They are gone," said Frank, reluctantly, "but I do 
 not believe they were warned of our coming in any way." 
 
 "Perhaps they were," said Bart-,. "It is possible they
 
 1 84 The Burning of the Hut. 
 
 had a spy watching the pier to see when the Captain 
 Kidd arrived." 
 
 "It is possible," Merriwell admitted. "Perhaps they 
 decided to get out of the woods. The old wood road is 
 near, and they must have gone that way." 
 
 After a brief consultation with Bart, Frank decided to 
 take the wood road and follow it to the main highway. 
 
 It was dark in the forest, but Frank seemed to have the 
 eyes of an owl, for he led them to the road without dif- 
 ficulty, and they were soon tramping along in an irregular 
 line. 
 
 "The saints defind us !" muttered Barney. "We've got 
 to pass th' hut av th' ould hermit !" 
 
 "What's that ere light ahead there?" asked Ephraim 
 Gallup. "It's gittin' brighter an' brighter. B'gosh! it 
 looks like a fire !" 
 
 "It is a fire!" cried Frank, as the glaring light grew 
 stronger. "It is a burning building, at that ! It must be 
 the hut of the hermit ! Forward, boys, forward !" 
 
 Away they rushed, and in a very few moments they 
 came out into the little opening where the hermit's hut 
 stood. The wretched hovel was on fire, and the flames 
 were breaking through the roof, lighting the sur- 
 roundings. 
 
 As the boys broke into the opening, the light of the fire 
 showed them that the deserters were collected near the 
 hut, watching the fire, but making no attempt to extin- 
 guish it. Indeed, they were laughing and shouting for 
 Black Tom to come out and show himself. 
 
 Frank and his company were right upon the deserters 
 before they were detected. Then Frank shouted : 
 
 "Surrender! You cannot escape !" 
 
 Reynolds and Bascomb were astonished, for they fan- 
 cied Frank was still on the island, from which he would 
 not be likely to escape till morning. Their bewilder-
 
 The Burning of the Hut. 185 
 
 ment made it possible for Frank's party to cut them off 
 on three sides, while the burning cabin hemmed them in 
 on the fourth. 
 
 Bascomb wanted to fight, but the spirit seemed to go 
 out of Reynolds in a twinkling, and he said : 
 
 "You've caught us fast this time, Merriwell. We'll 
 have to surrender." 
 
 "You fool!" snarled Bascomb. "We can all get away! 
 Come, make a break ! Follow me !" 
 
 He dashed fiercely at the line, but the hard fist of 
 Ephraim Gallup, propelled by the country boy's muscular 
 arm, smote the bully on the jaw, and Bascomb went to the 
 ground in a heap knocked out ! 
 
 "You don't want to run up ag'in that air bunch of 
 bones, 'less ye like to hurt yerself!" grinned Ephraim. 
 "One thump of that fist means sickness, an' one thump 
 of this one means a job for the undertaker." 
 
 The manner in which Bascomb was disposed of in- 
 stantly checked all disposition to rush, so far as the de- 
 serters were concerned, and it seemed that their capture 
 was easily accomplished. 
 
 "What was the cause of this fire?" asked Frank. 
 
 "Oh, we thought we'd give the old hermit a house- 
 warming," laughed Rupert Reynolds. 
 
 "What's that?" cried Frank, catching him by the arm. 
 "What do you mean by that?" 
 
 Reynolds drew back a bit, muttering: 
 
 "You needn't crush a fellow's arm off !" 
 
 Frank shook him fiercely. 
 
 "What did you mean by your words?" he demanded, 
 in a tone that made Reynolds shiver. "Do you mean to 
 say you set that hut afire?" 
 
 "What if we did? We couldn't do a better thing for 
 this section. Everybody is afraid of Black Tom, and the 
 people would like to see him driven away."
 
 186 The Burning of the Hut. 
 
 "And so you set tire to the only home the poor old 
 man has! That was a brave and manly thing to do! 
 You should feel proud of yourselves !" 
 
 Rupert cowered before MerriwelFs withering- scorn. 
 The laughter was gone from his face, and he choked with 
 anger and fear, as Frank's eyes seemed to bore him 
 through and through. 
 
 With an exclamation of disgust, Frank flung Rupert 
 aside; but a second later he had the fellow by the arm 
 again, as he swiftly asked : 
 
 "Where is Black Tom?" 
 
 "I don't know," was the sullen answer. 
 
 "Did you look for him ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 "We called for him to come out of the hut" 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "He did not answer." 
 
 "What then?" 
 
 "We went in to look for him." 
 
 "What did you find?" 
 
 "Nothing but his miserable dog." 
 
 "And so you set the hut afire ! A fine thing to do !** 
 
 "Oh, the dog flew at us, snarling and snapping, and we 
 took some brands from the fire and flung them at the 
 creature. They set the hut afire. That's all there is to 
 it." 
 
 "But you made no attempt to put the fire out, so you 
 are responsible. It is an outrage for which you should 
 be punished." 
 
 Reynolds hung his head, looked sullen, and said 
 nothing. 
 
 Suddenly the boys were startled and electrified by hear- 
 ing a wild cry that seemed to come from the heart of the 
 burning hut.
 
 The Burning of the Hut. 187 
 
 "What was that?" asked Bart Hodge, breathlessly. "It 
 sounded like a human cry of agony." 
 
 "But it wasn't," declared one of the deserters. "There 
 was no human being in that old hut. It must have been 
 Black Tom's dog. The creature " 
 
 He was interrupted by another cry that was so weird 
 and wild that it made the hair stand on the heads of the 
 appalled boys. 
 
 "By heavens!" shouted Hodge, "that was no dog! 
 It was a human cry of distress ! There is a human being 
 in there. The hermit the old man is burning to death in 
 that fire!"
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 FRANK'S FATE. 
 
 The horrified lads seemed turned to stone. They stood 
 and stared at the burning hut, appalled beyond measure. 
 
 The thought that a human being was perishing in that 
 fire seemed to rob nearly every lad of strength and nerve. 
 
 "It must be the hermit !" rang out the voice of Frank. 
 "It would be as bad as murder to leave him there ! He 
 roust be saved !" 
 
 He started toward the hut, but Fred Davis caught hold 
 of him, crying: 
 
 "No, no it can't be done! Look! The hut is all 
 afire ! No one can go in there and come out alive !" 
 
 For the third time that wild shriek of agony came from 
 the heart of the flames. 
 
 In the twinkling of an eye, Frank hurled Davis aside, 
 and then he dashed straight at the fire-wreathed door- 
 way of the old hut. The horror-stricken lads saw him 
 bend his head and plunge straight into the hut, seeming 
 to disappear beyond a curtain of fire. 
 
 Fred Davis staggered, and seemed on the point of 
 fainting, as he gasped: 
 
 "That's the last of him ! We'll never see anything of 
 Frank Merriwell again till his bones are exhumed from 
 the ashes !" 
 
 "I am afraid you're right," came hoarsely from the lips 
 of Bart Hodge. "It does not seem possible for any hu- 
 man being to go in there and come out alive." 
 
 The boys waited and watched, while the seconds passed
 
 Frank's Fate. 189 
 
 and the flames infolded the entire hut. But Frank did 
 not reappear, and hope soon turned to despair in the 
 hearts of his comrades. In silence they stood around and 
 watched the fire fiend complete his work. The roof of 
 the hut fell in, sending up a great cloud of sparks, some 
 of which must have set the woods afire, but for the fact 
 that there had been several days of rain shortly betore, so 
 the forest was not in a dry state. The walls tumbled in, 
 sending up more sparks, the fire died down, and the em- 
 bers began to smoke. 
 
 All hope had long been dead, but still the boys lingered 
 and stared into the embers, although they feared what 
 might be discovered there. 
 
 One or two of the lads turned away to conceal their 
 emotions, and some of the deserters began whispering 
 among themselves. Bascomb had recovered in time to 
 see Frank plunge into the burning hut, and he seemed the 
 only one who was not affected. 
 
 "He's gone for good now !" the bully whispered to Rey- 
 nolds. "Merriwell will never trouble us again." 
 
 Rupert drew back from Bascomb. 
 
 "Yes, he is gone," was his admission ; "but I find very 
 little satisfaction in that." 
 
 "Oh, what's the matter with you?" sneered the big fel- 
 low. "You make me sick !" 
 
 "And you make me disgusted !" returned Reynolds. "I 
 feel like a murderer, for we started that fire." 
 
 "That's right," put in Wat Snell ; "but we didn't know 
 Merriwell was going to jump into it like a fool." 
 
 "He made a brave, though foolish, attempt to rescue 
 the old man." 
 
 "Perhaps the hermit was not in that fire at all. You 
 know it is said he has the power of appearing and disap- 
 pearing at will. He may have made that cry seem to 
 come from the flames for the very purpose of leading
 
 *90 Frank's Fate. 
 
 some one to rush in. Maybe that was his scheme to get 
 even with us for burning his hut." 
 
 "Boys," said Reynolds, "do you know we are in a pretty 
 bad scrape?" 
 
 "How?" 
 
 "Why, this whole affair will count against us. We 
 fired the hut, and so we brought about Merriwell's death." 
 
 "Rot !" broke in Bascomb. "Your blood is poor ; you 
 need a tonic." 
 
 "And you were the one who led us into this business, 
 anyway," said Wat Snell. "You hired us to help get 
 Bascomb out of the guard-tent, and " 
 
 "I wish I had left him there !" 
 
 "And let me tell why I thumped you ?" 
 
 "Yes !" flashed Rupert. "It would have been much bet- 
 ter for me if I had let you blow the whole matter." 
 
 "You would have been dismissed for your little trick of 
 squirting hartshorn into Merriwell's face during the hun- 
 dred yards dash on field day." 
 
 "And you would have taken the same medicine for 
 blackmail," Reynolds shot back. "You have blackmailed 
 me ever since that time, and I have paid you more than 
 two hundred dollars to keep still. When I refused to 
 cough up seventy-five dollars all in a lump, and called yott 
 a blackmailer, you jumped on me and hammered me. 
 That's the truth of the matter, boys, and T feel better now 
 that I have let the whole thing out." 
 
 Reynolds was desperate and defiant, and he would not 
 be checked, although Bascomb made several attempts to 
 choke him off. 
 
 "Well, you've shown yourself up in good shape!" 
 sneered the bully. 
 
 "Begobs, Oi think he has shown you up a great dal 
 better, me b'y !" broke in Barney Mulloy, who had been 
 listening. "It was Frank Merriwell thot knew th' thrick
 
 Frank's Fate. 191 
 
 all th' toime, an' nivver opened his mouth about it. Av 
 Reynolds had jist mintioned how th' land layed, Merri- 
 well would av put a shtopper on Bascomb 's toong. Be- 
 twane yez ye hiv had a hand in th' murther av wan av 
 th' bist b'ys thot iwer brathed, rest his saoul !" 
 
 Reynolds nodded. 
 
 "I believe it," he muttered, thickly. "I don't know that 
 Merriwell ever did me a bad turn, and I have hated him 
 and worked against him ever since he entered the acad- 
 emy. I feel like a cur, and " 
 
 He broke down. Believing that he had been instru- 
 mental in bringing about Frank's death, he was overcome 
 with self-repugnance and remorse. For the first time in 
 his life, Reynolds began to realize that his own character 
 was most despicable. When a lad perceives faults in him- 
 self, and is ashamed of himself on that account, there is 
 hope for him. 
 
 Bascomb longed to give Reynolds another thumping, 
 and once more he sneered : 
 
 "You make me sick !" 
 
 "You are likely to be a great deal more so before this 
 matter is settled," said Bart Hodge, who had been over- 
 come by the events of the last half-hour. "You are a fel- 
 low who is no good on earth, and Fardale Academy can 
 well get along without you. One of Frank Merriwell's 
 fingers was worth a thousand such creatures as you! 
 Dose your mouth ! If you make a reply, 111 have you 
 tied up to a tree, and flogged, as you wanted me flogged !" 
 
 Bascomb was cowed into silence, but his eyes told of 
 the bitter rage within his soul.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 WORDS WITH THE HERMIT. 
 
 It was a sorrowful party that carried the news of 
 Frank Merriwell's fate back to Fardale Academy news 
 which produced unbounded horror and grief, and caused 
 Professor Scotch to break down and weep like a child. 
 
 The humbled, trembling deserters went along quietly, 
 quaking with fear, for they knew not what punishment 
 might fall upon them, as their reckless rebellion had 
 brought about the tragedy. 
 
 How happy they would have been could they have 
 known Frank was not dead was not seriously injured! 
 
 When Frank rushed into the burning cabin he was de- 
 termined to save the old hermit, if he could find him. In 
 his heart he felt that his rebellious comrades would be 
 guilty of murder if Black Tom perished in the fire they 
 had set. 
 
 The heat scorched his face and hands, but he held his 
 breath, dashing straight into the cabin, going in blindly, 
 as it were. He depended in a great measure on being 
 guided to the old man by fate. 
 
 The smoke was dense inside the hut, and tongues of 
 redyellow flames reached out and tried to wind about 
 him. He put out his hands like one gone blind, feeling 
 here and there in his search for the man. Ten thousand 
 fiery demons seemed to surround him and hem him in, 
 and then 
 
 It seemed that the world fell away beneath his feet. 
 There was a great shock and a blank.
 
 Last Words With the Hermit. 193 
 
 When Frank recovered consciousness he was lying in 
 a dark, hot place, with a smell of smoke strong in his nos- 
 trils. The air was so heavy that he breathed with dif- 
 ficulty, and he groaned a bit when he made the first effort 
 to move. 
 
 Then a hand came and touched his face a bony, 
 skinny hand and a muffled voice said : 
 
 "So you are coming round. I thought you could not 
 be hurt very bad." 
 
 It was the voice of Black Tom! 
 
 That voice brought everything back to him. He re- 
 membered the burning hut, the shrieks of agony, his mad 
 rush to the rescue, and the fall and shock. 
 
 "But I am not burned to death," he mumbled. "It is 
 hot here, and I smell smoke ; but I am not burned." 
 
 "You may find your face and hands are scorched some, 
 but that is all," said the voice of the hermit. 
 
 He put out his hand, and touched a wall of stone. It 
 seemed that he could almost feel the darkness. 
 
 "Where am I?" he asked. 
 
 "You are safe from the fire." 
 
 "That is evident, but it does not answer my question. 
 You are Black Tom, and you did not perish in the burn- 
 mg hut." 
 
 "For which I have no cause to thank your friends. 
 They burned my home, and " 
 
 "The ones who did that have never been very friendly 
 to me, although it is true that they are fellow cadets." 
 
 "You had no hand in setting the fire?" 
 
 "I should say not!" returned Frank, indignantly. "I 
 am not up to that kind of business !" 
 
 "I knew it. I read your character correctly in the first 
 place." 
 
 Frank had struggled to a sitting posture. He placed
 
 194 Last Words With the Hermit 
 
 his back against the wall of stone, but the heat and smoke 
 were stronger when he did so. 
 
 "We cannot be far from the fire/' he said. "You have 
 not answered my question. Where are we ?" 
 
 "In the passage that leads to my cellar," replied the 
 Strange man. 
 
 "Well, that beats me! I didn't know you had any 
 cellar; I thought the floor of your hut was the solid 
 ground." 
 
 "So it seemed." 
 
 "But it was not built thus ?" 
 
 "No. The hut was built years ago by an escaped con- 
 vict, who lived here in the woods till he died. He made 
 the cellar, and he constructed it for a place of conceal- 
 ment in case he should be pursued and cornered by the 
 officers. Heavy timbers were used to roof over the cellar, 
 and these timbers were covered with thin, flat rocks. 
 Then the dirt was placed on the rocks, and made to a 
 level with the ground outside the hut. This made it 
 seem that there was no cellar, and that the hut was built 
 on the solid ground." 
 
