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diff --git a/old/61349-0.txt b/old/61349-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0edf2db..0000000 --- a/old/61349-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12033 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona, by Burt L. Standish - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona - or Clearing a Rival's Record - -Author: Burt L. Standish - -Release Date: February 9, 2020 [EBook #61349] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK MERRIWELL, JR., IN ARIZONA *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - -Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona or Clearing a Rival’s Record - - - - -CONTENTS - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. A Slave of the Needle 5 - - II. Making a “Raise” 12 - - III. A Drugged Conscience 19 - - IV. Blunt Takes the Warpath 26 - - V. A Surprise at the Gulch 33 - - VI. The Revolver Shot 40 - - VII. A Blind Chase 47 - - VIII. Blunt’s Warning 54 - - IX. Accident or Treachery? 61 - - X. Desperate Work 68 - - XI. The Saving Grace 75 - - XII. Blunt’s “Surprise” 80 - - XIII. The Race for Single Paddles 84 - - XIV. An Enemy’s Appeal 90 - - XV. Taking a Chance 96 - - XVI. The Yellow Streak 103 - - XVII. A Cry in the Night 110 - - XVIII. Tracking Trouble 117 - - XIX. Missing Bullion 124 - - XX. The Finger of Suspicion 131 - - XXI. Blind Luck 138 - - XXII. A Slight Mistake 145 - - XXIII. The Solution Tank 152 - - XXIV. Merriwell’s Faith 157 - - XXV. “Warming Up” 161 - - XXVI. A Challenge 168 - - XXVII. The Line-up 175 - - XXVIII. Lenning Yields To Persuasion 180 - - XXIX. Plain English 187 - - XXX. Getting the Nine in Shape 194 - - XXXI. Hatching a Plot 201 - - XXXII. The Day of the Game 208 - - XXXIII. Poor Support 215 - - XXXIV. Worse--and More of It 222 - - XXXV. Won in the Ninth 228 - - XXXVI. The Plot that Failed 233 - - XXXVII. Woo Sing and the Pig 236 - - XXXVIII. A Good Word for Lenning 243 - - XXXIX. Startling News 249 - - XL. Another Blow 256 - - XLI. A Dark Outlook for Lenning 263 - - XLII. The Mysterious Message 270 - - XLIII. Playing in Hard Luck 277 - - XLIV. A Fruitless Vigil 284 - - XLV. Rising Hopes 291 - - XLVI. The Runaway Ore Car 298 - - XLVII. The Yellow Streak Gone 305 - - XLVIII. Conclusion 310 - - - - - Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona - OR - CLEARING A RIVAL’S RECORD - - By - BURT L. STANDISH - - Author of the famous Merriwell Stories. - - [Illustration] - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION - PUBLISHERS - 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York - - - - - Copyright, 1912 - By STREET & SMITH - - Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona - - All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign - languages, including the Scandinavian. - - Printed in the U. S. A. - - - - -FRANK MERRIWELL, JUNIOR, IN ARIZONA. - -CHAPTER I. - -A SLAVE OF THE NEEDLE. - - -“Buck up, Shoup! What ails you, anyhow?” - -“I’m all in, Len. I d-don’t believe I can take another step. You see, -I--I----” - -The words faded into a groan, and the tottering youth slumped to his -knees, then pitched forward and sprawled out limply in the sandy trail. - -There were two of them, and they had been tramping wearily through a -defile known as Bitter-root Cañon. The stage trail leading from Ophir, -Arizona, to Gold Hill, followed the cañon, and the two lads had been -taking this trail. - -The trail was white with dust, churned up by the wheels and hoofs that -had passed over it. It wound interminably along the cañon’s bed, -twisting back and forth through patches of greasewood and mesquite, now -hugging one wall and now the other, and again skirting the edge of some -brackish pool. - -A stream flowed through the cañon, although no one not familiar with -such mysterious streams would have guessed it. Like a good many Arizona -rivers, the water flowed under the surface, appearing only here and -there where bedrock forced it upward. - -The lad who had yielded to exhaustion and had fallen must have been -nineteen or twenty years of age. He was well dressed, although his -clothes were dusty and in disorder. His hair was of a tow color, his -eyes a washed-out blue, and his face was hueless--startlingly white and -waxlike. - -The other boy was a year or two younger than his companion, with a dark, -sinister face and shifty eyes. They had walked southward from Gold Hill -for many miles, and while the younger lad was an athlete and ordinarily -in good physical condition, yet a few days of reckless living had sapped -his endurance. He was almost as exhausted as his companion. - -“Here’s a go!” muttered the younger lad, looking down grimly at the -unconscious, deathlike face of his friend in the trail. “Shoup hasn’t -the backbone of a jellyfish. I’ve got to do something for him, but -what?” - -The boy looked around him and discovered that Shoup had fallen only a -few yards from the edge of a pool. The sight of water suggested the -means for reviving the fainting lad, and, with considerable difficulty, -the other dragged him to the pool’s edge. Wetting a handkerchief in the -pool, he bathed the pallid face. In a few moments Shoup drew a deep -breath and opened his eyes. - -“You’re pretty near a wreck, Shoup,” said the boy called Len crossly. -“How do you think we’re ever going to get to the gulch if you can’t walk -four or five miles without crumpling up in the trail?” - -“I was trying to save the dope,” was Shoup’s answer, in a weak voice. “I -haven’t got much of it, and no money to buy any more.” - -“Cut that out,” the other growled angrily. “The more of that stuff you -use, the more you have to use. It’s making you ‘dippy’ as blazes; not -only that, but it eats up your muscle and ruins your nerves. Why don’t -you quit?” - -“Can’t quit. My old man used it, and my grandfather used it. The -hankering for the stuff was born in me. What’s bred in the bone, -Lenning, is bound to come out in the flesh. No use fighting against the -craving. Here, help me to sit up.” - -Lenning put his hands under Shoup’s shoulders and lifted him to a -sitting posture, twisting him about so he could lean his back against a -bowlder. With fingers that trembled from weakness, Shoup pushed up his -left sleeve. - -The skin of his arm was white as marble, and dotted with little, black, -specklike marks. Reaching into an inside pocket of his coat, Shoup drew -out a small, worn morocco case. - -“Bound to squirt a little more of that poison into your veins, eh?” -asked Lenning disgustedly. - -As he put the question, he produced a box of cigarettes, lighted one, -tossed away the burned match and dropped the box into his pocket. A -sneering smile crossed Shoup’s face. - -“What’s the difference, Len,” he queried, “whether you inhale the poison -or take it my way? It brings us both to the same place, in the end.” - -“Splash! Cigarettes aren’t as bad as all that. Anyhow, when I’m in -training I cut ’em out. You’re never in training and you never cut out -that dope. If you can’t get it just when you want it, your strength is -snuffed out like a fool candle. How long do you think you’ll last, going -on as you are now, eh?” - -“That’s the least of my worries,” was the placid retort. - -With his shaking right hand, Shoup pressed the needle-like point of a -small “hypoderm” into the flesh of his left arm. An instant his -quivering finger toyed with the tiny piston, then drove it “home.” With -a long sigh of relief, he sank back. - -“I’ll feel like a king pretty soon,” said he, speaking with his eyes -half closed. “You haven’t a notion how it gingers a fellow up. Say,” and -the eyes opened wide, “why don’t you try it yourself?” - -“Not on your life!” returned the other, in a sort of horror. “The sight -of you, with one foot in the grave on account of that stuff, is enough -for me.” - -“Go on,” urged Shoup, his faded eyes brightening wonderfully. “Try for -yourself and see how it puts fire into your veins, and peace and -happiness into your heart. Jove! Already I’m beginning to feel as though -I could run a hundred miles, and be as fresh at the end of the run as -when I started.” - -Lenning stared at Shoup curiously. - -“That’s the way you _feel_, but your system is all shot to pieces and -you’d drop before you’d gone half a mile,” commented Lenning. - -“Don’t you want to forget your troubles, old man?” coaxed Shoup. “This -is a sure cure for the blues.” - -“No!” almost shouted Lenning, springing to his feet. “Try to push that -thing into my face again and I’ll grab it and throw it into the water. -You say you inherited an appetite for the stuff; well, I inherited a few -things, myself, and I reckon they’re enough to stagger under without -taking on any of _your_ failings.” - -“Maybe you’ll come to it, some time,” laughed Shoup. - -He was, by now, an entirely different person from the Shoup of a few -minutes before. His eyes gleamed, and while his face remained colorless -and of a dead, waxen white, strength ran surging through him, and his -nerves steadied. It was the influence of the drug, of course, and when -that failed his condition would be more pitiful than ever. Lenning, -shivering at the spectacle presented by his companion, turned moodily -and looked down into the pool. - -Shoup put away his morocco case. Getting up, he stepped to Lenning’s -side and laid a hand on his shoulder. - -“I’m a horrible example, eh?” he breathed. “All right. You’re a good -deal of an example, too. You’re a cast-off; a week ago your uncle gave -you a thousand dollars and kicked you out of the house. Where’s the -thousand now, Lenning? ‘Rooly’ and faro have swallowed it up.” He -laughed jeeringly. - -Lenning whirled on him, red with anger. - -“And who helped me lose the thousand?” he cried. “It was you! You might -have the grace, seems to me, to shut up about the loss of that money. -We’ve neither of us got a sou; but, if we can get to the gulch beyond -Dolliver’s, maybe I can borrow enough to get us out of this country for -good.” - -“Who’s at the gulch?” - -“A few friends of mine--at least, they used to be friends. They’re -members of the Gold Hill Athletic Club, and they’re camping there.” - -“I don’t think you’re going to get money--not altogether,” said Shoup. -“There’s something else on your mind, too. What is it, Len?” - -“Tell you later,” muttered Lenning. - -“Look here: The bunch of fellows at the camp in the gulch are having -Merriwell over for a boating competition--canoe race, or something like -that. You’ve got a grudge against Merriwell and you’d like to saw it off -with him. Am I right?” - -An astounded look crossed Lenning’s face. He turned his bewildered eyes -on his friend. - -“How the deuce did you guess that?” he inquired breathlessly. - -“The dope clears the brain wonderfully, Len,” grinned Shoup. “It all -came to me, just now. Sort of second sight, I reckon. Am I right?” - -“Well, what if you are?” - -“Nothing, but this: I’m with you. What reason have I to love Merriwell? -No more than you. If we square the score, suppose we do it together.” - -Lenning stared gloomily at Shoup, then turned on his heel and started -off down the cañon. “Come on,” he called, “we’d better keep a-plugging.” - -Shoup made after him, his step buoyant, his spirits as light as his -step. He was paying for every hour of that stimulated, fictitious -strength with a year of his life. But his thoughts did not--dared -not--take account of the future. It was the immediate present that -concerned him. - -“You can’t get away from these family traits, Len,” said Shoup, as they -made their way southward. - -“There’s a mighty tough prospect ahead of me,” growled Lenning, “if -that’s the case.” - -“Well, it is the case.” - -“I’m not taking your word for it. Nobody would take your word for -anything, Billy. You’re a wreck of a man--just a burned-out hulk of what -you ought to be. That’s the way with you slaves of the needle.” - -“What are you, Jode?” gibed the other. “While you’re throwing it into -me, you’d better think about yourself.” - -“I’m no dope fiend,” snarled Jode Lenning. “I’ve got a will left, and -when I get good and ready I can turn a leaf and be different.” - -“I’ve got a picture of you ‘turning a leaf,’” laughed Shoup -sarcastically. “You’ll have to show me. You’re not turning a leaf by -going after Merriwell, are you?” - -Lenning did not answer. Something, ahead of them in the trail, caught -his attention, just then, and brought him to a dead stop. - -“Thunder!” he exclaimed, “there’s a stage. Something’s gone wrong with -it. Where’s the team and the driver? Wonder if they’ve had a -break-down?” - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -MAKING A “RAISE.” - - -The stage that carried passengers and luggage between the two towns of -Ophir and Gold Hill was a mountain wagon with a canopy top. This wagon, -minus the horses and driver, was at a rest in the trail. - -A woman, dressed in black and with a gray shawl over her shoulders, was -sitting on the seat immediately behind the one reserved for the driver. -Back of her, in the rear of the wagon box, was a shabby little -hide-covered trunk. - -This woman, apparently, was the only passenger. The two lads stared in -the woman’s direction and continued to wonder regarding what had -happened to the stage. - -“Some accident, sure,” said Shoup. “The driver must have taken the team -and gone after help.” - -“I reckon that’s the how of it,” returned Lenning. - -“Now,” his companion went on, “if we had money, Len, we could ride in -that rig as far as Ophir; and then, if we had some more money, we could -hire horses in Ophir and get to the gulch in that way.” - -“If we had money,” came grimly from Lenning, “we wouldn’t go to the -gulch at all.” - -“Wouldn’t we?” queried Shoup. “You say we’re going there to make a -‘touch,’ and won’t admit that your wish to play even with Merriwell has -anything to do with it. But I know making a raise is only about half of -our work at the gulch.” - -“Well, let it go at that,” said the other, with a shade of annoyance. -“No use standing here chinning when we ought to be moving on.” - -They started forward again. As they drew nearer the stage they soon -discovered what had happened. - -One of the rear wheels was broken beyond repair. The wheel had struck a -bowlder and had been dished. Rim and tire were lying on the ground, -covered with half the spokes. The rest of the spokes were sticking in -the hub. - -The woman on the front seat watched the lads as they approached. They -could see that she was little and old and wore spectacles. A lock of -snow-white hair dropped below the brim of a hat, which was evidently -homemade. Her dress was clearly her best black alpaca, and had probably -been her best for many years. The old face slowly lighted up as the -young men drew near. - -Both boys lifted their hats when they had come close. “You’ve had an -accident, ma’am?” asked Lenning. - -“Well, goodness me, I should say so!” was the answer. “I’ve been sitting -here for an hour, seems like, while the driver’s gone with the horses to -get a new wheel, or something else to patch up the wagon, so we can get -on to Ophir. Do you boys live hereabouts?” - -“Gold Hill,” said Lenning briefly. - -“It’s been pretty lonesome, sitting here all alone, and I don’t feel -real spry, either. You see, I haven’t been long out of a hospital, and -this is quite a trip for a woman, old as I am. But I like this -country--always did. I’ll feel a heap better, I know, after I’ve been -here a spell. Going far?” - -“Ophir.” - -“Dear me! Why don’t you ride when the weather’s so warm? I’ve come from -up North,” she continued, without waiting for a reply, “and it’s real -brisk November weather, up there. Here in southern Arizona, though, -winter isn’t winter at all, is it? Years ago, when I lived in these -parts, I’ve seen the thermometer at eighty, in the shade, on Christmas -day. That wasn’t much like Christmas. Terrible dusty, don’t you think?” - -She had an old-fashioned hand reticule on her lap, and just here she -opened it to take out a handkerchief. As she drew out the little square -of linen, a roll of bills, with a yellowback on the outside, came with -it. She grabbed the money before it could fall, and pushed it back where -it belonged. Then she dabbed at her face with the handkerchief. - -Shoup drew a quick breath as he caught sight of the money. There was an -evil, greedy gleam in his eyes as they continued to fix themselves on -the hand reticule. - -Lenning’s eyes also filled with longing at sight of the roll of bills. -He compressed his lips tightly, however, and turned his head away. - -“Sorry we can’t stay with you, ma’am,” said he, “and keep you company -until the driver gets back, but we’re in a hurry. Good-by. Come on, -Billy.” - -Shoup smiled at the old lady and again lifted his hat as he followed -Lenning along the trail. The old lady shook out her handkerchief at them -and called a good-by in a thin, high voice. - -“Confound the luck!” grumbled Lenning, after a bend in the trail had -hidden the stage from sight, “I’m tired enough to drop. If we could only -make a raise this side of the gulch, we could get to where we’re going a -heap easier than hoofing it.” - -“You’re right, we could!” agreed Shoup. “You’d go on to the camp in the -gulch, would you,” he added mockingly, “if we had money?” - -“Yes, I would,” was the almost savage response. “You’re fishing around -to find out what I’m really up to, and now you’re getting it flat; I -want to even up with Frank Merriwell. He’s raised Cain with me, and you -know it. What business has he got, sticking his nose into my affairs? -He’s due to get what a buttinsky ought to get--and I’m the one that is -going to hand it to him. Watch my smoke!” - -“Hooray!” chuckled Shoup softly. - -“You can help, if you want to,” went on Lenning, fairly ablaze with his -fancied wrongs now that Shoup had nagged him into starting on them, -“but, by thunder, you’ve got to keep your head clear and not make a -monkey out of yourself--or me.” - -“I don’t think I’ll do that, Jode,” purred Shoup; “I guess you’ll be -tickled to death to have some one helping you before you’re done with -Merriwell. He’s a good way from being an easy proposition. Do you think -you can bank on your friends in the gulch?” - -“Why should they turn against me?” - -“Pretty nearly all your friends have given you the cold shoulder, I -notice, since your uncle pulled the pin on you.” - -“I can’t believe that all of them will kick me when I’m down,” said -Lenning gloomily. “I’ve done a heap for that Gold Hill crowd. I used to -have plenty of money, and whenever they wanted any all they had to do -was to ask me for it. A whole lot of them owe me what they’ve borrowed, -too. It’s only right they should pay that back, anyhow.” - -“My experience is,” said Shoup, “that a fellow will always have plenty -of friends when he’s got the spondulix and can pass it out freely; but -when the mazuma gives out, and the barrel can’t be tapped any more, then -he can’t find a friend with a microscope.” - -“Friends like that are no friends at all.” - -“They’re all like that.” - -“Merriwell’s friends are not, and I don’t see why I can’t have a few -friends just as loyal as his.” - -“Well, Len,” grinned Shoup, “you’re not Merriwell.” - -“I’m as good as he is!” flared Lenning. - -“Not at some things.” - -“I didn’t have a dad who was the world’s champion all-round athlete, and -that’s one place where he gets the best of me. It’s Merriwell’s father’s -reputation that makes young Merriwell what he is. Take that from him and -there’s nothing left.” - -“Easy, easy! You’re shy a few chips, Jode. Young Merriwell stands on his -own feet, and the biggest handicap he has is the way people expect big -things of him because his father did big things. Although I hate -Merriwell as much as you do, yet I’ve got a whole lot of respect for -him. Now----” - -Shoup came to a halt, one hand on the outside of his breast pocket. A -blank look crossed his pallid face. - -“What’s the matter?” asked Lenning, halting. - -“My dope case is gone!” was the answer. “I must have dropped it along -the trail somewhere.” - -“Let it go, Billy! Now’s as good a time as ever to cut away from the -dope. Buck up and use your will power. Try and be a----” - -“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” cut in the other angrily. -“I’d die if I had to get along without that. Will you go back with me -and help me find it?” - -“I will--nit. I’m pretty nearly fagged. If you’re bound to have that -stuff, go back and hunt it up yourself. I’ll wait for you here.” - -A look as of satisfaction crossed Shoup’s face. - -“I’ll be as quick as I can,” he said, and turned back and was soon out -of sight behind the chaparral. - -Moodily Jode Lenning found a place where he could be fairly -comfortable, and sat down. Every muscle in his body was aching. A few -weeks before he would not have minded a jaunt like the one he and Shoup -was taking, but now it told on him fearfully. - -He knew the reason. His wits were keen enough to assure him that -reckless living for only a few days had sapped the strength and -endurance which he had been garnering for months. - -He had been foolish, worse than foolish. But that couldn’t be helped, -and there was no use crying over spilt milk. - -The one object he had in life, just then, was squaring accounts with -Frank Merriwell. Merriwell was always in the pink of condition--he made -it a point to keep himself so. - -“I’m all shot to pieces,” growled Lenning, “and I’ve got to go up -against this paragon who never side-steps his training and settle a big -score with him. Will he be too much for me? He will, sure, unless I can -get at him in some underhand way. That’s the idea!” he finished. - -Then, for an hour, he tried to think of some “underhand way” in which he -could make young Merriwell feel the full force of his vengeance. Lenning -was unscrupulous, to a certain extent, and his association with Shoup -was well calculated to make him more so; nevertheless, Lenning had some -shreds of character and self-respect left, although they formed a very -imperfect foundation on which to build for better things. - -While Lenning was still busy with his thoughts, Billy Shoup came briskly -back along the trail. Lenning started up as he drew close, and stared at -the triumphant look on his waxlike face. - -“I reckon you found what you were looking for,” said he. - -“You can bet a blue stack I did,” was the answer. “It wasn’t the dope -case, either, Len.” - -“Not that?” queried the startled Len. “What was it, then?” - -Shoup proudly drew from his pocket something which he held toward -Lenning in the palm of his hand. It was a roll of bills with a -“yellowback” on the outside. - -“Made a raise,” he chuckled. “Transferred this from the old lady’s hand -bag to my pocket. Ain’t I the cute boy, all right?” - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -A DRUGGED CONSCIENCE. - - -With revulsion plainly marked in his face, Jode Lenning leaped back from -the outstretched hand and the roll of bills as he would from a coiled -rattlesnake. - -“Squeamish, eh?” jeered Shoup, his eyes two points of light and boring -into Lenning’s brain. “You’ve got a lot of cause, after the way you’ve -acted, to get on your high horse with me.” - -“You’re a plain thief!” gasped Lenning. - -“Very plain,” sneered the other; “you’re worse, Lenning, only it’s not -so plain.” - -Lenning jumped at Shoup with clenched fists. - -“What do you mean by that sort of talk?” he demanded chokingly. - -“Don’t think you can scare me, Jode. You can’t. If you want a tussle, -don’t think for a minute that you’d have the easy end of it. I know you -better than anybody else does--better even than your fool of an uncle, -who let you pull the wool over his eyes for so long. You’re a coward. -When you saw the money in that old woman’s hand bag, you wanted it just -as much as I did, only you didn’t have the nerve to take it. Well, I had -the nerve; and I was so clever about it that she’ll never know it’s gone -until she wants to pay a bill. Now get a grip on yourself and don’t act -like a blooming idiot.” - -Lenning shivered slightly. The gleaming eyes of his companion were still -boring into his brain, and somehow they robbed him of all desire to -resent with his fists the hard words Shoup had spoken. - -“It seems to me as though, if you’re bound to steal, you could pick out -some one else for a victim,” Lenning grumbled. “That poor old woman--I -can see her face now, with that lock of gray hair falling down from -under that rusty old hat and--and--oh, it makes me sick just to think of -it!” - -He turned away in gloomy protest. Shoup laughed. - -“Fine!” said he. “I didn’t know, Jode, that there was so much maudlin -sentiment wrapped up in you. How do you know the old lady is so poor, -eh? You can’t always judge from appearances. The biggest miser I ever -knew--an old curmudgeon that looked like a tramp, had more than a -hundred thousand in the bank. There’s two hundred in this roll, and it -will stake us until luck begins coming our way.” - -The first shock of disgust had passed and Lenning began to take a little -interest in his friend’s recent achievement. - -“You didn’t lose that morocco case at all, eh?” he asked. - -“Not at all; that was merely an excuse for me to go back to the stage -and pull off my little play.” - -“Suppose I had gone with you to help hunt for the case?” - -“I was pretty sure you wouldn’t.” - -“Well, how did you manage it?” - -“Easy. The old lady was still on the front seat, and when she saw me -coming she brightened up a lot. She wanted to know why I was coming -back, and I told her that I had lost something in the trail and had come -back to look for it. The hand bag lay on the seat beside her. I leaned -over the side of the wagon, and began to talk. I called her attention to -the wall of the cañon, pointing out a queer formation of the rocks, with -my left hand, and, with my right, opening the bag and taking out the -money. She never suspected a thing. It was about the easiest job I ever -pulled off.” - -The shameless steps which he had followed in committing the robbery were -recited by Shoup without a shadow of feeling or regret; on the contrary, -there was a boasting note in his voice, as though he had accomplished -something of which he was proud. - -“You’re--you’re a coyote!” muttered Lenning. - -“I’m a fox, Jode,” laughed Shoup, “and a slick one, believe me. You -couldn’t have turned a trick like that without bungling.” - -“I’d as soon think of stealing pennies out of a blind man’s cup. That -dope has killed your conscience. I don’t believe you have a heart in -you--when you’re under the influence of that fiendish stuff.” - -“Oh, cut that out!” grunted Shoup. “We’ve made a raise and we’re going -to use the money. We need it--you know we need it. Come on. We’ll see -how quick we can get into Ophir and out again. We’ll hire horses and -ride to the gulch. It won’t do for us to stay long in the town.” - -They started again, Lenning dragging along, moodily thoughtful. His -thoughts, whatever they were, must have been far from pleasant. Shoup, -abnormally keen while under the spell of the slow poison, seemed to know -what his companion was thinking about. - -“You’re asking yourself, Jode,” said he jestingly, “how you ever -happened to fall so low as to be a friend of mine. You were pretty well -down yourself before we got into each other’s company this last time. -While you’re thinking what a conscienceless wretch I am, let your mind -circle about yourself. What have you got to be proud of?” - -“Nothing,” snarled Jode. - -“That is correct. If we can pick our bone with Merriwell, we’ll both -feel a whole lot better; when that’s finished, we’ll clear out of this -country and make a long jump to Frisco. That’s the town! We can do big -things there.” - -“What sort of things?” queried Lenning suspiciously. - -“Oh, something safe and profitable. I’m well acquainted, and the friends -I have are the kind who’ll help a fellow when he’s down. They’ll take -you in on my say-so, and, if you prove loyal to them, you’ll find that -they will prove loyal to you, in fair weather or foul. We----” - -Lenning cut into Shoup’s remarks with a sharp exclamation. “Duck!” he -exclaimed; “get into the brush--quick!” - -At this same moment, Lenning suited his action to the word and dove -pell-mell into the chaparral beside the trail. Without understanding the -reason for this sudden move, Shoup did likewise. The next moment, he -heard a tramp of horses’ hoofs in the trail. Riders were coming, and -Lenning had been crafty enough to understand that it was not well, after -the robbery, for them to be seen in that part of the cañon. - -Shoup chuckled. This meant, as he looked at it, that Lenning had -accepted the situation and was eager to help his companion avoid the -consequences. - -Three horses came along at a gallop. Two of the horses had a wagon -harness upon them. One of these animals was ridden by a flannel-shirted -man, who was probably the stage driver. The third animal was a saddle -horse, and was ridden by a young fellow with snapping black eyes and in -cowboy rig. One horse in the stage team carried a wagon wheel lashed to -its back. - -The horses and their riders flashed by the thicket where Lenning and -Shoup lay concealed, and were quickly out of sight and hearing. Lenning -crawled slowly back into the trail. - -“If we hadn’t been quick,” said he, as Shoup joined him, “they’d have -seen us.” - -“But they didn’t,” answered Shoup, “so it’s nothing to worry over. -What’s the cowboy along for?” - -“Give it up. The cowboy was Barzy Blunt, of the Bar Z Ranch. Ever heard -of him?” - -“No, but there are several cowboys I never heard of, Jode. How has this -fellow Blunt ever distinguished himself?” - -“Well, when Merriwell first came to Ophir, Blunt got a grouch at him. -Blunt is a cowboy athlete, but never had any special training. He -thought Merriwell was a conceited Easterner, and made up his mind he’d -take a few falls out of him. He tried it.” - -“And made a failure, eh?” - -“How did you know Blunt failed?” - -“Guessed it. It takes a pretty good athlete to beat Merriwell at any -sort of sport. But go on.” - -“As you say, Blunt failed. Time after time he tried to best Merriwell, -but was always beaten out. At last they became friends. There’s an old -professor with Merriwell and his pals. They found him holed away in the -Picketpost Mountains, holding down a gold ‘prospect.’ Merriwell helped -the professor save the ‘prospect,’ and by and by it turned out that the -man who had taken Blunt to raise had a grubstake interest in the -professor’s claim. The man was dead, but his widow came in for the good -thing. The syndicate that has the big gold mine in Ophir, I understand, -have paid, or are going to pay, fifty thousand for the mine. That will -put Barzy Blunt on Easy Street, for everybody says half the purchase -price will come to him when the widow is done with it.” - -“Some fellows certainly have a habit of dropping into a good thing,” -murmured Shoup. - -“It wasn’t a habit with Blunt. He had about as hard a time getting along -as any fellow you ever saw.” - -“So he and Merriwell were enemies, and now they’re friends?” - -“Yes.” - -“Look out, Jode!” joked Shoup. “Maybe Merriwell will win you over before -you have a chance to settle accounts with him.” - -“No danger,” grunted Lenning. “Merriwell hasn’t any more use for me than -I have for him. Merriwell wouldn’t wipe his feet on me, I reckon, and -you can bet your last sou I wouldn’t give him a chance to try. He knows -the sort of father I had, and that I’m headed wrong as a birthright, and -will go wrong in spite of fate.” - -“What a fellow inherits he can’t get away from,” declared Shoup. -“Merriwell, it seems, understands that. When you know a thing’s true, -what’s the use of trying to buck against it? We’re all born with a -handicap of some sort in the race of life; we’ve got to win by doing the -thing that comes easiest.” - -This was the logic of a drugged conscience, of a fellow who was not -himself at the very moment he brought up the argument. For a lad like -Jode Lenning, already started on the downhill road, such a fellow was a -dangerous companion. - -“I don’t know whether you’ve got the right of that, or not,” said -Lenning, “but I hope you haven’t. There are times when I want to turn -over a leaf and be different--and never a time more than right now, -since my uncle has kicked me out; but----” He hesitated. - -“But you want to hand Merriwell a testimonial of your kind regards -before the leaf is turned, eh?” grinned Shoup. - -“I’ll show him,” snapped Lenning, “that he had no business butting into -my affairs.” - -“We’ll both show him, Len. I can be of more help to you than you think. -We’ll get horses in Ophir and ride for the gulch. After we’re through -with our work there, we’ll clear out of this part of the country and -pull off some big things.” - -“I wish to thunder,” said Lenning, “that I could look into the future -and see just what is going to happen.” - -Had he been able to do that, Jode Lenning would probably have received -the surprise of his life. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -BLUNT TAKES THE WARPATH. - - -Frank and his chums, Owen Clancy and Billy Ballard, sat on the front -veranda of the Ophir House and saw a horseman come pounding along the -road. The rider was a cowboy--that much could be seen at a glance. -Cowboys were no novelty in the streets of Ophir, and this one secured -attention mainly because he was pointing for the hotel. - -Gracefully he dashed at the veranda steps, just as though he intended to -gallop into the hotel; then, deftly whirling his horse, he came to a -halt broadside on to the three lads who were watching him over the -veranda rail. So suddenly did the cowboy stop, that his horse sat down -and slid to a standstill in a flurry of dust. - -“Whoop!” cried the admiring Clancy to the master horseman, “say, old -man, you’re all to the mustard.” - -“Shucks!” grinned the cowboy, “stoppin’ in a horse’s length from full -gallop ain’t nothing to what old Hot Shot can do. This here little -cayuse can ride up the side of a house, with me on his back, and then -turn a summerset off’n the ridge pole. Fact. Which is the hombray that -totes the label of Merriwell?” - -“I’m the hombre,” laughed Merry. - -The cowboy drew back in his saddle and peered at him through half-closed -eyes. - -“Is that all there is of ye?” he inquired. “From what I’ve heard, I -reckoned ye was about ten feet high an’ went chuggin’ around like a -steam engine. My notions was kinder hazy, more’n like. Since I was a -kid, my favor-ite hero has allers been that dad o’ yourn. I allow, that -pullin’ off athletic stunts comes mighty easy for you, arter the way you -was brung up. Here’s a paper talk I was asked to kerry in an’ pass over -to ye.” - -The cowboy jerked a letter from the breast of his shirt, flipped it -toward Merriwell, then rattled his spurs and bore on with a husky -“Adios!” Frank had caught the missive deftly, and he now sat staring -glumly after the disappearing rider. - -“Come out of it, Chip,” said Ballard. “Just open that paper talk and -let’s hear what it says.” - -“That cowboy thinks athletics come easy for me because dad made such a -record,” muttered Frank. “I wish to thunder people would understand that -such things can’t be handed down in a fellow’s family, like silver -spoons, and the grandfather’s clock, and the old homestead.” - -“Don’t fret about anything that cowboy said,” returned Clancy. “He also -had a notion that you were ten feet high, and went snorting around like -a locomotive. His ideas don’t seem to be reliable, anyhow. What’s in the -letter, Chip?” - -Frank tore open the envelope and drew out the inclosed sheet. His face -brightened as he read the letter. - -“Here’s news, fellows,” said he; “listen.” And he read aloud: - -“‘I’ll bet something handsome you’ll be surprised when you get this and -find out some of us Gold Hill fellows are back at the old camp in the -gulch. We’re here for a week, and we want you and Reddy, and Pink to -come out and see us to-morrow. Hotch and I challenge you for a canoe -race, or a swimming match, or any other old thing that’s in the line of -sport and excitement. We hear that you’re soon to leave Arizona, and we -can’t let you go without having a visit with you. Of course, we don’t -expect to beat you at anything--you were born with the athletic virus in -your veins and all sports are second nature to you--but give us a chance -to do our best against you, anyway. Come on, and stay as long as you -can.’ - -“And that,” Frank added, with the shadow of a frown crossing his face, -“is signed by Bleeker, the Gold Hill chap we’re pretty well acquainted -with.” - -“It’s a bully letter!” Clancy declared. “What’s more, it hits me about -where I live. Staying holed up in this hotel for the rest of the time -we’re in Arizona doesn’t appeal to me a little bit. We’ll go, of -course?” - -“No studies for a couple of days, Chip!” put in Ballard, repressing his -exultation. “Mrs. Boorland will reach Ophir to-day, and then she and the -professor will be busy selling out their mine to the syndicate. The prof -told us, you remember, that he regretted the break in our studies, but -that he expected to make it up as soon as the mine is out of the way. -Let’s pile in and enjoy ourselves. What?” - -“Did you absorb what Bleek says about all sports being second nature to -me?” fretted Merry, staring gloomily at that particular passage in the -letter. “Say, I wonder if anybody gives me credit for doing anything in -my own right? I’ve put in some pretty hard licks trying to make a -sprinter, a pitcher, and a few other things out of myself, and yet -there’s an impression around that dad’s responsible for it all. It’s a -thundering big handicap, and I’m getting tired of it. I don’t care a -picayune what a fellow inherits, he has to stand on his own feet, and -it’s what he does himself that makes or breaks him.” - -Merriwell was getting rather warm on the subject--too warm, he suddenly -realized, and put the clamps on himself. - -“Of course,” he went on, “I’m mighty lucky in having a father in the -champion class. He has been mighty good to me, and his advice has been -the biggest kind of a help, but he has only pointed the way, and it was -left to me whether I made good or not. It’s the most foolish thing in -the world, strikes me, to think a fellow is worthy or worthless simply -because his father was one or the other. Now----” - -Merriwell paused. The stage from Gold Hill, several hours late, was -lumbering up the main street of Ophir. He had been watching it moodily -while he talked; and then, abruptly, his moodiness vanished and he -jumped to his feet. - -“By Jove!” he exclaimed, in pleased surprise. “As sure as shooting, -fellows, there’s Barzy Blunt!” - -There was no doubt about it. Barzy Blunt, on horseback, was riding along -at the side of the stage; and, on a seat of the stage, was a little old -lady with spectacles, and a shawl over her shoulders. - -“Hello, Barzy!” Frank called, leaning out over the veranda railing and -waving his hand. “Wasn’t expecting to see you. How are you, old man?” - -“How’s the ranch, Barze?” shouted Clancy. - -“Good old Barzy!” chirped Ballard. “You’re a wonder, all right. Whoever -had a notion you’d be turning up in Ophir this afternoon?” - -The stage had halted in front of the hotel, and Blunt had swung down -from his saddle and rushed to the side of the vehicle. He waved a joyous -greeting to the lads on the veranda, and then very carefully helped the -old lady to alight. Pophagan, proprietor of the hotel, came briskly out, -followed by the Chinaman who acted as porter. - -“Glad to see ye, Blunt,” said Pophagan. “An’ this here is Mrs. Hilt -Boorland, ain’t it? It’s been a heap o’ years since I’ve seen Mrs. -Boorland. Howdy, mum? Feelin’ well, I hope? I been savin’ a good room -for you. I’ll take the grip, and the chink, I reckon, can manage the -trunk. Come right in whenever you’re ready. Have a break-down, Andy?” he -called to the stage driver. “You’re a long time behind schedule.” - -The roustabout shouldered the little, hide-bound trunk and trotted into -the hotel with it. Pophagan, already up the steps, was swinging a -scarred and battered satchel. Blunt, still very carefully, was helping -the old lady mount to the veranda. Merry ran down and lent his -assistance. Andy, settling back in his seat and picking up the reins, -was sputtering about the broken wheel and the delay. He drove on, still -sputtering, bound for the post office, where he was to leave the mail -bags. - -“Merriwell,” said Blunt, after his charge had safely reached the -veranda, “this is Mrs. Boorland. Mam,” and he turned to the old lady, -“this is Frank Merriwell, and Owen Clancy, and Billy Ballard. I reckon,” -and he laughed softly, “that you’re not exactly strangers to each -other.” - -“Deary me!” exclaimed the little old lady, very much flustered. “Why, -the letters Barzy wrote to me at the hospital were just full of things -about you boys.” She got up and put her trembling arms about Merriwell. -“You don’t mind an old woman showing her affection for you, do you? -Seems like you were one of my boys, same as Barzy. You did a lot for -Barzy, you and your friends, Frank Merriwell. I just wish I had the last -letter he wrote me! If you could see the fine things he said about you, -you’d know you’d never lack for a friend so long as Barzy’s alive.” - -She turned from Frank to Owen. - -“And here’s Mr. Clancy,” she went on, “and Mr. Ballard! Goodness sakes, -I am just as pleased as I can be. We’d have got here a lot sooner if the -wheel hadn’t broken, ’way off in the cañon. I had to wait in the stage -while the driver came on to get another wheel. Well, it was lonesome, -but I didn’t mind. Two young fellows came along on foot, and they kind -of cheered me up, only they didn’t stay long. Now, Barzy,” and Mrs. -Boorland turned supplicatingly to the cowboy, “don’t you go and think -hard about those two young fellows. I don’t believe they had a thing to -do with it, not a thing. I just pulled out my handkerchief, and the roll -came with it--and that’s how it was lost.” - -“Never mind, mam,” said Blunt, allowing a smile to chase away the hard -look that had come over his face, “you’re not as strong as you might be, -and I’m going to take you into the house and make you comfortable.” - -“I hope I’ll see a lot of you boys while I’m here,” Mrs. Boorland said, -clinging with both hands to Blunt’s arm. “I’ll be here for quite a -little while, I reckon. Friends of Barzy’s are always friends of mine, -and mighty good friends, too.” - -She and the cowboy vanished inside the hotel. - -“So that’s Mrs. Boorland!” murmured Ballard. “She’s a nice old lady and -I’m glad she’s got a wad of money coming to her.” - -“Same here,” spoke up Clancy. “It was a lucky thing for Blunt that, when -he was a homeless kid, a woman like Mrs. Boorland took him in and made a -home for him.” - -“And Blunt, ever since Mr. Boorland died,” said Merry, “has been paying -back the debt. While Mrs. Boorland was in the hospital, he sent about -all his wages to her, and even sold his favorite riding horse to me so -he could send more when he found his wages weren’t enough. Well, I don’t -blame him at all. I’d do the same for an old lady like that.” - -A few moments later Blunt came back to the veranda. There was an angry -frown on his face as he dropped into a chair near Merriwell. - -“What’s biting you, Barzy?” Frank inquired. - -“A whole lot, pard,” Blunt answered. “I’ve danced the medicine and am -going on the warpath. Do you know a fellow with a white face, washed-out -eyes, and tow hair?” - -“Well, slightly,” Merriwell answered, with a grim smile. “He was brought -on from some place unknown by Jode Lenning to coach the Gold Hill -football squad. But he and Jode have both got their walking papers, and -where they are now is more than I know.” - -“They were in the cañon this afternoon,” scowled Blunt. “Mrs. Boorland -saw them there. They were on foot and walking this way, but they stopped -to talk for a spell. After they left and went down the cañon, this -white-faced skunk came back. He talked some more, and when he went away -for good, Mrs. Boorland found that two hundred in bills was missing from -her hand bag.” - -“Great Scott!” muttered Clancy. “Billy Shoup is up to his old tricks.” - -“He must have had his nerve with him to steal from an old woman!” -exclaimed Ballard contemptuously. - -“I’ll bet a row of ’dobies that Lenning was in on the deal as much as -Shoup,” said Blunt darkly, “only he was too much of a coward to pull off -the robbery. I’m going on the warpath and get that money back--and with -interest. You hear me!” - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -A SURPRISE AT THE GULCH. - - -“Don’t be in a rush with your suspicions, Barzy,” Merriwell advised. -“Accusing a man of robbing an old lady like Mrs. Boorland is pretty -serious business. From what I heard her say to you, she thinks she may -have lost the money.” - -“Not on your life, she doesn’t think that!” returned Blunt. “That’s her -way--always trying to screen everybody. She didn’t lose the money. It -was stolen from the hand bag, and Shoup and Lenning are the ones that -did it. I’m going after them, and I’ll get the money and wring their -necks into the bargain. I can’t remember when anything has happened that -has worked me up like this.” - -Blunt was a cowboy, and, as Frank knew very well, inclined to be rough -and reckless whenever he thought he was dealing with guilt or injustice. -If he found Shoup and Lenning and recovered the money, there was no -doubt but that he would attempt to give them a lesson they’d long -remember. - -“When are you going to start on this warpath of yours, Blunt?” Merriwell -asked. - -“Right now, just as quick as I can do it. I’ve told mam that I had to go -back to the ranch, but that was only to ease her mind. Instead of loping -for the Bar Z I’m going to hunt the trail of Shoup and Lenning, and run -it out. If I don’t they’ll be apt to have all that money spent. I know -their caliber, all right. For the last week they’ve been gambling in -Gold Hill, I’ve heard, getting rid of the thousand Colonel Hawtrey gave -Lenning when he kicked the fellow out of his house.” - -“I guess,” said Frank, “that I’ll go with you, Barzy.” - -The sloe-black eyes of the cowboy softened a little, then flamed. - -“No, you won’t, Chip!” he declared. “This is my business and you’ll keep -out of it. I know what’s on your mind. You think there are two of them, -and that they’ll be one too many for me.” He flung back his head and -laughed derisively. “Why,” he finished, “they’re both cowards from the -ground up. They’ll be scared to death just at the sight of me. I can -handle ’em.” - -“I’d like to go along, anyhow,” insisted Frank. “A little excitement -wouldn’t come amiss, just now. We’re going to leave Arizona pretty soon, -and we’d like to keep keyed up with something or other until we go.” - -“That’s you!” grinned Blunt, “but you can’t drive such palaver down my -throat. You’re afraid I’ll get into trouble, and you’re making excuses -to go along, but this is a single-handed expedition, and I’m going to -see it through all by my lonesome. Mam is feeling pretty chipper, and -she won’t need me for a while. It isn’t that I wouldn’t be glad of your -company, Chip, but I just want to nail these fellows myself, and do it -good and proper. You’re a crack hand at everything--get it from your -dad, of course--but Barzy Blunt is pretty good at a thing like this. -_Buenos!_” - -Merry had not another word to say. He watched Blunt run down the steps, -pull the reins over his saddle-horn, and spring to the back of his -horse. A moment later he had vanished in the direction of the cañon -trail. - -“That’s three times in one afternoon,” grumbled Merry. “And the last -time it comes from Blunt, who ought to know better.” - -“Chip’s hearing funny noises, Pink,” remarked Clancy to Ballard. “What -do you suppose has got into him? He’s breaking out in an unexpected -place.” - -“Three times!” mused Ballard. “What has happened three times, Chip? -Maybe I’m thick, but I can’t follow you.” - -“Blunt said that I’m a crack hand at everything, which is coming it -rather strong, and that I get it from my dad, _of course_. Everybody has -suddenly begun throwing that handicap at me.” - -“Not much of a handicap,” said the red-headed chap. “If my governor was -the best all-round athlete in the country, I’d be tickled to death over -it.” - -“You’re not getting me right, Clan,” returned Merry earnestly. “I’m -proud of dad, but the things he has done he did himself, and against a -whole lot of discouraging circumstances at the outset. I want to make -the same sort of a record, see? But how can I when everybody insists -that what dad has done makes my imitation easy? If a fellow goes wrong -because his father went wrong, he’s a pretty poor stick; and if he goes -right just because his father went right, what credit is it to him? -Anyhow, there’s nothing in that theory. If a fellow wins or loses, it’s -his own doing--_his own_, mind you.” - -Frank was nettled. It was unusual for him to show his feelings so -plainly, but he was human, and there were a few things that struck -pretty hard at his self-restraint. - -“I’m glad you didn’t run off with Blunt,” said Ballard, after a moment, -“for that would have knocked our trip to the gulch in the head. We’re -going?” - -“Yes,” Frank nodded. “Early in the morning we’ll ride for the gulch.” - -“Hooray!” jubilated Clancy. “What you need, Chip, is a little outdoor -exercise--a little of the summer ozone which we’re getting, in this part -of the country, in the middle of November. Let’s make the most of it. -When we leave southern Arizona, we’ll probably land somewhere in the ice -and snow.” - -The boys saw little of Mrs. Boorland until evening. At supper, she came -down from her room and Frank introduced her to Professor Borrodaile, who -was tutoring the three lads, getting his health back in the splendid -climate, and incidentally waiting to claim the half of fifty thousand -dollars, which he and Mrs. Boorland were to receive for the mining -claim. - -The more the lads saw of the little old lady the more they liked her. It -was plain that she was all wrapped up in Barzy Blunt; and that, when she -got through with her half of the fifty thousand, it would be passed on -to Barzy. Nor would this be long, Merriwell thought, as he saw how frail -and worn she was through years of misfortune. - -Frank and his chums were in bed early, that night, and next morning they -were up and on the road to the gulch before either Mrs. Boorland or the -professor was stirring. - -It was a crisp, bright morning. The air, pure and clean from the wide -deserts, acted like a tonic. Ballard, in spite of himself, burst into -song, and Clancy had a time of it smothering the ragtime airs that -Ballard insisted on trying to sing. - -The trail was wide and fine for the fifteen miles that lay between Ophir -and Dolliver’s. Dolliver, the ranchman, was well known to the boys. - -“What d’you reckon,” he asked of the boys, as they halted to water their -mounts, “Lenning and that white-faced feller trailin’ along with him is -doin’ in these parts?” - -The boys were startled. - -“Do you mean to say they’ve been around here, Dolliver?” Frank asked. - -“That’s what,” was the reply. “They was here late yesterday arternoon, -ridin’ a couple o’ hosses. The white-faced feller had a roll of bills -enough to choke a dog. They’re up to somethin’ crooked, I’ll bet you.” - -“Which way did they go when they left here?” - -“Quién sabe?” answered Dolliver. “They jest went, an’ I didn’t see ’em -when they shacked away.” - -“You know Barzy Blunt?” went on Frank, casting a look at his chums that -kept them silent. - -“Well, I reckon. I’ve knowed Barzy ever since he was gopher-high.” - -“Did you see him yesterday afternoon?” - -“Nary I didn’t. He ain’t around in these parts. If he was, ye can gamble -he wouldn’t pass without sayin’ how-de-do to Dolliver.” - -At Dolliver’s, the boys turned from the wide trail and started into -Mohave Cañon. Here the road narrowed, and angled back and forth until -the mouth of the gulch was reached, and the riders turned to follow the -dammed-up waters that sparkled in the late forenoon’s sun. - -“I’ve a hunch,” Frank remarked, “that Blunt will get into trouble with -Lenning and Shoup.” - -“Chances are, Chip,” cried Clancy, “Blunt will never find them. They’re -a foxy pair, and if they really stole that money, then they’ll be mighty -careful to keep out of sight.” - -“Maybe Shoup didn’t take the money, after all,” suggested Ballard. - -“He’s a thief, Pink,” said Frank, “and I wouldn’t put it past him. The -fellow’s not in his right mind for very much of the time.” - -“That’s so. Do you think Lenning would stand for thieving of that sort -on Shoup’s part?” - -“Sure he would,” asserted Clancy. “That cub would stand for anything -that didn’t call for any particular nerve on his part. He’s as crooked -as Shoup; or, if he isn’t, he’ll be as crooked as Shoup before he’s been -with him very long.” - -“They say Lenning’s father was wild, and was killed in a brawl somewhere -in Alaska,” remarked Ballard. “I suppose we couldn’t expect much better -things of Lenning.” - -“There you go, Pink!” exclaimed Merry. “What Lenning’s father did isn’t -any excuse for Lenning.” - -“Right!” laughed Ballard. “Lenning’s handicap is a bit different from -yours, Chip, but I spoke before I thought.” - -The walls of the gulch widened out, and as the boys rode along the -border of the pent-up waters, they came presently into view of three -white tents, pitched on a strip of clean, sandy beach. - -Dinner was being made ready. A fire had been started, and the campers -could be seen moving about, each doing his allotted part of the work. - -Half a dozen canoes were drawn up on the sand, a little way from the -tent, and off shore a float was anchored for the use of swimmers. It was -a pleasant scene for the three lads, just a little tired from their long -morning’s ride. - -A moment after the travelers sighted the camp, the campers sighted them. -Instantly all work among the tents came to a standstill. - -“Here’s the Merriwell crowd!” whooped one of the Gold Hill fellows. - -“Good old Merry!” - -“Just in time for grub pile!” - -A rush was made for the newcomers, and they were dragged from their -horses, pounded on the back, and punched in the ribs with all the -delight and good feeling imaginable. - -Hotchkiss, another lad whom Frank and his chums knew pretty well, took -charge of the three horses, and led them away to be picketed with the -rest of the live stock. Bleeker, who seemed to be in charge of the -camping party, led the visitors into the camp and showed them their -quarters. - -“We’re all mighty glad you’ve come,” said Bleeker heartily. “We’re going -to have great times while you’re here. Didn’t see anything of Lenning -and Shoup on the road, did you?” - -“Lenning and Shoup?” returned Merriwell, startled. “No, we didn’t see -them, but we hear they were at Dolliver’s late yesterday. Have they been -here?” - -“They were here last night, and I ordered them out of camp. Nearly had a -fight getting them to go, but we got rid of them. Last night, though, -one of our canoes was stolen. Of course,” he finished, “it’s not much of -a guess who took it. Shoup’s a thief, and Lenning isn’t much better. -We’ll get that canoe back, though, you can bet on that.” - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE REVOLVER SHOT. - - -“Why the deuce did Lenning and Shoup come in this direction?” asked -Ballard, in a puzzled tone. “If they’d done anything crooked on the -trail from Ophir to Gold Hill, they would be getting away from company -instead of hunting for it.” - -“It looks as though Blunt was barking up the wrong tree,” put in Clancy. -“He had a revolver in his belt, under his coat, when he came out of the -hotel, and started on the warpath, Chip. Didn’t see that, did you?” - -“Is that straight, Clan?” Merry demanded, staring at his chum with grave -concern. - -“Straight as a die.” - -“I didn’t see it,” said Ballard. - -“Well, I did. His coat flew back as he climbed into the saddle, and for -just a second I saw the gun.” - -“Why didn’t you say something about it before?” asked Frank sharply. - -“It would only have got you all stirred up, Chip, without doing any -good. You ought to know Barzy Blunt by this time, I should think.” - -They were inside the tent where the three visitors were to have their -sleeping quarters. Merry, Clancy, and Ballard had flung themselves down -on a pile of blankets. Bleeker had started to leave, but the -conversation of Frank and his chums filled him with sudden interest, and -he turned back. - -“What are you chinning about?” he asked. “If Blunt had a gun, it isn’t -the first time he has gone ‘heeled,’ by a long chalk. A cowboy, as a -rule, knows how to shoot. I’ve heard that Blunt is particularly good on -the trigger. What are you stewing about, Chip?” - -“First,” said Merriwell, “I wish you’d tell me what excuse Lenning and -Shoup gave for coming here--that is, if they gave any.” - -“Lenning was after money.” - -“Money? How did he expect to get money here?” - -“Why, he claimed that some of the fellows in camp owed him money they -had borrowed. I reckon he was right about it, but none of us brought any -coin to speak of out here. So those who owed Lenning couldn’t pay him -back if they wanted to. You know what a hold Lenning had on Colonel -Hawtrey before the colonel cast him adrift. Lenning was always well -supplied with funds. He was generally a tightwad, too, but he’d loosen -up now and then, just to get some of the boys in debt to him, so he -could boss them around. It must seem kind of queer to Lenning to be -‘strapped’ and have to go around collecting on the I O Us.” - -“Queer, he was so hard pressed,” mused Frank, “when, if our suspicions -are correct, he and Shoup should have been flush.” - -“What are your suspicions?” - -Frank told about Mrs. Boorland’s loss on the trail from Gold Hill, and -how Barzy Blunt had “gone on the warpath” to recover the money. Bleeker -gave a long whistle. - -“Blunt is sure a crazy cowboy when he gets his mad up,” said he, “but -he’s not so crazy as to use a gun on anybody. He might make a -grand-stand play with it, but that’s as far as he’d go. He’s right, I -think. Shoup took the bank roll, and Lenning must have known about it. -Jode Lenning is going to the dogs as fast as he can.” - -“If those fellows got the money,” queried Merriwell, “why in thunder -were they here, trying to get some more?” - -“Probably two hundred wasn’t enough.” - -“Don’t forget, Chip,” spoke up Ballard, “what Dolliver said. He told us, -you know, that Shoup flashed a roll ‘big enough to choke a dog.’” - -“That’s right,” said Frank. “They certainly had money, and yet they came -here and made a play for more. I’ll be hanged if I can understand it.” - -“The Gold Hill crowd was camped right in this place, a couple of weeks -ago,” went on Bleeker, “and Jode got mad at Hotch and me and made us -leave the camp. I’m on top myself, just now, and am back in the athletic -club, and have been elected to Jode’s place as captain of the football -team. It did me good to turn on the skunk and order him off, just as he -had done to me. He was backward about going, too, and said he and Shoup -would have to have something to eat. We gave them some provisions, and -then drove them away. They made their threats that they’d get even with -us, and, as I said, last night, one of our canoes was stolen. That’s how -they got even, I reckon. This is the only stretch of water in this -section, where a canoe can be used, so if we hunt long enough we’re -bound to get back our lost property.” - -“Lenning is getting pretty mild in the way he settles his scores,” -remarked Ballard. “When he’s worked up, he can be rather desperate.” - -“I’m betting,” said Bleeker, “that with Shoup to nag him on, he’ll go -farther than he ever went before. That Shoup is a hard case.” - -“Only thing in the way of that theory,” chimed in Clancy, “is that -Lenning lacks nerve. He’s got a white feather in every pocket, and he -shows it every time any one gives him a chance.” - -“I wouldn’t come down too hard on Jode Lenning,” suggested Merriwell. -“Dad has told me, a good many times, that he never saw a fellow so tough -there wasn’t some good in him.” - -“Lenning’s the exception,” declared Bleeker. “He’s a schemer, through -and through, and he’d be out-and-out bad if he had the courage.” - -Frank shook his head. “Lenning has had a hard lesson,” said he, “and -maybe he’ll show you Gold Hill fellows, some day, that he has profited -by it.” - -Bleeker laughed incredulously. - -“Chip,” he declared, “your heart’s running away with your head. -Lenning’s lawlessness was born in him.” - -“Oh, splash!” grunted Merry. “That sort of talk makes me tired. A man’s -born with the same chance every one else has to make something out of -himself. If he goes wrong, he can’t sneak behind his pedigree and whine -about it; and if he does anything worth while, why, he’s entitled to the -credit.” - -“Gee,” grinned Bleeker, “I reckon I’ve started something. Let’s change -the subject. What are Blunt’s chances for overhauling Lenning and -Bleeker?” - -“Not very good--if we can get at those fellows first,” said Frank. - -“Going on the warpath yourself, Chip?” inquired Ballard. - -“Right after dinner. If Lenning and Shoup have Mrs. Boorland’s money, -and if they’re anywhere in the vicinity of this gulch, we ought to be -able to find them and get back that two hundred. Blunt is probably on -the wrong trail, and we may be the means of saving him a little trouble. -While we’re looking for the money, Bleek,” he added, “you can come along -and hunt for the canoe.” - -“I’ll go with you, Chip,” answered Bleeker heartily. “But we’re not -going to waste all the afternoon on Lenning and Shoup. We’re going to -have a canoe race around the Point, before sundown. I’m anxious to take -a fall out of you on the water. From here to the broken pine around the -Point is half a mile. I’ll pick a fellow to paddle with me, and you can -take either Pink or Red. I’ve got a notion, old chap, that we Gold -Hillers can show you a trick or two with the paddles.” - -“I hope you can, Bleek,” laughed Merriwell. “We haven’t touched a paddle -since we were up in the Wyoming country.” - -“And that seems like a year ago,” sighed Clancy. “Say, I’m just honing -for a paddle! Are you going to take Pink or Little Reddy, Chip?” - -“We’ll settle that later,” said Frank. - -“Go on!” cried Ballard, with mock indignation. “I can paddle circles all -around Clancy.” - -“That’s a joke,” said Clancy. “You’re too lazy to paddle circles around -anybody.” - -“I’m not too lazy to knock a chip off your shoulder, you red-headed -chump!” - -“Yah!” taunted Clancy, hunting around for a chip. “Chips are scarce,” he -added finally, picking a pebble out of the sand. “How’ll this do?” - -The pebble went flying from Clancy’s shoulder, and the two chums laughed -and came together. While they were kicking and rolling among the -blankets, a voice from outside announced “grub pile.” - -“If you fellows would rather fight than eat,” said Merriwell, “stay -right here and keep it up. Come on, Bleek, I’m hungry enough to eat a -pair of boots.” - -It was a fish dinner the campers had that day, and a good one. Half an -hour before the fish was served, they had been swimming up and down the -gulch. From the water to the frying pan was a quick shift--and the -quicker the shift the better, when it comes to fish. - -There were ten Gold Hillers in camp, and the coming of Frank and his -chums brought the total number up to a baker’s dozen. The ten from Gold -Hill all belonged to the athletic club, and were a splendid lot of -fellows. They were hungry, too, for the morning had been full of -exercise. - -“Pass the spuds, there, Hotch!” “Trying to hog all the canned oleo, -Ming?” “A little more of the planked shad, if you please!” “Where’s my -fork?” “Confound it, Bleek, the first thing you know the company will -find out we didn’t have forks enough to go around, and that we’re using -one between us.” “If you can’t be real polite, then for Heaven’s sake be -as polite as you can.” “I’ve got a bone in my throat!” wailed Hotchkiss. -“Hit him on the back,” said Bleeker; “everybody hit Hotch on the back.” - -Everybody took a slam at Hotchkiss, and when they got through with him -he had been pounded to a frazzle--but he had got rid of the bone. - -“That’ll do!” he cried. “I’m no punching bag--let up.” - -“Where’s the bone?” asked Bleeker severely. - -“Gone! It’s not bothering me half so much, now, as you fellows are.” - -“Prove it’s gone.” - -“How?” - -“Sing. Go on, Hotch.” - -“I’ve eaten too much--I can’t sing.” - -“Try it!” clamored the others. - -“Shucks,” deprecated Hotch, “I’ve got a voice like a foghorn. But here -goes.” - -He threw back his head and went at it. - - “I once knew a girl in the year of eighty-nine-- - A handsome young thing by the name of Emmaline-- - I never could persuade her for to leave me be, - And she went and she took and she married me-e-e!” - -A chorus of groans greeted Hotchkiss’ attempt. - -“That’s a ranch song, Hotch,” said Bleeker sternly, “and it is not in -good taste. Try again. We----” - -But Hotchkiss did not get a chance to try again. Bleeker’s words were -cut short by the clear, yet distant, note of a firearm. - -The fun stopped as though by magic. All the boys cast startled glances -at each other. - -“That may be the fellows who stole our canoe!” cried Hotch, jumping to -his feet. “Come on, fellows! Here’s a chance to nail ’em!” - -He started up the gulch bank at a run, Bleeker and Merriwell tight at -his heels. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -A BLIND CHASE. - - -The lads were somewhat confused as to the direction from which the -report had come. They were all agreed on one point, however, and that -was that the shot had been fired on their side of the gulch. From there -on, their ideas of the right direction varied widely. Clustered together -on the crest of the long slope of the gulch bank, they held a hurried -consultation, to decide what their next move should be. - -“I’m sure,” said Bleeker, “that the sound came from the northwest.” - -“Northeast, Bleek,” asserted Hotchkiss. - -“Directly north,” a chap named Lenaway declared, with equal conviction. - -“What do you think, Merriwell?” asked Bleeker. - -“It’s hard to tell,” Frank answered. “If we’d been listening for the -shot, and trying to locate it, we might have got the direction tolerably -close; but the sound came when we weren’t expecting anything of the -kind, so that the way we ought to go is more or less of a guess. I’m -inclined to think you’re right, though, Bleek.” - -“Pick out a couple to go with you, Hotch,” said Bleeker, “and go -northeast. You do the same, Len, and go north. Merry and I will go over -towards the cañon.” - -Frank turned and gave Clancy and Ballard a significant look. - -“You go with Hotch, Clan,” said he, “and Pink, you go with Lenaway.” - -Clancy and Ballard understood Merriwell’s reason for this move. If the -party led by Hotchkiss, or the one led by Lenaway, succeeded in finding -Lenning and Shoup, then there would be some one along to make an attempt -to secure Mrs. Boorland’s lost money. So far, of the Gold Hillers, only -Bleeker knew of the money that had been stolen on the trail from Gold -Hill to Ophir. - -“This matter is settled, then,” said Bleeker. “The rest of you boys go -back to camp. We don’t want to leave the camp to take care of itself and -lose any more canoes. Come on, Chip.” - -The party divided, the three detachments of searchers starting off -hurriedly in as many different directions, while several of the lads -went back down the slope to the camp. - -Merriwell and Bleeker took a northwest course among low, rocky hills. -They traveled rapidly, keeping their ears open for another report, which -might serve further as a guide. - -“That was a revolver shot,” asserted Bleeker, as they hurried on, “but -it may have been farther away than we think. In this clear, still air a -report will carry a long distance.” - -“Did Lenning or Shoup have any weapons, Bleeker?” asked Frank, in a -worried tone. - -“I don’t think so; at least I didn’t see any when I sent them away from -the camp, last night. If they had had any guns, they might have tried to -use them then and make a bluff.” - -“Probably,” said Frank, with a feeling of relief. “It’s possible, too, -that some one besides Blunt was doing that shooting. There may be others -in this vicinity, don’t you think?” - -“Sure thing, but it’s hardly likely. I don’t believe there’s a soul -nearer our camp than Dolliver’s.” - -“Some cowboy might be riding down Mohave Cañon from the Fiddleback -Ranch.” - -“Yes; but I don’t know what he’d find to shoot at. Cowboys don’t carry -revolvers all the time, like they used to; and, if a Fiddleback man was -going to town, he certainly wouldn’t pack a six-shooter. But that -couldn’t have been Blunt doing the shooting. He wasn’t on the track of -Lenning and Shoup, at last accounts.” - -“Blunt has had plenty of time to pick up the trail. He’s a determined -chap when he sets out to do anything.” - -“Hotch jumped at the conclusion that Lenning and Shoup were doing the -shooting. But if they didn’t have anything to shoot with, Hotch, of -course, is wrong. Whoever pulled the trigger was easily satisfied. Only -one shot was fired.” - -Just at that moment, Merriwell glimpsed something a few yards to the -right of him. It was an object that lay on the ground and gleamed -brightly in the sun. Swerving to one side, he picked the object up. - -“What have you found, pard?” called Bleeker. - -“An empty sardine tin,” Frank reported. - -“That’s right,” said Bleeker, coming up and peering at the flat can with -its ragged flap. “It’s bright and new, and hasn’t lain where you found -it for very long. We gave Lenning and Shoup a couple of tins of -sardines, and I reckon they must have camped somewhere near this place -last night.” - -The lads examined the ground in the vicinity with some care. They found -a thicket of mesquite, which had been trampled by horses--and Bleeker’s -theory that Lenning and Shoup had spent the night in that place was all -but proved. - -“I reckon they stayed here,” said Bleeker. “Their horses could browse on -the mesquite beans, and it wouldn’t have been much of a hardship for -Lenning and Shoup to sleep in the open. But why did they do it, when -they could just as well have returned to Dolliver’s?” - -“Perhaps they were afraid to go to Dolliver’s; that is, if they really -took Mrs. Boorland’s money.” - -“They’re hanging out in the hills for some purpose, that’s plain,” mused -Bleeker. “We might as well keep on, Chip, and see what we can find.” - -The gulch and the cañon formed a right angle, and the course the two -lads were taking was carrying them nearer and nearer the deeper and -narrower defile. The hills among which they traveled were low, but there -were many of them, and they kept to the valleys between. Now and then, -either Merriwell or Bleeker would climb one of the uplifts and take a -look at the country around them. They could see nothing of the fellows -they were trying to find. - -“We ought to have brought our horses,” grumbled Bleeker. “If we hadn’t -started in such a rush we’d have thought of that. Lenning and Shoup have -mounts, and if they see us first they’ll get away and we can’t stop -them.” - -“It’s too late to think of our horses now,” returned Frank. “Why do you -suppose they stole your canoe, last night?” he queried. “If they have -horses, what use would they find for a canoe?” - -“Well, they might have taken that seventy-five dollar boat just to get -even with us for not letting them stay in the camp.” Bleeker came to a -halt. “We’ve come twice as far as that revolver shot would carry,” he -went on, “and it’s a cinch we’ve had our trouble for our pains. Suppose -we give up, and go back?” - -“I don’t think we’re going to have any luck,” was Merry’s answer, “so -there’s nothing for us to do but to return to camp. But that shot is -bothering me a lot,” he added, sitting down on a convenient bowlder. - -“I’m puzzled a heap, myself,” said Bleeker, hunting a seat and dropping -down on it disgustedly. “I reckon, after all, we’d better make up our -minds that some prospector took a chance shot at a coyote. That’s as -good a guess as any, Chip. It’s fair to suppose that Barzy Blunt is all -at sea, and hasn’t a notion where to look for Shoup and Lenning. So he -couldn’t have done the shooting. Shoup and Lenning are out of it, -because they hadn’t a gun. We’ve taken this little trip through the -hills all for nothing.” - -“I’ve got a hunch you’re wrong, Bleek, yet I can’t say where you’re -wrong, or why.” - -“My nerves must be in a fearful state when I get so worked up over the -report of a revolver. I wouldn’t have thought anything about it if Shoup -and Lenning hadn’t been in our vicinity, and if they hadn’t taken our -canoe, and if you hadn’t told me what you did about Mrs. Boorland’s -money, and about Blunt going on the warpath.” - -“Well, let’s give it up as a bad job and mosey back to the camp. I’d -like to keep Blunt from finding those two fellows, for he might do -something a whole lot worse than just losing the two hundred dollars. I -guess, though, that Shoup and Lenning are foxy enough to keep away from -Blunt.” - -“Our best bet is to look for the canoe. That must be along the river, -somewhere. If we can find that, we may be able to lie low and get track -of the thieves who made off with it. I had already planned that move for -this afternoon. Why not begin at the mouth of the gulch, Chip, and work -our way back to the camp? It wouldn’t take more than an hour or two to -beat up every thicket where the canoe could be hidden.” - -“Come on, Bleek, and we’ll try it.” - -They had hardly started before Merriwell came to a quick halt, and -dropped his hand on Bleeker’s arm. - -“Listen!” he said. - -They bent their heads, and what Merriwell had heard came to the ears of -each of them distinctly. It was the sound of galloping hoofs. - -“That’s a horse, all right,” murmured Bleeker excitedly. “From the -sound, the animal is heading this way.” - -“One horse,” said Frank. “Wait till I climb this hill and see if I can -locate the animal.” - -He hurried to the top of the low hill on his left, and stared in the -direction from which the hoofbeats were coming. To the south, perhaps a -hundred feet away, was a long ridge. Well to the east of the point where -he was making his observations, he could see the head of a horseman -bobbing up and down as the animal he rode lifted and dropped in a slow -gallop. The rider was heading west, following the other side of the -ridge. - -A quick survey of the ground showed Frank that the valley which he and -Bleeker were following pierced the ridge, and, if they made good time, -they could get to that part of the ridge ahead of the rider. Thus, if -the rider did not change his course, they might be able to intercept -him. Frank bounded down the hillside and started southward at a run. - -“Hustle, Bleek,” he called. “There’s a fellow coming on a horse, and if -we hurry we can head him off.” - -“That’s the stuff!” answered Bleeker, getting into motion. “What sort of -a looking fellow is he?” - -“I couldn’t see anything but the top of his hat. There’s a ridge in the -way, and he’s galloping along on the other side.” - -The valley crooked in a half circle around the base of another hill, and -Merry and Bleeker raced through it and came to the point where the ridge -was broken. The thump of hoofs was growing louder and louder. - -“He’s pretty near,” whispered Bleeker. - -“He’s right on us,” Merriwell flung back, and jumped out from among the -rocks. - -He came within one of being trampled by the galloping hoofs, for he -leaped almost under the horse’s nose. The animal snorted and reared -back, while an exclamation of surprise came from its rider. - -As soon as Frank could get his bearings, he gave a yell of surprise -himself. The rider, as it proved, was none other than Barzy Blunt! - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -BLUNT’S WARNING. - - -“What are you trying to do, pard?” called the cowboy. “Trying to scare a -fellow to death?” - -“Suffering side winders!” exclaimed Bleeker. “Blamed if it isn’t Blunt.” - -“What appears to be the trouble?” asked Blunt. - -“We’re trailing down a revolver shot, Barzy,” said Merriwell. “We -thought Lenning and Shoup might be mixed up with it, somehow.” - -“They were,” was the grim response. “I caught sight of them, but they -were too quick for me. When I called on them to halt, they didn’t pay -any attention; so I turned loose with a shot just to show ’em I meant -business.” - -“Did you hit either of them?” Frank inquired, with a good deal of -concern. - -“What do you take me for, Chip?” said Blunt. “I’m careless a whole lot, -and there are times when I’m a pretty rough proposition, but I’m not -plumb locoed. I wasn’t trying to hit either of those junipers--but I -came mighty close to Shoup. You can bet your scalp lock that he heard -the sing of the bullet.” - -“They got away?” - -“They did, with ground to spare.” - -Blunt crooked a knee around his saddle horn and took up a comfortable -position on his horse. - -“How did you get on the track of those fellows, Blunt?” Frank went on. - -“By a happenchance. When I rode away from the hotel, yesterday -afternoon, I traveled the cañon trail toward Gold Hill. Met Schuster, -one of our boys. He had been to the Hill for a couple of days, and was -on his way back to the ranch. It was Schuster put me wise, Chip. He had -heard a few things about Lenning and Shoup in town. You want to look out -for yourself.” - -“I do?” asked Frank. “Why?” - -“Schuster heard that Lenning and Shoup are after your scalp. They want -to balance accounts with you. I reckon you know what that means to a -couple of fellows like they are.” - -“Lenning and Shoup have all they can do to look out for themselves,” -Chip laughingly said, “and I don’t think they’ll have any time to bother -with me. Schuster probably didn’t get the thing straight, anyhow. When -you overhear talk like that, Barzy, it is pretty apt to be gammon.” - -“This is how straight Schuster got it,” returned Blunt. “Listen: Along -at the same time Schuster heard that, he also heard that Lenning and -Shoup know you and your chums were to be invited to spend a few days -with the Gold Hillers in the gulch. Lenning opined that the gulch would -be a good place to make his play. Did he and Shoup come out to your -camp?” Blunt asked, turning to Bleeker. - -“That’s what they did,” said Bleeker. - -“Then Schuster wasn’t very wide of his trail on that part of it, was he? -It was the information I got from him that brought me to Mohave Cañon -early this morning. I didn’t stop at Dolliver’s, but drilled past his -shack like a streak. Been knocking around the hills all day, and it was -less than an hour ago when I got a glimpse of the skunks I’m after. Of -course, I knew the Gold Hillers wouldn’t let them stay in the camp; and -I was just as sure they’d hang around here, because they’re looking for -a chance at you, Merriwell, and they won’t pull their freight till they -get it.” - -“I’m not going to lose any sleep or miss any fun waiting for the blow to -fall,” Merriwell laughed. “Come on over to the camp, Blunt. There’s a -canoe race on for this afternoon and I’d like to have you help me out -with a paddle.” - -“Business first, pard,” answered Blunt. “I’m going to find Shoup and -Lenning, get back that stolen money, and then run them out of this part -of the range before they have a chance to lay hands on you.” - -“Have you had anything to eat to-day?” - -“This morning. At noon, I pulled up my belt a notch. To-night, if I’ve -done what I’ve laid out to do, I’ll drop in at your camp for a little -chuck. If I’m still shy on my plans, then I’ll shack over to Dolliver’s -for grub pile.” - -“I’ll get my horse and help you hunt for those fellows.” - -“I feel the same as I did at the hotel yesterday,” demurred Blunt. “This -is my job, and I want every one else to keep hands off.” - -“Where are you going now?” - -“I’m going it blind, but I know that if I comb the hills close enough -Shoup and Lenning can’t dodge me.” - -Blunt straightened in his saddle. - -“If those fellows are really after me, Barzy,” said Frank, “you’ll do -better to go with us to the camp, and put in your time waiting and -keeping your eyes skinned.” - -“I’ve got a different notion. You’re the one that’s got to keep his eyes -skinned. See you later.” - -With that, Blunt rattled his spurs and galloped on along the side of the -ridge. - -“I can see with half an eye what he’s up to,” declared Bleeker. - -“What?” - -“Why, he thinks he’s saving you a little trouble by keeping Shoup and -Lenning on the run. If they know he’s after them and it’s a cinch they -do after that shooting--they won’t have any chance to make things lively -for you, Chip. They’ll have their hands full taking care of themselves.” - -Bleeker laughed. He broke into merriment suddenly, convulsed with some -idea that had come to him on the spur of the moment. - -“What’s the joke, Bleek?” asked the wondering Merriwell. - -“Why, it’s the complete change of front Barzy has made in the last few -weeks. He was as hot at you, for a spell, as Lenning is now; but, right -at this minute, he’d fight for you till he dropped. It’s plumb -humorous--to any one that knows Barzy Blunt. You must be a wizard to -change an enemy into a friend, like that.” - -“Everybody said that Blunt was rantankerous, and that his disposition -was born in him and couldn’t be changed,” said Frank, “but I knew -better. That cowboy is one of the finest fellows that ever breathed. All -you have to do to make sure of that is to see the way he takes care of -Mrs. Boorland. Come on, Bleek, if we’re going to hunt for that canoe.” - -Bleeker cocked his eyes at the sun. - -“I reckon we’ll let the canoe go, for now,” he answered. “Since we’ve -seen and talked with Blunt, I’ve made up my mind that the canoe, -wherever it is, is safe enough for the present. Shoup and Lenning have -probably hidden it away in the bushes, and Blunt will keep them so busy -that they won’t be able to go near it. How long are you and Clancy and -Ballard going to stay with us?” - -“We had two days for fun and frivolity when we left Ophir. That means, -Bleek, that we’ve got to start back to-morrow afternoon.” - -“I thought your stay might be limited, and if we have any good times at -all we’ve got to start them. So we’ll let the old canoe go, get back to -camp and start the races. It’s a shame you can’t be with us longer. -What’s the particular rush?” - -“The prof is busy selling his mining claim, and he figures that it will -take two days. When the two days are over, we’ve got to grind at our -studies and make up for the time we’ve lost.” - -“I see. Knowledge comes at an awful price, eh? Well, let’s get back and -put the canoes into the water.” - -It was three o’clock before they regained the camp. The other search -parties had already arrived. They had seen nothing of Shoup or Lenning. - -Merriwell and Bleeker reported their own discoveries, but held back the -warning Blunt had delivered. Merry had asked Bleeker to say nothing -about that. He considered the idea as altogether foolish, and not worth -recounting. Bleeker, on his part, although he may have credited Lenning -and Shoup with sinister designs against Frank, undoubtedly thought that -the two fugitives would have too much to think about to have any spare -time for plots. - -The idea of the races had been received by the whole camp with -enthusiasm. Shoup and Lenning and the lost canoe were temporarily -forgotten in the prospect of the afternoon’s sport. - -It was settled that there were to be three competing canoes. Bleeker and -Hotchkiss were to man one, Merry and Clancy another, and Lenaway and a -chap named Orr were booked for the third. - -Arizona being a dry country, there was not the chance for water sports -that was enjoyed by States more favored by Mr. Jupiter Pluvius. Had -miners, in the olden times, not thrown a dam across the mouth of the -gulch, the gulch would have been like the cañon, with only a knee-deep -pool here and there throughout its entire length. The dam, however, had -created a reservoir some three miles long, fed by clear mountain -springs. It was the only place in that part of the State where the twin -sports of bathing and boating could be indulged in. - -“The course, fellows,” announced Bleeker, “is one that was marked out by -the late-lamented Lenning, when he was king bee in the Gold Hill crowd. -Look up the gulch, will you? See Apache Point, over there?” - -Frank and Clancy followed Bleeker’s pointing finger with their eyes. A -little more than a quarter of a mile away, the left-hand bank of the -gulch rose into a sheer wall, some fifty feet high, with the water -laving its base. The stream narrowed at the foot of Apache Point, so -that there was room for no more than three canoes to pass it abreast of -each other. - -“Around the Point,” Bleeker went on, “the gulch banks widen out again, -and this stretch of slack-water navigation widens with it. A quarter of -a mile up the other side of the Point, on the left-hand bank, is a white -flag. The course is around the bend, to the white flag and back again to -the camp. We Gold Hillers know all about it, Merriwell, and if you and -Clancy want to paddle over it before the race, we’ll wait for you.” - -“Any snags in the course?” asked Frank. “Any obstacles we’ll have to -look out for?” - -“The whole course is as clean as a whistle. The only thing to remember -is to hug the foot of the cliff when you go round the Point. The lead -boat gets the pole, of course,” he laughed. - -“I don’t think we’ll have to go over it, Bleek, before we race. We’re -ready, now.” - -“Then pick out your canoe and get ready.” - -There was really no choice in the canoes, and Merry and Clancy selected -one at random and got their paddles. Bleeker, Hotchkiss, Lenaway and Orr -ducked into a tent and got out of their clothes and into bathing trunks. -Frank and his red-headed chum had only to step out of their ordinary -garments, for as underclothes they wore gymnasium togs. - -Launching their canoe, they got into it and waited for the others to -make ready and for the word to start. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -ACCIDENT OR TREACHERY? - - -“What’s on to follow this race, Chip?” asked Clancy, while they were -waiting. - -“A half mile for single paddles,” Merry answered. - -“That will give Pink a chance, if there are canoes enough to go round.” - -“Don’t fret about Pink,” called that worthy from the bank, happening to -overhear the talk between his chums. “I’m going to run along the bank -and root for the heroes of Farnham Hall. I invented canoes, and -naturally I’m a better paddler than Red, but I can put more heart into -you from the shore than I could with a paddle.” - -Clancy slapped the water with his paddle and threw a small shower over -Ballard. - -“You invented the long bow, too, you old chump,” laughed Clancy, “and -you’re a champion hand at pulling it. Come on in, the water’s fine.” - -Ballard had leaped out of the way of the shower, and was sputtering -about his wet clothes. - -“You’ll get all you want of the water if I’m any prophet, you red-headed -false alarm!” he shouted. “For half a cent I’d wade out there and swamp -you.” - -“Somebody got a nickel?” sang out Clancy. “Throw it to Pink and let him -keep the change.” - -At just this point, the other canoes glided out into the water, taking -up their positions on each side of Merry and Clancy. - -“All ready?” cried a fellow named Dart, who was acting as starter, as -the canoes lined up. - -“All ready!” came the chorus from the racers. - -“Then, go!” - -Splash went the paddles, and the light, graceful water craft jumped -ahead like restless thoroughbreds. Before they had gone twenty feet, -Merry realized that in Bleeker and Hotchkiss he and Clancy had foemen -worthy of their mettle. The lads in the other craft were working hard, -but were left behind almost from the start. By an unlucky move they -overturned their canoe before the Point was reached, and the last Frank -saw of them on the first lap they were swimming for the bank, towing -their water-logged craft. - -Clancy was in the stern, and he was doing the steering in masterly -fashion. Frank, wielding his paddle with grace and power, knelt at the -bow. - -“Steady, Clan!” he called. “Don’t use up all your ginger at the -beginning!” - -“Steady it is,” answered Clancy. - -Bleeker and Hotchkiss were working like Trojans. Foot by foot they drew -ahead of the other canoe. - -“Dig, you Farnham Hall fellows!” bellowed Ballard from the bank. “What -do you think this is--a picnic excursion? Dig, I tell you! If you’re -last at the finish, don’t you ever speak to me again.” - -“Come on, you Bleek!” shouted the Gold Hillers. - -“Come on, Hotch!” - -“Keep it up, Gold Hill! You’ve got ’em beaten.” - -“Oh, you Bleeker! We’re slow at football, but I reckon we’re there with -the goods on the water.” - -“It isn’t Jode Lenning you’re up against now, Merriwell!” - -All this rooting on the part of the Gold Hill fellows did not in the -least disturb Merriwell or Clancy. They were paddling like clockwork, -but were saving their energies for the last lap. After the white flag -was met and turned, they’d begin to show what they were made of. - -The main thing was to keep a clear head and steady nerves while the -competing canoe was moving away from them. And in this certainly -Merriwell and Clancy were put to a severe test. - -Before the Point was reached, the stern of the other canoe was even with -Merry’s position in the bow of his own craft. Bleeker had the inside, -and he went so close to the perpendicular wall of the cliff that his -paddle touched the base of the rocks. He looked over at Merry. - -“Come on, old man!” he called. - -“Not yet, Bleek,” Merry answered, with a laugh. “We want you to get -farther ahead first.” - -“Much obliged! Now watch us.” - -Merry and Clancy had to go farther in getting around the Point than -Bleeker and Hotch, for they were forced farther away from the cliff. -Inasmuch as the gulch curved at the Point, the rival canoe was offered -an advantage, similar to that which comes to a pole horse on the oval of -a race track. When once more on a straightaway, Bleeker and Hotch were -leading by a full canoe length. - -The boys on the bank had not been able to get around the Point, so some -of them, including Ballard, crossed to the opposite shore in the other -canoes. - -“What’s the trouble with you chumps?” shouted Ballard. “Don’t you know -the other boat’s ahead? Buckle in--paddle like you used to. Do better -than that, Red, or I’ll swim out there and take your place.” - -“You got ’em, Bleek!” cried the Gold Hillers frantically. “Keep -a-coming!” - -“Here’s where the chip off the old block gets a setback! I reckon -Merry’s dad was better with a baseball than he was with a paddle!” - -In the excitement of the moment some ill-considered words were roared -across the water. This remark, by a Gold Hill partisan, was probably -excusable, in the circumstances, but it struck a spark from Merry’s -temper. - -It opened up the old, tantalizing question of heredity--the very thing -which Merriwell had called a “handicap.” His father could pitch better -than he could paddle, could he? If that was the case, then by winning -that contest he might prove that what he had learned about canoes had -come to him in his own right. - -“Good old Merry!” cried one of the Gold Hill crowd, by way of tempering -the unwise rooting of his camp-mate. “You’re the stuff! Never say die is -your slogan--and that’s all that came down to you from the champion in -Bloomfield.” - -A thrill raced along Frank’s nerves. At the risk of giving the -competitors a still longer lead, he looked shoreward to locate the chap -who had called those electrifying words. - -“Pink is a peach of a rooter--I don’t think,” grumbled Clancy. - -“Never mind, Pink,” laughed Frank, his momentary flash of temper -passing, “he’s trying to spur us across the finish line instead of -giving us a pull. Ah! There’s the flag, Clan!” - -A bit of white fluttered on the left-hand bank. Bleeker and Hotchkiss -had already made the turn and were coming down. - -“We’ll be at the finish to welcome you fellows!” jubilated Hotch. - -“Maybe you’ll do better in the singles,” shouted Bleeker. “It’s hardly -fair, anyway. You haven’t gripped a paddle for a long time, while we’ve -been at it every day for a week.” - -“Don’t fret about that, Bleek,” grinned Clancy. - -He could grin, but nevertheless he was worried. He and Merry had a lot -of strength to draw on, but could they be sure that Bleeker and -Hotchkiss had not a lot of power in reserve? The next few minutes would -tell the tale. - -The canoe came around, and headed away on the final stretch. Bleeker and -Hotchkiss, the silver spray sparkling under the strong dip of their -paddles, were all of five canoe lengths in the lead. - -“Now, Clancy!” cried Merriwell. “We must get the inside track around the -Point! Let yourself out, old man!” - -Then and there the Farnham Hall lads began doing their prettiest. They -bent to their work in a way that was beautiful to see, and the strength -they had been nursing for just that moment expended itself in a -wonderful burst of speed. - -“Now you’re coming!” screeched Ballard. “Keep that up, Chip, and you’ll -pass the other canoe and leave it out of sight!” - -“Don’t lose your nerve, Bleek!” shouted the Gold Hillers. “Crack your -backs! Pull, I tell you! For the honor of Gold Hill, you junipers! For -the love of Mike, don’t let this chance get away from you!” - -“Gold Hill winners, hump, you sinners!” - -It was evident to Frank, however, that Bleeker and Hotchkiss had put the -best of their energy into the first half of the race. The wise -precaution of husbanding their muscle for the wind-up had not appealed -to them. They had wanted a good lead at the start-off--and were probably -hoping that the lead could not be overcome. - -Yard by yard Merry and Clancy overhauled the canoe ahead. Every thrust -of the paddles, sturdy and strong and swift, carried the rear craft -forward for a gain. Halfway to the point the canoes were side by side. - -Bleeker and Hotchkiss had no breath nor inclination for joshing. Their -faces were white and set, and their arms knotted at the biceps with the -strain they put upon their dipping blades. Every nerve was stretched to -the breaking point. - -It was a good race, a splendid race. No matter which canoe won, the joy -of those fleeting moments as they came down the homestretch would be -happily remembered by victor and vanquished. - -Bleeker and Hotchkiss must have realized how their opponents had been -playing the game. They had played it squarely, too, and had calmly -watched their rivals lead in the first half of the race. Now, at last, -Bleeker and his canoe mate understood that they were facing a crisis, -and that only heartbreaking work could save the day. - -They labored so well, for a considerable distance, the canoes continued -to remain side by side. - -“Want us to wait for you, Bleek?” called Clancy. - -Bleeker had other uses for his breath, however, than wasting it on -replies to the red-headed fellow in the other craft. - -“Once more, Clan!” cried Merriwell. “Hug the cliff--we’ve got to!” - -Half a dozen sweeps of the paddles and Merry and Clancy were leading. A -few more sweeps, and Clancy sent their craft across the bows of their -rivals. - -They were on the inside now, those Farnham Hall boys, and paddling like -fiends. A few moments more and they were under the shadow of the Point. - -And then--something happened. Was it accident, or was it design? Intent -on their work, none of those in the two canoes could tell; nor could the -frantic lads on shore. - -Clancy heard a crash and roar above him. A glance aloft showed a bowlder -dropping downward from the top of the Point. To Clancy, it looked as big -as a house, and in a flash he knew it must strike the canoe. - -The red-headed chap’s heart jumped into his throat. For a heartbeat he -sat powerless, stunned by what he saw. Then he roused up suddenly, with -a yell: - -“_Jump, Merry! Jump for your life!