 Frank Merriwell felt that he was dreaming. It was 
 like an extract from some marvelous story, and he 
 pinched himself to make sure that he was truly awake. 
 
 "In order to have means of getting into the cellar," 
 continued the harsh voice of the hermit, "he left an open- 
 ing up through. This he covered with a large, flat stone, 
 which he worked on hinges, like a trap-door. This stone 
 was immediately in front of the fireplace, and seemed like 
 a hearth. Below the stone he placed a ladder that ran 
 straight down into the cellar. Any one in the cellar 
 could fasten the stone so it could not be lifted without 
 the aid of levers, if some one above should take a notion 
 to see if there was something worth looking at be- 
 neath it."
 
 Last Words With the Hermit. 195 
 
 "That fellow was a genius," commented Frank. 
 
 "He was resolved not to be caught and penned in the 
 cellar," the strange man went on, "and so he excavated a 
 passage from the cellar to the heart of a thick mass of 
 shrubbery a short distance from the hut. We are in that 
 passage now." 
 
 "All this is quite astonishing," admitted Frank; "but 
 how do I happen to be here?" 
 
 "Shortly before my home was set afire," continued the 
 harsh voice of the hermit, "I heard cries outside. A 
 crowd was calling for me to come out. I have seen such 
 mobs. I nursed the man who built this hut ; I was with 
 him when he died, and I buried him here in the woods. 
 He told me the secret of the cellar and the passage, and 
 I have lived here since. But many times people have 
 come in mobs to drive me away. They hate me, and 
 they will not let me live in peace. Some of them said I 
 was the escaped convict. I heard them shouting outside 
 to-night, and I quickly descended into the cellar." 
 
 "I fancy that cellar has enabled you to appear in a 
 manner that was most baffling and mysterious." 
 
 "It has mystified not a few people, but it will never aid 
 me more, for, with the coming of another day, Black 
 Tom will move on once more. The people about here 
 will be satisfied, as they will succeed at last in driving 
 me away. Where I may go I know not, but I am afraid 
 to stay here longer. 
 
 "As I said, I descended into the cellar, and there I re- 
 mained till I fancied my enemies must be gone. Then I 
 lifted the trap and made the terrible discovery that my 
 home was burning. I cried out in anguish I called to 
 my dog. Then I saw you come rushing blindly through 
 the smoke, with the glare of the fire yellow on your face, 
 and I recognized you." 
 
 "I heard your cries ; I sought to save you."
 
 196 Last Words With the Hermit. 
 
 "I knew that must be it. You were blinded by the 
 smoke, and you staggered directly over the opening. I 
 barely had time to get out of the way, when you plunged 
 into the cellar." 
 
 "That was when it seemed that everything fell out from 
 beneath my feet." 
 
 "My dog came, I saw my home was doomed, and I 
 closed down 'the trap. Then, the heat growing strong, I 
 dragged you into the passage, where we are at this mo- 
 ment." 
 
 "And the rest of the boys must think I met my fate in 
 the burning hut. They must believe me dead." 
 
 "Fate has something far better in store for you than 
 such a death." 
 
 "I am glad to hear it," said Frank, with a grim smile 
 in the dark. 
 
 "After this night, it is not probable that you will ever 
 again look on the face of Black Tom; but you will not 
 forget him ?" 
 
 "I am not likely to, and I shall not forget that some 
 fellows who wear uniforms like my own burned his home. 
 It is a shame! To-morrow or to-day, if midnight is 
 past, and it must be I will do my best to raise a fund 
 among the students at Fardale Academy, enough to en- 
 able you to rebuild your cabin. I will keep secret the 
 truth concerning this cellar, and you may continue to live 
 here in peace." 
 
 "No," was the sad return; "it is ordained that I shall 
 remain here no longer. I appreciate your kindness, but 
 Ten-Mile Woods will know Black Tom no more." 
 
 It was useless for Frank to talk of it ; he had made up 
 his mind, and nothing could change it. He refused to 
 wait till money was collected to pay him for the destruc- 
 tion of his home. 
 
 "Come," said Frank, when he felt that his strength
 
 Last Words With the Hermit. 197 
 
 was greatly restored, "lead the way to the open air. The 
 air is foul in here, and I cannot stand it longer." 
 
 "We will go forth if your companions have departed," 
 said the hermit. "All I ask is that they be punished for 
 a little time by supposing you have been destroyed in the 
 fire." 
 
 They crept along the narrow passage, Frank finding it 
 necessary to crouch low, and finally came to some rude 
 stone steps, which led up into the heart of a tangled mass 
 of bushes and small trees. Frank drew in long breaths 
 of the cool night air, and was very thankful for his escape 
 from death. 
 
 Of the hut nothing but a glowing mass of embers re- 
 mained, and the cadets had departed. 
 
 At parting but few words passed between the boy and 
 the strange man, whose dog had followed them from the 
 secret cellar. Black Tom bade him go, and he left the 
 man standing in the reddish glow of his ruined home. 
 Before passing from view along the wood road, he 
 looked back. The hermit was darkly -outlined against 
 the light of the dying embers. The dog was crouching 
 at his heels. 
 
 That was the last Frank ever saw of Black Tom.
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE HANDS OF FRIENDS. 
 
 As he thought about the hermit's strange story, Frank 
 came to the belief that Black Tom was the escaped con- 
 vict, although the old man had stated the convict was 
 dead. 
 
 On his way to camp he soon found himself passing the 
 home of Sailor Jack. 
 
 He wondered if the old sailor were still watching on 
 board the Captain Kidd, or if he had come home and gone 
 to bed. 
 
 Frank felt a strong desire to know about this, and, 
 almost before he was aware that he had left the road, he 
 was close to the house. He paused, wondering what had 
 brought him there. 
 
 "I'm afraid it wouldn't be very healthy for any one to 
 be rapping around this place at this time of night," he 
 thought. "Jack might come out with his old gun and do 
 some shooting." 
 
 Glancing round the corner, Frank fancied he saw a 
 gleam of light that came from a window near the back 
 of the house. This aroused his curiosity, and he cau- 
 tiously and silently made his way round to the window. 
 
 He was not mistaken. There was a curtain at the win- 
 dow, but a lower corner was torn away, and a light shone 
 out. 
 
 In a moment Frank was peering into the room. 
 
 What he saw made him gasp with astonishment and 
 incredulity.
 
 The Hands of Friends. 199 
 
 "Am I dreaming?" flashed through his brain. "I must 
 be ! This is not really happening !" 
 
 He found himself looking into a wretched room, where, 
 on the floor, lay Sailor Jack, securely bound and gagged. 
 There were two other men in the room, and their faces 
 were hidden by black masks. 
 
 One of the men was heating an iron poker in the open 
 fire. The other was talking to the old sailor, and the boy 
 outside could understand his words. 
 
 "We know ye've got a heap of money stowed away 
 somewhere, me covie, an' we're goin' ter have it see! 
 We know ye found a buried pirate's treasure, an' we're 
 goin' ter make yer cough it up. We mean biz, an' we're 
 bad men ter monkey wid. Me pal is heatin' der iron ter 
 warm up yer foot wid, an' we'll have yer boodle if we 
 have ter burn yer leg off, inch by inch, clean ter yer body. 
 Yer might as well cough before we begin. If ye'll give 
 up der swag, wink yer right eye; if yer won't wink yer 
 left eye." 
 
 The man looked into Jack's face, and then he cried : 
 
 "Left she is ! Bring on der poker, pal." 
 
 He jerked off the sailor's boot and stocking, and the 
 Other man approached with a red-hot iron. 
 
 A groan came from behind the gag in the sailor's 
 mouth. 
 
 Shuddering with horror, Frank turned away. 
 
 "The monsters !" thought the boy. . "I don't purpose 
 to see that man tortured and robbed ! What can I do ?" 
 
 He sought for a heavy club that would serve as a 
 weapon of assault, and in a few seconds he found what he 
 desired. 
 
 Then he came back to the window, and looked in again. 
 
 The old sailor was writhing with pain, and one of the 
 men was heating the poker again. 
 
 Evidently the wretches had applied the iron once.
 
 20O The Hands of Friends. 
 
 "Dat's a taste," said the man who had spoken before. 
 "Next time we'll give yer a lunch, an' dat'll be follered 
 by a square meal. Don't be a fool! We're tender- 
 hearted as chickens, an' we don't want ter hurt yer 'less 
 ye make us. Just tell where der boodle is hid, an' we 
 won't burn yer no more. Wot d'yer say?" 
 
 Sailor Jack shook his head. 
 
 "Come on wid der tickler, pal !" cried the spokesman. 
 
 The man with the poker took it from the fire, and again 
 approached the helpless cripple. 
 
 Frank decided that the time for action had come. 
 With a single blow of the club he held he shattered the 
 window, smashing in sash, glass, and all. 
 
 Like a flash, the young athlete leaped through the open- 
 ing he had thus made, and was within the room. 
 
 The masked men had started to escape, not knowing 
 but a large number of assailants were right upon them. 
 
 Before they could get out of the room, Frank brought 
 the club down on the head of one of them, knocking him 
 senseless. 
 
 Then the boy caught the other fellow by the collar and 
 flung him back into the room, crying : 
 
 "You shall not get away, you villain !" 
 
 The man staggered, retained his balance with some 
 difficulty, and then, seeing Frank was followed by no 
 others, whipped out a wicked-looking knife. 
 
 The boy sprang aside, and down came the club once 
 more. The ruffian threw up one arm to shield his head, 
 but it dropped, broken, at his side, and he was sent reel- 
 ing. Before he could recover, the brave boy stretched 
 him senseless beside his pal. 
 
 "Hurrah !" shouted Frank, as he caught up the ruffian's 
 knife and hastened to set Sailor Jack free. "That was 
 the way to cook 'em-!"
 
 The Hands of Friends. 201 
 
 The sailor sat up, working his jaws to get the cramp 
 out of them. When he could speak, he said : 
 
 "Shiver my timbers if I ever saw anything like that! 
 Boy, you're a wonder a cyclone, tornado, simoom ! Do 
 you know what you've done? I believe these two lubbers 
 are One-Thumb Harris and Slippery Goggs, two profes- 
 sional burglars, for whose capture there's a reward of 
 three hundred dollars each offered, keelhaul me if I 
 don't! You'll get the reward if I'm right, and I won't 
 forget you myself. You may lay to that, my lad." 
 
 The old sailor was right ; the captured ruffians proved 
 to be the burglars for whom the rewards were offered, 
 and in due course of time the money came into Frank's 
 hands. 
 
 Both Frank and Sailor Jack were interviewed by nu- 
 merous newspaper reporters, and the story of the boy's 
 daring single-handed attack upon and capture of the 
 ruffians who were torturing the sailor was published 
 broadcast, scores of papers containing Frank's picture. 
 
 The astonishment and unutterable joy created by 
 Frank's safe return to the academy may be much better 
 imagined than described. He was hailed as one risen 
 from the dead, the encampment went mad with joy, his 
 hand was nearly shaken off, he was hugged, he was lifted 
 on strong shoulders and borne round and round the 
 camp, followed by every cadet of the academy, all of 
 them laughing, shouting, cheering, and singing. The 
 band quickly assembled and headed the procession, a 
 salute was fired from the artillery in use at the school, 
 and Professor Gunn made a speech, filled with thanksgiv- 
 ing and praise for Frank. Little Professor Scotch tried 
 to say something, but he broke down and embraced
 
 202 The Hands of Friends. 
 
 Frank, while the tears of joy ran down his face, and an- 
 other wild cyclone of cheers went up from the cadets. 
 
 Such a scene had never before been witnessed at Far- 
 dale. No outside spectator could have dreamed Frank 
 Merriwell had ever found a foe amid that rejoicing 
 throng. 
 
 The deserters were severely punished in the way of de- 
 merit and extra duties, with curtailed privileges, but none 
 of them was dismissed. 
 
 Three weeks later Sailor Jack was attacked by a sud- 
 den and severe illness, of which he died in three days. 
 He sent for Frank before the end, and, putting a paper 
 into the boy's hand, said: 
 
 "They say I'm goin' to ship for a long voyage, my lad. 
 I can't take my money along. You're the only person 
 who's showed any kindness to me of late, and keelhaul 
 me if I don't leave every cent of my money to you ! It's 
 an old pirate's treasure I located and dug up on Long 
 Island. Just what it amounts to, I don't rightly know. 
 That paper's my will, and I've had it fixed right by a 
 lawyer. Here's another paper that tells where to find the 
 money. I intended to die without ever tellin' anybody 
 where it was hid, but I feel better that I've found some- 
 body that's worth havin' it, and you may lay to that." 
 
 So the old sailor died, and Frank was chief mourner at 
 the funeral. The treasure was found where it was hid- 
 den, and, when its value was ascertained, Frank Merri- 
 well was known to be worth over forty thousand dollars. 
 
 "I congratulate you!" said Bart. "You deserve it. 
 But what will you do with the pile ?" 
 
 "I'll put it in the bank for the present," returned 
 Frank. "Some day, perhaps, I'll find good use for it."
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 GO AHEAD! 
 
 Cne day the cadets were discussing a recent close and 
 exciting football game with the eleven from a rival 
 academy. 
 
 "I tell you what, fellows," said jolly little Sammy 
 Smiles, who had won glory as quarter-back, "those Irv- 
 ington fellows had us fairly blocked twenty seconds be- 
 fore Merriwell made the touchdown that settled the 
 game." 
 
 "That's right," nodded Bart Hodge. "I couldn't see a 
 ghost of a show for us. It looked to me as if our attempt 
 to break through their center would be a pitiful failure. 
 And so it would have been if Merriwell hadn't shouted 
 'Go ahead !' at just the right moment." 
 
 "Begobs, thot's roight!" agreed Barney Mulloy. 
 "When he shouted thot it put new loife into us, an' we 
 broke through their loine loike they wur babies." 
 
 "It was those two words that won the day for Far- 
 dale," asserted Paul Rains. "I believe they put ginger 
 4 into every one of us." 
 
 Frank laughed. 
 
 "In that case," he declared, "I am going to take them 
 for a motto for a war cry." 
 
 "Yah," said Hans Dunnerwust, "dot peen a goot vaw- 
 gry. Ven you say dot, I peen retty to sdant your pack 
 py und seen you do him. Dot vos der kindt uf a hair- 
 bin I peen, py shimminy !" 
 
 "Oh, why don't yeou learn ter talk the American Ian-
 
 204 Go Ahead! 
 
 guage !" exclaimed Ephraim Gallup. "The way yeou 
 murder good United States makes me sick, b'gosh !" 
 
 "You go fall yourseluf der earth off!" hotly retorted 
 Hans. "You peen too fresh alretty yet !" 
 
 "Break away!" laughed Frank, interposing between 
 \them. "Here comes Lieutenant Gordan, and you'll both 
 Jfind yourselves in the guard tent if you're not careful." 
 
 The approach of the lieutenant caused the group to 
 break up. Frank and Bart Hodge strolled away to- 
 gether. 
 
 "What makes you so silent and downcast, Bart?" asked 
 Frank. "You should be in a jolly mood after our vic- 
 tory, which, as our first football game this year, certainly 
 promises well for this fall." 
 
 "I was not thinking of that," said Bart. "Somehow, I 
 have a premonition of coming trouble for you, Frank. I 
 believe we are soon to lose you here at Fardale, and that 
 is enough to make me feel bad, for you have been my 
 guiding star during the past year. I feel that I am quite 
 a different fellow from what I was when I became a 
 cadet at this academy, and it has come about from your 
 generosity, your example, your influence. I was cor- 
 dially disliked at first by the fellows here; but now, as 
 your particular chum and tentmate, I have acquired 
 friends and some popularity. If anything should happen 
 to take you away, I am afraid I'll drift back into my old 
 habits and fall in with my former associates." 
 
 "Nonsense, Bart ! You are morbid ; your liver does 
 not act properly. You need a tonic. You are not nat- 
 urally a bad sort of fellow; in fact, you are naturally 
 square, upright, and honest. You despise meanness, and 
 you hate a sneak. Why should you take up with crooked 
 chums and sneaks? No, Bart, I have faith in you; you 
 will never return to your old associates and your old 
 ways."
 
 Go Ahead! 205 
 
 Hodge grasped Frank's hand, a look of intense grati- 
 tude on his face. 
 
 "I won't forget those words, old man !" he said, with 
 deep feeling. "Your faith in me will serve to keep me 
 straight. If I am tempted to do a mean thing, I'll think 
 that you believed in me, and that will hold me in check. 
 I believe the year we have been together will have a vast 
 influence on all my future life. If we could remain com- 
 panions and comrades to the end of the regular Fardale 
 
 "Well, I see no reason why we cannot. What is there 
 liable to happen to take me from Fardale?" 
 
 "That I don't know, but I have not forgotten the words 
 of the old hermit, nor that dream you told me you had 
 that some one near and dear to you would soon die and 
 leave you money, and that you would travel the whole 
 world over. This could not have meant Sailor Jack, for 
 the sailor was not near and dear to you." 
 
 "You are conjuring up something from nothing, Bart. 
 It cannot be that you believe that dreams foretell what is 
 before another " 
 
 "Yes, I do. I have heard of many cases where people 
 have dreamed many things that came to be true, visions 
 that were fulfilled within a few hours." 
 
 "But there is no reason why you should think I am 
 soon to leave Fardale." 
 
 "No reason, but an inward warning of what is to 
 come." 
 
 Frank's merry laugh rang out. 
 
 "I tell you your liver is out of order, Bart. Take a 
 tonic. I am too well satisfied with my life at Fardale to 
 want to tear myself away very soon." 
 
 But these words did not dispel the feeling that had 
 seized on the dark-faced lad. 
 
 The last days of the summer encampment had arrived;
 
 206 Go Ahead! 
 
 before long the white tents would disappear, and the 
 boys would return to barracks and long hours of study. 
 Their faces were browned by the long weeks spent mainly 
 in the open air. They were all erect, soldierly-appearing 
 lads, the plebes bearing themselves much like the older 
 cadets. 
 
 Frank had won his chevrons in the first year, but, far 
 better, he had won the highest regard and esteem of his 
 companions. Although he loved sport and often in- 
 dulged in practical jokes, he was such a square, manly 
 fellow that nothing he did seemed to retard his advance- 
 ment, and he was respected by Lieutenant Gordan and 
 the professors quite as much as by his fellow-cadets. 
 
 When Frank and Bart separated, the latter strolled to 
 where he could gaze out over the cove to the open sea. 
 The air was heavy and raw, and a moaning came from 
 far out over the heavily-rolling waves, the seething and 
 swishing of which he could hear. Tiger Tooth Ledge, 
 away in the offing, was covered with a white crest, where 
 the waves hove over it. 
 
 There was a storm in the air; Bart could feel it dis- 
 tinctly, and it seemed to make his spirits sink still lower. 
 There was ever something about the sea that depressed 
 him, and he turned away with a shudder. 
 
 That night, before they retired, Frank tried to rally 
 Bart again, but with as little success as before. 
 
 "Hear the wind moan," said Bart, shrugging his shoul- 
 ders. "Hear the sea roar. It is going to be a wild 
 night." 
 
 "Well, everything is battened down close, and the tent- 
 fly is drawn tight. What if the wind does howl and the 
 rain come down? What do we care?" 
 
 "It may be the last night for more than one poor 
 sailor."
 
 Go Ahead! 207 
 
 "That's true ; but we can't do them any good by getting 
 blue over it. Brace up, Bart brace up !" 
 
 When taps sounded the rain had" begun to fall, and the 
 sea was thundering from Black Bluff and Tiger Tooth 
 Ledge. 
 
 The roar of the sea was music in Frank Merriwell's 
 ears, and he quickly fell asleep, thankful he was not on 
 sentry duty. 
 
 Bart found it impossible to sleep thus easily. For him 
 the roaring of the sea was full of terrors. It reminded 
 him of a ravenous beast howling for human flesh and 
 blood to appease its hunger. 
 
 At length he slept, but it was to dream and to seem to 
 hear above the roar of the sea the shrieks of drowning 
 sailors. 
 
 Boom! 
 
 The sullen sound, heard above the roar of the storm, 
 heard through his dreams, awoke Bart. 
 
 What was it? What had he heard? 
 
 Boom! 
 
 There it was again, and it came from out at sea. 
 
 It was a signal gun the signal of a ship in distress ! 
 
 As Bart leaped out of bed, the sound of a bugle and 
 roll of a drum could be heard for all of the howling 
 storm. It was the signal for the cadets to turn out, and 
 it brought Frank Merriwell out of bed and onto his feet 
 in a moment. 
 
 "What's up, Bart?" asked Frank, as he began to hustle 
 into his clothes. 
 
 "There's a vessel in distress outside the cove. She's 
 fired a signal once or twice." 
 
 "Merry jingoes ! that's bad. The wind is driving 
 straight into the cove, and Tiger Tooth lies at the en- 
 trance." 
 
 "Sure. It's strange, but I had a feeling last night
 
 208 Go Ahead! 
 
 that something of this kind was going to happen, ai- 
 though I did not speak of it. Now will you say there is 
 nothing in premonitions ?" 
 
 Frank did not answer this question. He was too much 
 in a hurry to spend time in further words. 
 
 In a very few seconds both lads were dressed, with rub- 
 ber coats outside their other clothing, prepared for a 
 plunge into the storm. Although he had been first out of 
 bed, Bart was not first to open the buttoned front of the 
 tent and spring out into the wild night. 
 
 Lads were rushing out from the other tents, ready to 
 form on the parade ground; but the word went round 
 that time would not be lost in such a manner. They had 
 been called out to render assistance to the distressed 
 vessel if possible, and it would be folly to waste time in 
 calling the roll. 
 
 Away went the boys toward the cove, beaten and buf- 
 feted by the wind and rain, filled with wild excitement, 
 calling to each other, but having their voices drowned in 
 the roar of the storm. 
 
 Boom! 
 
 Again the signal gun sounded through the night. 
 
 Frank had been looking seaward, and he saw the flash. 
 
 "She is right upon Tiger Tooth !" he thought. "In a 
 few moments, at most, she will strike! God pity the 
 souls on board of her!" 
 
 Many of the boys stopped when they reached a locality 
 that commanded in the daytime a full view of the cove 
 and the open sea beyond. They stood there, straining 
 their eyes into the darkness, watching and waiting. 
 
 Frank found Bart Hodge was still at his side. 
 
 "She is close on Tiger Tooth !" he shouted. "I saw the 
 flash of her gun." 
 
 "So did I," returned Bart. "She will strike in a 
 minute."
 
 Go Ahead! 209 
 
 "The life-saving station is two miles away. The guard 
 can't get here in time." 
 
 "There's not much chance of it." 
 
 "See! There goes a rocket! She's close in the foam 
 that is heaving over the ledge! Can't we do anything 
 for her?" 
 
 A number of boys had gathered close around them, 
 and they heard Frank reply : 
 
 "We can try. There are boats at the old boathouse, 
 and there is plenty of rope there." 
 
 "But we can't launch a boat in the teeth of this storm !" 
 cried Paul Rains. "Such an attempt would be mad- 
 ness !" 
 
 "Oi dunno about thot," Barney Mulloy was heard to 
 declare. "As Frankie said, we can troy." 
 
 "That's right !" shouted Frank Merriwell ; "and we will 
 try! Away for the boathouse! Go ahead!"
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 BOY LIFE-SAVERS. 
 
 "Go ahead!" 
 
 The boys caught up Frank's cry, and above the roaring 
 of the storm sounded a cheer that came from their lips. 
 Then away they went toward the old boathouse, led by 
 Frank. 
 
 The rain dashed upon them, the wind buffeted them, 
 the treacherous ground sometimes sent them slipping, but 
 they held on after their swift-footed, never-faltering 
 leader. 
 
 Somehow, they felt that Frank would be able to do 
 something for the imperiled ones on board the unfor- 
 tunate ship. They had amazing confidence in this lad 
 who was leading them. 
 
 From out of the fearful night of darkness and storm 
 came a wild wail, faint and almost drowned by other 
 sounds, but human and horrid in its intense terror and 
 agony. 
 
 It was not the shrieking of the storm. It held a dif- 
 ferent note ; it seemed to come from the throats of human 
 beings. 
 
 "The vessel has struck !" shouted Frank, without slack- 
 ening his steps. 
 
 They felt that he was right, and yet it did not seem 
 possible that any sound from the lips of human beings 
 could be carried such a distance through that fearful 
 night. It was as if the demons of the sea and the storm 
 had shrieked in chorus.
 
 Boy Life-savers. 211 
 
 The waves were piling high along the beach, for the 
 sea ran straight and fair into the cove. The boys kept at 
 a distance, following Frank, who tried to urge them on 
 now and then, although few of his words could be under- 
 stood. 
 
 Before long 'they came to a point where the old boat- 
 house could be seen by the light of day. 
 
 A shout broke from the boys. 
 
 Some one was at the boathouse. 
 
 The door of the house on the side opposite that ex- 
 posed to the fury of the storm was open, and it was seen 
 that there was a light in the house. 
 
 Glimpses of human beings were obtained. 
 
 Outside the boathouse a lantern was moving about. 
 
 "The coast guard are there !" some one cried. 
 
 But Frank did not stop. His voice was heard urging 
 them on, although his words were not plainly under- 
 Stood. 
 
 Away into the air sailed another rocket, and it showed 
 that the doomed vessel had really struck and was hang- 
 ing on Tiger Tooth Ledge. 
 
 She could not last long, and so what was done for her 
 must be done without delay. 
 
 Down to the boathouse ran the cadets. 
 
 When they arrived there, they were surprised to find 
 the coast guard was not on hand. 
 
 Two fishermen and several farmers were there, and, 
 with praiseworthy courage, they were laboring to launch 
 a boat. 
 
 They had prepared to carry off the end of a line, which 
 was to be let out by one who should remain on shore. 
 
 At the same time two men were working to start a bon- 
 fire, having brought a pile of dry wood from the boat- 
 house. With the aid of pine knots, they finally suc- 
 ceeded, and the wind caused the fire to burn up briskly,
 
 212 Boy Life-savers. 
 
 for all of the heavy rain. There was plenty of wood near 
 at hand, and this was brought and thrown upon the pile 
 till a roaring flame was flinging its light far out on the 
 boiling, swirling, seething waters of the cave. 
 
 By the light of this fire the men worked to launch the 
 boat, which was plainly a herculean task. 
 
 The boys were ready enough to help, but one of the 
 men roughly shouted for them to get out of the way. 
 
 "What do you young cubs know?" roared the man. 
 "Git out!" 
 
 The two fishermen knew their business well enough, 
 but the farmers were of little use, although they were re- 
 quired to man the boat, and they evidently thought they 
 would prove of great value in the work. 
 
 Twice did they attempt to turn the boat off from the 
 shore, but, not working in unison, they were stopped by 
 the fishermen, who used some decidedly violent lan- 
 guage. 
 
 In the third attempt the boat was run off, but the men 
 clambered in so awkwardly that it was caught up by the 
 following large wave and tossed far up on the beach, be- 
 ing overturned. 
 
 The fisherman who had so roughly ordered the boys 
 away was caught by the wave and sucked toward deep 
 water, struggling desperately to save himself. 
 
 His companions saw his peril, but they were intent on 
 saving themselves, or they seemed bewildered by the 
 manner in which the water had clutched the boat and 
 flung it ashore. 
 
 The great wave finally relinquished its clutch on the 
 fisherman, but it left him lying helpless on the wet sand, 
 where the next roller must break over him and complete 
 his destruction. 
 
 Down the beach leaped Frank Merriwell, reaching the 
 fisherman's side. The man was trying to struggle to his
 
 Boy Life-savers. 213 
 
 feet, the flaring light of the fire showing a look of horror 
 on his face. 
 
 The firelight also showed another wave, rolling 
 brown and green right upon them, with a curling crest of 
 foam that made it seem like some fearful monster with 
 wide open jaws and gleaming teeth. 
 
 The fisherman shrieked his terror, slipped, and fell 
 prostrate. 
 
 Then, with strength that astounded those who saw the 
 act, Frank caught the man up, flung him over one shoul- 
 der, and leaped up the beach. 
 
 But he could not escape the monster wave that was 
 hovering over him. 
 
 "He's lost ! They're both gone !" shouted Paul Rains. 
 
 "Form a line!" screamed Bart Hodge. "Quick!" 
 
 Without waiting to see if the order were obeyed, he 
 ran straight down to Frank, whose outstretched hand he 
 grasped. 
 
 The boys seemed to catch the idea in an instant. Bar- 
 ney Mulloy was at Bart's heels, and he grasped Bart's 
 hand. Rains was next, and he caught Barney by the 
 hand, after whom came Ned Gray, Harvey Dare, Sammy 
 Smiles, Ephraim Gallup, Hans Dunnerwust, and Sam 
 Winslow. 
 
 This line formed in the twinkling of an eye, and it was 
 barely in time, for the wave broke over Frank and the 
 man he had risked his life to save. 
 
 Frank was hurled flat, but he clung to the man, who 
 held fast to him. 
 
 Then came the receding of the wave, and the terrible 
 suction that threatened to break the line and sweep some 
 of the brave boys out to sea. 
 
 They clung fast with all their strength, and the line was 
 not broken.
 
 214 Boy Life-savers. 
 
 As soon as possible, Frank got upon his feet, helping 
 the fisherman to rise. 
 
 "Go ahead!" 
 
 The words came like the blast of a bugle. They 
 seemed to give the human life-line a united impulse, and 
 away up the beach it went, dragging the fisherman from 
 his peril and saving his life. 
 
 He was dazed and overcome, but the other fisherman, 
 who had watched it all, rushed up and shouted : 
 
 "Ye work like old stagers, lads ! That was one of the 
 quickest and slickest pieces of work I ever saw done." 
 
 "The boat!" shouted Frank. "Did you save it?" 
 
 "Yes ; them farmers dragged it up out of the way ; but 
 they're no good. We can't do anything. She can't be 
 launched in the face of this sea." 
 
 "She can and shall !" were the words hurled from Mer- 
 riwell's lips. 
 
 "Hurrah !" shouted the boys. 
 
 "Fellow," cried Frank, "you've seen these men make a 
 failure. Are you ready to try the trick with me ?" 
 
 "We are!" 
 
 "That's what I want to hear. It will take five of us to 
 handle the boat. Mulloy, Rains, Hodge, and Dare are 
 the ones I want. The others must help us get off and 
 must pay the rope out to us." 
 
 "Ye're crazy!" roared the fisherman. "What do you 
 boys know about launchin' a boat in the teeth of a heavy 
 sea?" 
 
 "We've practiced it for sport, and now we're going to 
 try to see what we can do in case of an emergency," re- 
 turned Frank. "Come on, lads!" 
 
 He ran toward the spot where the boat had been 
 dragged, and the cadets followed him closely, the blood 
 throbbing through their veins, their hearts beating high 
 with a noble and daring resolution.
 
 Boy Life-savers. 215 
 
 The men had dragged the boat beyond reach of the 
 heaving waves, and it was plain they had been so scared 
 by the failure of the first attempt to launch her that there 
 was no intention of making another trial. 
 
 They looked in wonder at the boys, and one of them, 
 rushed up to Frank, demanding : 
 
 "What are you going to do?" 
 