_” - -On the instant, Clancy dropped his paddle and went overboard. His -frantic plunge overturned the canoe, and Merry was in the water almost -as soon as his chum. - -The falling bowlder just grazed the overturned canoe, splashed into the -waves and sent up a geyser of foaming spray. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -DESPERATE WORK. - - -Merry, as well as Clancy, had heard the rush and roar of the bowlder. -But Merry was not in a position to see it, and his first intimation of -the real cause of the trouble came with Clancy’s jump, the sweeping of -the canoe, and the splash of the bowlder in the water. - -Bleeker and Hotchkiss, no less than the lads on the shore, were -thunder-struck. The second canoe was far enough away to be out of -danger, although it bobbed perilously in the swash of the waves. - -The huge rock had dropped so unexpectedly, and had missed Merriwell and -Clancy so narrowly, that all who watched it were paralyzed for a space. -Then, when the first shock had worn away, a wild turmoil of voices went -up from the bank and from the other canoe. - -“A rock was loosened and dropped from the cliff!” called some one -huskily. - -“A bowlder was never known to drop from the Point!” protested another. - -“An accident, that’s all!” asserted a third. “How could it have been -anything else?” - -Ballard, pale as death, was launching a canoe to the other bank. Dart -and another lad crowded in with him. - -The seething waters had quieted about the foot of the cliff, and Bleeker -and Hotch were paddling close to Merriwell and Clancy, who were swimming -to get around the Point. - -“Are you all right, fellows?” Bleeker asked in a shaking voice. - -“I am,” answered Merry. “How about you, Clan?” - -“Physically, I’m all to the good, but mentally I’m badly disabled,” -Clancy answered. “A fine course you laid out for us, Bleek,” he added. - -“It’s Jode Lenning’s course,” said Bleeker. “I’ve been here a good many -times, during the last six years, and I never knew a rock to fall from -the cliff before. I can’t understand it.” - -“It was an accident, Bleek,” said Frank, “and the bowlder missed us. A -miss, you know, is as good as a mile. Better have somebody look after -the canoe.” - -“The fellows in one of the other canoes are towing it in,” said Hotch. - -Merry and Clancy, reaching the sloping bank below the Point, walked up -out of the water. Both were still a little dazed by the recent mishap. - -Ballard, all a-tremble from the shock, landed and hurried to the side of -his chums. - -“You got out of that by the skin of your teeth,” said he. “Thunder! I -thought you were gone, for sure. That bowlder wasn’t more than a second -coming down, but it seemed to me like a year before it hit the water.” - -“It must have been an accident,” commented Dart. - -“No,” said Bleeker, and threw a significant look at Merriwell. - -Bleeker had had a little time in which to collect his thoughts, and he -was doing some reasoning, with Blunt’s warning for a background. - -“I agree with Dart,” spoke up Merriwell. “I don’t see how it could have -been anything but an accident.” - -“I do,” muttered Bleeker darkly. “Some of you fellows get up on top of -the Point. Hustle! See if you can find any one there. If you lose too -much time, there isn’t a chance.” - -Ballard led the rush up the steep slope, taking the roundabout way -necessary for gaining the crest of the cliff. Several of the wondering -lads followed Ballard. They were hardly started on their climb when a -canoe from the opposite shore came nosing to the bank. It held two of -the campers. As they arose, they got a bit of a glimpse of the water on -the other side of the Point. - -“Look!” one of them cried. “There’s our other canoe--and Lenning and -Shoup!” - -Owing to the bend in the river, nothing could be seen from the bank -where Merry and the rest were standing. Merry, the instant he heard the -shouted warning, started for the water’s edge and flung himself into the -craft which Bleeker and Hotchkiss had used for the race. - -“Come on, Clan!” Frank called. “Here’s something we’ve got to look -into--and we must be quick about it.” - -Clancy jumped for the canoe as though touched by a live wire. Through -his befogged brain an inkling of his chum’s purpose had drifted. - -In almost less time than it takes to tell it, the canoe was racing -across the water, Merry in the bow and Clancy in the stern. Other canoes -followed, for a feeling that something more of a portentous nature was -about to happen ran through every lad’s nerves. - -When well into the river, Frank could look ahead, as the vista opened -out above the Point, and see the stolen canoe, with the two thieves -aboard. Shoup was in the stern and Lenning at the bow. Both were using -their paddles like mad, evidently trying to get across to the other -bank. - -“Get busy, Clan!” called Merriwell quietly, but compellingly. “I think -we can overhaul those fellows before they land.” - -“We’ll have to go some, if we do,” was the answer. - -“I guess we’ve shown that we can do that, all right.” - -Shoup, taking a survey over his shoulder, saw that he and Lenning were -pursued. He spoke to Lenning, and both bent fiercely to their paddling. - -They were awkward at the work, and the canoe zigzagged back and forth. -But, in spite of the poor paddling, it looked as though the two might -reach the bank before Merriwell and Clancy could get to them. - -“Great guns!” cried Clancy, as an idea suddenly burst on his mind. - -“What’s to pay, Clan?” asked Merry, keeping his keen, calculating eyes -straight ahead. - -“I’ve just thought of something, Chip. Those two hounds are trying to -get away--they were on top of the Point--they dropped that rock down on -us! By thunder, what do you think of that!” - -“I wouldn’t say that until I had some proof,” counselled Merriwell. -“Shut up, Clan, and dig in! We’ve got to if we get close enough to lay -hands on them.” - -Clancy smothered his desire for further talk and put all his vim into -his paddle. He and Merry were gaining on the other craft, but -nevertheless it seemed a foregone conclusion that Shoup and Lenning -would reach shore before they could be stopped. - -And then, just when the chase appeared most hopeless, Lenning’s paddle -snapped. A shout of anger came from Shoup. He followed it by an act as -surprising to those who looked on as it was desperate in its nature. - -Rising to his feet, his own paddle in his hands, Shoup stepped forward -and brought the paddle down viciously on the head of his companion. -Lenning, who was still in a kneeling posture, pitched forward over the -side of the frail craft and disappeared beneath the surface of the -water. The canoe went gunwale under as he fell, and at the same moment, -Shoup jumped and began swimming for the bank. - -One astounding event after another was happening that afternoon, and -this last tragic incident held the onlookers spellbound for a moment. - -The first thought that drifted through each spectator’s mind must have -been this: Why had Shoup dealt Lenning that blow? Was it anger because -the paddle had broken? Or was there some other motive back of it? - -Merriwell was first to recover his wits. - -“Some of you fellows get ashore and try and head off Shoup!” he called. -“I’ll see what I can do for Lenning. Quick with your paddle, Clan,” he -added to his chum. - -Lenning, stunned by the blow, had not reappeared at the surface of the -water. And he might never reappear alive unless something was done for -him at once. - -These thoughts darted through Merriwell’s mind as he and Clancy drove -the canoe onward to the place where the unfortunate youth had gone down. -In less than a minute the craft was over the spot, and Merry had taken a -long, clean dive into the river. - -Ballard and Dart, and a few more were watching the progress of events -from the top of the cliff. Bleeker and Hotch had more interest in -Merriwell’s work than in trying to halt Shoup, and stood by in their -canoe to be of what assistance they could. Clancy, hoping to be of some -aid to his chum in effecting a rescue, had likewise taken to the water. - -At such a time as that, bygones were bygones. Merriwell forgot all his -old differences with Lenning--forgot also that Lenning might have been -the one who had rolled the bowlder off the cliff--and plunged to the -fellow’s relief just as he would have hastened to the aid of any one -else in distress. - -“That’s Chip Merriwell for you,” muttered Bleeker, kneeling and peering -into the watery depths from the side of the canoe. - -“Excitement is crowding us pretty hard this afternoon,” said Hotchkiss. -“I’m fair dazed with it all. Why in Sam Hill did Shoup pound Lenning on -the head with that paddle? I thought they were pards.” - -“They were; but Shoup’s a dope fiend, and a fellow like that isn’t -responsible for what he does. I suppose he was mad because Lenning’s -paddle broke in his hands. Lenning couldn’t help that, and Shoup----” - -Merry and Clancy had been under water for what seemed an inordinately -long period. At that instant, however, they came to the surface--and -between them was the white, dripping face of Jode Lenning. - -“Bully for you, Merriwell!” shouted Bleeker enthusiastically. “Can we -help with the canoe?” - -“We’ll get him ashore,” sputtered Merry, shaking his head to get the -water out of his eyes. “He’s unconscious and won’t make any trouble. How -are you making it, Clan?” he asked of his chum. - -“Well enough,” answered Clancy, blowing like a porpoise. “Let’s get -solid ground under us as soon as we can, though. This is no easy job.” - -Steadily, but surely, the two chums made their way shoreward. -Fortunately, the bank was but a little distance away, and it was not -long before they had dragged the limp form of Lenning high and dry on -the sand. - -While Merriwell and Clancy sprawled out in the sun to get their breath, -Bleeker and Hotchkiss, and a few more of the campers, worked over -Lenning. The lad was not in very bad shape, and the efforts at -resuscitation speedily met with success. - -“It was your quickness, Merriwell,” declared Bleeker, “that saved the -fellow. If he had been under water a minute or two longer, it would have -been all day with him.” - -“He’s all right,” said Frank diffidently, “and that’s the main thing. -Has he opened his eyes yet?” - -“He’s opening them now.” - -Frank got up and walked to Lenning’s side. “How do you feel, Jode?” he -inquired, staring down into his bewildered eyes. - -Lenning shivered, and closed his eyes again. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE SAVING GRACE. - - -For several minutes Jode Lenning continued to lie on the warm sand. He -could not have been very comfortable, for his hat was gone and his -clothes were soaking wet. Bleeker had removed his coat in order to work -over him to better advantage, and Hotch now took the garment and wrung -it out. But if Lenning was not comfortable, he was at least getting his -strength back and beginning to feel more like himself. - -When he next opened his eyes, he sat up suddenly and looked out over the -shimmering expanse of water. His lips twitched with some passing -emotion, and he finally withdrew his gaze and fixed it upon Bleeker. - -“Did Shoup hit me over the head with his paddle?” he asked, in a low, -colorless voice. - -“Yes,” was the answer. - -“Merriwell and Clancy pulled me out of the water?” - -“That was the way of it.” - -“Where’s Shoup now?” - -“Suffering horn toads!” gasped Bleeker. “Say, I had clean forgotten -about that fellow. What became of him? Anybody know?” - -“I can tell you,” one of the lads spoke up. “Two or three of us hustled -ashore to try and head him off, but he was too quick for us. There were -a couple of horses, hitched in the chaparral, and Shoup took one of them -and got away.” - -A baleful glitter shone in Lenning’s shifty eyes. - -“He tried to do me up,” Lenning muttered. - -“Why?” asked Bleeker. “I thought you and he were pards.” - -“You never can tell what a pard like Shoup is going to do. But I gave -him cause to have it in for me. Help me up, Bleeker. I’m not going to -ask much of you, nor bother you very long. Five minutes will do the -trick.” - -Bleeker reached down and took Lenning’s hand. The lad was weak, as yet, -for it would be some time before he recovered entirely from his recent -ordeal. - -“Let’s go to the place where Shoup got the horse,” went on Lenning. “I -want the rest of you to come, too, especially Merriwell.” - -Those who had followed Shoup to the chaparral placed themselves in the -lead. Bleeker and Hotch followed, with Lenning between them. - -Less than twenty yards up the slope of the bank the strange party came -to the edge of the chaparral. - -“Pick up that stone there,” said Lenning, pointing. - -A stone about the size of a man’s two fists was indicated. Clancy -stooped and removed the stone. As he did so, he gave vent to a low -whistle, and exclamations of astonishment came from others clustered -around him. - -A roll of bills had been brought into view by the removal of the -stone--a large roll with a yellowback on the outside. - -“You take the money, Merriwell,” said Lenning, “and give it to Blunt. -It’s the roll Shoup stole from Mrs. Boorland. I didn’t know the old lady -was Mrs. Boorland until I found Blunt was after us. Shoup did the -stealing, and he did it without my knowledge or consent. Maybe you -fellows won’t believe that, but it’s a fact. I reckon I’ve come pretty -low, but I couldn’t stand for what Shoup did. All the money’s there but -twenty dollars. Shoup used that to buy a supply of dope in Ophir and to -hire a couple of horses.” - -Lenning paused. He was getting stronger, and he drew away from Bleeker -and Hotchkiss. - -“I took that money from Shoup last night, while he was asleep,” Lenning -went on. “We brought our horses over here before daylight, and hid them -in the chaparral. When we did that, I sneaked around and got the roll -under that stone, and Shoup didn’t see me. I intended to let Blunt know, -in some way, where the money was. That’s something else you can believe -or not, just as you please, but it’s the truth. - -“There was merry blazes to pay when Shoup found the money was gone out -of his pocket. He accused me of taking it, and I admitted it. He -threatened me, and even threw me down and went through my clothes to see -if he couldn’t find it. Blunt made things so interesting for us that -Shoup didn’t have any time to keep nagging at me. When we tried to get -across the river to the horses, directly after that bowlder dropped from -the cliff, Shoup found his chance to hand me a rap over the head. You -saw him do it; and now I’ve explained why he had it in for me. - -“Of course,” and Lenning’s glance wandered to Merriwell, “you fellows -can take me to Ophir and put me in the lockup on a charge of highway -robbery. The question is, are you going to do it? I’ve tried to do the -right thing, and now it’s up to you either to let me go or hand me over -to the law. Which is it to be?” - -“Get his horse for him,” said Merriwell, “and let him go. He’s had a -hard enough time of it, and the way Shoup treated him proves that his -story is straight.” - -Lenning, most unexpectedly, had done a good deed, and it was the saving -grace of that act which led many of the boys to agree with Merriwell. -The horse was led out of the bushes, and Lenning, with some difficulty, -climbed into the saddle. - -“Where are you going?” Merriwell asked. - -“I don’t know,” was the answer, “and I’m not caring a whole lot.” - -“Why don’t you buck up, Lenning, and try to be different?” - -Lenning studied Merriwell for a moment with moody eyes. - -“What’s the use?” he asked, at last. “I’m down and out. I’ve been a -fool, but that doesn’t count any in my favor. When a fellow makes his -bed, he’s got to lie in it.” - -“If it doesn’t suit him he can get up and make it over.” - -“You’ve always been at the top of the heap, Merriwell, so it’s easy for -you to give advice. Try to be the under dog once, and maybe you’ll -change your mind about what a fellow can or can’t do.” - -Without another word, Lenning turned the horse’s head up the slope. -Hatless as he was, and with his wet clothing clinging to his limbs, he -was a melancholy figure as he rode to the top of the bank and then -vanished from the gaze of the lads below. - -“Well, I’ll be hanged!” exclaimed Bleeker. “I’m struck all of a heap, no -two ways about that. To think that Jode Lenning should make a play of -that kind! He hasn’t a sou in his jeans, and yet he took that roll from -Shoup and was doing what he could to get it back into the hands of -Blunt. Well, well!” - -“It only goes to prove,” chuckled Merriwell, “that lawlessness wasn’t -born in Lenning, and that he can make a pretty decent sort of a fellow -out of himself if he tries.” - -“I reckon,” said Bleeker thoughtfully, “that all of us are handicapped -in one way or another.” - -“We are,” agreed Frank, “but it’s our own doing.” - -“That so, Chip?” put in Clancy. - -Merriwell stared at him for an instant, then caught his drift and nodded -emphatically. - -“Yes, that’s so, Clan, and I’m not backing away from that statement -because I’ve got a little handicap of my own. Who won that race, anyhow, -Bleeker?” he finished, with a grin. - -“You and Clancy did,” was the prompt reply. - -“We can try it over again to-morrow forenoon, if you say so.” - -“Not much! Single paddles are trumps, to-morrow forenoon, and I’ll see -if we Gold Hillers can’t have a little luck. Now let’s get back to -camp.” - -A return was quickly made to the other shore; and, while Merry and -Clancy were in their tent, giving all the news to Ballard, and, at the -same time, getting into their clothes, Barzy Blunt stuck his head in at -the flap. - -“Somebody beat me to it,” he remarked. “Call that a fair shake, Chip?” - -There was a laugh in Blunt’s voice, so the lads knew his words were not -to be taken seriously. - -“Where were you while all the trouble was going on?” demanded Frank. - -“I was a heap nearer the scene of trouble than you imagine. I’ve found -out something, too, that will probably change your opinion of Jode -Lenning.” - -“Come in, then,” said Merry, “and bat it up to us. We’re getting sort of -hardened to surprises, so I guess we can stand this one.” - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -BLUNT’S “SURPRISE.” - - -The cowboy pushed his way into the tent and sat down beside Ballard on a -pile of blankets. - -“First off,” said he, “let me ask you if you’re satisfied Schuster gave -me a straight tip when I met him on the way back from Gold Hill?” - -“Why, yes,” Frank answered, “Schuster had a pretty good line on the -situation, all except that ‘getting even’ part.” - -Blunt screwed up his black eyes and gave Merriwell a keen sizing. - -“What do you think about that bowlder that dropped from the cliff?” he -asked. - -“Accident,” said Frank briefly. - -“Well, holy smoke!” grunted the cowboy, in disgust. “Is that what you -really think, Chip?” - -“It is, Barzy.” - -Blunt removed his hat and ran his fingers through his long, jet-black -hair. - -“You’re a little shy in your headpiece,” he remarked. “Either that or -else you’ve got a fool notion about not wanting to go on record with -what you really think. Some of the lads outside kind of told me the way -you were leaning, and how you’d been cracking Jode Lenning up as -something of a man, in spite of his shortcomings. What Schuster said -Lenning and Shoup had up their sleeves for you, Chip, worried me a heap. -I got to thinking more of keeping the three of you apart than I had -thought about recovering the money. Pretty soon after I left you and -Bleeker in the hills, I tied up my horse and started to skirmishing in -some difficult places on foot. - -“First thing I knew I was in the brush on top of the Point. The canoe -race was going on below, and I could hear the yells pretty near as plain -as though I had been down in the bottom of the gulch. Shoup and Lenning -were skulking back of the cliff’s edge. They had a rock poised on the -brink. Lenning was waiting to push it over, while Shoup was looking -down, ready to give the signal at the right time. - -“It was a few minutes before I got on to what they might be up to. Just -as it rushed over me, and I started to get busy with the coyotes, Shoup -gave the signal and Lenning pushed the rock over. Then both of them took -to their heels. I was right after ’em, but they pulled a canoe out of -the bushes when they got near the water, and slid beyond my reach. - -“I started back toward the place where I had left my horse, but stopped -again when I got a glimpse of the river and saw you and Clancy chasing -the other canoe. I saw the rest of what happened, too, including the bat -Shoup gave Lenning on the head, and the way you and Clancy went to the -rescue. I reckon that was fine, considering all that those skunks had -tried to do to you, but, pard, it was a whole lot more than I’d have -done in your place.” - -“No, it wasn’t,” said Merriwell decidedly. - -“No? Seems like you’re putting me in your own class. Chip, and you know -as well as I do that I don’t belong there. Well, we’ll let that pass. I -went for my horse with my thoughts and feelings sort of scrambled, so -that I didn’t know how I really felt. I sort of forgot about the stolen -money, and about everything else, but the way those two sneaks pushed -the bowlder down on you, and the way you went into the drink to save -the fellow that did the most of it. Finally I got into my saddle and -rode for this camp, where I was told how you believed that bowlder -business was an accident, and that Lenning had done the square thing -with the money. Then I was at sixes and sevens again. I didn’t want to -jolt you with the truth about Lenning, and yet I couldn’t see how you -were so dense as not to figure it out for yourself. Now, Chip, I come to -you as an eyewitness, and you’re getting the facts. Schuster had it -pretty straight, didn’t he?” - -“Surest thing you know, Barzy,” Frank answered. “Here’s the money,” he -added, passing over the roll. “It’s all there but twenty dollars. Shoup -spent that in Ophir.” - -“I’m glad enough to get hands on it, even if it is a twenty short. Mam -is coming in for quite a wad of coin, on account of that mine deal, so -maybe she wouldn’t have missed this so much as she might. It was the way -Shoup took it, more than anything else, that got me all worked up. Now, -Chip, tell me this: What’s your opinion about Lenning?” - -“It was the best thing that ever happened to him when Colonel Hawtrey -kicked him out,” said Merriwell. “There’s good stuff in Lenning and he’s -going to prove it a good many times--just as he proved it this -afternoon.” - -“Bosh!” said Bleeker, thrusting his head into the tent, “you’re dippy on -that point, Chip.” - -“Wait and see, Bleek.” - -“Supper’s ready--that’s what I looked in to tell you. Place for you, -Blunt. Going back to Ophir to-night?” - -“I hear there’s a race on to-morrow forenoon,” returned Blunt, “and I’d -sort of made up my mind to hang around and take a hand in it.” - -“Good for you!” cried Merriwell. - -“But,” the cowboy went on, with an odd gleam in his black eyes, “I -don’t want any more bowlders tumbling from Apache Point if I’m to be in -one of the canoes.” - -“Now that Shoup and Lenning have cleared out,” cried Clancy, “I’ll -guarantee there won’t be any more rocks rolling down the cliff. Come on -and let’s eat.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE RACE FOR SINGLE PADDLES. - - -“Get a move on, Bleek! Ginger up, pard, ginger up!” - -“Good work, Merry! That’s the way to show ’em your heels!” - -“Dig, old scout! Why don’t you _dig_?” - -“Plenty of chance, yet, Bleek; don’t lose your nerve!” - -“Chance? Why, Bleeker hasn’t a look-in--not with Chip Merriwell paddling -like that! Merry’s coming down the stretch like a scared coyote making -for home and mother. Hoop-a-la!” - -There were five canoes in that race for single paddles. There had been -seven, but two had fouled each other and come to grief less than a -hundred yards from the starting point. Barzy Blunt and Hotchkiss, of -Gold Hill, were the unlucky ones. As soon as they had gained the shore -they joined the rooters who were running along the bank. A ducking had -not dampened their ardor in the least, and Blunt and Hotch pranced along -in their bathing trunks, cheering and encouraging the rest of the -racers. - -It was late in the forenoon. The bright Arizona sun trailed its beams -over the waters of the gulch, gilding each little ripple as it danced -about the charging canoes. The only shadow on the stream was at the -place where the gentle slopes of the gulch banks were shouldered aside -by the steep bluff known as Apache Point. - -Above the Point, and around the turn in the gulch, was a white flag. The -start of the canoe race had been from this flag. The “elbow” at the foot -of the Point was to be rounded by the racers, and the finish line was -opposite the white tents of the Gold Hill campers. - -Apart from Blunt and Hotchkiss, the contesting paddlers were young -Merriwell, his chums, Owen Clancy and Billy Ballard, Bleeker, a leader -in the Gold Hill Athletic Club, and Lenaway, another member of the club. - -Merriwell, Clancy, and Ballard, crouching in the sterns of their frail -craft, had worked easily but steadily from the start. They knew from -experience that swiftness in the get-away and a wild expenditure of -energy at the beginning caused the loss of many a race--not only on the -water but on the cinder track, as well. It is the fellow who carefully -and judiciously nurses his powers for a spurt on the home stretch that -makes the best showing, when all’s said and done. - -The length of the course to be covered in this canoe race was about half -a mile. A hundred yards from the starting point, Frank and his chums -were some distance behind. Bleeker led, and almost neck and neck with -him were Hotchkiss and the cowboy, Barzy Blunt. Lenaway’s canoe filled -in the widening gap between the leaders and the Farnham Hall lads in the -rear. - -Blunt had more strength than skill, and it was his awkwardness that -caused the crash with Hotchkiss. The violence of the impact caused both -canoes to roll over and fill. With these two contestants out of the way, -the race began rapidly narrowing down. - -One by one the canoes rounded the foot of the Point, hugging the steep -wall closely. Bleeker led the procession, Lenaway followed, and then -came Merry, Clancy, and Ballard in the order named. - -The instant Merriwell’s canoe shot away from the Point, however, he -could be seen to buckle to his work in masterly style. First he -overhauled Lenaway, and then passed him with comparative ease. - -Lenaway, realizing that the race undoubtedly lay between Merriwell and -Bleeker, strove to take what honors he could away from Clancy and -Ballard. Halfway between the Point and the finish line, Ballard snapped -his paddle. - -“How’s that for luck?” he shouted ruefully, as Clancy and Lenaway dashed -on prow to prow. “Go it, Reddy! It’s up to you and Chip, now, to show -these Gold Hillers what we can do.” - -Bleeker, a prime fellow and trained to the minute, realized that he had -the fight of his life on his hands if he was to win against Merriwell. -He made swift demand upon all his reserve strength, and his muscles -answered superbly. But the strain of the contest was telling upon -him--mainly because he had worked too hard on the first half of the -course. - -Merriwell was creeping up on the other canoe, slowly yet steadily and -relentlessly. And the remarkable part of his work was that the tension -of those exciting moments was not evident in a single move he made. With -easy, almost careless, grace he dipped his blade, and his light craft -plunged onward like a well-trained thoroughbred. It was evident to all -that Merriwell was a “stayer,” and that Bleeker had about shot his bolt. - -Frank was somewhat surprised at Bleeker, for on the preceding day he and -Clancy had given the Gold Hill lads an object lesson in husbanding -resources for the home stretch and not being too free with them at the -beginning. Bleeker should have profited by that experience. - -Little by little Merry drew up abreast of Bleeker. The latter’s face was -set and there was a strained look about it which proved how hard he was -driving himself. - -When Frank nosed on into the lead, a roar went up from the bank. Blunt -was rooting for Merry, and cheering with all his range ardor and -enthusiasm. The cowboy had a whole-souled admiration for the Eastern -lad, and believed that no one of his age or inches could beat him at any -sport. - -“Whoop!” he bellowed, jumping around on the bank in his drenched and -abbreviated costume. “Keep your eye on my pard, will you? Throw up your -hands, Bleek! It’s as good as over.” - -“Never say die, Bleek!” shouted a Gold Hiller across the water. “Keep at -it, old man! Come ahead, come ahead!” - -Bleeker was fighting gamely. He was not the lad to quit because the tide -of battle was running against him. By an effort as remarkable as it was -unexpected, he dug down into an underlying stratum of power and hurled -his canoe onward until it was again nose to nose with Merriwell’s. - -Frank’s admiration for his plucky rival was great. To win over such a -true sportsman would be a victory to be highly prized. - -And Frank was doing his best. If Bleeker’s sudden access of strength -held out, Frank might be only second at the swimming float where the -race was to end. - -“Go to it, Chip!” yelled a voice which had not been heard before in all -that riot of noise from the river bank. “You’re generally first at the -last of it, mainly because you never get rattled by being last at the -beginning. Now’s the time to make your showing!” - -A thrill shot through Merriwell as he heard that particular voice. He -was wondering a little, too, as to how the owner of that voice happened -to be at the Gold Hill camp. Just then, however, he had no attention to -spare from his immediate work. - -Bleeker’s spurt did not last. He had been too prodigal of his strength. -His canoe began dropping off, and Merriwell came abreast of the float -half a length in the lead. - -“Hoop-a-la!” shouted Barzy Blunt, cutting a few cowboy capers on the -bank. “What did I tell you, eh? Hurrah for Chip--a chip of the old block -if there ever was one.” - -Ballard, working his way to the shore with what was left of his paddle, -likewise exulted in his chum’s victory. Clancy, reaching the float just -ahead of Lenaway, joined in the cheering. - -Bleeker, although breathless with his efforts, managed to get his canoe -alongside Merriwell’s. - -“Put it there, Chip,” he laughed, reaching out his hand. “You gave me -the finest bit of fun I’ve had in many a day.” - -Merriwell clasped the hand heartily. - -“It was anybody’s race for a while, Bleek,” he answered. “If we had it -to do over again, more than likely you’d trim me.” - -“Not so you could notice it, old man. You’re a stayer from Stayerville, -and I take off my hat to you as the better man.” - -It was to be noticed that the cheering over Merry’s victory was general, -and the Gold Hill boys joined in it quite as heartily as did Frank’s -chums and his cowboy friend. As Merry brought his canoe to the bank and -hopped ashore, he was greeted by the lad whose voice he had heard so -unexpectedly while the canoes were bearing down on the float. - -“Up to your old tricks, eh, Chip?” laughed this youth. “If I had known -what was on for this morning, I’d have tried to get here earlier.” - -“Hannibal Bradlaugh, by Jove!” cried Merry, taking a grip on the hand -that was pushed out to him. - -Ever since Merry had come to southern Arizona he had known the son of -the president of the Ophir Athletic Club. The clubs at Ophir and Gold -Hill were rivals--bitter rivals, at one time, but now, in a great -measure, owing to Merriwell’s efforts, all the bitterness was a thing of -the past. - -“Hello, Brad!” called Bleeker, pushing forward to take the hand -Merriwell had released. “The last of that performance was the best part -of it, so you didn’t miss a whole lot by getting here late. If you’ve -come to stay for a while, we’ll give you a chance to take a hand in some -of these water sports.” - -“I’m not going to have my scalp dangling at any Gold Hill belt,” Brad -laughed, “and that’s what would happen if I got hold of a paddle and -tried to do anything. Anyhow, I didn’t come to stay for more than a few -minutes. I’m after Chip. He’s wanted in Ophir.” - -“News from Bloomfield?” Frank asked, lifting his eyes quickly. - -“No, nothing from Bloomfield. I’m sorry as blazes to cut short your stay -here----” - -“We were going back to Ophir this afternoon, anyhow,” Merry cut in, “so -that part of it is all right. Pink, Clan, and I promised the professor -solemnly we’d get back to town this evening. He’d be after us if we -didn’t go, for that’s the sort of a prof he is. What’s up, Brad? From -your looks I should say it was serious business.” - -“Oh, not so blamed serious. Step over this way a minute, will you?” - -Bradlaugh drew Merriwell to one side and began talking to him in low, -earnest tones. As Merry listened, an expression of thoughtful concern -could be seen to cross his face. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -AN ENEMY’S APPEAL. - - -“You saved a fellow’s life here yesterday, didn’t you, Chip?” Brad -asked. - -“Clancy and I pulled Jode Lenning out of the water,” Frank answered. - -“That’s about the way I’d expect you to tell it. Well, Lenning has asked -for a job at the Ophir mine. He hasn’t much left in the way of -reputation, and when the super asked my father what to do, pop told him -to let Lenning hunt a berth somewhere else. Lenning came straight to -pop’s office from the mine. He told pop that he knew he hadn’t done -right, but that he had cut loose from his rowdy friends, had turned over -a new leaf, and was going to make something of himself. Pop thought that -was a pretty good thing to do, and told him so, but couldn’t give him -any encouragement. The company had made it a rule not to hire anybody -who couldn’t give a clean bill as to character. Lenning wanted to know -if somebody couldn’t be responsible for him, and pop answered that it -all depended on who the ‘somebody’ was. The next minute pop was almost -knocked off his feet.” - -Brad paused. “Who hit him?” asked Merry, with a twinkle in his dark -eyes. - -“Lenning,” said Brad promptly. “He hit pop with a few words that almost -took his breath. ‘Chip Merriwell will be responsible for me,’ is what he -said. Do you wonder that the governor was floored?” - -Frank did not. In fact, Frank was almost floored himself. - -“Pop told Lenning that he’d have to talk with you,” Brad went on, “and -Lenning wanted him to get you to Ophir as soon as possible. Well, it -wasn’t exactly that that brought me after you, Chip. Pop telephoned to -Colonel Hawtrey, Lenning’s uncle, in Gold Hill, and the colonel’s coming -to Ophir himself to see about it. We all know that Colonel Hawtrey hates -Lenning like poison, and, while I can’t understand why you want to help -a fellow who has done you so much dirt as Lenning has, all the same I -thought I’d hustle out here and tell you about Hawtrey. If you want to -help Lenning, you’ll have to see pop before the colonel gets to Ophir. I -rushed to Dolliver’s in the automobile, and came on up the cañon on -foot. If you want to go back with me, it won’t take us long to get to -the car.” - -Merriwell was in a quandary. At first, a blunt refusal to do anything -for Lenning was on his lips. Something held it back. - -“It’s up to you, Chip,” said Brad. “What are you going to do? You stand -pretty high with pop. I’ll bet a good deal that one word from you would -get the job for Lenning--providing you get busy before the colonel -reaches Ophir. It’s your own business, and I’m only butting in to help -you do what you want to do.” - -“I know that, Brad,” Merry answered. “I can’t tell you what I want to -do, offhand. I’ve got to think it over.” - -“You haven’t much time.” - -“I’ll have to take time to get into my clothes. Dinner’s about ready, -too, and there won’t be much more delay if we eat in camp. After that, -Brad, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.” - -“All right, old man,” assented Brad, and turned away to shake hands -with Clancy, Ballard, and a few other fellows with whom he was -acquainted. - -Merriwell was still in a quandary as he went to one of the tents and -began getting out of his wet bathing suit and into his other clothes. -Jode Lenning had appealed to him for help, and such a move was so unlike -Lenning that Merry thought there must be something crooked back of it. -On the other hand, Lenning might really be trying to turn over a new -leaf, and, if that was the case, Frank was the last one in the world to -hold back when a word from him to Mr. Bradlaugh would help set an enemy -in the right road. - -Jode Lenning and his half brother, Ellis Darrel, had lived with their -uncle, Colonel Hawtrey, in Gold Hill. Lenning had gone wrong, but he had -managed cleverly to pull the wool over his uncle’s eyes for a year or -more. Merriwell had befriended Darrel, and, in so doing, had earned the -enmity of Lenning. The latter had done a number of treacherous -things--ugly, underhand deeds, some of which had only failed of -accomplishing desperate ends by a narrow margin--and when the colonel -finally had his eyes opened to the truth, he cast the scheming, -unscrupulous nephew adrift. - -Was Lenning trying honestly to turn over a new leaf? This was the -question Merriwell was turning over in his mind. If he was, then he -deserved and ought to have Merriwell’s help. - -Nevertheless, Merriwell could not forget the past. Lenning had been sly, -and treacherous, and cowardly. His whole nature could not be changed in -twenty-four hours, and to be responsible for his honesty at the mine -would perhaps prove dangerous business. - -The only square thing Merriwell had ever known Lenning to do was in -taking that stolen money of Mrs. Boorland’s from Shoup and returning it -to Barzy Blunt. If the principle of right and justice had swerved -Lenning, then certainly he was trying to put himself on a proper footing -and deserved encouragement. - -While Frank was considering the question that had been so suddenly put -up to him, Blunt, Clancy, and Ballard came into the tent to dress and -make ready for dinner. They were curious to learn what errand had -brought Brad to the gulch; and Frank, after a little reflection, told -them. - -“Crawling side winders!” muttered Blunt, his face flushed with -indignation and anger. “That juniper’s the limit! Think of him calling -on Chip for help when it hasn’t been a day since he tried to smash Chip -and Clancy with that bowlder! How’s that for nerve, pards?” - -“Nerve is his long suit,” grunted Ballard. “Now that he’s out with -Shoup, he’s trying to curry favor with Chip.” - -“And of course Chip will give him the cold shoulder,” put in Clancy, -with an air of conviction. “He’d be foolish to tangle up with Lenning in -any way.” - -“Suppose Lenning is trying to square away and do the right thing?” -queried Merriwell. - -“That’s a bluff,” asserted Blunt. “Lenning is more kinds of a crook than -I know how to tell about. It’s a cinch he wants to get in at the mine so -he can pull off some scheme or other that he’s been hatching. He’s a -master hand at schemes.” - -“He’s up against a tough proposition,” went on Merriwell, “and if he’s -trying to be square I don’t want to turn him down.” - -“If you’re fool enough to help him, Merriwell,” growled Blunt, “you’ll -get yourself in trouble. Mark what I say.” - -“Give Chip credit for having a little horse sense,” said Ballard. “Brad -makes me tired. What the deuce did he want to come out here for? He -might have known Chip wouldn’t have anything to do with Lenning’s -affairs.” - -“The trouble with Brad is, he never stops to reason a thing out,” -observed Clancy. “He means all right, and I’ll bet he thought he was -doing Chip a bigger favor than he was Lenning.” - -“His own uncle ought to know him pretty well,” continued Ballard. “Let -him handle Lenning.” - -“I’m going in with Brad, anyhow,” said Merry, his face set and a -resolute gleam in his eyes. “You fellows can follow along with the -horses and pick up my mount at Dolliver’s.” - -“What are you going in for?” demanded Ballard suspiciously. - -“I want to get deeper into this business,” was the reply. “It won’t do -any harm for me to have a talk with Mr. Bradlaugh.” - -“Maybe not,” said Blunt, “but I’ll gamble my spurs it won’t do you any -good, either. Lenning’s a cur, and he’s proved it.” - -“What’s the use of jumping on a fellow when he’s down, Barzy?” - -“It amounts to the same,” was the fierce retort, “as putting your heel -on the head of a rattler before it can strike. Chip,” and his voice grew -intensely earnest, “I don’t want you to do anything you’ll be sorry -for.” - -Merriwell laughed and thumped the cowboy on the back. - -“Why, you crazy chump,” said he, “what do you take me for? There’s the -call for grub pile. Come on and let’s eat.” - -Following dinner, Frank caught up his horse, put on the riding gear, and -then mounted and took up Brad behind him. All the Gold Hillers were -sorry to see Merriwell go, but he and his chums had only come out to the -gulch for overnight, and in two short days they had managed to crowd a -lot of sport and excitement. - -“Hope we’ll see you again before you leave Arizona, Chip,” said Bleeker, -who was last to grip Merriwell’s hand. “You’re a true sportsman, and it -was an honor to compete with you--even if we did get left. Adios, and -good luck!” - -“So long, fellows!” called Frank, waving his hand. - -“We’ll be along later, Chip,” sang out Clancy. - -At a word, Frank’s horse broke into a gallop along the gulch trail. The -white tents faded slowly into the background and the cheers of the Gold -Hillers grew fainter and fainter in Frank’s ears until they died out -altogether. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -TAKING A CHANCE. - - -Borak, the black horse Merriwell had bought of Barzy Blunt several weeks -before, was a fast traveler, and it was not many minutes until he had -deposited his two riders at Dolliver’s ranch, at the mouth of the cañon. -The cañon trail was too rough and narrow for an automobile, and so Brad -had been compelled to leave the machine at the rancher’s. - -Leaving Borak at the hitching pole in front of the house, Merriwell and -Brad took to the car and were soon hitting it up on the road to Ophir. -Half an hour after leaving Dolliver’s they were drawing to a halt in -front of the mining company’s offices in the town. - -Mr. Bradlaugh was the Western representative of the syndicate that owned -the mine, and was in all matters the court of last resort in questions -dealing with mining, milling, and cyaniding on the company’s premises. - -Merry and Brad, tumbling out of the machine and making their way into -the outer office of the general manager, were told by the stenographer -that Mr. Bradlaugh was busy with a caller in his private room. - -“Who’s the caller?” queried Brad. - -“Colonel Hawtrey.” - -Brad drew a deep breath and turned to Merriwell. - -“He’s here ahead of us, Chip,” said he, “but, if you’ve made up your -mind as to what you’re going to do, I reckon you can get in there and do -your talking along with the colonel. Wait a minute.” - -A mumble of voices came from beyond the door leading to the manager’s -private office. Frank could distinguish Mr. Bradlaugh’s voice, colorless -and low-pitched, and Colonel Hawtrey’s, loud and wrathful. - -Brad stepped to the door, tapped, and then opened it and passed inside -at a word from his father. A moment later he looked out and beckoned to -Merriwell. - -As Frank entered the room, Colonel Hawtrey got up and took him by the -hand. - -“Mighty glad to see you again, Merriwell,” said he, “but I hope nothing -Lenning has said has brought you here.” - -“Hello, my boy,” smiled Mr. Bradlaugh, waving Merriwell to a chair. -“This looks like a plot, with Hannibal at the bottom of it. You needn’t -go, Han. You’ve got Merriwell here, now stay and see the matter -through.” - -Merry and Brad seated themselves. - -“I hear that Jode Lenning has asked for a job at the mine,” remarked -Frank, a little embarrassed to find himself in danger of crossing the -colonel’s will at such close quarters. - -“That’s what has happened,” replied Mr. Bradlaugh. “We need a watchman -at the cyanide plant for night duty. That’s the work Lenning applied -for. It’s a responsible position, and a man is needed badly and at once. -The superintendent, knowing Lenning’s character was not of the best, -referred the matter to me. It’s against our policy to hire any one whose -record is not clean, so I turned Lenning down. Then he said that he -thought you would be responsible for him. I haven’t an idea that you’re -looking for such a protégé,” laughed the general manager, “and your -coming here is quite a surprise. I called up the colonel, and he took -the trouble to come over. From what he says, I don’t believe we can -consider Lenning’s application at all.” - -“If you hire him, Bradlaugh,” said the colonel, “you’ll do it without -any recommendation from me. Lenning is a graceless scamp. The company he -keeps is the worst imaginable. Why, in a week he ran through with a -thousand dollars, which I gave him to use in making something of -himself--squandered it at the gambling tables in Gold Hill, with that -rascal Shoup to help him. His latest exploit is such as to make me blush -to think that he is my dead sister’s son. Highway robbery--with a poor, -old lady for the victim! By George, he ought to have been arrested and -put through for that.” - -“Colonel,” said Frank, “you haven’t all the facts connected with that -robbery. It was Shoup who stole the money, and it was Lenning who took -it away from him and returned it to its rightful owner.” - -The colonel’s eyes narrowed. - -“Merriwell,” said he, with a trace of annoyance, “I know more than you -think. Lenning wanted to revenge himself upon you for some fancied -wrong, and that was why he and Shoup went to the camp in the gulch. -Lenning took the money from his scoundrelly companion and hid it away; -then, aided by Shoup, he attempted to roll a bowlder from Apache Point -and smash the canoe in which you and one of your friends were racing -past the foot of the cliff. His villainous attempts failed. He and Shoup -tried to clear out. As they crossed the river in a stolen canoe, in -order to reach their horses, Shoup struck Lenning with a paddle. Shoup -got away, and you saved Lenning from drowning. He----” - -“Clancy and I pulled Lenning out of the water,” Frank broke in. -“Possibly he would have got out himself if we had let him alone.” - -“Hardly,” came the crisp protest from the colonel. “Lenning was stunned -and unable to help himself. As soon as he revived, he took you to the -place where he had hidden the money. Why?” - -The colonel bored into Frank with his eyes as he put the question. - -“Because he wanted to do the square thing,” answered Merriwell, “and -because he wouldn’t stand for any thieving on the part of Shoup. Shoup -was mad about it, and that’s why he hit Lenning with the paddle.” - -“I’m surprised at you, Merriwell,” said Hawtrey. “That wasn’t the reason -at all. Lenning wanted all that money for himself. When you got him out -of the water, he--well, he--well, he ‘worked you,’ to use a slang term. -He returned the money and told that yarn in order to keep out of jail. -Lenning is shrewd--you ought to know that.” - -Colonel Hawtrey was bitter against his once-cherished nephew. He was a -stern man, and the fact that Lenning was his sister’s son in no wise -tempered his merciless spirit. - -“I think you’re wrong, colonel,” said Merriwell quietly. - -For a few moments a silence dropped over those in the office. Merriwell -had been still in doubt as to what he would do up to that very moment. -The colonel’s relentless attitude brought him to a conclusion in a -flash. Merriwell believed Lenning had returned the money because he -wanted to do the right thing, while the colonel professed to believe -that it was only a makeshift to save him from arrest. At last, Colonel -Hawtrey spoke, and it was noticeable that his voice had softened. - -“You stand pretty high in my regard, my lad,” said he to Merriwell, “and -I recall the time when you believed in Darrel and I did not. As events -proved, I was an unreasonable old fool and your judgment was correct. I -have you to thank for giving me back a nephew who is in every way a -credit to his family. But don’t make any mistake about Jode Lenning. -He’s a thorough-paced villain, and there is not one redeeming feature in -his case. It is hard for me to sit here and talk in this way, but Jode -has made his own bed and must lie in it. He fooled me for a long time, -and I sincerely hope, Merriwell, that you won’t let him deceive you.” - -“I believe he has squared around, colonel,” insisted Frank, “and that he -ought to be helped.” - -“There’s some black motive back of what he’s doing.” - -“The fact that he came to the Ophir and asked for a job proves----” - -“You don’t know what it proves,” cut in Col Hawtrey irascibly. “Lenning -is deep. There is no guessing what he has at the back of his head.” - -“I think he ought to have a chance.” - -“Why didn’t he take his thousand dollars, go away somewhere where no one -knows him and try to make a man of himself? He had a chance then--a -better chance than he’ll ever get again--and he threw it away. He’s -tricky, and he’s not in earnest.” - -“He was training with Shoup when he squandered that money, colonel,” -urged Merriwell. “Now he and Shoup have quarreled, and Lenning hasn’t -his influence to fight. If Mr. Bradlaugh will take Lenning on my say-so, -I’m here to ask him to let Lenning have that job as night watchman.” - -“You’re making a rash move,” declared the colonel, “and it is a move -that will get you into trouble as sure as fate.” He turned to Mr. -Bradlaugh. “Don’t let Merriwell do something he’ll be sorry for, -Bradlaugh,” said he. - -There was a grim expression on the general manager’s face. “How am I to -help myself, colonel?” he asked. - -“Help yourself? Why, you can refuse to put Lenning on your pay roll, in -spite of what Merriwell says. That is the best move you could make for -all concerned.” - -Bradlaugh sat back in his chair, and, for a few minutes, was deep in -thought. At last he roused up to address Colonel Hawtrey, once more. - -“You are under obligations to Merriwell, colonel,” said he, “and so am -I. He came to Ophir and immediately identified himself with the affairs -of the Ophir Athletic Club, which, as you know, were in pretty bad -shape. He and his friends have brought a new spirit into the club, and -from being always on the losing side, now and then we’re able to win. -You remember how he coached our football team, and steered the boys to -victory?” The colonel winced and a smile unfolded itself around -Bradlaugh’s lips. “No,” he went on, “I see you haven’t forgotten that, -colonel. Well, as president of the O. A. C., I’m indebted to Merriwell. -If he asks me to give Lenning a chance, and will become personally -responsible for his actions, I can’t refuse. That’s flat.” - -“Merriwell is taking a long chance on Lenning,” growled Colonel Hawtrey, -“and I hate to see the boy make such a mistake. I’m Lenning’s uncle, and -it’s a chance I wouldn’t think of taking myself.” He turned to Frank. -“Think it over,” he urged, “before you finally make up your mind. Don’t -forget that Jode has tried several times to be tricky with you. He may -be trying it now.” - -“I’ve got a hunch that he’s trying to be square, and not to be tricky,” -Merriwell answered. “And it’s a man’s fight, colonel, for every one -seems to be down on him. He ought to be given a boost. If I’m willing to -forget the past and take a chance, you ought to be.” - -“I think, and you’ll pardon me for saying it, that my judgment is too -sound. What are you going to do, Bradlaugh?” - -“Lenning goes on duty at the cyanide plant to-night,” said the general -manager, “but he’s accepted solely and provisionally as Merriwell’s -protégé. I shall phone the superintendent to that effect in a few -minutes.” - -The colonel frowned and got to his feet. “I wash my hands of the -consequences,” said he, “but if Merriwell gets into trouble on account -of his rashness, I shall do all I can to help him.” - -With that, Colonel Hawtrey strode out of the office, very much wrought -up over the result of his call on Mr. Bradlaugh. As soon as he was gone, -the general manager left his chair and came around to take Merriwell’s -hand. - -“This move of yours does you credit, Merriwell,” said he, “and I’m -backing your judgment against the colonel’s. But--and please consider -this a tip--keep track of Lenning as well as you can. That’s all. -Hannibal,” he laughed, turning to his son, “you’re something of a -schemer yourself. Why didn’t you tell me you were going after Chip?” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THE YELLOW STREAK. - - -An hour after Merry and Brad had left the office of the general manager -of the Ophir Mining Company, Merry was sitting alone on the veranda of -the Ophir House, waiting for his chums to arrive from the camp in the -gulch. He was wondering, a little dubiously, whether he had done right -by setting his judgment against the colonel’s in the matter of Jode -Lenning. - -In matters of sentiment, and quite apart from ordinary business, -Merriwell knew that Colonel Hawtrey was far from infallible. The colonel -himself had mentioned the fact that he had been wrong and Merriwell -right in affairs connected with Ellis Darrel. The same sort of a “hunch” -that had led Merry to befriend Darrel was now spurring him on to help -Lenning. If it was right in one case, he felt in his bones it must be -right in the other. - -And then, too, Lenning was absolutely friendless. In this sorry plight, -he had smothered his pride and appealed for aid to a fellow whom he -considered an enemy. This touched Merry, as he might have expressed it, -pretty close “to where he lived.” Lenning had asked for help, and Merry -would have felt like a cur if he had turned him down. - -The lad on the veranda was unable to find any fault with himself for his -generous action. He did not mix any hard-headed logic in his reasoning, -but considered the affair almost entirely from the standpoint of doing -the right thing by a chap who was down and had every man’s hand against -him. - -“I say, Merriwell!” - -Frank started at the sound of the voice. Looking up, he saw a lad -leaning over the veranda rail not more than a couple of yards away. His -face was haggard, and his clothes, although of good quality, were dusty -and rumpled. A pair of eyes, by nature of the shifty sort, were fixed -with some steadiness upon Merry’s face. - -“Oh, hello, Lenning,” said Frank, with a certain amount of constraint in -his voice and manner. “I thought you were out at the mine.” - -“I was there,” came the answer, “until I heard a little while ago that I -was to have a job as night watchman, and that I owed the job to you. -That sent me to town. Can you give me a little of your time? I--I’ve got -something I want to say to you.” - -“Sure! Come up here and take a chair. We’ll palaver as long as you -please.” - -“I’d rather not do my talking here. If you’re agreeable, suppose we walk -out along the road to the mine. I’ll feel more like loosening up if I -knew there’s no one around to overhear.” - -“That suits me,” and Frank left the veranda and started south with -Lenning, through the ragged outskirts of the town. - -Lenning did not travel the main street, but avoided it, finally leading -Frank out on the trail to the mine by a roundabout course. A short mile -lay between the settlement and the Ophir “workings,” and Lenning did not -speak until the last house in the town had been left behind. If he had -much to say, Frank thought, he would have to talk fast if he got through -before they reached the mine. - -But Lenning did not propose to walk while he was easing his mind. He -found a place at the trailside where they could sit down, and after -they had made themselves comfortable, he began: - -“I reckon you think I had a good deal of nerve to drag you into this,” -said he, “but I knew if you wouldn’t give me a good word no one else -would, and the jig would be up. I’m obliged to you. I hadn’t a notion -you’d help me, but I took the only chance I had. You’ve acted white, and -I want you to know that I appreciate it and that I’m going to make -good--if it’s possible.” - -“I don’t know why it isn’t possible,” said Merriwell, “so long as you -keep away from Shoup.” - -A scowl crossed the other’s haggard face. Instinctively his hand went to -the back of his head, where the paddle had left its mark. - -“You can bet all you’re worth I’ll keep away from that crazy dub. He had -a lot to do with getting me into trouble. The responsibility isn’t all -his, by a long shot, for I was born with an inclination to be -crooked--and you can’t get away from what’s bred in the bone.” - -“Who pounded that into you, Lenning? Was it Shoup?” - -“I don’t know. He was always harping on that idea, and maybe I got a -little of it from him.” - -“Well, it’s the wrong idea, I don’t care where you got it. Cut it out. -Don’t hamper yourself with any such foolishness. You’ve got a hard fight -on your hands, and if you go into it without any confidence in yourself, -you’re going to lose out.” - -Lenning stared at Merriwell blankly. - -“Don’t you believe that some traits are handed down to a fellow?” he -asked. - -“They may be handed down, but that’s no sign a fellow’s got to let them -get a strangle hold on him,” Frank answered, with spirit. “Some -fellows,” he added, “take all the credit if they make a show in the -world; but, if they go wrong, they put all the blame onto some one else. -You’re responsible for what you do, or don’t do. A fellow’s a pup if he -can’t take all the responsibility for his own actions, or----” - -Frank broke off with a laugh. - -“Hang it!” he grunted, “I don’t know what license I’ve got to preach. -What I’ve said is the truth, though, so we’ll let it pass and go on to -something else.” - -“I don’t want to go on to anything else,” said Lenning, “at least, not -just yet. This is a mighty important matter, to me. I’ve got a yellow -streak--in some things, I’m a plain coward--and I’ve sort of thought I -came by it naturally. My father----” he paused. “I suppose,” he went on -presently, a shamed look crossing his face, “that you’ve heard how my -father was killed in Alaska, years ago, in a row?” - -“I’ve heard something about it; but you don’t have to go into that, -Lenning.” - -“I want you to know,” said Lenning, almost savagely, “I want you to -understand how that idea of Shoup’s has been taking a hold on me. My -father was killed while--while he was trying to take another man’s bag -of gold dust.” - -“What has that got to do with you?” demanded Frank sharply. - -“Don’t you think I come in for any of my father’s failings? Most people -think that way.” - -“Forget it. That kind of talk makes me sick. A fellow ought to be man -enough to stand on his own feet.” - -“You know I’m a coward. I rolled that rock off Apache Point, and I hoped -it would ‘get’ you--providing I could skip out and you’d never know who -it was loosened the bowlder.” - -In spite of himself, Merry felt his whole nature shrink from the fellow -who was admitting such an act of treachery. By an effort, however, he -succeeded in getting the whip hand of his feelings. - -“Then,” proceeded Lenning, “when Shoup knocked me on the head with that -paddle and you pulled me out on dry land and kept me from drowning, I -felt like a hound. That’s why I tried to square things by giving up that -money.” - -“I thought you did that because Shoup had stolen it.” - -“I reckon I talked that way, but it wasn’t the truth. I took the money -from Shoup and thought I’d get away with it. When you and Clancy saved -me, and when I knew that I was done with Shoup, I began thinking about a -job at the Ophir mine. I wondered if I could be different--if I could -get the respect of people, same as you have done--and I thought maybe -I’d try it. The super wouldn’t have me, so I went to the general -manager. He wouldn’t have me, either, until you had asked him to give me -a chance.” - -Lenning swallowed hard and his voice shook as he went on: - -“What you’ve done to-day, Merriwell, has done more to make me see what -an infernal cur I’ve been, and to want to be different, than anything -else that ever happened to me. If I can keep that yellow streak from -getting the upper hand, I’ll make good at the mine.” - -“You’ve got to make good,” said Frank, “because I’ve become responsible -for you. What became of Shoup?” - -“He has left the country, I reckon. I haven’t seen him since yesterday -afternoon.” Lenning muttered a fierce exclamation. “I wish he’d hang -around for a spell so I’d have a chance to get even with him.” - -“That’s a sentiment you’d better side-step. You’ll have your hands too -full straightening yourself out to get even with anybody.” - -“I reckon you’re right; I’ve got a job on my hands if ever a fellow had. -But Shoup’s crazy, plain crazy. I’m glad I’m rid of him. I--I guess -that’s about all.” He got up from the bowlder where he had been sitting. -“You’ve done more for me than my own uncle would do. I’ll not forget it, -Merriwell. You have less reason to help me than the colonel had. I say -you’ve acted white, and you can bet I’m going to see to it that you -never have any reason to be sorry for it.” - -“Let it go at that, Lenning. I guess the best of us make mistakes. -You’re to be night watchman at the cyanide plant?” - -“Yes. It’s a responsible place. I have to watch the valves, regulate the -flow of solution, and do a lot of other things connected with the plant. -They’re just finishing a clean-up this afternoon, and will be running -the bullion into bars this evening. The gold will have to be kept in the -laboratory safe until morning--and I’ll be a guard as well as night -watchman. I’m beginning at sixty a month.” - -It was odd to hear Jode Lenning talk of work, and of getting “sixty a -month.” When he was in favor with Colonel Hawtrey, he had had no work to -do worth mentioning, and a liberal allowance had been given him for -spending money. Now he had to buckle down, and earn less than his -allowance had been, with his own hands. - -There was something vaguely disturbing to Merriwell in that mention of -the clean-up, and of the gold which was to be put in the laboratory safe -for the night, with Lenning for guard. That bullion might prove a -temptation, right at the beginning of Lenning’s attempt to be honest and -to turn over a new leaf. Frank mentally resolved that he would visit -the cyanide plant that night, and stick around for a while to see how -matters were going. - -“Sixty a month is a whole lot of money,” Frank remarked. - -“It’s a whole lot when you make it yourself,” said Lenning. “I reckon -I’ll have to mosey back. The super is going to show me the ropes before -it’s time for me to go on duty, and I was to report to him at -four-thirty.” - -“You’ve got plenty of time,” said Frank. - -As he got up, he looked southward along the trail. A cloud of dust was -moving northward, and, while he watched, three riders broke out of -it--one of them trailing a led horse with an empty saddle. - -“Blunt!” gasped Lenning, wild fear surging in the word. - -He was right. One of the riders was Barzy Blunt, and the others were -Clancy and Ballard. Blunt was leading Merry’s horse, Borak. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -A CRY IN THE NIGHT. - - -Clancy, Ballard, and Blunt, on their way to town from the gulch, came -charging toward Merriwell and Lenning at full gallop. They drew to a -quick halt, very much surprised at sight of Merry and his old enemy. Nor -were the newcomers pleasantly surprised, as they were quick to make -manifest. - -“Chip, or I’m an Indian!” exclaimed Ballard. - -“And I’m another Indian,” snorted Blunt, “if he isn’t chin-chinning with -one of the fellows who stole Mrs. Boorland’s money!” - -Clancy had nothing to say, but he looked his violent disapproval of his -chum’s actions. - -“If that’s the way you fellows feel,” said Frank, temper flashing in his -eyes, “you can leave my horse here and ride on.” - -That Lenning was in deadly fear of Blunt was plainly to be seen. The -cowboy had taken the trail of Lenning and Shoup, immediately after Mrs. -Boorland had been robbed, and for a time he had crowded the pair pretty -hard. Lenning, evidently, was still in doubt as to the cowboy’s -intentions toward him. His haggard face went white as chalk, and he -crouched shivering away at the trailside. - -“Don’t get excited,” sneered Blunt, leveling his cold black eyes at the -youth. “If Chip Merriwell has taken you under his wing, I won’t lay a -hand on you. How about it, Chip?” he demanded, shifting his gaze to -Frank. - -“I’ve helped Lenning get a job at the Ophir mine,” Merry answered. - -“That settles it,” grunted Blunt, tossing the reins of Borak to Frank. - -Scowling blackly, the cowboy pulled down the brim of his hat and set -spurs to his horse. He had not a word to say. Frank looked after him -grimly, then laughed a little, and vaulted into his own saddle. - -With the going of Blunt, Lenning revived considerably. Straightening his -shoulders, he stepped back to the trail. Clancy and Ballard watched him -with a gaze far from friendly. - -“Good-by, Lenning,” Frank called from the saddle. “Do your best, over -there, and everything will come out all right.” - -“Thank you, Merriwell,” Lenning answered. “If I do come out all right -you can bet I’ll know who to thank for it.” - -He threw a defiant glance at Clancy and Ballard, a look of gratitude at -Merriwell, then turned on his heel and started south. Slowly Frank put -Borak in motion the other way. - -Clancy and Ballard rode on either side of Merriwell, and both preserved -a glum silence. They were displeased, but Merry had done what he thought -was right, and the attitude of his chums did not worry him. - -“Have you hooked up with that crook, Chip?” asked Ballard, as they rode -into town and headed for the corral. - -“I’m trying to help a fellow who doesn’t seem to have a friend in the -world,” was the answer. “If that’s what you call ‘hooking up’ with a -crook, Pink, I guess you’ve nicked it.” - -“It was a foolish move,” began Clancy, “and I didn’t think----” - -“It’s my move, Clan,” interrupted Merry, “so you needn’t sob your head -off about it. Your fingers won’t be burned if the move’s a bad one.” - -Nothing more was said, and the ride to the corral was finished in an -atmosphere that was not particularly pleasant for anybody. When the -horses had been taken care of, and the three chums started on foot for -the hotel, Clancy’s loyalty to Merry got the better of his wrathful -feelings. - -“Oh, well, hang this Lenning business, anyhow!” he exclaimed. “You never -go very far wrong, Chip, and if you think you’ve done right, why, that’s -enough for me.” - -“Same here,” said Ballard, but rather gloomily. “Whenever I think of -Apache Point and that falling rock, I’m mad enough to fight. You’re -generous to a fault, but it’s your own fault, and why the blazes should -we take it out on you? But it’s still my private opinion that Lenning’s -a skunk.” - -“I’m not trying to change your opinion,” Merry laughed, “so you needn’t -get your back up if I want to do a little reasoning for myself. Now, -forget it.” - -They did forget it, and by the time they reached the hotel they were -laughing and jollying each other in their usual fashion. Blunt was -sitting on the veranda, when they arrived, and his burst of indignation -had also subsided. - -“You’re one too many for me, Chip,” he remarked, shaking his head in a -puzzled way, “but I’m not the one to jump on you for making friends with -a rattler. If the varmint makes a strike at you, though, I reckon I’ll -show my hand quick.” - -What Frank had done for Lenning was no longer discussed. The lads got -together on the less dangerous and more interesting ground of the canoe -race in the gulch, and talked it over until the hotel Chinaman came out -in front and pounded the supper gong. - -The evening meal out of the way, Barzy Blunt went off to spend the -evening with Mrs. Boorland, Clancy and Ballard got into a game of -checkers in the hotel office, and Merry went upstairs to his room. - -Frank was pestering himself with the question of that cyanide clean-up, -and the gold in the laboratory safe which Lenning was to guard. When he -had first heard of the clean-up and the gold, he had made up his mind to -stroll out to the Ophir workings during the evening, and sort of -reconnoiter the situation at the cyanide plant. Later, he had decided -that such an act would be foolish, and would show his distrust of -Lenning. Now he was again wondering if he had not better go to the mine. - -He recalled that he had told Mr. Bradlaugh that he would be responsible -for the way Lenning did his duty. Suppose, on the first night of his -work, Lenning should yield to temptation and run off with a few bars of -bullion? Frank’s promise to the general manager would oblige him to go -down in his pocket and make good the mining company’s loss. - -Frank could not believe that Lenning would do such a thing. He believed -that the fellow was honestly trying to retrieve his good name. -Reformation comes slow, however, and is not secured at a single jump. -Guarding bullion was a pretty hard position in which to place a fellow -like Lenning, on the very first night of his work. His newly formed -resolution would be put to a hard test. - -Merriwell’s mind revolved around the subject until it began to get on -his nerves. At last he jumped up and began pulling off his coat. - -“I’ll go batty over this if I don’t get it out of my mind somehow,” he -muttered. “Maybe if I go to bed I can sleep and forget it.” - -He began to unlace one of his shoes, paused, then laced it up again. - -“I don’t believe I could sleep, anyhow,” he grumbled. “The quickest way -to get this out of my system is to do a little reconnoitering around -that blooming cyanide plant.” - -He looked at a tin clock which hung from a nail in the wall. The hands -indicated a quarter past nine. - -“I can get back here by eleven,” he thought, “and have plenty of time to -look around at the mine. Clancy will wonder where I am, I suppose, but -what he doesn’t know hadn’t ought to trouble him. Here goes.” - -Clancy occupied the room with Merry, and, when he came to bed, would, of -course, note his chum’s absence. It was possible that Frank might get -back before Clancy and Ballard broke away from the checkerboard; at any -rate, he would certainly be back very soon afterward. - -Owing to the hostile attitude of his chums toward Lenning, Frank did not -intend to tell them where he was going. It would only open up a subject -on which he and they could not agree, but it would tend to show that -Frank had not the confidence in Lenning which he professed. This would -have been a false impression, and yet it would have been difficult to -explain the matter so Clancy and Ballard could understand the real -motive which sent Frank to the mine. It was a whole lot better to slip -away quietly, and then slip back again, without inviting questions or -trying to explain. - -Frank went down the back stairs, then stole through the dining room to -the door that communicated with the office. Clancy and Ballard were -absorbed in their game. - -“Wow!” Clancy was saying, “here I go slap into your king row, Pink! Why -don’t you wake up and make this game interesting for me?” - -“I’ll make it interesting enough, you red-headed chump, before I’m -done,” grinned Ballard. - -Frank turned back from the door and gumshoed his way into the kitchen -and then out at the rear of the hotel. There was no moon, but the sky -was clear and the stars were bright. He had no difficulty in following -almost the identical course Lenning had led him over in the afternoon. -When he struck the trail beyond the town, the thunderous roll of the -stamps from the gold mill came to him on the night wind. There were a -hundred stamps in the mill, and they raised a din like muffled thunder. - -There was a crispness in the cool air that ran through Merry’s veins -like a tonic. His step was light, and he threw back his shoulders, -sniffed the air delightedly, and pushed on. - -The desert, with its shadowy clumps of greasewood, stretched away into -the dim distance on either side of the trail. Now and then some bird -fluttered in the brush, or some skulking animal raced across the road, -but there was no other human being going or coming along the trail at -that hour. - -As Frank drew nearer the mine, the steady clamor of the stamps grew in -volume. At last, when he stood on the slight rise overlooking the shaft -house, the bunk house, the mill, and the cyanide plant, the lad paused, -admiring the shadowy scene that lay stretched before him. - -There were lights in the windows of the bunk house, but they were dull -gleams compared with the brightness that shone through every crack and -cranny of the great building that housed the beating stamps. There was -something ghostlike in the scene, and the effect was heightened by the -steady moaning of the mill. An uncanny sensation ruffled Frank’s nerves, -but he smothered it with a laugh and started down the slope. - -Suddenly he paused. He had heard something--something like a smothered -cry breaking through the low growling of the stamps. What was it? - -He bent his head and listened intently. Two or three minutes passed. The -sound was not repeated, and he laid it to his imagination, or to some -prowling coyote off in the hills. - -He had no sooner started on again, however, before the muffled cry once -more struck on his ears. This time there was no mistake. It was a human -voice that had given the cry, and it seemed like a call for help. - -Locating the spot from which it apparently came, Frank started at a run -to investigate the cause. Before he had taken a dozen steps he heard the -cry more distinctly, and felt positive that some one was in distress and -calling for aid. - -Sure of the location of it, by then, he darted into a chaparral that lay -directly in front of him. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -TRACKING TROUBLE. - - -Merriwell dashed into the chaparral like a whirlwind and beat about in -the bushes trying to discover where the person was who needed help. His -hunt was vain. Several times he called aloud, from various parts of the -chaparral, but without getting any response. - -“This beats the deuce!” he muttered, at last, withdrawing from the -bushes and throwing a puzzled look about him into the dark. “What the -mischief is going on? It can’t be that I imagined I heard a cry for -help. If I didn’t, why can’t I find somebody or something to account for -it?” - -He was greatly disturbed by his failure to locate the source of that -alarm. Finally he gave up, and started to regain the road that led down -the slope and in among the mine buildings. Scarcely had he turned, -however, when that cry in the night once more smote upon his ears. - -He whirled to an about face in a flash. “Where are you?” he called. - -The cry was repeated, apparently coming from a mass of shadow, to his -left, and farther down the slope. He plunged on into the gloom. - -“I’ll find out what’s back of this if it takes a leg,” he declared to -himself. - -The next moment he stumbled over some obstacle, and fell forward. He -threw out his hands instinctively to ease his fall, but they came in -contact with nothing more substantial than thin air. - -He dropped through space--not far, yet far enough to give him quite a -jolt when he landed on the hard rocks. After a moment he scrambled to a -sitting posture and rubbed his bruised shins. - -On every side of him the gloom was thick. He could look up, however, and -see an oblong patch of sky, studded with stars. - -“Thunder!” he exclaimed ruefully. “There’s an open cut on the slope, and -I’ve stumbled into it. That’s what a fellow gets for tracking trouble -over ground he doesn’t know anything about. But that cry for help! It -certainly gets my goat.” - -He had lost his cap in his fall, and he groped around in the dark until -he found it. Then, getting to his feet, he made his way to the steep -bank and began climbing. - -An “open cut” is a gouge in the earth made for purposes of exploration. -Usually an “open cut” is dug or blasted out in order to make sure of -surface indications of a vein, and sometimes it is made in the hunt for -a vein that has been lost. - -Yet it made little difference how or what that particular open cut was -there. The fact of most importance to Merry was that he had fallen into -it. - -His bruises were of small consequences; and many a time he had landed -from a pole vault with a harder jolt. When a youngster keeps in the pink -of physical condition, a hard fall now and then is nothing to worry him. - -Presently Frank managed to paw and scramble his way to the top of the -steep bank; and there he perched, trying to figure out what in blazes it -was that had lured him into the pitfall. He could make nothing of it, -and at last turned his attention to the buildings below him. - -That was not his first visit to the Ophir mine, by any means. He was -fairly familiar with the location of the different buildings, and he -knew that the cyanide plant lay at a considerable distance to the left -of the mill. It surprised him, though, to discover that his wanderings -across the slope had brought him to a point directly opposite the -cyanide tanks. - -Cyanide of potassium, it may be explained, is one of the two -commercially valuable solvents of gold. This cyanide eats up the gold -and holds it in solution. For that reason, the drug is used in treating -refuse from a stamp mill. In such refuse--technically known as -“tailings”--there is always present a small amount of yellow metal which -the quicksilver on the copper plates of the mill fails to “catch.” If it -were not for the cyanide, this gold would prove a total loss. - -The tailings are thrown into tanks, arranged in rows like a series of -giant steps. From a large reservoir, high above the rows of vats, the -cyanide solution flows by gravity into all the tanks below--entering at -the bottom and percolating through the tailings upward to the top, where -it flows off and into the row of tanks next below. The solution takes up -the gold as it flows, finally depositing its burden of wealth on zinc -shavings in what is called the “zinc box.” From the zinc box the -solution drops down another step into a sump tank, and from there, at -stated intervals, it is pumped back into the reservoir. - -Merriwell was familiar with the cyanide plant at the Ophir mine. He had -been showed around by the super, and the work had been explained to him. -Consequently he was able to recognize the plant from the open cut the -moment his eyes rested on the black bulk of the tanks. - -For the present the tanks were out of commission. A cyanide “clean-up” -is a long and tedious operation, and the work pauses for a longer or -shorter period while the work is going on. - -“I’ll slip down among the tanks and look for Lenning,” Frank murmured. -“After I talk with him a while, I’ll return to the hotel and go to bed. -If the bullion is locked up in a safe, I guess he won’t have any trouble -taking care of it. Funny I didn’t think of that before. The strong box -here must be a regular teaser for a cracksman.” - -Carefully he gained his feet and descended the rough slope to the tanks. -At his left, as he stood by the end of the upper tier of vats, was the -laboratory building, where the cyanide expert kept his store of the -deadly poison that stole the gold from the tailings, and where he had -his assay equipment, his furnaces, crucibles, et cetera. The building -was dark, and Frank, sure that Lenning was not inside of it, but on duty -around the tanks, paid the structure no attention. - -Comparatively close to the mill, where the rumble of the stamps drowned -every other noise, to call for Lenning was useless. Frank would have to -plunge in among the tanks and look for him. Scrambling over the tailings -piles that cluttered the ground, he began his search. - -Lenning was not in the vicinity of the first row, and Frank dropped to -the next tier. He wasn’t there, either. In spite of the gloomy shadows -cast by the big vats, the lad was able to see with tolerable clearness. -The third and last row remained to be investigated, but here the same -ill luck rewarded Frank’s search. Lenning was not in evidence around the -tanks. - -Possibly, Frank thought, the new watchman might be in the mill. Or, if -he was not there, some of the night shift might know where he could be -found. Just as Frank was turning to start for the mill, he saw a flash -of light through one of the windows of the laboratory. He halted and -stared, a trifle bewildered. - -Not five minutes before he had looked at the laboratory, and the windows -had all been dark. How did it happen that now there was a light in one -of them? - -“Not much of a mystery about that,” he finally decided. “Some one has -gone into the place and lighted a lamp. It may be Lenning; or, if not -Lenning, then some one who has been helping with the clean-up. I’ll----” - -The muttered words died on Frank’s lips. Under his eyes, as he continued -to watch the window, the light winked out and again left the laboratory -in darkness. - -“I guess that’s easily explained, too,” he presently decided. “The -fellow that lighted the lamp put it out again. It was Lenning, of -course. As I went hunting for him among the tanks, he had to go to the -laboratory for something. That’s how I happened to miss him. He has got -what he wanted, and so he has put out the light and will soon be coming -back. I’ll wait here for him.” - -Frank kept his eyes fixed on the dark side of the laboratory building, -where he knew the door was located. Every moment he expected Lenning to -appear, walking toward him out of the shadow of the laboratory wall. But -the seconds grew into minutes, and still Lenning did not come. The -waiting lad was forced to the conclusion that there was something -strange about all this. - -“If there’s anything wrong,” he thought, “I ought to find the -superintendent, and report. But how do I know there is anything wrong? -Maybe all I see is a part of the night’s work, and if I went to the -super he’d only have the laugh on me. I’d better investigate a little -before I spread any news of trouble.” - -The roaring mill, with its glittering lights, suggested quick help in -the case of emergency. Frank had a vague notion that it would be well -to go there and make some inquiries before investigating the laboratory. -But, if he went to the mill, the fellow who had struck a light in the -laboratory would have time to come out and get away unseen. If it was -Lenning, then he would miss him, and would have to begin his search all -over. - -Another thought came to him, as he moved slowly upon the laboratory, and -Frank was surprised that it had not occurred to him before. A night -watchman, moving about among those dark tanks, would certainly carry a -lantern. Frank had been stumbling blindly around the tanks, hunting for -Lenning, when, if he had considered the matter thoroughly, he need only -have looked for a bobbing light. - -“I must be getting ‘dippy’ over this Lenning business,” he reflected. -“I’m making mysteries where there are only commonplace, every-night -events. Probably I’ll find Lenning sitting in a chair in front of the -laboratory, guarding the bullion as comfortably as possible.” - -He moved on to the side of the laboratory with considerable confidence. -At one of the dark windows he halted and peered into the interior of the -structure. A quick breath escaped his lips. - -What he saw, in the black gloom of the laboratory, was a long, quivering -shaft of light. It crossed the big room, coming from a mass of shadow -and trembling over some object whose nature Frank was not able to -determine. But a thrill of apprehension ran through him. - -Surely that penciled gleam was from a bull’s-eye lantern! An honest -watchman never made use of such a light--or, at least, no watchman whose -duty kept him around a lot of big cyanide tanks! - -With this for a starting point, Frank’s thoughts took a dizzy and -horrifying leap into a tangle of conjectures. Perhaps Lenning was -working at the safe! It might be that he had asked for that job at the -mine with the sole idea of getting a chance at the bullion! And it was -Frank who had recommended the fellow to Mr. Bradlaugh! - -A sick feeling ran through the lad as he stood leaning against the wall -and looking into the laboratory. Then, against these forbidding fancies, -he marshaled all that Lenning had said to him that afternoon--how he was -going to do the square thing, and that Merry would never have cause to -regret befriending him. - -It did not seem possible that---- - -Frank’s reflections were suddenly interrupted. Above the mutterings of -the stamps, his keen ear caught a crunch of sand behind him. Alarmed, he -started to whirl around; but, before he could turn, he was caught by the -shoulders and thrown violently sideways. As he fell, his head crashed -against the stone sill of the window, and he remembered nothing more. -Blank darkness rolled over him, suddenly and completely. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -MISSING BULLION. - - -Had Merriwell not been as tough as sole leather, that ugly fall might -have had serious consequences. As it was, he was merely stunned, and in -a minute or two he was sitting up on the ground, rubbing the side of his -head and trying to guess what had happened. - -Although he could not remember it, yet at the moment he was seized and -thrown sideways, a startled cry had escaped his lips. Ears accustomed to -hearing sounds through the clamor of the mill had caught that cry, and -Merriwell was conscious of a dark form hastening in his direction. - -“What’s the matter here?” demanded a voice, as the form halted at -Merriwell’s side. “That you, Lenning?” - -“No, Burke, it’s not Lenning,” Merry answered, recognizing the man as -the recently appointed superintendent at the mine, “it’s Merriwell.” - -“Merriwell! What the blazes are you doing here, at this time o’ night?” - -“Looking for Lenning.” - -“Well, he ought to be around the tanks somewhere.” - -“I couldn’t find him,” said Frank, and jumped to his feet. He was dizzy -for a moment and leaned back against the wall of the building. “He -wasn’t anywhere around the tanks,” he went on, “and I started for the -laboratory. When I got this far I stopped and looked through the window. -Somebody grabbed me from behind, all at once, and jammed my head against -the window sill. When I came to I was sitting up on the ground, and you -were hustling toward me. I haven’t the least idea how long my wits were -woolgathering, but it couldn’t have been long.” - -“It wasn’t,” answered Burke, his voice showing his concern. “You yelled, -and I was prowling around and happened to hear. I wasn’t more than a -minute in getting here.” - -“What the mischief is going on, Burke?” - -“Search me. Everything has been as quiet and peaceable around these -diggings as a Sunday-school picnic, right up to now. You say you -couldn’t find Lenning?” - -“No.” - -“You don’t suppose he was the one who came up behind you and----” - -“Lenning? Great Scott, no! Why should he want to slam me into the -laboratory wall?” - -“He didn’t use to be a very warm friend of yours.” - -“I know, but things are different, now. You see, I’m helping him to -square away and----” - -“Yes, yes, I’m next to all that. He wouldn’t have been taken on here, if -it hadn’t been for you. I haven’t much use for the fellow, though, even -if you have. That’s why I was strolling around the tanks when I ought to -have been ‘hitting the hay.’ Thought it was just as well to keep an eye -on Lenning for the first few nights. Say, Merriwell,” and the super -smothered a laugh as he spoke, “is that why you’re out here to-night?” - -“You’re too darned keen, Burke,” laughed Merriwell. “I heard you -finished a cyanide clean-up, this afternoon, and were to have some -bullion in the laboratory safe for overnight.” - -“That’s correct. Four ten-pound bars were locked in the safe about eight -o’clock.” - -“Well,” Frank proceeded earnestly, “don’t think for a minute that I’m -not trusting Lenning. I just happened around to have a talk with him -during his first night on duty.” - -“He wasn’t on duty. If he had been, you’d have found him. How does that -look--for a new hand?” - -“There’s some reason for it, I’ll bet.” - -“Yes,” said the super dryly, “there must be a reason; but, whatever it -is, it’s no credit to Lenning. Come on and we’ll see if we can find -him.” - -Burke walked hurriedly along the side of the laboratory to the door, -Frank following close at his heels. The bruise on the side of Frank’s -forehead was not serious enough to bother him, and his head was as clear -as a bell. The consequences of the fall had spent themselves on the -first shock, and only the bruise remained to remind him of his -disagreeable experience. - -As his wits grew active, they picked up his interrupted chain of -reflections where they had been broken off. He recalled the gleam of the -bull’s-eye, and his suspicions of Lenning. Although he wanted to believe -the fellow innocent of any treacherous work, yet his mysterious absence -was the strongest bit of circumstantial evidence against him. - -“The door’s unlocked,” announced Burke, halting at the entrance and -drawing a long breath of relief, “and that means that Lenning is -probably inside. Queer, though, that he hasn’t got a light.” - -He pushed open the door and was about to step into the dark interior of -the laboratory. Frank suddenly reached out a restraining hand and -gripped his arm. - -“Don’t be in a rush, Burke,” he warned. “When I was looking through the -window I saw the gleam of a bull’s-eye lantern.” - -“Thunder!” cried Burke, alarmed. - -Shaking Frank’s hand from his sleeve, he flung himself into the darkness -of the big room. Frank, tremendously excited, posted himself in the open -door and watched and waited. - -The ray from the lantern had vanished. That was a disturbing fact in -itself. Listening with all his ears, Merry tried to follow the movements -of the super by the noise he made in moving around. This was difficult, -owing to the loud roaring of the stamps. - -At last, Burke struck a match. The glimmer moved a few paces through the -dark and then touched the wick of a lamp. In a moment there was light, -and the large, brick-floored room slowly took form under Frank’s staring -eyes. - -The furnaces stood duskily out of the half gloom, quartering-down -tables, glass-inclosed assayer’s scales, a pyramid of crucibles, a heap -of charcoal, a huge safe in a distant corner--Frank saw all these dimly. -The lamp stood on a table in the center of the room, with Burke’s tall -form reared upward beside it. - -“There doesn’t seem to be any one here but us,” said the super, -“although there are plenty of places where a man could hide. Close the -door, lock it on the inside, and keep the key in your pocket. We’ll make -a search to see what we can find, if anything.” - -The key was in the lock. Frank followed the super’s orders, and then -went around helping him in his search. - -Burke, lamp in hand, peered here and there in every place where a -prowler would have a chance to conceal himself. In a few minutes it -became evident that the lad and the super were the only ones in the -laboratory. - -Burke moved to the corner where the safe stood, and a shout of -consternation burst from him. “Look there!” he gasped, as Frank rushed -to his side. - -With a shaking finger the super was pointing to the safe. The big door -had been wrenched open, and broken scraps of steel and iron lay in a -clutter in front of it. - -“By Jove!” whispered Merry hoarsely. “There’s been a robbery.” - -“I should say so,” ground out Burke. “There’ll be merry blazes to pay, -now. See this!” - -He bent over the wrecked door of the safe and pointed out a rim of some -soft substance that had been plastered around the edge. - -“What’s that?” queried Frank. - -“Only a little evidence of how the safe was wrecked. Soft soap and -nitroglycerin did the work. The soap was ridged around the edge of the -door, and then the explosive was poured in and touched off. I’ve heard -how such things are done. Hold the lamp a minute.” - -Frank took the light, and the super went down on his knees and pushed -head and shoulders into the safe. An instant later he drew back. - -“Those four bars of bullion are gone,” he reported. “I was positive of -that, of course, before I looked, but now there isn’t a shadow of a -doubt. Yeggmen have cracked the safe and made off with the bars. Here’s -a go!” he growled, starting to his feet and giving Frank a troubled -look. “When you saw the gleam of that bull’s-eye through the window, the -cracksman had just about finished the job. One of them must have been -outside, posted as a lookout. He was the scoundrel who crept up behind -you. While you were stunned, the thieves got away with the gold. Give me -the key to the door, Merriwell, and stay here a minute.” - -Burke snatched the key as Frank offered it to him, dashed for the door, -unlocked it, and flung it wide, then plunged away into the night. The -lad, left alone with his reflections, put the lamp back on the table -and dropped down on a bench. What his thoughts were need not be -discussed, but they were sufficiently