 "Launch this boat ! Stand aside !" 
 
 "Ye can't do it !" 
 
 "Stand aside!" 
 
 "It's madness it can't be done! We're not goin' to 
 see ye throw yer lives away !" 
 
 The cadets from the academy were now flocking in 
 large numbers to the vicinity, and Frank turned to them, 
 shouting : 
 
 "Take this man away!" 
 
 The man had clutched the boat, but he was grasped by 
 willing hands and twitched away in a fashion that robbed 
 him of his breath. 
 
 "Ready, lads!" came from Frank's lips. "Right her, 
 three on that side, three on this. I will go in stern. Get 
 your places. Run her down a little. The waves do not 
 beat this far, and we want every inch we can have." 
 
 They obeyed him in everything, and the boat was car- 
 ried down till it lay where the highest waves rushed up 
 and swished around it. 
 
 At this moment, a small man came bursting through 
 the throng of excited cadets, and hurried to the side of 
 Frank Merriwell, whose arm he clutched, hoarsely cry- 
 ing: 
 
 "What are you thinking of, Merriwell? It would be 
 a sacrifice of you all ! You could not escape being 
 drowned ! I forbid you to make the mad attempt !" 
 
 "Stand back, Professor Scotch !" shouted Frank. "The 
 lives of human beings on board that vessel are in peril !
 
 216 Boy Life-savers. 
 
 I believe we can launch this boat for all the wind and 
 waves, and we are going to attempt it !" 
 
 "But I have authority over you, and I command you to 
 desist." 
 
 "In a case like this we do not recognize your authority. 
 Look out, professor here comes a big wave, and it may 
 suck you down." 
 
 With ludicrous agility, the little professor fled toward 
 a place of safety. 
 
 "Stand ready !" rang out Frank Merriwell's voice. 
 
 Every oar was in its place, ready for the hands of the 
 lad who was to wield it. 
 
 On came the great wave, curling over, breaking, run- 
 ning far up the beach on all sides of the six lads about 
 the boat. 
 
 "Now !" shouted Frank. "Go ahead !"
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 'GAINST WIND AND WAVE. 
 
 As the wave receded they ran with it, bearing the boat 
 between them till they were in deep water. 
 
 "In boys !" 
 
 As if controlled by one impulse and one set of muscles, 
 they leaped into the boat, to the stern of which the light 
 line had been attached. Frank took his place at the helm. 
 
 "Out oars !" 
 
 Into the rowlocks dropped the oars. 
 
 "Pull away !" 
 
 With all the strength of their muscular young arms 
 and bodies, they bent to the oars, sending the boat to meet 
 the next great wave, which was bearing down upon them, 
 revealed by the light of the fire. 
 
 Every one of them knew it was sure to be a fierce 
 battle, and they were prepared to strain every nerve. 
 Thus far they had been wonderfully successful, and they 
 might be able to reach the vessel if they could keep the 
 next great roller from flinging them far up on the wave- 
 washed beach. 
 
 Frank's hands on the helm held the bow of the boat 
 straight on against wind and waves, and his voice rang 
 through the storm as the great comber with its curling 
 crest of green, topped with foam, lunged upon them. 
 
 "Pull hard!" 
 
 They laid to the oars with all the power they could 
 command. 
 
 The boat was caught up like a cork, and for a moment
 
 2i8 'Gainst Wind and Wave. 
 
 it was carried swiftly shoreward, for all of the heroic 
 struggles made by the young life-savers. 
 
 Then came a moment when they held their own. 
 
 "Go ahead !" 
 
 Forward leaped the boat, and away they drove into the 
 teeth of the hurricane, ready to meet the next wave and 
 renew the battle. 
 
 They were determined, they had resolved to perish in 
 the struggle, if need be, but to give up, never ! 
 
 For several minutes they fought hard to get off from 
 the shore, so the danger of being hurled upon the beach 
 would be over, and the boat seemed to creep like a snail 
 up against the wind, losing ground with each great wave, 
 but recovering and gaining a little more before the next 
 one came. 
 
 The sea seemed to boil and foam like a pot, and the 
 wind tore off the caps of the waves and flung great sheets 
 of spray clean over the boat. 
 
 For all of their storm garments, the boys were soon 
 wet to the bone ; but they did not heed that at all they 
 did not know it. The desperate struggle they were mak- 
 ing kept the blood coursing freely in their veins and pre- 
 vented them from being cold. 
 
 But for Frank's iron hand on the tiller, but for his 
 readiness in meeting the shock of some gigantic wave 
 that sought to hurl them sidelong, but for his encourag- 
 ing cries, they must have been capsized a dozen times be- 
 fore they had rowed as many rods from the boathouse. 
 
 Somehow, Merriwell gave them confidence in them- 
 selves, such as they could not have felt if some one else 
 had been at the helm. 
 
 The wind that shrieked down across the raging sea 
 made the water swirl and hiss like ten thousand serpents. 
 It seemed as if all the fiends of darkness and of the sea
 
 'Gainst Wind and Wave. 219 
 
 were aroused to ungovernable fury, and were seeking the 
 destruction of everything they could reach. 
 
 Afar out on Tiger Tooth Ledge lay the doomed vessel, 
 and now a bright light told where she was beating her- 
 self to destruction on the reef. That light served as a 
 beacon for Frank. 
 
 On shore the awed and admiring cadets watched the 
 brave and desperate struggle of the six young life-savers, 
 expecting each moment to see the boat capsized. 
 
 A score of times great waves seemed to sweep clean 
 over the boat and swamp it. Each time a universal groan 
 came from the excited, palpitating lads being carried 
 away in the clutch of the wind, which howled in fiendish 
 glee. 
 
 Each time the baffled wave tore on, and the boat fought 
 through it, with the six lads still stubbornly continuing 
 the battle. Each time a wild cheer went up from the 
 watching crowd on shore, but the sound of this cheering 
 did not reach Merriwell and his comrades. 
 
 In case the boat should upset, the cadets were prepared 
 to form a human life-line, which should plunge into the 
 surf and do its best in the work of rescuing. 
 
 One of the old fishermen was paying out the cord, and 
 fifty times he muttered to himself : 
 
 "They may do it ! It's remarkable, blowed if it ain't !" 
 
 Further and further from shore crept the boat, till at 
 length the light of the fire on the beach scarcely reached 
 far enough to show the black hulk tossed on the waters. 
 
 Finally the boat passed from sight, and was swallowed 
 in the blackness of the storm-swept cove. 
 
 Many of those on shore wondered if they should ever 
 again look on the living faces of the six brave boys who 
 had gone to the rescue of those on the imperiled vessel. 
 
 The lads in the boat had begun to fear that they would
 
 220 'Gainst Wind and Wave. 
 
 fail for all of their success at the outset, for strength and 
 energy seemed going from them. 
 
 Being determined to hold out as long as possible, they 
 kept at the work, although it seemed that they did not 
 gain an inch for a long time. 
 
 Then came their "second wind," and, with renewed 
 energy and determination, they bent to the task. 
 
 The light on the vessel guided them. No longer did 
 the signal gun boom its appeal for aid over the wind- 
 swept billows, although a rocket went up now and then. 
 
 Frank feared the vessel would be beaten to pieces on 
 the ledge long before she could be reached. That she had 
 lasted so long was surprising to him, and he continued to 
 hope for the best. 
 
 He well understood how difficult it must be for a boat 
 to approach her as she lay on the ledge, but he hoped to 
 creep in on the leeward side, where the vessel and the 
 ledge would break both waves and wind. 
 
 The light on the vessel came from a strong reflector, 
 and it was flung toward the shore. 
 
 The boys well knew how the imperiled ones on board 
 were staring into the track of that light, waiting and 
 longing for the appearance of the boat, which they must 
 have seen put off from the shore, as revealed by the glare 
 of the bonfire. 
 
 At length they came into the track of light made by the 
 reflector, and along this they battled inch by inch. 
 
 Sometimes they fancied they could hear faint cries from 
 the vessel, but they could not be sure it was not the 
 shrieking of the wind. 
 
 In a momentary cessation of the wind, Frank shouted : 
 
 "We're bound to get there, boys! Strong and steady 
 now, and we'll make her soon." 
 
 Nearer and nearer they crept, the light shining out
 
 'Gainst Wind and Wave. 221 
 
 about them, while the thunder of the waves that were 
 bursting over the ledge was deafening. 
 
 As they drew nearer into the lee of the ledge, Frank 
 could see a most appalling spectacle. The great waves 
 from the open sea were breaking madly over Tiger Tooth, 
 shooting mountains of foaming water upward toward the 
 frowning blackness of the heavens, out of which the rain 
 seemed wrested and torn in sheets by the savage wind. 
 
 The vessel had been hurled far up on the ledge, and 
 there she clung, for all of the waves which were running 
 over her, for all that the ledge flung foaming water 
 higher than her masthead. 
 
 Getting into the lee of the ledge, the boys were able to 
 make better headway. 
 
 The vessel broke the fury of the wind in a measure, 
 and Frank held steadily up to leeward, wondering how 
 near they could approach. 
 
 It did not take him long to see that the vessel was fixed 
 on the crest of the ledge, and that she was liable to be 
 flung clean over by the wind and waves, if she did not 
 break in two. 
 
 The waves on that side of the ledge were not of a dan- 
 gerous sort, but the sea was swirling round and round, 
 sometimes rushing inward to the ledge, and Frank saw 
 there was danger of being flung up against the vessel, 
 and so having the boat smashed in the twinkling of an 
 eye. 
 
 This danger he succeeded in making the others under- 
 stand, and he directed them to work slowly, ready to send 
 the boat ahead when he should give the signal. 
 
 The light of the reflector showed sailors who were 
 ready with boathooks and grapples to fasten upon the 
 boat when it came near enough.
 
 222 'Gainst Wind and Wave. 
 
 Frank watched his time, and when it came, his war- 
 cry rang out once more : 
 
 "Go ahead !" 
 
 They sent the boat in against the swirling water, so it 
 was not hurled upon the vessel, and Frank brought it 
 near enough to the vessel for the grapples and boathooks 
 to seize it. 
 
 "In oars !" 
 
 In they came, and up the rope ladders skipped the lads, 
 like so many monkeys, Frank bearing the end of the line 
 which connected them with the shore.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE DOOMED SCHOONER. 
 
 Hodge brought up the painter from the boat. 
 
 The scene on the deck of the doomed vessel was inde- 
 scribable. Every one but the captain seemed frantic with 
 fear, and they acted like madmen. 
 
 The vessel was a three-masted schooner, being com- 
 paratively new, which accounted for the remarkable man- 
 ner in which she had withstood the tempest and the shock 
 of being driven on the ledge. She was rolling heavily, 
 and seemed to be slipping inch by inch over the ledge. 
 
 The captain's wife and daughter were lashed to the 
 mainmast, which was a magnificent stick, and stood like 
 a well-rooted tree, although the fierce blasts made it bend 
 and sway. 
 
 One of her masts was gone, while reefed canvas had 
 been blown away by the terrible gale. 
 
 The captain met the lads as they clambered to the deck. 
 
 "Have you brought a line from shore ?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; here it is." 
 
 In a moment the captain had the line, and he quickly 
 made it fast, so that it should not be torn from the hands 
 that held it. 
 
 "Isn't she liable to break in two, captain?" Frank 
 shouted, keeping close to the old skipper. 
 
 "There's more danger that she will roll clean over the 
 ledge into deep water beyond. She'll go down like a rock 
 if she does." 
 
 "Who are the women ?"
 
 224 The Doomed Schooner. 
 
 "My wife and daughter." 
 
 "Take no chances; get them into the boat, with five 
 good men at the oars. We brought that boat out here, 
 and sailors should be able to take it back." 
 
 "What of you?" 
 
 "We'll find a way of getting ashore by means of the 
 life line." 
 
 It was no time for hesitation, as the captain welt knew ; 
 every moment was precious each moment wasted might 
 mean the loss of a human life. 
 
 With a ready knife, the captain set about cutting the 
 woman and girl free from the lashings. 
 
 Just then a mighty wave burst over the schooner, lifted 
 her, dropped her with a terrible shock on the ledge, and 
 the waters sunk away till she careened far over. 
 
 "She's going over!" shrieked the terrified sailors. 
 "We're lost lost !" 
 
 Some yelled and some prayed, while the wind howled 
 and laughed like a thousand gloating demons. 
 
 Above all other sounds, now rang the voice of a young 
 sailor : 
 
 "She's breaking up ! To the boat ! to the boat !" 
 
 Frank understood what this meant, and he sprang to 
 stop the desperate men, shouting to the boys : 
 
 "Here, lads ! Stand in stand in !" 
 
 "We're wid yez, me b'y !" cried Barney Mulloy. 
 
 "Yes, with you to the death !" rang the voice of Bart 
 Hodge. 
 
 They intercepted the sailors who would have leaped 
 into the boat and put off. 
 
 "Back!" ordered Frank, with up-flung hand. "The 
 captain's wife and daughter are first to enter the boat !" 
 
 "Get out!" snarled the young sailor, who was loading 
 )he rush. "Get away, or we'll throw you overboard !"
 
 The Doomed Schooner. 225 
 
 His eyes were blazing, and down his left cheek Frank 
 saw a livid scar. 
 
 This fellow flung himself straight forward, but Merri- 
 well blocked the way. 
 
 With all the strength of a muscular arm, Frank drove 
 I his hard right fist into the face of the young sailor, and 
 the fellow was sent to the deck in a moment. He struck 
 heavily, and did not offer to rise. 
 
 But that did not stop the rush of the sailors, who were 
 frantic with fear. 
 
 Hodge and Mulloy had secured belaying pins, and, 
 with these, they fought the sailors back, sending more 
 than one of the men reeling with bruised heads. 
 
 In the meantime the captain was doing his best to get 
 his wife and daughter safely into the boat, which was no 
 easy task, as may be readily understood. It had seemed 
 that the rush of the sailors would be successful, and, not 
 wishing to free the females of the lashings in such a 
 case, he had hesitated. 
 
 He saw Frank knock the leader down with a single 
 powerful blow, and then he saw the other lads beat the 
 men back with the aid of the belaying pins. 
 
 But this respite was for no more than a few moments at 
 most. He understood that the men would make another 
 rush, and he hastened to free his wife. 
 
 Then a cry of despair went up: 
 
 "The boat the boat has been smashed against the 
 vessel !" 
 
 This was true. 
 
 The swirling sea had swept round the ledge and flung 
 the boat against the schooner with sufficient force to crash 
 in one side, and she quickly filled with water, floating a 
 useless thing near at hand. 
 
 The moment the captain realized what had happened.
 
 226 The Doomed Schooner. 
 
 he set about lashing his wife to the mast once more, speak- 
 ing to her encouragingly. 
 
 When the sailors realized what had happened, they be- 
 came strangely calm. 
 
 "The only hope now lies in the life-line!" shouted 
 Frank. 
 
 The captain was quickly on hand, and, as he reached 
 Frank's side, he said : 
 
 "I will look after the drawing in of the line. Will you 
 be good enough to cheer up my wife and daughter?" 
 
 "Certainly, sir." 
 
 As Frank turned toward the mast to which the females 
 were lashed, the young sailor he had knocked down sat up 
 on the wave-washed deck. The fellow's eyes found 
 Frank, and he screamed : 
 
 "I'll make you pay dearly for that blow !" 
 
 Merriwell did not heed the man. As soon as possible 
 he reached the woman and girl, and did his best to cheer 
 them up. 
 
 The woman seemed in a stupor, but the girl's senses 
 were active, and she quickly asked : 
 
 "Is there any hope? Tell me the truth. I can stand 
 it, and I had rather know the truth than be deceived." 
 
 Her golden hair was soaked with rain and sea-water, 
 and driven about her face and shoulders, but Frank saw 
 that she was pretty, and there was a brave look in her 
 eyes a brave ring in her voice. 
 
 "Certainly there is hope/' he replied. "We brought a 
 line from the shore, and the men are drawing it in. It 
 it attached to a heavy rope that will bear almost any 
 strain." 
 
 "What can be done when the rope is drawn aboard ?" 
 
 "Some kind of a life-car will be rigged up. It is pos- 
 sible your father has a breeches buoy on board." 
 
 "Isn't there a life-saving station near?"
 
 The Doomed Schooner. 227 
 
 "It is two miles away ; but the coast guard should have 
 reached this locality by this time." 
 
 "They would bring a life-car." 
 
 "Or a breeches buoy yes." 
 
 "But the schooner may go to pieces before it can be 
 worked." 
 
 "She is standing it well now," replied Frank, clinging 
 to the lashings which held the girl, as a great wave came 
 down upon them. 
 
 He seemed to see the girl's eyes turned in admiration 
 upon him, and she spoke so coolly that he wondered at 
 her bravery. 
 
 "I saw you knock Carlos Merriwell down," she said. 
 "That was magnificently done !" 
 
 "Saw me knock down whom?" shouted Frank, in as- 
 tonishment. 
 
 "Carlos Merriwell." 
 
 "Is that fellow's name Merriwell?" 
 
 "So he is called." 
 
 "Merriwell is my own name, and I do not know of ft 
 family, save my own, by that name." 
 
 "He may be a relative of yours." 
 
 "Impossible !" 
 
 At this moment a great cry of despair went up from the 
 sailors who had been drawing in the rope. 
 
 "The line has parted! We are lost! We are lost!"
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 THE COAST GUARD. 
 
 The men rushed wildly about the deck, shrieking, 
 moaning and praying. The schooner's boats had been 
 carried away long before she struck on Tiger Tooth 
 Ledge, and now there seemed no hope that a single soul 
 on board would ever reach shore alive. The wind howled 
 joyously, and the great waves hurled themselves over the 
 vessel, causing her to roll and lurch. One miserable 
 wretch was caught in the clutch of a great wave and 
 swept away, his death shriek sounding above the howling 
 of the tempest. 
 
 Many of the sailors seemed to have gone mad. One 
 man with a strong voice took to singing a wild sea song, 
 stopping now and then to laugh and wave his long arms 
 above his head. Another tore his hair and swore in a 
 terrible manner. Some seemed dazed and stupid, as if 
 they did not realize their position, or were utterly over- 
 come by the horror of it. 
 
 Wildest among them was the young sailor with the 
 scarred face. He rushed at the captain and struck him 
 in the face, screaming in his ear : 
 
 "You put me in the hold for disobeying orders, and I 
 could do nothing ! Now we are all doomed to death, and 
 I will even my score with you! Take that! that! 
 that !" 
 
 The fourth blow knocked the captain down, and then 
 the sailor kicked him. The captain squirmed away, and 
 the ruffian followed him up to kick him again.
 
 The Coast Guard. 229 
 
 But the captain's daughter had witnessed the assault 
 on her father, and she cried to Frank : 
 
 "Save him ! save him !" 
 
 It seemed that the crazed young ruffian intended to 
 stamp the life out of the master, but he was not allowed 
 to accomplish his purpose. Once before had he felt 
 Frank Merriwell's fist, and now he felt it again. 
 
 The blow fell fairly behind the brute's right ear, and 
 again he was knocked down. 
 
 He sat up to see Frank assisting the captain to his feet, 
 and then all hands hastened to clutch something and cling 
 fast, as another monster sea swept over the schooner. 
 
 Frank half-dragged, half-led the captain to a position 
 near his wife and daughter. The man seemed to have 
 been severely injured. 
 
 "Are you hurt much ?" asked Frank. 
 
 The captain replied, but the howling of the storm 
 drowned his words. He did not have much strength, as 
 Frank plainly saw. It was evident that he, too, had lost 
 heart when the line parted. 
 
 Frank found a line, which he quickly bound about the 
 man's body, securing it to the mast. 
 
 The boys now gathered around their leader, and it was 
 plain that most of them felt that their case was hopeless. 
 
 "We're done for, old man !" cried Bart Hodge. "It's 
 wonderful how long the schooner has stood this sort of 
 wrenching. She will go to pieces soon." 
 
 "Perhaps she may hold together long enough for them 
 to get another boat off to us. By this time they must 
 have discovered that the line has parted." 
 
 "There is no other boat that can ride this sea, if there 
 were men to handle one." 
 
 "The life savers should be on hand by this time. If 
 the vessel holds together long enough, they will find a. 
 way of reaching us."
 
 230 The Coast Guard. 
 
 "The chances are against it." 
 
 "Don't give up the ship!" cried Frank, quoting the 
 words of Commodore Perry. "While there's life there's 
 hope !" 
 
 The boys fell to watching the light of the fire near the 
 old boathouse, which could be seen through the driving 
 clouds of spray. 
 
 i "You are so brave so noble!" cried the captain's 
 'daughter, whose eyes were fastened steadily on Frank. 
 "Is my poor father hurt much ?" 
 
 "He seems to be stunned and dazed, but I think that is 
 all," was the reply. 
 
 Frank had to cling close to her in order to hear her 
 words. Although she was lashed to the mast, her arms 
 were free, and he suddenly found them about his neck. 
 A moment later she kissed him. 
 
 "That is for poor father," she declared. "You saved 
 him from that ruffian !" 
 
 Somehow, considering the circumstances, the action did 
 not seem so unladylike. It was the impulsive action of 
 a young girl who saw in Frank the embodiment of all 
 that was noble and heroic. The storm, the peril, the 
 seeming hopelessness of their position had much to do 
 with her action. 
 
 Still Frank was not a little confused, but she clung to 
 him as he started back. 
 
 "Don't leave me !" she implored. "Somehow, it seems 
 that you give me courage for anything courage to face 
 death itself. Don't leave me, will you ?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Tell me your name." 
 
 "Frank Merriwell." 
 
 "Mine is Elsie Bellwood." 
 
 For all of hie perilous situation, Frank thought that it 
 was a pretty name.
 
 The Coast Guard. 231 
 
 There was a brief space of time, during which no words 
 were exchanged. The wild sea thundered at the ledge 
 and tore past in sheets of spray. 
 
 Frank was staring toward the shore, and a cry finally 
 broke from his lips : 
 
 "The coast guard they are there !" 
 
 That was enough to give new life and hope to those on 
 board the doomed schooner. In the light of the fire fig- 
 ures were moving about There was great activity on 
 shore. Something was going to happen. 
 
 "It must be the coast guard!" shouted Paul Rains. 
 "Oh, if this old vessel will hold together a short time 
 longer !" 
 
 "Are they putting off in a boat?" 
 
 "I can't see ; but they are doing something." 
 
 Now new hope and life came to the despairing sailors, 
 who clung to anything solid, in order to keep themselves 
 from being swept away into the sea. If the coast guard 
 had arrived, there was a possible chance for some of them 
 perhaps for all on board the schooner. 
 
 Every eye was turned toward the shore. 
 
 A cry went up a cry from every throat on the 
 schooner. 
 
 A red flash had been seen, and, although they heard no 
 report, they knew a gun had been fired. 
 
 What did it mean ? 
 
 They found out a few seconds later, for something 
 passed over the schooner and fell on the windward side. 
 
 Frank Merriwell released the hands that clung to him, 
 leaped forward, and caught up something. 
 
 "It's a line!" he shouted. "They have shot a life- 
 line across to us !" 
 
 It was true. The first shot had been amazingly suc- 
 cessful, considering the terrible wind and the darkness. 
 
 The sailors had been in despair a few seconds before.
 
 232 The Coast Guard. 
 
 Now they cheered, and sprang to grasp the life-line and 
 draw in on it . 
 
 "Steady!" called Frank, clearly and distinctly. "Re- 
 member the other line parted. If such a thing happens 
 to this, it is not likely we will be given a third oppor- 
 tunity before the schooner breaks up. Get hold and pull 
 ' in steadily. Now, haul away !" 
 
 The greatest danger was from over-eagerness, and this 
 Frank cautioned them against. At that moment it seemed 
 as if he were in command of the schooner. So far as the 
 real captain was concerned, he might as well have been. 
 The man had not recovered from the brutal assault upon 
 him, and he looked on in a stupid way, without saying 
 or doing anything. 
 
 Some of the boys would have given their aid on the 
 line, but Frank kept them away. 
 
 "Don't touch it, lads," was his order. "You are not 
 sailors, and these men know far better how to handle a 
 case like this." 
 
 He was right. In due time the heavy cable was drawn 
 in and made fast under the directions of the first mate. 
 When this was accomplished, the sailors set to pulling in 
 on the free line, and it was not long before a breeches 
 buoy was drawn from the shore to the schooner. Again 
 the sailors cheered, and Frank was heard to cry : 
 
 "The captain's wife first, men ; then comes the captain's 
 daughter. Be cool and steady, and every soul may es- 
 cape."
 
 CHAPTER XU. 
 
 THE WORK OF RESCUE. 
 
 Now that but one could escape at a time, no man led 
 a rush for the breeches buoy. Had any one sought to 
 crowd in, he would have been hurled to the deck with 
 very little ceremony by the very sailors who had made 
 the mad scramble for the boat. 
 
 Ready hands assisted Frank in freeing the captain's 
 wife and assisting her to the breeches buoy. 
 
 The woman did not wish to leave her daughter and her 
 injured husband, but the strong arms of Frank lifted her 
 and carried her to the rail, where he was aided by the first 
 mate in placing her securely in the breeches buoy. 
 
 The mate spoke a few hasty words of instruction to the 
 distracted woman, and then the signal was given for those 
 on shore to haul away. 
 
 Away into the darkness, into the very sea it seemed, 
 slipped the breeches buoy and its human burden. The 
 line ran out rapidly from the schooner, telling what prog- 
 ress the buoy was making. 
 
 There was no longer frantic excitement on board the 
 vessel. The sailors had grown calm, and they obeyed 
 orders promptly and faithfully. It was a most remark- 
 able change from the prevailing condition of things a 
 short time before. 
 
 The storm seemed to have abated somewhat in its fury, 
 as if, feeling itself baffled, it had grown sullen. Heavy 
 waves continued to break on the ledge, and send clouds of 
 spray across the schooner, but the vessel seemed to be
 
 234 The Work of Rescue. 
 
 pounding with reduced force, and the hope that she might 
 hold together long enough for all to escape grew apace. 
 
 The free line soon ran out, and then came the signal 
 from the beach that the captain's wife had arrived safely, 
 and the sailors began drawing in the breeches buoy. 
 
 Frank hastened to the side of the captain's daughter. 
 
 "Your mother has reached the shore in safety," he said. 
 "You are to follow her." 
 
 "No, no ! my father send my poor father !" 
 
 "But " 
 
 "He is injured can't you see? Perhaps there is a doc- 
 tor on the shore who may be able to do something for 
 him." 
 
 "I am sure he would not wish to go until you are safe." 
 
 "And I will not go until he has gone! Don't touch 
 tne ! I tell you I will not go !" 
 
 "But the schooner may not hold together long enough 
 for " 
 
 "In that case it were better for me to be lost than for 
 my father and mother to be parted. Send him ashore- 
 please do!" 
 
 "Are you sure that you realize " 
 
 "I am sure that I refuse to go till father has been sent 
 ashore. That's all." 
 
 Frank saw she was determined, for she almost fought 
 him when he tried to release the lashings that held her to 
 the mast. No time was to be lost, and so he turned to 
 Captain Bellwood. The man said nothing, allowing 
 Frank to assist him to the side of the vessel, which was 
 reached just as the breeches buoy arrived. 
 
 A sudden cry rang out, and the young sailor with the 
 scarred face lunged toward the rail. 
 
 "What's the meaning of this?" he snarled. "Is that 
 old whelp to go before the rest of us ? Throw him over- 
 board, mates !"
 
 The Work of Rescue. 235 
 
 Frank placed himself in a position to defend the cap- 
 tain, at the same time appealing to the sailors. 
 
 "Keep that man off, men ! He has nearly killed Cap- 
 tain Bellwood, and now he would finish the work. We 
 are all of us going to escape in our turn, and you want no 
 hand in any dirty work performed by this creature. Let 
 him suffer alone, while you are praised and honored for 
 protecting your captain." 
 
 A cry of fury broke from the young sailor's lips, and 
 he would have hurled himself at Frank once more, but a 
 dark-faced Italian whipped out a knife and blocked the 
 way, shrilly crying: 
 
 "Stand-a back, Car-r-r-los ! No touch-a de cap. You 
 try-a dat, I give-a you dis! I no want-a go in da jail-a, 
 all same like-a you. I touch-a da cap' on one ves', stay 
 in da jail-a two year. Stand-a back !" 
 
 The scar-faced sailor started back before the knife 
 which quivered in the hand of the excited Italian. 
 
 "You dirty dago !" he snarled. 
 
 The Italian crouched as if he were about to leap on the 
 fellow and use the ready knife. For an instant it looked 
 as if a bloody tragedy might be enacted there, but the 
 Italian seemed to regain control of himself, for he put up 
 the knife, crying : 
 
 "Keep-a back. You say dat now; sometime we 
 set'l-a." 
 
 In the meantime two of the men had been assisting the 
 dazed captain into the breeches buoy, so very little time 
 was lost. The signal was given, and into the darkness 
 glided the master of the doomed vessel. 
 
 Once more Frank hastened back to the side of the 
 brave girl who was lashed to the mast. 
 
 "Your father has gone. You must follow him as 
 swiftly as possible, Miss Bellwood." 
 
 "When do you come, Mr. Merriwell ?"
 
 236 The Work of Rescue. 
 
 "I shall be one of the last to go ashore." 
 
 "I am not afraid to remain yet a while longer. Let 
 some of the men who are frightened go next." 
 
 Frank felt his admiration for this strange girl in- 
 creasing. 
 
 "You are very brave, Miss Bellwood," he cried, so she 
 could hear him above the sound of the storm ; "but such 
 a thing is not possible. The sailors would not hear to it 
 You must go next" 
 
 "And you may remain till the vessel breaks up and you 
 are lost. That is all wrong. You risked your life to 
 come off here for our sakes ; you should be the first sent 
 ashore." 
 
 "Oh, but I decline to go." 
 
 "I shall pray for you I shall pray that you come safely 
 through all this peril !" 
 
 "Thank you, Miss Bellwood." 
 
 Near at hand was crouching a man who heard many of 
 their words. 
 
 "Pray for him pray for him!" grated Carlos Merri- 
 well. "Your prayers shall not save him ! If he remains 
 long enough, he'll never set his feet on dry land again ! 
 Who is he ? She called him Merriwell. Can it be possi- 
 ble he is the one I have reason to hate above all others 
 in this world? If so, our meeting will be most oppor- 
 tune. He shall become food for the fishes !" 
 
 Frank did not know a most deadly foe crouched near 
 at hand, and watched him as he released the captain's 
 daughter from the lashings that held her to the mast. 
 
 The girl clung to Frank, for the waves were sending 
 sheets of spray across the deck, and the wind came in 
 swirls that tried to lift and bear her away. Her arms 
 were about his neck once more, and she murmured again : 
 
 "I shall pray for you." 
 
 At that moment Frank was tempted to return the kiss
 
 The Work of Rescue. 237 
 
 she had so impulsively given him a short time before. 
 Her lips were near, and they seemed to invite such a 
 caress. 
 
 Through his mind flashed a thought of Inza Burrage, 
 the beautiful girl he had three times saved from death, 
 the girl who admired and trusted him above all other lads 
 in the world. 
 