unpleasant. - -The superintendent had been gone only a short time when Frank, through -the open door of the laboratory, saw half a dozen lanterns emerge from -the stamp mill, separate and go scurrying off into the night in as many -different directions. A little later, Burke returned. - -“I’ve started men out to beat up the camp,” he reported, “and I’ve -telephoned to Mr. Bradlaugh. He will get hold of Hawkins, the deputy -sheriff, and get him on the trail as soon as possible. It’s a long -chance, Merriwell, whether we ever get back that missing bullion. -Lenning is pretty foxy.” - -“Lenning?” echoed Frank. - -“Sure. You know he is at the bottom of this robbery, don’t you? All he -wanted the job for was to be in a position to get hold of that bullion.” - -“He’s not a cracksman, Burke!” protested Frank. “The work here was done -by a man who knew the business. Don’t make any snap judgments on the -spur of the moment. Lenning was brought up by Colonel Hawtrey, and I -don’t think he ever had a chance to take lessons in cracking safes. Give -him the benefit of the doubt.” - -“Let’s look this business square in the eyes,” answered Burke -determinedly. “Lenning was at the bottom of it, but he certainly had -help. That was part of the scheme. Some fellow who knew how acted as his -confederate. While Lenning was around the place, after the bullion was -locked up, it was easy for him to let his confederate into the -laboratory. Probably Lenning himself was the lookout, while the -confederate was tinkering with the safe. The noise of the explosion was -drowned in the roar from the stamp mill. After all, Merriwell, it must -have been Lenning who grabbed you and shoved you against the wall. You -can consider that you got off pretty luckily, I think.” - -“How much was that bullion worth?” queried Frank, with a sinking heart. - -“It was base bullion--all this cyanide product, as we turn it out, is a -good way from being the pure stuff. There were about six hundred ounces -at, say, ten dollars an ounce. Placer gold runs double that, you know.” - -“Six thousand dollars!” muttered Frank. “If Lenning took the gold, and -if we don’t get it back, I’m in for that amount. Ouch! I wonder what dad -will say when he hears of this brilliant piece of work?” - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -THE FINGER OF SUSPICION. - - -Merriwell was very much out of sorts with himself. It did not seem -possible that Lenning could play such a game and make it win. And yet, -he was missing and the bullion was missing. Lenning’s past record rose -up against him, and clinched the circumstantial evidence. Nevertheless, -a lingering doubt stirred itself far down in Merriwell’s mind. - -“Chirk up, son!” said Burke, in a kindly tone. “I don’t believe Mr. -Bradlaugh will come down very hard on you. You’ve made the biggest kind -of a hit with the general manager, and you can bet something handsome -he’ll let you off as easy as he can.” - -“Business is business,” Merry answered glumly. “I put myself on record -and became responsible for Lenning. It was on my say-so alone that -Lenning got the job here. I’m not asking any favors from Mr. Bradlaugh, -but I’ll be dinged if I call on dad to fork over the six thousand. I’ll -go out and find a mine, or something, and pay it all myself.” - -“That’s the spirit. Anyhow, don’t go looking for the mine until we make -sure the bullion can’t be recovered. The thieves haven’t got very much -the start of us, and Hawkins is a regular terror when he cuts loose on -the track of a lawbreaker. Pin your faith to Hawkins, boy, and hope for -the best.” - -“Maybe,” said Frank, after a little hard thinking, “Lenning isn’t mixed -up in the robbery, after all.” - -“Don’t fool yourself about that. You’re not helping matters any by -starting on the wrong track. Lenning is gone. That’s the strongest point -against him. How can you get around that?” - -“He may have met with foul play----” - -Burke laughed scoffingly. - -“Nonsense! Everything points to the fact that he engineered all the foul -play himself.” - -“Wait a minute, Burke,” urged Merriwell. “When I was coming to the mine, -I heard something like a call for help. It was a smothered sort of cry, -just as though some one was having a hard time using his voice.” - -Burke began to show some interest. - -“Where did you hear the cry?” he asked. - -“Just as I started down the slope toward the mine. I was in the trail, -at the time, and it wasn’t until the cry was repeated that I gave much -attention to it. You see, the stamps made so much noise that I couldn’t -be sure. After a while I thought I located the sound in a clump of -greasewood. I pounded around in the bushes but couldn’t find any one. -Just as I had given up and was starting on again, I heard the shout once -more. This time it was still farther away from the trail, seemingly. I -tried to follow it, and tumbled head over heels into one of your open -cuts. It’s the cut just above the cyanide works. After I got out of that -hole, I came down to the tanks and tried to find Lenning. Now, what did -those cries for help mean?” - -“Nothing,” answered Burke. “Some coyote was yelping in the hills. The -yelp of a prowling brute like that, when it gets mixed with the noise of -the stamps, gives a queer impression sometimes.” - -“Well,” said Frank doubtfully, “maybe you are right, Burke, but I don’t -think so.” - -“If you really heard a cry,” was the skeptical rejoinder, “why couldn’t -you find the person that gave it?” - -“I may have missed him in the dark.” - -“That’s possible, too, but not probable.” - -“Another thing,” went on Merriwell, “I think Lenning was honest in his -intentions, and that he meant to do the right thing here. He came to the -hotel to see me, in the afternoon, and we walked out on the trail a -short distance and had a talk. He wanted to thank me for helping him get -a job here. He said he was going to make good, and that I’d never be -sorry for what I’d done.” - -“Oh, he’s smooth,” said Burke. “If he hadn’t been, how could he have -pulled the wool over his smart old uncle’s eyes for so long? He had an -object in going to town--and his object wasn’t to thank you for helping -him. That was merely a makeshift to cover his real purpose.” - -“What do you think his real purpose was?” - -“That’s a poser. Maybe, though, he wanted to get word to his -confederate--to tell him that he’d got the job, and that the work could -be pulled off to-night.” - -“That’s a guess, Burke, and maybe a wild one.” - -“If it comes to that, Chip, we’re guessing about everything except one -thing--and that thing’s as plain as print.” - -“What is that?” - -“Why, that Lenning is at the bottom of the whole black business. It must -have been Lenning. But we’re wasting time here. I don’t know that we can -do much, but we can try. Suppose we rummage around for clews?” - -They rummaged for half an hour, but all they discovered was a blank. -Just what sort of clews Burke was looking for, Frank did not know, but -he helped the super paw around the laboratory, hoping against hope that -something might turn up. In the midst of their fruitless search, Mr. -Bradlaugh and Hawkins, the deputy sheriff, hurried into the building. - -“Here’s a fine kettle of fish, Burke!” cried the exasperated general -manager. “Mighty queer we can’t hang onto our gold, after we get hold of -it. Has Lenning turned up?” - -“No,” said the super, “he has vanished, and the gold has vanished. I -reckon one explains the other.” - -“I reckon it does. Why,” and Mr. Bradlaugh’s glance took stock of Merry -for the first time, “how did you get the news, Merriwell? And how did -you beat Hawkins and me to the mine.” - -“I was mixed up in the robbery,” Frank answered. - -Hawkins, a good friend of Frank’s, laughed at that. - -“How was it, son?” he inquired. - -Frank went over his experiences for the benefit of Mr. Bradlaugh and the -deputy sheriff. - -“Thought, mebby, you’d made a mistake in recommendin’ Lenning, hey?” -grinned Hawkins. “That why you came out to the mine?” - -“No,” Frank answered, “I’ve got a lot of confidence in Lenning. I didn’t -think he’d do such a thing, and I’m not positive he did it now.” - -“Don’t dodge the facts, my boy,” interposed Mr. Bradlaugh. “I think it’s -pretty plain, myself. Lenning’s record is all against him.” - -“It must have been Lenning, Chip,” asserted Hawkins. - -Just as before, when Merry had stood up for Lenning and asked Mr. -Bradlaugh to give him a place, every one was against the boy. His -friendlessness was even more evident than it had ever been. - -“If Lenning made off with the bullion,” said Frank, “then I’m out six -thousand dollars--in case Hawkins fails to get it back.” - -“We’ll talk about that later,” said Mr. Bradlaugh significantly. - -“A bargain’s a bargain,” said Frank firmly. “You’ll have to give me -time, though, Mr. Bradlaugh. I’ve got to do something to get hold of -that six thousand myself. That’s what it’s liable to cost me for taking -a chance on Lenning.” - -“Hold your bronks a spell, son,” put in Hawkins. “Don’t forget that I’m -on the job, or that I’d work harder for you than I would for any one. -I’ve said a number o’ times that you’re the clear quill; and when I toot -my bazoo to that effect about any one, it’s a sure sign they’re pretty -solid with me. I want to tell you that I’ve laid hold of this -proposition with both hands, because Mr. Bradlaugh told me Lenning was -your protégé. I don’t reckon you had much savvy when you tried to help -the coyote, but you acted accordin’ to your lights. When a feller does -that-a-way, he’s entitled to credit. Just on your account, son, I -exerted myself more’n common. I managed to get hold of half a dozen men -and hosses, and they’re shacking off to lay for Lenning and his burglar -pal, between here and the border. That’s where they’ll make for, I -reckon--mostly they all do. Mexico’s safer than the U. S., arter a job -same as this. Don’t be down in the mouth till Hawkins throws up his -hands and says there’s nothin’ doin’. It ’u’d tickle me plumb out o’ my -boots to get back that bullion for you.” - -There was no doubt of the deputy sheriff’s feelings in the matter, and -Frank felt grateful. - -“You’re a good friend, Mr. Hawkins,” said he. “If I can help any, I wish -you’d tell me how.” - -“You can help by goin’ to the Ophir House and turnin’ in,” laughed the -deputy. “Not much can be done at night. With daybreak, though, you can -climb a-straddle of Borak and report to me for orders.” - -“I don’t want to go back to the hotel,” demurred Frank. “I want to stay -right around here, and be Johnny-on-the-spot if anything turns up.” - -Hawkins and Mr. Bradlaugh went over to the safe and gave it a critical -examination. - -“Good job of safe blowin’,” declared the deputy. “Some old hand did the -business. Couldn’t have been Lenning.” - -“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell Burke,” said Frank, grasping at -this straw of hope and trying to swing it in Lenning’s favor. - -“But,” went on Hawkins, “it’s not a one-man job. There was two of -’em--mebby more. Lenning was one--he must have been.” - -There was the same old positiveness in convicting Lenning. Merry had -heard that “it must have been Lenning” several times. Yet, blindly, the -youngster still clung to the scrap of faith he still had in Lenning. - -“What have you done, Burke?” Hawkins inquired, turning from his -examination of the safe to face the super. - -“I’ve sent half a dozen men from the mill to curry the chaparral around -the camp,” Burke answered. “I don’t think they’ll discover anything, but -it was about all I could do.” - -Hawkins nodded his approval. - -“Any of ’em reported yet?” he asked. - -“No, not yet. They’ve been out for some time, though, and I reckon it -won’t be long before some of ’em come straggling in.” - -The words were hardly out of Burke’s mouth before a couple of the mill -men came running into the room with their lanterns. They were jubilant, -and the very appearance of them caused those in the laboratory to feel a -thrill of hope. - -“Found something?” demanded Hawkins. - -“Bet we have,” answered one. - -“Lenning?” - -“Well, no; but we got hold of a couple of fellers, and they’re comin’ -this way. Wait till they come. I reckon we’d better let ’em talk for -themselves.” - -Then two more came into the room--and the sight of them made Merriwell -dizzy. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -BLIND LUCK. - - -It was about eleven o’clock, and one hour past their usual time for -hunting their bunks, when Clancy and Ballard pushed away from their -checkerboard. - -“An even thing, Red,” said Ballard, with a good deal of satisfaction, -“and that’s the way I like to quit.” - -“You’ve kept me up for an hour longer than usual, Pink,” yawned Clancy, -“just to saw off even. If I hadn’t given you the last three games, we -wouldn’t have got to bed to-night.” - -“I’ve got a picture of you giving anybody a game,” jeered Ballard. “You -played for all there was in it, and I merely demonstrated the fact that -I’m as good as you are.” - -“Oh, well,” murmured the red-headed youth, “if it pleases you to think -that, I’m agreeable. Wonder where Chip is?” - -“In bed, of course, just where I’m going to be in a brace of shakes. -Come on.” - -They hustled upstairs, and Clancy stepped into the room jointly occupied -by himself and Merry. A call from Clancy brought Ballard on the jump. - -“What do you think?” asked Clancy. “Chip, isn’t here. Where the nation -do you suppose he is?” - -“Ask me an easier one,” answered Ballard. “It isn’t like him to skip out -without telling us what he’s up to.” - -Clancy had an idea. - -“I’ll bet a plugged nickel against a chink wash ticket,” said he, “that -Chip’s absence has something to do with Lenning.” - -“What has it to do with Lenning?” - -“I’ve dug up that much, Pink, and it’s up to you to think out the rest. -I’ve started something, now you finish it.” - -“If I tried to finish everything you started,” snorted Ballard, “I’d -have my hands full. But I guess I can fill in the gaps of this -particular proposition, all right.” - -“Well, what’s the answer?” - -“Chip has gone out to the mine to bolster up Lenning’s good resolutions. -That would be like him, wouldn’t it? Just remember, please, that we -interrupted a confab Chip and Lenning were having when we came in from -the gulch. More than likely Chip has gone to the cyanide plant to wind -up that conversation.” - -“You’ve hit it, old man,” beamed Clancy. “I know as much as anybody, if -I could only think of it, but that gilt-edged theory certainly got past -me. Look here, Pink. Suppose we take a stroll out toward the mine, meet -Chip, and escort him back to the hotel?” - -“You’re on! But if Chip doesn’t happen to be at the mine----” - -“Well, if we don’t find him, we’ll have a nice little walk. And it’s a -fine old night for a walk, Pink.” - -“If I’d known you’re as wide-awake as all that, Red,” grumbled Pink, -“I’d have had another game out of you.” - -“You would--not. If we don’t stir up a little excitement during this -stroll of ours, so I can get my mind off checkers, I’ll be beating you -in my sleep. Come on, if you’re ready.” - -They descended the stairs, passed through the office, and out at the -front of the hotel. Then, turning south, they traversed the length of -the main street. - -Ophir was an orderly little place. A great many Easterners had come to -the town, in the employ of the syndicate that operated the mine, and -they exerted an influence in the settlement that was all on the side of -law and order. - -The street was quiet, and almost deserted. At the end of it, Clancy and -Ballard found themselves in the trail that led directly to the Ophir -“workings.” The road stretched southward in a clear, whitish streak -against its background of dusky desert. - -“Chip has got me going in this Lenning affair,” confessed Ballard, as -they walked leisurely along the trail. - -“Same here, Pink,” said Clancy. “When Chip takes the bit in his teeth -you might as well stand back and let him go.” - -“He never does that unless he’s mighty sure he’s on the right track.” - -“Sure not, but one of these days he’s liable to run full-tilt over the -wrong course. Between you and me, Pink, I believe that’s what he’s doing -now. Lenning had a lot of nerve to refer Mr. Bradlaugh to Chip.” - -“That was the right move, though, if Lenning really wanted help from -Merry. Lenning was wise to that.” - -“I guess he’s wise to a lot of things that Merry will never know -anything about. Hang it all! I wish Shoup had taken Lenning out of the -country with him. They’re a fine pair, those two, and one isn’t much -better than the other.” - -As the lads strolled on they kept an expectant watch ahead. At any -moment they believed Merriwell might show up in the trail, traveling -townward. But they did not see him. The stamps were rumbling in the -distance, and as the noise grew in volume, Ballard halted with a shiver. - -“There’s something about that moaning of the stamp mill, at the dead of -night like this,” he remarked, “that gives me the creeps.” - -“Don’t get scared, little Bright Eyes,” murmured Clancy soothingly. -“Remember, I’m along.” - -“Oh, you go to blazes!” grunted Ballard. “If it was a case of spooks, -Red, you’re the last fellow I’d want for company. Now----” - -Ballard had started on again. Then, suddenly biting his words short, he -halted once more. - -“What’s the trouble, Pink?” inquired Clancy. “See anything in the -bushes?” - -“No, I don’t see anything,” returned Ballard, “but my ears are pretty -good, and I’m hearing something.” - -“What?” - -“Listen yourself. Maybe it will break out again.” - -The lads were almost at the top of the rise where the trail pitched -downward into the mining camp. Consequently they were so close to the -stamp mill that its racket interfered with the sounds they were -listening for. But the noise came again, and it was clear enough. - -“It’s the whinny of a horse,” said Clancy. - -“That’s how it struck me,” answered Ballard. “The horse is in a thicket, -over there on the left of the road. What’s a horse there for, at this -time of night?” - -“Probably it’s a stray horse, Pink. Horses break loose occasionally, you -know.” - -“Well,” declared Ballard, “I’m going to find out whether it’s a stray -horse or not. If the animal’s loose, we’ll lead it on to the mine. -Chances are, that’s where it came from.” - -“Lead on, old man. If trouble lurks in yonder thicket, don’t forget that -Clancy is ready to shoulder his share.” - -There wasn’t much trouble in the thicket, that is, not so far as the -lads could see. What they did find, however, were a couple of horses, -saddled, bridled, and hitched to a white thorn bush. Here, certainly, -was food for reflection. - -“What do you know about this?” demanded Ballard. - -“There’s no law against a couple of riders leaving their horses in a -patch of scrub, Pink,” remarked Clancy. - -“It’s queer, anyhow. Where are the riders?” - -“Not being a mindreader, I’ll have to give that up. If the riders are -not here now, they’ll probably be around before long. Horses are worth -money, you know, and they’re not left for good in any such way as this. -Possibly----” - -“Sh-h-h!” cut in Ballard excitedly, grabbing his chum’s arm, and -dragging him back into the greasewood. “They’re coming now,” he added, -in a husky whisper, his lips close to Clancy’s ear. - -According to Clancy’s matter-of-fact ideas, there was not much sense in -hiding from those two horsemen. But Ballard had ideas of his own--and -nerves that had been somewhat ruffled by the uncanny booming of the -stamps. He had insisted on pulling Clancy down into the brush, and -Clancy was content to remain there. - -Two dark figures were crashing through the bushes, tearing their way -toward the horses, as fast as they could go. Between them the men were -carrying something. It looked like a bag, and that the bag was heavy was -proved by the fact that it caused them a lot of trouble. - -The men did not exchange a word, but buckled in and hustled as though -their lives depended on it. It was dark in the chaparral, and Clancy and -Ballard could not see the men very distinctly, but they had no -difficulty in following their movements. - -When the horses were reached the bag was dropped. Each man leaped to an -animal and tore loose the bridle reins. One mounted. The other lifted -up the bag and attempted to throw it over the horse behind the mounted -man. The bag slipped and dropped again. - -The man on the horse swore softly. It was the first sound either he or -his companion had uttered. - -The fellow on the ground made another attempt, and, this time, succeeded -in getting the bag back of the saddle cantle. Clancy and Ballard could -see that it was heavily weighted, and that the weight was divided in -each end of the bag, so that the contents held it to the horse’s back. - -Then the other man scrambled to get into his saddle, and, in almost less -time than it takes to tell it, both were mounted and ready for flight. - -Just here Clancy yielded to a reckless impulse. Had he thought twice -about the matter, he would probably have suppressed himself. But he was -excited, and perhaps not accountable for what he did. - -Starting up suddenly, he gave vent to a yell. - -“Hold up, you fellows!” he shouted. “What have you got there?” - -His answer was a wild rattle of spurs and swish of quirts. - -“Ride!” shouted one of the horsemen, in a voice that was strangely -familiar. “They’re laying for us!” - -The horses dashed out of the chaparral at frenzied speed. Something fell -heavily, and the lads knew it must be the bag. It had been torn from the -horse’s back by the bushes, or had been dislodged by the horse’s wild -movements. Anyhow, the bag dropped--and the horsemen did not pause to -recover it. Their anxiety to get away astounded Clancy and Ballard. - -“What did you want to butt in for, Red?” demanded Ballard, watching the -dim figures receding at breakneck speed into the distant shadows. - -“I don’t know,” answered Clancy. “I was curious, I suppose. If I had it -to do over again, I’d keep still. What I said scared them, though, and -that’s why they went on without the bag. Let’s see what’s in the thing.” - -The boys stepped toward the heavily weighted bag and Clancy began -untying the cord at the top of it. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -A SLIGHT MISTAKE. - - -“Tell me what this is, Pink,” said Clancy, “and you can have it.” - -The red-headed chap had pulled a short, thick bar from the bag. The -surface of the bar was rough, and plainly it was of some sort of metal. - -Ballard took the bar and weighed it in his hands; then he held it in one -hand and rubbed the other hand over it. - -“Feels like a chunk of lead,” said he. “Weighs nine or ten pounds, I -should think. Wait till I strike a match and get a better look at it.” - -The bar did not improve any upon being examined in the flare of a match. -It had a brown, dingy look, and Ballard dropped it with an exclamation -of disgust. - -“Anything else in the bag, Red?” he asked. - -“Three more bars, just like that one,” was the reply. - -“I’d like to know why those fellows were taking so much trouble with -that stuff. Looked to me as though they were running off with it.” - -“That’s an easy guess. They’re a couple of thieves, Pink, and they’ve -been stealing.” - -“Where have they been stealing?” - -“At the mine; there’s no other place handy where there’s anything -valuable. Thunder!” The exclamation broke excitedly from Clancy, for at -last the right idea had dawned upon him. “Pink,” he cried, “this stuff -is bullion!” - -“Bullion?” - -“It’s a cinch. Those fellows were trying to get away with it, and we -happened around just in time to block proceedings. Say, old man, we’re -starring ourselves to-night!” - -“I thought bullion was gold,” observed Ballard. - -“That’s what it is.” - -“Well, gold is yellow. Strikes me this bullion is off-color a good -deal.” - -“Probably it’s base bullion--gold mixed with other kinds of metal.” - -“I guess you’re right, Red,” said Ballard, after a brief period of -thought. “Those two fellows stole the bullion at the mine--and left -their horses here while they were doing it. We blundered on the horses, -and then you cut loose with a yell that scared them into thinking some -one from the Ophir Mine was ‘laying for them.’ They pulled out in such a -hurry they lost the bag, and didn’t dare come back after it. It’s a case -of blind luck. Now, let’s carry the bag to the mine and get the reward.” - -Clancy dropped the one bar that had been brought out for purposes of -inspection back into the bag, and began binding the cord around the open -end. - -“Wasn’t there something familiar about the voice of that robber, Pink?” -asked Clancy. “Seems to me I have heard it somewhere before.” - -“Come to think of it,” said Ballard, “the voice did have a familiar -ring. Where the deuce have I heard it?” - -Both lads racked their brains for a few moments. It was Clancy who -finally recalled the owner of the voice. - -“It was that pasty-faced Shoup!” he declared. “Lenning’s particular -crony, Billy Shoup.” - -“That’s right!” cried Ballard. “A job like this is about what we might -expect of Shoup. But who was the other fellow? It’s so dark in here I -couldn’t see much of either of them. The other fellow didn’t do any -talking, did he?” - -“No; neither of them wasted much time in talk. I wonder,” and Clancy -drew a quick breath, “if that second fellow was Lenning?” - -“Why, no!” exclaimed the startled Ballard. “Lenning is night watchman at -the cyanide works.” - -“That doesn’t cut any ice. He might have got the job as watchman just to -make this robbery easier for him and Shoup.” - -“Those two wouldn’t work together, Clan; that is, not after what -happened in the gulch.” - -“You wouldn’t think so, if they were any other fellows than Shoup and -Lenning. But you never can tell what those chaps will do. They may have -patched up their differences, and got together for this piece of lawless -work.” - -“Perhaps you’ve hit it off, Red, but I wouldn’t be sure about it. Right -now we’ve got to think of getting on to the mine. If Shoup and that -other fellow should make up their minds to come back here and get the -bag, you and I would be in a fine row of stumps.” - -This was a point that hadn’t occurred to the lads until that moment. It -helped to spur them on toward the mine with the bag of bullion. Each -holding an end of the sack, they made their way out of the chaparral and -back to the trail; then, looking behind them in the direction taken by -the two riders to make sure they were not returning, they crossed the -rise and started down the slope beyond. - -At this point, three or four lanterns appeared at a little distance, -bobbing around like so many fireflies. The lights, it soon became -manifest, were converging toward a certain place--and that place was the -ground on which Clancy and Ballard were standing. - -“There are some of the miners, now,” said Clancy. - -“They’re coming this way, too,” added Ballard. “Aiming for us, Red, if -I’m any prophet.” - -“Listen!” exclaimed Clancy. - -“Halt, there!” bellowed a voice, making itself heard above the stamps. -“Don’t try to run, or you’ll be sorry for it.” - -“Just as though we could run with a load as heavy as this!” said Clancy, -in a disgusted tone. “What do those miners take us for?” - -Four lanterns clustered close, drawing in upon the two chums from four -different directions. - -“Try to shoot,” threatened a voice, “and we’ll beat you to it. You’re -prisoners.” - -“We haven’t anything to shoot with,” called Ballard. “And what do you -mean by saying we’re prisoners?” - -“You know well enough.” - -Two of the men with lanterns jumped up on either side of the boys, and -each had his arm gripped by a muscular hand. - -“Here’s the bag of loot, Sim!” exulted one of the men. - -The man called Sim appeared to be the leader. He was a bushy-bearded -fellow in greasy overclothes, and he held up his lantern to get a good -look at the faces of the boys. - -“What!” he roared. “Say, ain’t I seen you kids some’r’s before?” - -“I guess you have, if you work at the Ophir Mine,” replied Clancy. -“We’re chums of Frank Merriwell’s.” - -“Well, sufferin’ Ike!” gasped Sim. “It can’t be that you’ve been robbin’ -the safe in the labr’tory.” - -“You think we’re the thieves that ran away with this bullion?” gulped -Ballard, horrified. - -“We was out lookin’ for the thieves,” apologized Sim, “an’ we hopped -onto you two with the bullion. What was we to think?” - -“You’ve made a slight mistake, that’s all,” laughed Clancy. - -“Where’d you git that bag of loot?” - -Both Clancy and Ballard took a hand in explaining that part of it. The -explanation was accepted at once, and the jubilant miners had a good -laugh over the mistake they had made. - -“You’ve done a mighty big thing, you two,” declared Sim. “Come on to the -labr’tory with the boodle. Hank and I will scoot on ahead an’ sort of -ease off the tension that’s prevailin’ in the vicinity of the cyanide -works. Joe, you and Lafe come along with Ballard and Clancy. Better tote -the bag for ’em, I reckon; they’ve purty nigh done enough work for one -night.” - -Sim and Hank rushed away with their lanterns. Joe and Lafe relieved the -two boys of the bag, and the four made such good time toward the -laboratory building that they bid fair to reach it neck and neck with -Sim and Hank. - -As a matter of fact, Clancy and Ballard were only a little way behind -the two who had gone on ahead; and when they stepped into the building, -the first person they saw was Merriwell. Frank was thunder-struck. - -“Howdy, Chip,” grinned Clancy. - -“Thought we’d find you here, old man,” added Ballard. - -“Great Scott!” murmured Frank. “What are you doing here?” - -“A whole lot more than we expected to do when we started out,” said -Clancy. “You see, Chip, we just about knew you had come to the mine for -a talk with Lenning. I had figured that out----” - -“With some help from me,” struck in Ballard forcibly. - -“Yes,” corrected Clancy, “with some help from Pink. Having settled that -in our minds, we started along the trail to meet you and escort you back -to the hotel. But, instead of meeting you, we encountered some one -else.” - -At this juncture, Joe and Lafe tramped in with the bag and dropped it, -with a thud, on the brick floor. - -“What’s that?” demanded Hawkins, pointing to the bag. - -“That’s the bullion,” said Clancy, “four bars of it.” - -“We gathered it in on our way to the mine,” added Ballard, “and came -mighty near being gathered in ourselves by a bunch of men with -lanterns.” - -“Meanin’ us,” beamed Sim. “At first we took ’em for the robbers.” - -Mr. Bradlaugh, dazed by the sudden trend of events, pushed forward. - -“Do you mean to say, my lads,” he asked, “that you recovered the stolen -bullion on your way here from town?” - -“Yes,” came from both Clancy and Ballard. - -“How in the world did you do it?” queried the perplexed general manager. - -“It was a case of blind luck,” said Ballard, and, for the second time, -he and Clancy explained how they had found the horses in the chaparral, -and had later been fortunate enough to recover the bag of bullion. - -“Well, of all the darn-fool plays I ever heard of,” grunted Hawkins, -“that takes the banner. Why, you boys didn’t even know there’d been a -robbery here.” - -“Didn’t even know we’d got hold of bullion, at first,” laughed Ballard, -“and after looking at one of the bars at that.” - -“It’s one of those things,” said the overjoyed Mr. Bradlaugh, “which -could happen about once in a thousand times.” - -“Once in a million times,” declared Burke. “Merriwell, you’re lucky to -have two such fellows for pards.” - -“That’s what we’ve been trying to impress upon him for a long time,” -remarked Ballard plaintively. “Now I guess he knows what a fine pair of -star actors we are.” - -“You’re all to the mustard, both of you!” cried the delighted Merriwell. - -“All that’s left for me to do, I suppose,” growled Hawkins, “is to find -Lenning and Shoup. This business is being wound up in short order, Mr. -Bradlaugh.