 It was true that it was no more than a boy and girl 
 affection between them, it was true that he had exacted no 
 promises from Inza, and had given her none, but still he 
 felt that they were something more than friends, and this 
 feeling kept him from returning the kiss of the pretty 
 girl who clung to him. 
 
 The sailors were drawing in the breeches buoy, and 
 Elsie Bellwood must be ready to leave the schooner as 
 soon as she could be placed in it. 
 
 It is possible she divined something of the temptation 
 that had assailed Frank, and it is possible she felt disap- 
 pointment when he held the impulse in check. But she 
 clung close to him, and her round, wet cheek came against 
 his face as he lifted her and bore her quickly to the side 
 of the schooner. 
 
 The breeches buoy came gliding out of the darkness 
 and ran into the schooner's side. 
 
 It was necessary for all who entered it to get in with- 
 out regard to any disadvantage at which it might place 
 them. For a man it was not so bad, but it was certainly 
 an awkward thing for a woman to enter. Once in the 
 breeches, a person could be fastened so there was little 
 chance to get out until released. 
 
 Frank spoke encouraging words to the girl. He told 
 her to cling fast, to hold her breath when the buoy seemed 
 to break away and plunge beneath the waves, as it some- 
 times would, and to have perfect faith in the strength 
 and security of the arrangement.
 
 238 The Work of Rescue. 
 
 "I shall do exactly as you direct," was her assurance. 
 "And I shall wait on the shore till you come off. I can- 
 not rest till I know you are safe." 
 
 They swung her over the side, but her hands clung to 
 his till the signal was given. Then he saw her slide 
 swiftly down the cable that seemed to lead into the depths 
 of the boiling sea. 
 
 The work of rescue was carried on as swiftly as pos- 
 sible, and Frank's five companions alternated with five 
 sailors in taking their turn to ride ashore in the breeches 
 buoy. 
 
 Frank had resolved to remain and be the last one off. 
 
 Finally all the sailors but the first mate seemed to have 
 gone. The mate ordered Frank into the breeches buoy, 
 but Frank declined to go. 
 
 "What's the matter with you?" shouted the man, 
 angrily. 
 
 "Go on," cried Frank. "Let me come last." 
 
 At this moment a terrible wave surged over the ledge, 
 lifting the schooner and bringing her down with a crash 
 that splintered her bottom and shook her in every joint. 
 
 "Stay and drown !" shouted the mate, as he made haste 
 to get into the buoy. 
 
 Away he went into the darkness, away toward the light 
 that was gleaming on the shore. 
 
 Frank felt that he was alone on the doomed vessel, and 
 a strange feeling came over him. It was not a feeling of 
 fear, but a sensation of unutterable awe as he contem- 
 plated the power of the storm-tossed sea to wrench and 
 beat and destroy. 
 
 Then a cry came from his lips. 
 
 From out of the darkness glided a moving form a 
 human figure! He was not alone on the deck of the 
 fated schooner; a deadly foe was at hand. 
 
 Carlos Merriwell was there !
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 CAST INTO THE SEA. 
 
 "You you!" cried Frank. "I thought you were on 
 shore !" 
 
 "Not much," yelled back the young sailor with the 
 scarred face. "I waited waited for you !" 
 
 There was something deadly in his crouching manner 
 and his words. Frank realized that he was now in the 
 most fearful peril. 
 
 "Waited for me?" 
 
 '"Yes ; I wanted to see you alone !" 
 
 "Well, I am here." 
 
 "Is your name Frank Merawell?" 
 
 "It is." 
 
 "Then you are the very one I resolved long ago to find 
 to find and kill !" 
 
 He snarled the words. One hand was thrust into his 
 breast, while with the other he clung to the shrouds. 
 
 "Man, you are mad !" cried Frank, retreating a step. 
 
 "Oh, I am sane enough. I concealed myself and 
 waited, hoping they would not miss me hoping they 
 would think I had been swept overboard or gone ashore. 
 I watched you. You wanted to be able to say that you 
 were the last to leave this vessel, and that desire held you 
 here held you here for me !" 
 
 The wind tore over the vessel, and his words were 
 drowned for the moment ; but in the next lull, he went 
 on: 
 
 "Twice have you struck me this night, and I never for-
 
 240 Cast Into the Sea. 
 
 get a blow. That was enough to make me long for your 
 death to cause me to kill you, if given an opportunity 
 like this ! But, now that I know you now that I know 
 you are the one who will rob me of what is rightfully 
 mine if I live, I shall have no more compunction in strik- 
 ing you down than I would were you a dog !" 
 
 "You talk in riddles, man. How have I robbed you ?" 
 
 Again the wind set up a fearful howling, and Frank did 
 not understand the reply which the sailor made. 
 
 "The fellow's deranged," thought Frank. "There is 
 no question about that. I shall have to fight for life 
 againts a madman." 
 
 The thought would have unnerved some lads, but it 
 served to steel Frank for the struggle that must come. 
 He would do his best. Hand to hand, he believed he 
 would be more than a match for the sailor, in case the 
 other were unarmed. 
 
 But the sailor was not unarmed. 
 
 From the shore came the signal for the buoy to be 
 drawn back to the vessel. 
 
 Then Frank's foe drew a knife and came sidling along 
 the rail toward the lad. 
 
 Frank knew the time when he must fight for his life 
 had come, and the odds seemed against him. 
 
 He was forced to retreat as the sailor advanced, and 
 then the man laughed harshly, sneeringly. 
 
 "You can't escape me!" he declared. "You may de- 
 lay the game a bit, but that is all." 
 
 Frank made no reply. His hands were seeking some 
 weapon of defense, and they finally found it in a belaying- 
 pin. 
 
 All at once, Frank changed his tactics, and suddenly 
 advanced on the other. 
 
 The sailor paused in surprise, lifting the knife.
 
 Cast Into the Sea. 241 
 
 Frank made an agile leap, the pin swished through the 
 air, and the knife was knocked from the sailor's hand. 
 
 The man gave a cry of rage, and closed in with Frank 
 before the latter could strike him down. 
 
 Then began a fearful struggle. 
 
 The sailor was several years older than Frank, and the 
 life he had led seemed to have made him strong to a sur- 
 prising extent. Although Frank had twice knocked him 
 down, he found it quite different when they came to 
 grapple. 
 
 But the boy knew he was fighting for life, and he bat- 
 tled like a cornered tiger. 
 
 Round and round over that slippery deck they writhed 
 and whirled, never minding the seas that swept over 
 them, never minding the wind that threatened to hurl 
 them, clasped in each other's arms, into the surging bil- 
 lows, never minding anything but that they were fighting 
 for life. 
 
 Sometimes they slipped and fell, but they would strug- 
 gle up and resume the fierce battle. 
 
 In this manner they worked their way over to the wind- 
 ward side of the schooner, and here Frank was flung with 
 such force upon the deck that he was stunned for the mo- 
 ment. He realized his peril, but he could do nothing to 
 save himself, and through his brain flashed the thought: 
 
 "This is the end !" 
 
 A wild laugh came from the lips of the sailor. Then 
 he lifted Frank in his arms and hurled him over the rail 
 into the boiling sea ! 
 
 Back across the deck staggered the sailor. Once more 
 a mighty wave swept over the schooner, and the man 
 clung to the shrouds till its force was spent. He then 
 clutched the line and began drawing in the breeches buoy, 
 working with a wild, fierce energy, and muttering to 
 himself :
 
 242 Cast Into the Sea. 
 
 "No human being saw the act, yet he is dead and for- 
 ever out of the way ! Even though I may be suspected, 
 nothing can ever be proved against me." 
 
 It did not take him long to draw in the breeches buoy, 
 into which he quickly climbed. Then he gave the signal, 
 and, clinging fast, felt himself jerked swiftly down the 
 incline into the darkness of the storm-swept sea. Waves 
 rolled over him, filling his mouth and eyes with brackish 
 water, he was beaten and thumped and robbed of his 
 breath, he seemed assailed by a hundred hands that were 
 trying to tear him from the buoy and drag him into the 
 depths of the sea. He fancied that the hands of the lad 
 he had hurled from the schooner a few minutes before 
 clutched at him, and he seemed to feel that the dead boy 
 was pursuing him in his mad rush through the tops of 
 the waves. On every side of him he fancied he saw the 
 dead face of Frank Merriwell, with the staring eyes 
 turned accusingly upon him, and that face was following, 
 following, following ! 
 
 At last he understood what it meant, and he was 
 aroused to fury. He could not escape the corpse ; it was 
 following him to the shore, where it would appear as evi- 
 dence against him ! 
 
 "Pull ! pull ! pull !" 
 
 Even as that frantic, gurgling cry broke from his lips, 
 he saw a blinding glare of light before him, felt a shock, 
 and found he had reached the shore. 
 
 More dead than alive, he was dragged from the 
 breeches buoy. He could scarcely stand, and he looked 
 shudderingly around, as if seeking the dead face that had 
 pursued him through the billows. 
 
 The cadets had rushed forward to greet him, but they 
 stopped, staring in astonishment and consternation at the 
 sailor.
 
 Cast Into the Sea. 243 
 
 "It's not Merriwell !" cried Barney Mulloy. "It's thot 
 imp av th' ould b'y !" 
 
 Hodge confronted the sailor. 
 
 "Where is Frank Merriwell ?" he demanded. "Did you 
 leave him on the vessel ?" 
 
 "If you mean that boy," was the husky reply, "he was 
 swept overboard by a big wave just before I got into the 
 breeches. I tried to catch him as the wave swept him 
 past, but I failed." 
 
 "I believe that's a lie!" Hodge passionately cried. "I 
 believe you cast him overboard yourself !"
 
 CHAPTER XLIIL 
 
 OUT OF THE SEA. 
 
 Frank had not perished in the sea. He had been cast 
 over the windward rail of the doomed schooner, and the 
 next wave flung him back on deck, where he caught at 
 anything his fingers touched, grasped a rope, and held 
 fast. 
 
 But he was too dazed and confused to make any move 
 for some moments after the wave had swept over the 
 schooner. When he did try to get up, he found that 
 what he had passed through had robbed him of his 
 strength, so he was weak as a kitten. 
 
 He knew not what had become of his deadly foe, but 
 felt certain the man would lose little time in taking to the 
 breeches buoy and getting ashore. 
 
 It seemed to Frank that he lay for hours clinging to 
 that rope, occasionally washed by the seas that poured 
 over the schooner. Down in the bowels of the vessel he 
 could hear the water swishing and gurgling, and he knew 
 the schooner must go down in a moment if she slipped 
 from the ledge. 
 
 In time his strength came back to him, and he was 
 able to get upon his feet, still clinging to something to 
 keep from being washed overboard by the seas or blown 
 away by the strong wind. 
 
 He knew where to find the life line, and he sought it 
 without delay, for the vessel was shivering and straining 
 in a way that foretold her immediate dissolution. 
 
 Something caused him to think of Elsie Bellwood, and
 
 Out of the Sea. 245 
 
 he wondered if her prayers had in any way been instru- 
 mental in his marvelous escape from death in the sea. 
 He knew she had kept her word and prayed for his life, 
 and the thought that she was still praying for him gave 
 him faith to believe he would yet reach the shore in 
 safety. 
 
 With no little difficulty he repressed a frantic desire to 
 make haste to do something desperate. 
 
 "Keep cool, old fellow !" he muttered. "The chap who 
 keeps cool stands the best show in a moment of danger." 
 
 So he kept cool. He found the cable, he found the line 
 that was attached to the breeches buoy, and he began pull- 
 ing in on it. 
 
 That act produced unutterable excitement and wonder 
 on shore, where it was believed that Frank had perished. 
 The breeches buoy ran along the cable and disappeared 
 in the direction of the schooner, the locality of which was 
 plainly indicated by the reflector light that still flung its 
 rays out over the storm-tortured sea. 
 
 "What is the meaning of that?" cried one of the life- 
 savers. "I thought all living beings were off the vessel." 
 
 "Mean !" panted Bart Hodge, excitedly. "It must mean 
 that Frank Merriwell is there ! It must mean that he 
 has not perished !" 
 
 "Hurro !" shouted Barney Mulloy. "Me back tathe are 
 chattering to clap oies on th' lad !" 
 
 A suppressed cheer went up from those immediately 
 near the termination of the life-line, but Hodge sup- 
 pressed it with a gesture. 
 
 "Wait !" he shouted ; "wait and make sure it is Frank ! 
 Then, if it is, you may split your throats !" 
 
 The sailor with the scarred face had been most as- 
 tounded by the movement of the breeches buoy. 
 ' "What is the meaning of that?" he thought. "It can't
 
 246 Out of the Sea. 
 
 be Merriwell. I am sure I fixed that young whelp. It 
 might be that one of the men was overlooked and is still 
 on board." 
 
 But it was said all the men had come off in the breeches 
 buoy, save the miserable wretch who had been swept over- 
 board. 
 
 A new fear seized upon the sailor of the scarred face. 
 What he had passed through was enough to shake 
 stronger nerves than he possessed, and now he fancied 
 that it was the corpse of Frank pulling at the breeches 
 buoy. He fancied that the buoy would be drawn in with 
 a corpse standing upright in the breeches, a frightful ac- 
 cusation against him. 
 
 The attention of every one was turned toward the 
 schooner, and the line that was still running out. 
 
 "Now is my time to get out of the way," thought the 
 scar-faced sailor. "If by any chance something should 
 happen well, I'll not be here." 
 
 It was an easy thing for him to slip away into the dark- 
 ness, but he remained near enough to see what burden 
 the breeches buoy brought. 
 
 Elsie Bellwood had heard all that passed, having re- 
 fused to seek shelter till she knew Frank was safe. She 
 had been stabbed to the heart by a pang of unutterable 
 anguish when Carlos Merriwell brought the report that 
 Frank had been swept overboard, but she felt certain there 
 had been foul play. She had prayed for Frank, and she 
 continued to do so. 
 
 It was a strange sight to see that eager, earnest girl 
 there amid the men, refusing to be taken away till the 
 last one had come ashore from the schooner, and many 
 wondering eyes were directed upon her. 
 
 At length the line ceased running out, and all knew 
 the buoy had reached the schooner.
 
 Out of the Sea. 247 
 
 Eagerly the signal to pull away was awaited. 
 
 It came, and the men lay to with a will. 
 
 Each moment added to the inexpressible excitement on 
 the shore, where the cadets now crowded down as far 
 as the rolling breakers would allow, refusing to be driven 
 back. 
 
 Frank was universally esteemed among the instructors 
 at Fardale Academy, but, of them all, Professor Scotch 
 cared most for the lad. He had come to regard Frank 
 with positive affection, and the little man's excitement 
 and eagerness were pitiful to witness. Wet to the knees 
 with the waves that rolled far up the beach, he stood and 
 wrung his hands, staring into the darkness where the life- 
 line led down and vanished toward the light that gleamed 
 far out on Tiger Tooth Ledge. 
 
 The life savers pulled away at the line that ran to the 
 breeches buoy, and every one knew the buoy must appear 
 in a few seconds. 
 
 "Here it comes !" 
 
 The light of the fire showed a black object that skimmed 
 the tops of the waves, coming nearer, nearer, nearer. 
 
 "Who is it?" 
 
 "Is it Merriwell?" 
 
 "Look ! Look for yourselves !" 
 
 "It is Frank Merriwell alive! Hurrah! hurrah 1 
 hurrah !" 
 
 Yes, it was Frank the breeches buoy brought from the 
 jaws of death to the arms of his comrades and friends. 
 
 When she saw his face, Elsie Bellwood murmured 
 thanks to Heaven, staggering toward the open door of the 
 old boathouse, to fall swooning across the threshold. 
 
 Great and unutterable was the joy of the cadets. In 
 unison they cheered, and the roar of their voices sounded 
 above the roar of the baffled and defeated storm.
 
 248 Out of the Sea. 
 
 But Frank had reached the shore none too soon. Far 
 out on Tiger Tooth Ledge the light was seen to sway, and 
 then, in the twinkling of an eye, it disappeared. 
 
 The schooner had slipped from the ledge and gone 
 down!
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 CARLOS MERRIWELL. 
 
 The wild night passed, and a bright and beautiful 
 morning followed. But for the dripping, rain-drenched 
 world and the heavy sea which still flung itself over Tiger 
 Tooth Ledge and beat against Black Bluff, there were 
 few evidences of the terrible storm. 
 
 The captain of the lost schooner, together with his wife, 
 daughter and the sailors, had been cared for by the people 
 of Fardale village. 
 
 Frank had been taken to the academy and put to bed 
 in a warm roorn, and he came forth fresh and unruffled 
 in the morning, ready to attend to his duties as an under 
 officer. 
 
 But it was believed that he had a tale to tell, and he was 
 summoned to the presence of Professor Gunn, the head 
 master, with whom he found Professor Scotch. 
 
 The head master greeted Frank with dignity, but the 
 little professor cast dignity to the winds, and wrung the 
 lad's hand warmly. 
 
 "It was a grand thing a noble thing to see six of our 
 young men row away into the teeth of that storm," de- 
 clared Scotch. "And you, Mr. Merriwell, you gave them 
 confidence. But for you, they could not have done it. 
 You were their leader." 
 
 "So far as I have been able to learn," observed Pro- 
 fessor Gunn, "Mr. Merriwell has been the leader in almost 
 everything that is praiseworthy and commendable since 
 he entered the academy."
 
 250 Carlos Merriwell. 
 
 "True, true, true!" vigorously nodded the little pro- 
 fessor. "He is a remarkable youth a wonderful youth ! 
 He is a model young American, and an honor to the 
 academy !" 
 
 Frank was blushing in confusion, for it was but natural 
 that such open praise from the professors should bring 
 color to his face. 
 
 "I always try to do what is right," he said. 
 
 "I am sure you do," asserted Professor Gunn. "And 
 when you feel that a thing should be done, you have cour- 
 age enough to go ahead and do it !" 
 
 " 'Go ahead' is my motto, sir." 
 
 "And a very good one it is, young man. It would be 
 a good motto for most young Americans, for push is what 
 is needed in these days, and the lad who does not possess 
 it stands very little show of getting to the top." 
 
 "But we did not call you here to flatter you," laughed 
 Professor Scotch, in his big, heavy voice, which was sev- 
 eral sizes too large for his body. "We want to ask you 
 a few questions." 
 
 "That's right," nodded the head master. 
 
 "I shall be happy to answer them, if possible," assured 
 Frank. 
 
 "A very singular thing happened last night," said Pro- 
 fessor Scotch. "You were the last to leave the ill-fated 
 vessel." 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "Until the very moment that you arrived in the breeches 
 buoy no one on shore was sure it could be you." 
 
 "How was that?" 
 
 "The man who came before you reported that you had 
 been swept overboard and drowned." 
 
 "The miserable wretch ! He tried to murder me !"
 
 Carlos Merriwell. 251 
 
 "I knew it! I was sure of it!" roared Professor 
 Scotch, excitedly. 
 
 "Tell us all about it/' directed Professor Gunn, who 
 was scarcely less excited. 
 
 So Frank told of the terrible struggle on board the 
 schooner, and how a great wave flung him back to the 
 deck of the vessel after his foe had cast him overboard. 
 
 "The wretch!" thundered the little professor. "He 
 came ashore and reported that you had been swept into 
 the sea by a great wave ; but Mr. Hodge accused him of 
 foul play, and the captain's daughter refused to believe 
 him. Before you came ashore he disappeared. I have 
 made inquiries concerning him, and I find that he was 
 known as Carlos Merriwell, under which name he 
 shipped." 
 
 "And he seems to have a deadly feeling of animosity 
 against you," observed Professor Gunn. 
 
 "Which leads us to believe he knew of you before your 
 meeting last night" 
 
 "We do not wish to be curious concerning your family 
 secrets, but " 
 
 "Not at all, but " 
 
 Both men stopped and stared at Frank in a most in- 
 quiring way. 
 
 "This Carlos Merriwell seems ia some way related to 
 me," said Frank ; "but to my knowldege, I never met the 
 fellow before. More than that, I never heard of him." 
 
 The professors looked disappointed. 
 
 "He must be a relative," said Professor Gunn ; "and it 
 would seem that you have given him reason to hate you." 
 
 "I do not think he is in any way related to me, as I am 
 the only son of my father, and my father's only brother, 
 my Uncle Asher, has been a woman-hater all his life, and 
 is a bachelor."
 
 252 Carlos Merriwell. 
 
 The look of disappointment grew on the faces of the 
 professors. They were very loth to relinquish the be- 
 lief that the mysterious sailor of the scarred face was in 
 some way connected by blood ties with Frank. 
 
 "Your uncle is your guardian?" questioned Professor 
 Gunn, although no one knew this better than he. 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "And he is very wealthy ?" 
 
 "He is wealthy in a modest manner, but he cannot be 
 said to be very wealthy. In the country, he is regarded 
 as a rich man, but his fortune would be considered quit* 
 small in any large city." 
 
 "Still it is large enough to make a near relative covet 
 it?" 
 
 "Without doubt." 
 
 "And a conscienceless scoundrel might be led to at- 
 tempt murder for it." 
 
 "Possibly." 
 
 "Have you no reason to think that Carlos Merriwell 
 believes you stand between him and that fortune ?" 
 
 Frank was about to answer no, but he suddenly checked 
 himself, for, with a rush, came the remembrance of the 
 scar-faced sailor's words, as they stood alone, face to face, 
 on the deck of the schooner. He remembered that the 
 sailor had said something about being robbed of what was 
 rightfully his. 
 
 The professors noted this hesitation, and they bent 
 eagerly forward, watching Frank's expressive face. 
 
 For several moments the boy was silent, and then he 
 slowly said : 
 
 "I don't know but I dreamed it, but it seems that, when 
 we were alone on the schooner, he did declare that I stood 
 between him and what rightfully belonged to him." 
 
 "Ah!"
 
 Carlos Merriwell. 253 
 
 With that exclamation, both men straightened up, satis- 
 faction expressed on their faces. 
 
 "Young man," said Professor Gunn, "I am convinced 
 that you will discover in time that this person is in some 
 way related to you. I am convinced that he is a most 
 deadly and dangerous enemy, and I advise you to swear 
 out a warrant for his arrest without delay. If you do 
 not, it is possible that he may find a way to complete the 
 work he attempted last night." 
 
 "That's right, that's right !" nodded Professor Scotch. 
 
 "If you wish to push this matter, you are released from 
 duty for the day," said the head master. 
 
 Frank improved the opportunity to leave the academy 
 grounds and visit the village, for his curiosity concerning 
 Carlos Merriwell had been thoroughly aroused, and he 
 longed to solve the mystery which seemed to hang around 
 the scar-faced sailor. 
 
 Not only that, but he felt a strong desire to see Elsie 
 Bellwood once more, and tell her that he believed her 
 prayers had something to do with bringing him safely 
 through the terrible perils of the night. Through all his 
 dreams her face had seemed to float, smiling down upon 
 him, and he had awakened with the fancy that he again 
 felt her lips touching his. 
 
 He stepped off briskly toward the village, the lightness 
 of his heart being evinced by the lively air he whistled. 
 
 Resolved to visit the post office first, he did so, and 
 called for his mail. 
 
 A drop letter, postmarked Fardale, and bearing a date 
 that told it had been mailed that morning, was handed 
 him. 
 
 His name was written upon the envelope in scrawling 
 chirography.
 
 254 Carlos Merriwell. 
 
 Frank regarded the latter in surprise. 
 "I wonder whom this is from ?" he muttered. 
 Quickly tearing the envelope open, he extracted a sheet 
 of paper, on which was written a single line : 
 
 You have not seen the last of me. CARLOS MERMWBLL.
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 JEALOUSY. 
 
 "Whew!" 
 
 Frank whistled, expressive of his feelings. 
 
 "It is plain the fellow means business, and I shall have 
 to look out for myself. He failed in his murderous at- 
 tempt last night, but he is not going to let the matter drop 
 there. Well, I'll lose no time in setting an officer after 
 him." 
 
 Frank went at once to a justice of the peace, and had 
 a warrant sworn out for the arrest of the mysterious 
 sailor, and he did not rest till he saw the warrant in the 
 hands of the sheriff, who was instructed to find the man 
 and take him into custody as soon as possible. 
 
 But it was not to prove such an easy thing to find 
 Carlos Merriwell, for the young ruffian knew that he 
 would be in danger, and the postmaster was the only 
 person who was sure he had seen the fellow since the 
 previous night. 
 
 The sailor had been forced to enter the village and 
 visit the post office in order to mail the letter, but he had 
 disappeared as soon as possible. 
 
 Somewhat to Frank's surprise, he learned that Captain 
 Bellwood, his wife and his daughter, were stopping with 
 Noel Burrage, the father of Inza. 
 
 Captain Bellwood would be likely to know something 
 of Carlos Merriwell, so Frank directed his steps toward 
 Inza's home. 
 
 As he approached, his steps grew slower, and he hesi-
 
 256 Jealousy. 
 
 tated. Somehow a guilty feeling crept into his heart, 
 and he almost feared to see Elsie and Inza together. 
 
 He was angry with himself because of this feeling of 
 guilt, for he had done nothing to cause it. True, Elsie 
 had kissed him in a girlish, impulsive way, but he had 
 resisted the temptation to return that kiss. True, he had 
 dreamed of her, but he had not been able to govern his 
 dreams. 
 
 Still he dallied, and it was by resolutely crushing the 
 desire to remain away that he finally brought himself to 
 step forward swiftly and approach the house unfalter- 
 ingly. 
 
 Before he reached the gate he saw a familiar face at 
 the window, and the door was flung open as he stepped 
 briskly up the gravel walk. 
 
 Inza and Elsie were there to greet him. 
 
 "Oh, Frank," cried Inza, "Elsie has told me all about 
 it, and I am so proud of you ! It is like you to ever be 
 brave and true." 
 
 For some reason, these words cut him, and he winced 
 the least bit. 
 
 Elsie gave him her hand, warm and firm, and her eyes 
 were full of admiration. Still he fancied he saw another 
 look there a look of sadness. 
 
 "I would not believe you had perished," she said, ear- 
 nestly. "I did not give you up not even when Carlos 
 Merriwell declared you had been swept away by the sea." 
 
 "You said you would pray for me." 
 
 "I did I did !" 
 
 "And I came safely through every peril." 
 
 The two girls presented a strong contrast, though both 
 were pretty. Inza's hair and the tint of her flesh made 
 her a brunette, while Elsie was a blonde, with "eyes of 
 tender blue." By nature, Inza was the more passionate
 
 Jealousy. 257 
 
 and jealous, but she could not be more true and faithful. 
 In fact, she was far more liable to change and forget. 
 
 In midst of the wild storm, Elsie seemed pretty, but 
 now, attired in one of Inza's dresses, she looked like a 
 little fairy. 
 
 Frank noted the mingled sadness and gladness in her 
 eyes, and he hastened to ask : 
 
 "Your father how is he?" 
 
 "Oh, he is much better this morning. He was stunned, 
 but otherwise Carlos Merriwell did not injure him se- 
 verely." 
 
 "I am very glad to hear it. I have sworn out a war- 
 rant for that ruffian's arrest, and I have come to hear 
 what your father can tell me concerning him." 
 
 "In that case, I fear you will meet with disappointment, 
 for it is certain father cannot tell much. However, he 
 is in the parlor, and you may question him." 
 
 Frank entered the parlor, and was cordially greeted 
 by Captain Bellwood. 
 
 "You are the brave young life-saver who came off to 
 us who saved me from being kicked to death by that 
 ruffian," he said, as he wrung Frank's hand and gazed 
 closely at the lad. "I owe you much, but all I possess in 
 the world I lost with the Princess, a vessel that has taken 
 me through several storms, so I shall not be able to repay 
 you." 
 
 "My dear captain, it was very little I did besides res- 
 cue you from the sailor, for our boat was wrecked, and 
 the line we brought aboard parted. I have already been 
 paid a thousand times by thanks." 
 
 "Gallantly spoken ! If all I have heard concerning you 
 since these kind people gave us shelter is true, you are 
 one of the most wonderful young men in the world. H 
 in any way I am ever able to be of assistance to you, you 
 may command me."
 
 258 Jealousy. 
 
 "Well, captain, I have learned that the ruffian who 
 attacked you and afterward tried to drown me bears my 
 name Merriwell. I wish to find out as much as pos- 
 sible concerning him." 
 
 "I am afraid I can tell you very little. I shipped him 
 in Liverpool. He shipped as an experienced seaman, but 
 he proved to be no more than a common sailor. He 
 claimed to be a native of the United States, and I fancied 
 he spoke the truth. That is all I know about him, and I 
 do not believe the men can tell you much of anything 
 more, as he was a sulky, sullen sort of person, who sel- 
 dom spoke of himself or his own affairs. I believe he 
 did get hold of too much grog one day, for he disobeyed 
 orders, claiming to be the heir to great wealth, and I was 
 forced to throw him into the hold for insubordination. 
 That caused him to hate me, and his attack was caused 
 by a desire to get square." 
 
 That was all Captain Bellwood could tell Frank con- 
 cerning Carlos Merriwell, which was rather disappoint- 
 ing. 
 
 When Mrs. Bellwood had been brought in and intro- 
 duced, and they had chatted a short time, the young cadet 
 took his departure. 
 
 He found Inza and Elsie waiting at the gate, and they 
 playfully refused to let him pass. 
 
 "Why are you in such a hurry to get away?" pouted 
 Inza. "You do not act like yourself, Frank." 
 
 "Is that true ?" he asked, feebly. 
 
 "Is that true?" she repeated, mockingly, a trifle ma- 
 liciously. "Am I in the habit of fibbing so that you doubt 
 me now?" 
 
 "Oh, you know I didn't mean anything of the kind; 
 but I was not aware that I appeared in any but a natural 
 manner."
 
 Jealousy. 259 
 
 Somehow his eyes found Elsie's, and Inza, who was 
 watching every glance, bit her lip, her own eyes flashing. 
 
 "I may be mistaken in you," she said, sharply. "Pos- 
 sibly it is natural, and what I have believed natural was 
 a veneering. Persons are sometimes deceived in those 
 they fancy they know best." 
 
 He did not miss the angry note in her voice, and it 
 brought a shadow to his face. 
 
 Elsie turned away, as if she were hurt, and a little 
 cloud had risen between the girls, who had become very 
 friendly in a few short hours, as girls often do. 
 
 Frank could but feel that Inza was unjust, and he 
 longed to get away quickly, before her suspicions pro- 
 gressed. 
 
 Inza held the gate. 
 
 "Still in a hurry?" she asked, with her head thrown 
 back. 
 
 "I came to the village on business," he said, "and I 
 have not yet completed it." 
 
 "Ah!" she opened the gate, bowing. "I beg your 
 royal pardon for detaining you. Good-day." 
 
 "Good-day, young ladies." 
 
 He was walking away when Inza ran after him, caught 
 his arm, and whispered, pantingly: 
 
 "So you have found another that you care for more 
 than for me! I am not surprised. Don't deny it! I 
 have eyes, and I can see ! I know she cares for you, if 
 that gives you satisfaction ! Her words made that plain." 
 
 "Inza, I " 
 
 "Stop! Don't fib! It isn't necessary. What do I 
 care ! There are thousands of fellows in this world. 
 Don't you think for a moment that I'll be broken-hearted ! 
 Ha ! ha ! ha ! I made a mistake in thinking you different 
 from other boys, but now I know boys are all alike." 
 
 "But, Inza, this "
 
 260 Jealousy. 
 
 "I tell you I do not care to hear it ! I saw it all when 
 you looked at her and she looked at you ! Perhaps you 
 fancied I was not discerning enough to detect it! That 
 was a compliment to me ! But I don't mind I don't 
 care ! Don't think of me ! I shall not give you another 
 thought. Good-by !" 
 
 "Inza!" 
 
 She was gone. She ran back to where Elsie was wait- 
 ing, and, with arms about each other, the two girls ran 
 up the steps, a merry laugh pealing from Inza's lips as 
 the door closed behind them.
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 FIRE! 
 
 Frank could not help feeling slightly angered, for he 
 was cut by Inza's injustice. She had given him no op- 
 portunity to speak a word in his defense. 
 
 For a moment he stood there, undecided, and then he 
 whirled and walked swiftly away. When he was cooler, 
 he laughed a little, muttering: 
 
 "Dear little Inza! What a jealous little spitfire she 
 is ! And she really thinks she means what she has said." 
 
 Despite himself, he was not a little troubled by what 
 had passed. 
 
 He sought out several of the sailors, and questioned 
 them concerning Carlos Merriwell, but he learned noth- 
 ing new or of importance, although they all spoke of 
 hearing Carlos declare that he was the rightful heir to 
 riches. 
 
 The mystery of the scar-faced sailor seemed as great 
 as ever, and it troubled Frank considerably. However, 
 he reasoned that the sheriff would arrest the fellow soon, 
 and the truth might be wrested from his lips. 
 
 But Carlos Merriwell was not arrested that day. 
 
 However, he was hidden in the strip of woods near the 
 academy, and two or three of the cadets saw him. 
 
 Frank was warned, as it seemed certain the fellow was 
 lingering near for no good purpose. 
 
 "Begobs, Frankie, ye want to kape yer weather oie 
 woide open to-night," said Barney Mulloy. "Th' spal- 
 pane manes to do ye harrum."
 
 262 Fire! 
 
 "That's right," nodded Hodge. "He's waiting his 
 opportunity." 
 
 "Perhaps he contemplates creeping into camp and get- 
 ting in his work to-night," said Paul Rains. 
 
 "He'll have a fine time doing that," laughed Frank. 
 "He wouldn't stand one chance in a hundred of getting 
 past the sentries." 
 
 "Thot wan chance moight be enough. Take me ad- 
 voice, Frankie b'y, an' look out sharrup." 
 
 "All right, Barney. Be ready to turn out when you 
 hear the alarm." 
 
 The alarm came, but not because of any intrusion in 
 the camp. 
 
 In Fardale village the fire-bell clanged, and with the 
 second stroke the blare of a bugle sounded through the 
 sleeping camp. 
 
 Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta ! 
 , Bang ! 
 
 One of the sentinels discharged his gun. 
 
 Bang ! bang ! 
 
 Two more sentinels did likewise. 
 
 In an amazingly brief space of time, the cadets came 
 leaping from the tents, finishing the work of dressing as 
 they emerged. 
 
 It was not necessary to ask questions, for the clang of 
 the fire-bell told them why they had been aroused. 
 
 The academy fire brigade, of which Frank was the 
 chief, quickly formed, and a single glance told Frank 
 that all were present. 
 
 In an emergency of this sort, Frank was under the au- 
 thority of no one at the academy ; he was permitted to act 
 according to his best judgment. 
 
 "There is a fire in the village, men," he said, swiftly
 
 Fire! 263 
 
 but quietly. "We may be able to render assistance there. 
 Are you ready ?" 
 
 "All ready !" 
 
 'Then go ahead !" 
 
 Away they went on the run, clinging together in one 
 compact mass, Frank leading. 
 
 There was a stiff wind blowing, and as they ran they 
 saw a red glow showing against the sky. 
 
 Every lad in the fire brigade was a sprinter, and they 
 made quick time over the mile of good road that lay be- 
 tween the academy and Fardale village. 
 
 As they drew near the village, a feeling of alarm and 
 anxiety grew in Frank's breast, for he saw that the glow 
 of the fire came from that quarter of the place where 
 Inza Burrage's home was situated. 
 
 "What if it is Inza's home?" 
 
 The thought filled him with horror, and fairly stag- 
 gered him for a moment. 
 
 Then he suddenly shot forward with the speed of a 
 deer, and the other boys found they could not hold their 
 own with him. He swiftly drew away from them, fairly 
 flying along the streets. 
 
 The sleepy villagers were just turning out. Around a 
 corner came several of the fire company, dragging a 
 hand-tub. 
 
 They shouted for him to catch hold, but he flew past 
 them like the wind. 
 
 In various parts of the village he could hear individuals 
 shouting fire, but it seemed to him they were benumbed. 
 
 He passed one or two who were running in the same 
 direction, and they must have wondered at his speed. 
 
 More and more the conviction that it was Inza's home 
 came upon him, and, at last, he turned a comer and saw- 
 that it was true.
 
 264 Fire! 
 
 The L was a mass of flames, and the main house had 
 already caught. 
 
 Quite a collection of persons were gathered about, but 
 they seemed to be standing numbly by, waiting for the 
 antiquated fire apparatus of the village to arrive. 
 
 A few were engaged in fetching furniture from the 
 parlor, but not a drop of water had been cast upon the 
 fire. 
 
 Frank burst into the midst of the staring collection of 
 individuals, hoarsely crying: 
 
 "Is every one out of the house?" 
 
 "I guess so," drawled one man, who had found time to 
 take in a huge quid of tobacco since getting out of bed. 
 
 "Guess so !" shouted Frank." Don't you know ? What 
 are you on earth for?" 
 
 "Look here, young fellow," began the man, "don't you 
 sass " 
 
 But Frank did not pause to hear what he had to say. 
 He saw some of the crowd gathered around some one 
 who had been brought out of the house, and he forced 
 his way to the center, where he found Inza, who had been 
 overcome by smoke. 
 
 "Inza!" he cried, as he knelt beside her. "Thank 
 Heaven ! you are safe !" 
 
 His voice seemed to arouse her. She started up, 
 clutching his arm, and crying: 
 
 "Forgive me, Frank forgive me! Elsie she is in 
 there ! Save her save her !" 
 
 His strong arms flung men to the right and left, and 
 he dashed into the house in the twinkling of an eye, dis- 
 appearing up the smoke-shrouded stairway. 
 
 The act had been seen by a person who stood on the 
 outskirts of the crowd, and that person muttered : 
 
 "He's gone in there to rescue some one. He has 
 escaped from the sea, but fire might do the work !"
 
 Fire! 265 
 
 In another moment this man rushed toward the house. 
 Some one stepped in front of him, but, with a fierce ex- 
 clamation, he dashed the person to the ground. 
 
 As he reached the doorway he turned to look back. 
 
 The glare of the fire showed a livid scar upon his left 
 cheek. 
 
 After that pause to inhale a deep breath of fresh air, 
 he bounded up the stairs after Frank Merriwell.
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 Frank was baffled by the darkness. He reached the 
 head of the stairs, and, for all of the smoke, called again 
 and again to Elsie. 
 
 He received no answer. 
 
 The smoke threatened to drive him back. His eyes 
 and throat were filled; he coughed and strangled. 
 
 But he would not give up. 
 
 "Go ahead !" 
 
 Hissing these words through his teeth, he groped his 
 way along till he came to a door, which failed to open to 
 his touch. 
 
 Frank realized that he must have air very soon. 
 
 "Go ahead !" 
 
 With all his strength, he hurled himself against the 
 door, and it yielded before him. 
 
 As he plunged into the room, he stumbled over some- 
 thing and fell prostrate. 
 
 The smoke was not so dense near the floor, and he suc- 
 ceeded in getting something like a breath. 
 
 In getting up, his hand touched the object over which 
 he had fallen, and he uttered a cry of amazement, for it 
 was the body of a human being. 
 
 Kneeling, his hands sought this person. He touched 
 the face, the hair, and then he quickly cried : 
 
 "It is Elsie !" 
 
 A faint moan came from the lips of the girl, who had 
 been overcome by the smoke.
 
 From the Flames. 267 
 
 The alarm of fire had roused her from the bed in which 
 she was sleeping with Inza. She had attempted to dress 
 herself, while Inza had fled from the room; but the 
 smoke had become so dense that she tried to follow her 
 new-found friend. Then it was that she groped her way 
 to the wrong door, which was fastened, and beat upon it 
 with her hands till she fell exhausted and unconscious. 
 
 Knowing it must be Elsie, Frank gathered her up in 
 his arms. His strength and energy were almost gone, 
 but he would not succumb. Blindly he staggered for- 
 ward, with the precious burden in his arms. He sought 
 the door, but chance took him in the opposite direction, 
 and he made his way into yet another room. 
 
 The light of the fire now shone in by a window, and 
 this window he sought. Lifting his foot, he dashed out 
 sash, glass, and all, and a refreshing gust of cool night 
 air poured in upon him. 
 
 As he leaned out of the window, still holding Elsie in 
 his arms, a shout rose from below. 
 
 He was seen. The crowd cheered when they beheld 
 the girl. 
 
 Frank breathed in great draughts of air, and his 
 strength returned. 
 
 Several men gathered beneath the window, and one of 
 them shouted : 
 
 "Drop her; we'll catch her." 
 
 Frank hesitated a moment, and then, pressing the un-' 
 conscious girl in his arms a moment, he held her out of 
 the window. 
 
 "Ready !" he called. 
 
 "All ready," came back. 
 
 "Now catch her !" 
 
 He let her drop, and they caught her, so she was not 
 harmed by the fall.
 
 268 From the Flames. 
 
 "I rather think I had better leap from this window 
 instead of trying to find the stairs," said Frank, aloud. 
 
 "Don't be in a hurry !" snarled a savage voice, and then 
 Frank was clutched and dragged back into the burning 
 house. 
 
 Frank twisted about, and by the glare of the fire, which 
 now shone in by the window so that the room was 
 lighted with a reddish-yellow glare, he saw the scarred 
 face of Carlos Merriwell ! 
 
 "You !" he panted. 
 
 "Yes," was the answer that was hissed in his ear. 
 "You are not delighted to see me?" 
 
 "How do you happen here?" 
 
 "I saw you enter the house, and I followed. You 
 escaped last night, but you'll not escape again, cousin 
 mine !" 
 
 "Cousin !" gasped Frank. "I am no cousin to you !" 
 
 "Oh, yes, you are! I am the son of your father's 
 brother, that old fool who intends to make you his heir 
 when he dies !" 
 
 "Uncle Asher?" 
 
 "Exactly." 
 
 "It is false ! Uncle Asher never married !" 
 
 "That's where you fool yourself. He married my 
 mother, but they did not get along as well as they might, 
 and she left him when I was a year old. He kept the 
 marriage a secret, but he was forced to support us hand- 
 somely as the price of silence. Mother died some years 
 ago, and I have since been wandering over the face of the 
 earth. I got into one or two unpleasant scrapes, so my 
 virtuous old fool of a father disowned me. Now he 
 thinks me dead, as he has not heard of me in some years ; 
 but my silence was enforced, as I was taking a vacation 
 behind bars. When I got out, a friend posted me on the 
 lay of the land at home, and I shipped for this country.
 
 From the Flames. 269 
 
 I have no hope that I may reinstate myself in the old 
 man's favor, but I mean to put you out of the way. 
 Then, when the old fool kicks the bucket, I may be able 
 to fight my way into a portion of his fortune, at least." 
 
 Frank was stunned, dazed, bewildered. Could it be 
 true? Was it possible that this scar- faced young villain, 
 this jailbird, of whom he had never known till the night 
 before, was his own blood cousin? 
 
 The sailor had him in a firm clutch, and it would not be 
 easy to break away. Carlos Merriwell, like the miserable 
 wretch he was, seemed to take delight in gloating over 
 his intended victim. 
 
 During this time the fire was making rapid progress. 
 A draught through the house, which came in by the win- 
 dow, seemed to sweep the smoke away, but the flames 
 were beginning to eat through the partition and the ceil- 
 ing, from which the plastering was dropping in great 
 flakes. 
 
 "It's coming!" cried the sailor, "and it will wipe out 
 every trace of my work! They will believe you were 
 overcome by the smoke, and so perished in the flames. 
 Your death will not be placed against me." 
 
 "And I'll not die without a struggle !" panted Frank, 
 as he twisted about and succeeded in catching at one of 
 the ruffian's wrists. 
 
 But the fellow had a hold which Frank could not 
 break, and his hand went up to the lad's throat, the 
 fingers fastening there with a crushing grip, closing the 
 windpipe. With all his strength, Frank fought, but his 
 efforts were vain. In his ears sounded a terrible roaring, 
 a fiery haze floated before his eyes, followed by blind 
 blackness, and the half-formed thought that death had 
 come. 
 
 ******** 
 
 Frank recovered to find himself in the open air, to see
 
 270 From the Flames. 
 
 friends and comrades bending over him, revealed by the 
 light of the flames, which now entirely enwrapped the 
 house. He started up, uttering a muffled, choking cry : 
 
 "The fire Carlos where " 
 
 "Be aisy, Frankie," soothingly said Barney Mulloy. 
 "Av ye can't be aisy, be aisy as ye can." 
 
 "You are all right," said Bart Hodge. "When you 
 failed to come out, I thought something must be wrong, 
 and so I went to look for you. Barney went with me." 
 
 "Thot's roight, an' nivver a bit too soon wur we, 
 aither." 
 
 "Carlos Merriwell where is he?" 
 
 "It's but a taste av the place he's gone to that he got 
 in th' foire," declared Barney. 
 
 "We had all we could do to get out," explained Hodge. 
 "I believe Barney hit the ruffian a crack that laid him 
 out." 
 
 "And he perished in the fire?" asked Frank, shudder- 
 ing with horror. 
 
 "He has not been seen to leave the house." 
 
 "It was retributive justice," came huskily from the lips 
 of the rescued lad. 
 
 ******** 
 
 Fortunately, the house and its furniture were fully 
 insured, and, for all of the fire company's primitive ap- 
 paratus for fighting fire, the flames did not spread to 
 other property. 
 
 Noel Burrage was not a poor man, so he could have 
 endured the loss without great deprivation if he had not 
 been astute enough to be well protected. 
 
 Frank Merriwell was praised for saving Elsie; but 
 Hodge and Mulloy won honors and applause by rescuing 
 Frank from the clutches of the wretch who was deter- 
 mined to destroy him. 
 
 For all that no traces of Carlos Merriwell's bones were
 
 From the Flames. 271 
 
 found amid the ruins, it was believed that he had per- 
 ished in the flames, and all seemed to feel that the world 
 was well rid of him. 
 
 But the rascal was not dead, and what he did to injure 
 Frank will.be told in the next volume of this series, en- 
 titled "Frank Merriwell's Trip West." 
 
 The time quickly came for Elsie Bellwood to leave Far- 
 dale with her parents. She could not go away without 
 bidding Frank farewell, and he called upon her at hef 
 request. 
 
 "It is not likely we shall ever meet again, Mr. Merri* 
 well," she said, as he held her hand on the point of leav* 
 ing her. 
 
 Her chin quivered, and her blue eyes filled with tears. 
 
 "Don't say that!" pleaded Frank. "We may. Who 
 knows what the future has in store ?" 
 
 "I shall never forget you," she went on, warmly; 
 "never." 
 
 And so they parted. 
 
 Frank went out, and turned his face toward Fardale 
 Academy. For a considerable distance he walked with 
 his eyes on the ground. 
 
 "Frank !" 
 
 It was Inza's voice; she was calling to him. He 
 paused, and she joined him. Together they strolled 
 slowly down the road, talking and laughing. The sun- 
 light was bright on their faces, and they looked happy.
 
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