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -THE SOLUTION TANK. - - -Hawkins’ remark reminded every one in the laboratory, and particularly -Merriwell, that Lenning was still to be found and dealt with. -Merriwell’s faith in Lenning was growing. He had drawn certain -inferences from the story told by his chums which strengthened his trust -in his protégé. - -“I think, Hawkins,” said Frank, “that it’s pretty clear now that Lenning -wasn’t one of the robbers.” - -“What makes it clear?” demanded the deputy sheriff. - -Mr. Bradlaugh and Burke were opening the bag and examining the bars of -bullion. Frank’s statement and Hawkins’ question claimed their -attention, and they straightened up and looked around. - -“Clancy and Ballard,” Merriwell replied, “recognized the voice of Shoup. -The other fellow didn’t speak, so they were not able to recognize him by -his voice. Now, Lenning and Shoup are enemies. It would have been -impossible for them to work together.” - -“Shucks!” grunted the deputy. “They only pretended to be enemies, sos’t -Lenning could fool you into helping him get a job here.” - -This was a most astounding theory. Furthermore, it was so wildly -improbable that Merry and his chums had to laugh. - -“You don’t understand what happened between Lenning and Shoup out at the -camp in the gulch, Hawkins,” said Frank. “Shoup struck Lenning over the -head with a paddle, knocked him out of a canoe, and came within one of -drowning him. I guess they weren’t pretending they had a row--not to -that extent.” - -Merriwell suddenly paused. He was talking in a loud voice--a voice that -echoed in tremendous volume through the big room. He wondered what was -the cause; and then, in a moment, he realized that the roar of the -stamps had ceased. Twenty batteries, of five stamps each, had gone -abruptly out of commission in the gold mill. The silence that hovered -over the mining camp was most profound. Merry had been talking against -the roar of the stamps, and when the roar ceased his voice was still -lifted. - -“What’s the matter with the mill?” he inquired. - -“The stamps have been ‘hung up’ for an hour,” answered Burke, “so the -amalgamators can dress down the plates.” - -“It happens twice in every twenty-four hours,” put in Mr. Bradlaugh, -“once on the night shift and once while the day men are on duty. We----” - -Sim, who had started back to his work in the mill, returned and thrust -his head in at the door just at that moment. - -“Something queer goin’ on among the tanks, Burke,” he reported. - -“Something queer, Sim?” echoed the super. “What do you mean by that?” - -“Step outside once an’ use your ears.” - -Not only Burke, but all the others, stepped from the laboratory building -and stood at attention, facing the grim, black tanks. Thump, thump -thump! came a hollow, reverberating note. There was nothing else, merely -that thump, thump, thump! It came sometimes at regular intervals and -sometimes a bit wildly and uncertainly. - -“What is it?” inquired Mr. Bradlaugh. - -“Blest if I can sabe it,” said Sim. - -“How long has it been going on?” - -“Don’t know that, either. Mebby it’s been goin’ on for quite a spell, -an’ that the roar of the stamps sort of smothered it. Now, when the -stamps is all hung up, the thumpin’ can be heard plain.” - -“It comes from the tanks,” put in Hawkins; “maybe it’s a leaky valve -poundin’.” - -“There’s nothing in the pipes,” said Burke. “The cyanide plant is out of -commission until to-morrow. Sounds as though some one was striking a -club against the side of a tank. We ought to be able to run it down and -find out what causes it.” - -Burke started off, mounting a plank incline that led to the lower row of -tanks, and then moving slowly along a plank gangway that spanned the -tanks’ tops. Merry, Clancy, and Ballard followed him. - -It was difficult to decide just where the thumping sound came from. The -hollow, resonant note was very deceiving. A little search, however, -proved conclusive that it did not emanate from the lower tier of vats, -so Burke and Merry and his chums mounted to the next tier. - -While they were hunting over the gangway that crossed the second tier, -they were suddenly startled by a yell from Hawkins. Looking upward, they -saw the deputy sheriff standing on a ladder, visible from his waist up -over the top of the big solution tank. His form was silhouetted against -a background of starry sky, and he was making grotesque and excited -gestures with his arms. - -“I’ve found what you’re lookin’ for,” he called. “Bring a lantern and -come here. It’s in the solution tank.” - -“That’s as it should be,” laughed Burke; “the solution tank is the -proper one to offer a solution of the mystery.” - -A lantern was secured, and Burke and the three lads hastened to climb to -the huge tank that topped all the others. Those below, including Mr. -Bradlaugh, went around the edge of the massed tanks and gained the -reservoir from the other side. - -Merry and his chums climbed to the rim of the tank and hung over it, -looking downward into its black, cavernous depths. Thump, thump, thump! -came the mysterious racket from below, now wilder, louder, more -insistent. - -Hawkins climbed to the rim of the tank, and pulled up the ladder and -lowered it down on the inside. Then he took the lantern that Burke -handed to him and began descending into the gloom. A little pool of -light went with him, and brought the interior of the tank slowly into -view. - -As the deputy reached the foot of the ladder and flashed the lantern -about him, a cry of wonder burst from his bearded lips. The cry was -echoed by all those who were hanging to the rim of the wooden reservoir -and peering downward. - -Jode Lenning was found! - -Bound hand and foot, and with a cloth tied tightly over his lips, he was -lying on the bottom of the vat, close up against its rounded side. His -head was turned so that his eyes, glimmering weirdly, looked upward into -the faces overhead. As he lay there, he brought his bound heels against -the wooden staves, beating out a sort of tempo which the mill hand, Sim, -had been first to hear. - -“By thunder,” gasped Clancy, “it’s Lenning!” - -“Sure as you’re a foot high!” echoed Burke. - -“Those two thieves must have tied him and dropped him into the tank,” -said Ballard. “Gee, but that was rough on him!” - -“It would have been rougher still,” went on the super, with a black -frown, “if he had stayed there until morning, when the solution in the -sump tank was to be pumped back into the reservoir. It’s a deadly -poison.” - -A shudder ran through Merriwell. - -“I thought Lenning had been the victim of foul play,” was all he said. - -Hawkins, putting down the lantern beside him, began releasing Lenning. -First he removed the cloth from his lips. - -“The safe has been broken open,” were Lenning’s first, halting words; -“Shoup was one of the thieves--I don’t know who the--the other man was. -Follow them! You’ll have to hurry or----” - -“Never mind, Jode,” interrupted Hawkins, in a kindly voice. “Shoup and -the other fellow got away, but the bullion was recovered.” - -“The bullion--was re-recovered, you say?” faltered Jode. - -“Yes.” - -A sob of relief rushed through Lenning’s lips. - -“I--I was afraid it would be laid to me,” he cried. “I didn’t want that -to happen after Merriwell had got me the place, and had become -responsible for what I did.” - -“Everything’s all right, Lenning,” Merriwell called down, “so don’t -fret.” - -Hawkins got the cords off Lenning’s feet and hands, and then helped him -up the ladder and down to the hard ground outside the tank. Mr. -Bradlaugh was there to catch him by the hand. - -“Did--did you think I--I took the bullion?” Lenning asked weakly. - -Mr. Bradlaugh had nothing to say. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -MERRIWELL’S FAITH. - - -Although Lenning had been roughly treated, he had suffered no serious -injury. The worst of his sufferings had come while lying in the big, -empty tank, kicking his heels against the staves and hoping against hope -that some one would hear him, in spite of the clamor from the mill. - -“I thought no one would ever come,” said he, leaning back in a chair in -the laboratory and speaking to Hawkins, Bradlaugh, Burke, Merriwell, -Clancy, and Ballard. “I never knew a stamp mill made so much noise -before,” he added whimsically. - -“How did the thieves manage to get the best of you?” queried Burke. - -“They jumped on me from behind. I had come in here for a lantern, and -had stepped out and was locking the door. That’s when they got me. -Before I knew what was going on, some one was on my back, and another -fellow had clapped a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t yell, and I couldn’t -get away. It was mighty tough, I tell you, when they got the ropes on me -and I was lying on my back and looking up into the face of Shoup. I knew -right off what he was up to. I yelled for help, and I managed to get in -a few more yells before they got me gagged. No one heard me, though.” - -“You’re wrong there, Lenning,” said Merry. “I heard you. I was coming -down the trail into the camp at the time, and it was hard for me to -locate the place where the cry came from. I thought it was up the slope, -in the chaparral.” - -“You were coming here?” asked Lenning. “What for?” - -“Just to see you for a while. Thought you wouldn’t mind a little -chinning during your first night on duty.” - -“Well,” went on Lenning, “those fellows got rid of me by dropping me -into the big tank. Then they skipped out. How did you get back the -bullion? I can’t understand how you did that, and let Shoup and the -other fellow get away from you.” - -So Clancy and Ballard had to tell again of their experiences while on -the way from town to the mine. - -“That was mighty lucky,” said Lenning, when the story was finished. “I -reckon I’m playing in good luck all around. It was tough, though, that -this had to happen the first night I got to work here.” - -“It was, Lenning,” agreed Mr. Bradlaugh, “but still, all’s well that -ends well, you know. You’d better go to the bunk house and turn in. I’ll -have Burke put some one else on in your place for the rest of the -night.” - -“I’d a heap rather stick it out. I’m feeling pretty good, and if I’m to -do this work I’d better keep at it.” - -Merry could see that this remark of Lenning’s pleased the general -manager and the superintendent. - -“It looks very much, Lenning,” said Mr. Bradlaugh, “as though -Merriwell’s faith in you had been justified. I’m going to relieve -Merriwell from any further responsibility in your case, and from this on -you’re to stay here on your own responsibility. Get that? I hope you’ll -make such a record, my lad, that your uncle will feel that he has made a -mistake in your case.” - -“Colonel Hawtrey is the least of my worries,” scowled Lenning. “I’m not -trying to be square because I expect anything from him. I’m much obliged -to you, Mr. Bradlaugh, and you can bet I’ll do my best to hold this -job.” - -“That’s as much as I could ask of any one on the work. Eh, Burke?” - -The super nodded his full agreement. - -“What did that companion of Shoup’s look like, Lenning?” Hawkins asked. - -“I can’t tell you anything about him,” was the reply. “He kept himself -out of sight most of the time, and whenever I did see him he had a -handkerchief tied over his face. He was a big fellow, though, and, from -his talk, I reckon he was a pretty tough proposition.” - -“He’s a yeggman, and no mistake. I’m going to do my best to get both of -those fellows. Going back to town, Mr. Bradlaugh?” - -“At once,” answered the general manager. - -“Then I believe I’ll ride with you. There’s a little telegraphing and -telephoning I’ve got to take care of.” - -“We’ll go along, Mr. Bradlaugh,” spoke up Merriwell, “if you’ve got -room.” - -“Plenty of room, Chip,” said the general manager. - -Burke remained with Lenning, while Frank and his chums and the deputy -sheriff made for the car. They were soon on their way back to Ophir. - -“I’m stumped,” admitted Hawkins, as they scurried on through the night. - -“So am I,” said Mr. Bradlaugh. - -“What’s got you on the hip?” inquired the deputy. - -“Lenning. I could have taken my oath that he was one of those who had -tried to steal the bullion.” - -“That’s what I was turnin’ over in my mind, Mr. Bradlaugh. Merriwell had -sized the fellow up a whole lot better than any of the rest of us.” - -“He had faith in him all the time.” - -“There was one spell,” laughed Merry, “when you fellows came pretty near -arguing me over to your way of thinking. But I’m glad I hung on. -Lenning hasn’t many friends--and he needs a lot of good ones.” - -“He has one good one,” said Hawkins, “and that’s a cinch.” - -“And he has more friends now,” remarked Mr. Bradlaugh, “than he had a -few hours ago.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -“WARMING UP.” - - -“Ho, hum!” yawned Owen Clancy, stirring drowsily in his chair on the -veranda of the Ophir House, “this is certainly the easy life. Trouble -is, fellows, it’s too darned easy. About all the exercise we get is when -we mosey out to the athletic club and boot the pigskin around. I’m -getting sluggish.” - -“Come over and slug me,” Billy Ballard invited, from the other end of -the veranda. “Feeling kind of sluggish myself, Red, and if you’re pining -for exercise, here’s your chance.” - -“Tush, tush!” scoffed the red-headed chap. “Taking a fall out of you, -Pink, wouldn’t be exercise, but a walk-away. Everything’s too deuced -humdrum around here to suit me. Say, Chip, can’t you mix us up something -with real snap and ginger in it? Nothing has happened for a week--not -since Ballard and I got back the bullion that had been stolen from the -Ophir Mine. That livened up things a whole lot.” - -Young Merriwell looked up from the paper he was reading. - -“Ten yards in four downs,” he remarked absently. “The new football rules -this year will bring a revival of the old smashing line drives of the -past. I wish we’d got this news before Ophir played the Gold Hillers.” - -Merry showed a disposition to become absorbed once more in the article -he was reading. Clancy headed him off. - -“Bother the new rules! I asked you if you couldn’t fix up a little -excitement for us, Chip. Life in southern Arizona is becoming flat, -stale, and unprofitable. Every morning the prof makes us grind to the -limit; every afternoon we loaf around until four, and then go out to the -club field and punt, tackle the dummy, or fall on the ball. It’s getting -mo-no-to-nious.” - -“I guess the climate is playing hob with you, Clan,” grinned Merry, -throwing aside the paper. “Early December, and here we are in our shirt -sleeves, loafing in the shade and trying to be comfortable. But buck up. -It won’t last forever. It won’t be long now before we’ll be pulling up -stakes and hiking toward the ice and snow.” - -“What’re we waiting for?” - -“The prof’s mining deal is hanging fire. Almost any mail from the East -may bring the letter that winds it up.” - -“Then I wish things would warm up while the deal is being wound up.” - -“That’s always the trouble with a chap that’s got brick-red hair,” -complained Ballard. “He’s a volcano, and can’t be happy unless he has a -violent eruption every fifteen minutes.” - -“I’ve got a notion,” scowled Clancy, “to imitate an earthquake and shake -you off the porch.” - -“Go on and shake,” urged Ballard, chuckling. “I’d like to get a strangle -hold on an earthquake just once and make it behave.” - -With a whoop the red-headed chap projected himself out of his chair and -in the direction of his chum. But he never reached Ballard’s end of the -porch. Merry put out a foot and neatly tripped him. - -“Here, now!” protested Clancy, slamming into a porch post and grabbing -it in his arms to keep from going down. “Who invited you to take a hand -in this, Chip? Maybe you want me to roll you off the porch before I do -business with Pink?” - -“Spell ‘able,’” said Merry, squaring around in his chair. - -“Too hot,” answered Clancy, after a moment’s reflection. - -“Oh, slush!” muttered Ballard disgustedly. “It’s too hot now, but a -moment ago he was anxious to have things warm up. He’s bluffing, that’s -all.” - -Clancy took no notice of the good-natured gibe, but crossed the veranda -to a thermometer that hung beside the hotel door. - -“Only seventy-five,” he announced, then reached for the newspaper Merry -had dropped and tore off a piece of it. “It ought to be more than that,” -he added. - -Taking a match from his pocket he fired the scrap of paper and held it -close to the bulb of the thermometer. - -“What’s that for?” demanded Ballard. - -“Warming things up,” answered Clancy. “Beginning with the thermometer. -Gee, look at the mercury climb! Eighty-five, ninety, ninety-five----” - -“Here!” interposed Merry. “Don’t you know that’s the town’s official -thermometer? You might as well tinker with the weather bureau, Clan. -Everybody in Ophir swears by that instrument.” - -“I’ll have ’em swearing at it before long,” was Clancy’s calm rejoinder. -“A hundred and fifteen,” he added, as he dropped the charred paper. -“That’s going _some_.” - -Just as he was backing away from the thermometer, Woo Sing, the Chinese -roustabout, came blandly out on the veranda. He looked cool and -comfortable in his roomy silk kimono. - -“Velly fine day, Missul Melly,” he grinned. - -“Pretty hot, Sing,” answered Merry, pretending to mop his face with a -handkerchief. - -“You callee hot?” demurred Woo Sing. “Goodness glacious! Me allee samee -cool as cucumber.” - -He took a slant in the direction of the thermometer, gave it a casual -glance, then jumped and brought his eyes closer to the top of the column -of mercury. - -“Gee Klismus!” he gasped, and the sweat began to start out on his -parchmentlike face. “Him plenty hot--hot as blazes. My gettee fan befo’ -my gettee sunstluck!” - -With that he slumped weakly back into the hotel, peeling off his kimono -as he went. - -“That proves,” said Merry, joining in with the laughter of his chums, -“that this climate business is about two-thirds imagination.” - -“Sh-h!” whispered Clancy, “here comes the prof. He looks about as warm -as a hundred and fifty pounds of ice. Let’s see what effect the -thermometer has on _him_.” - -Merry pulled his shirt open at the throat, fell back in his chair, and -began mopping his face. Ballard leaned over the veranda rail and gasped -like a spent fish. Clancy was also panting, seemingly in the last stages -of exhaustion. - -Professor Phineas Borrodaile had a book in his hand, one finger between -the leaves to mark his place. He was bareheaded, and was evidently -coming out to sit in the shade and read comfortably. - -“Well, well, young gentlemen,” he murmured, coming to a startled halt as -his eyes rested on the boys, “you act as though you were overcome with -the heat. Why, I had not noticed that the weather was at all -uncomfortable. It seems to me very pleasant, ve-ry pleasant.” - -“Look--at the thermometer!” gasped Merry huskily, smothering his face in -his handkerchief. - -The professor walked over to the instrument and studied it. Another -moment and he was tremendously excited. - -“What is this?” he cried. “A--a hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit? -_Mirabile dictu!_ There must be something wrong with the thermometer.” - -In spite of the professor’s guess that there was something wrong, the -perspiration began to bead his brow. Taking his book under one arm, he -allowed a hand to grope for a handkerchief in the tail pocket of his -long black coat. - -“Who says there’s anything wrong with that there thermometer?” growled a -voice. “Why, the hull town gits its temperature from that machine! -Whenever it says the weather’s so and so, you can gamble your spurs -that’s what it is.” - -Pophagan, proprietor of the hotel, shoved out upon the veranda. - -“But look, Mr. Pophagan,” quavered the professor, dabbing at his bald -head with his handkerchief and beginning to loosen his collar. “It’s one -hundred and ten--_in the shade!_” - -“That’s right,” whispered Pophagan faintly, staring at the instrument. -“Sufferin’ sinners, but it’s hot. Hadn’t noticed it before. Hottest -early December I ever seen in Ophir.” - -“There are some new spots on the sun,” remarked the professor, -unbuttoning his vest and fanning himself with his book, “and they always -have the effect of disarranging the seasons. Mercy! I feel as though I -was suffocating.” - -Pophagan threw off his hat and jerked off his coat. - -“It come on sudden,” he panted. “I’m allers subject to heat spells like -this. Purty nigh got done up oncet with a sunstroke in the Harqua -Halas.” - -“Merriwell,” queried the professor, in alarm, “you are not light-headed, -are you? You don’t feel as though you were going to succumb to this -excess of solar caloric?” - -Merry, handkerchief over his face, was squirming in his chair. - -“I’m all right, professor,” he answered, in a smothered voice. - -Clancy stood at the end of the porch, leaning against the wall of the -hotel with his back to the professor and Pophagan. His shoulders were -heaving convulsively. - -Ballard continued to lean over the rail, keeping his face averted and -doing his best to stifle his laughter. - -“Better go into the hotel, young gentlemen,” suggested the professor, -“and get some fans. I’m going. I feel as though I was being -incinerated.” - -“Me, too,” chimed in Pophagan. “If this gits much worse, we’ll all be -burnin’ up. Can’t remember a time like this since the summer o’ -ninety-six. You could fry eggs in the sun that year. Rattlesnakes an’ -coyotes got grilled in the desert afore they could hunt their holes. -There was a drummer stoppin’ with me then, an’ he wore a celluloid -collar. He went out to sell a bill o’ goods an’ the collar exploded. -Pair o’ rubber boots I had melted into a chunk. Whoosh!” - -Pophagan, closely followed by the professor, melted into the hotel. The -youngsters on the porch pulled themselves together, exchanged glances, -and went into another spasm of laughter. - -“Got to keep this going,” sputtered Clancy, lighting another piece of -paper and fanning it back and forth around the bulb of the thermometer. -“This is the most fun I’ve had since Pop and Woo Sing went hunting -cats.” - -“We’ll have the whole town fried to a frazzle,” hiccuped Ballard. “I -never thought a thermometer made the weather before, but this seems to -prove it.” - -“You don’t have to do that, boys, to get things warmed up,” remarked -some one, with a laugh, from the foot of the veranda steps. “I’m -bringing you a proposition that will do more to warm things up than all -the overheated thermometers in Arizona.” - -All the lads whirled to give their attention to the man who had just -spoken. - -“Colonel Hawtrey!” exclaimed Merriwell. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -A CHALLENGE. - - -How long the mining magnate from Gold Hill had been enjoying the -performance on the veranda, the boys did not know. He had caught Clancy -red-handed, however, trying to drive the mercury out of the top of the -thermometer. - -“It beats all,” laughed Clancy, “what a fellow can make people do just -by fooling with a thermometer.” - -“The power of suggestion is tremendous,” said the colonel, “if rightly -handled. It is so in everything, my lads. Start a train of suggestions -properly and, if they lead in the right direction, you can mold nearly -any one to your will. But that isn’t what I came over here to talk -about.” - -The colonel had climbed the veranda steps while talking, and he now -shook hands warmly with Merry and his chums. Ballard pushed out a chair -for him, and he lowered himself into it with a genial smile, while his -eyes roved from one to another of the glowing young faces in front of -him. - -In some things Colonel Hawtrey was a stern old martinet. The better part -of his life had been spent in the military service of his country, and -this may have developed the relentless side of his nature. He had a will -of iron, backed by a judgment that was apt to make a mountain of errors -out of a molehill of mere mistakes. - -He was a lover of sports, however, and was the backbone and mainstay of -the Gold Hill Athletic Club. He believed that, quite apart from physical -prowess, the right spirit in athletics developed inevitably all a -youth’s manly qualities. And he had no patience with any one in whom -manliness and personal integrity were lacking in the slightest degree. - -That something of an unusual nature had brought the colonel from Gold -Hill that afternoon Merriwell was positive. And that it might prove as -interesting as it was unusual was evident from the colonel’s manner. - -“What’s in the wind, colonel?” queried Ballard curiously. “Clancy, here, -is feeling like a castaway on a two-by-four island. If he can’t have a -little healthy excitement before long, his pranks will probably get us -all into trouble.” - -“I’ve got everybody in a sweat around this hotel,” said Clancy; “that -is,” he added, “with the kind assistance of Chip and Pink.” - -“We’re all in it,” acknowledged Merry. “But what sort of a proposition -have you got, colonel?” - -“Darrel suggested the idea last night,” returned the colonel, “and it -struck me as being a pretty good one. How long before you’re going to -leave this part of the country, Merriwell?” - -“As soon as the professor and Mrs. Boorland get the money for that mine. -The check has to come from the East.” - -“Do you think you’d have time to match an Ophir nine against a team from -Gold Hill? This would be a very pleasant diversion, it seems to me, and -I know it would be highly enjoyed by all the fans in both towns.” - -“Bully!” exclaimed Clancy, all enthusiasm on the instant. - -“Now you are shouting, colonel!” seconded Ballard, with equal zest. - -“Fine idea, colonel!” said Merriwell. “All the big teams go South for -their spring practice, and here in southern Arizona we’ll be getting -ahead of them by two or three months.” - -“Back at Farnham Hall,” went on the red-headed chap, enthusing more and -more as the idea took firmer hold of him, “they’re thinking of skates, -and toboggans, and ice hockey, and here we’re planning to go out on a -diamond and bang the horsehide through the balmy air. Chip,” and he -turned to his chum, “if that letter came from the East before the game, -I guess we could delay our start for the North long enough to take a -fall out of the Gold Hillers, couldn’t we?” - -“Sure,” Merry heartily agreed. “I suppose this game would be pulled off -in a few days, colonel?” - -“Why, yes,” was the answer, “just as soon as you can pick up a nine. We -had thought of playing next Saturday, on the theory, you understand, -that we’d have to hurry matters if we succeeded in getting a game with -you before you left. If you can stay longer, make it a week from next -Saturday, if that suits you better, or any other day that tallies with -your convenience.” - -“This is Wednesday,” Frank mused, “and that would leave only two days -for getting a team together and practicing a little in case we play on -the last day of this week. But we’d better make it next Saturday,” he -added. - -“Good!” exclaimed the colonel. “You’ve run up a long score of athletic -victories since you’ve been in Ophir, Merriwell, and I give you fair -warning that Gold Hill is going to do its best to give you a parting -shot you’ll long remember.” - -“Of course,” said Merry, “if Gold Hill didn’t work hard to win, the game -wouldn’t be worth while.” - -“We’ll have the advantage of you, unless the Ophir Athletic Club can -give you all the players you need who are up to snuff. Our boys will -come direct from our own club, and they have been playing ball ever -since that football game a few weeks ago. Bleeker, and the rest of those -who had gone into camp in the gulch, got back to Gold Hill several days -ago, and they have been gingering up on the diamond ever since.” - -“It’s a cinch, then, that your team will have a big advantage. I can use -a few from the Ophir Club; Clancy, Ballard, and I will play, and then -we’ll have to go hunting for the rest of our material. It will be quite -a job to get the team together and pound it into any sort of shape in -two days; but--well,” and Merry smiled, “there’s a spice about doing -things on short notice, colonel, and it rather appeals to me. We----” - -At this moment, Pophagan, palm-leaf fan in one hand and a handkerchief -in the other, came slowly out on the veranda. He appeared surprised to -find those on the veranda paying so little attention to the weather. - -“Howdy, kunnel,” said he. “Ain’t you feelin’ the heat none?” - -“I’m very comfortable, thank you, Pophagan,” the colonel answered, with -a sly wink at the boys. - -“Don’t mean to say you haven’t looked at the thermometer?” - -“What’s the use? I don’t look to a thermometer for information as to -whether I’m comfortable or not.” - -“No? Well, all of Ophir gits its temperature right from this here -weather machine o’ mine. I want to tell you, Colonel Hawtrey, that we’re -havin’ a spell o’ weather right this minute that ain’t been equaled -since ninety-six. Whoosh! Jest take a look at that mercury and see how -high she is.” - -“You look, Pophagan,” laughed the colonel, “and report.” - -The proprietor of the hotel lurched over to the thermometer and recoiled -from it in amazement. - -“Jumpin’ sand hills!” he exclaimed. “I’ll be dad-burned if this don’t -beat all get-out. What d’ye think?” and he whirled on Colonel Hawtrey -with popping eyes. “That there thermometer has gone down more’n -thirty-five degrees in half an hour. Blamed remarkable, that’s what I -call it. Dern nigh gives me a chill.” - -Pophagan threw away the fan and put his handkerchief in his pocket. - -“Reckon I better go and tell the perfesser an’ the chink afore they -catch their death o’ cold tryin’ to be comfortable.” - -With that he vanished through the hotel door. Colonel Hawtrey cast an -amused glance after the lank, retreating form. - -“It would be hard for a person to believe that a thing like that could -happen,” he remarked, “unless he witnessed it with his own eyes. The -whole affair is absurd on the face of it, and yet there is no doubt of -the genuineness of Pophagan’s sentiments. Well, well! That is carrying -suggestion to an extreme.” - -“I wonder,” said Ballard, a little pensively, “if he’s trying to turn -the joke on us?” - -“Not on your life,” answered Clancy. “If that thermometer registered -zero, when the temperature was really where it is now, Pop would put on -his ear muffs and his fur-lined overcoat.” - -“That’s the trouble with a good many of us,” said the colonel. “Often -we’re not ruled by common sense, but by a very foolish habit.” - -There were several things connected with this incident of the -thermometer which Merriwell was to remember later; and the most of them -had, for a basis, the few comments made by Colonel Hawtrey. - -“It’s definitely settled, then,” went on the colonel, “that the ball -game is to be played next Saturday?” - -“Yes,” Merriwell answered. “We’ll have to do a little hustling to get -our nine together, but I think we can make it.” - -“You know pretty well where you’re to get your material?” - -“I’ve been going over that in my mind, colonel, and I think I have every -position filled.” - -“You’ll pitch, of course?” - -“Sure thing,” put in Clancy promptly. “We couldn’t get along without -Chip in the pitcher’s box.” - -“You’re our stumblingblock, Merriwell,” the colonel laughed. “Gold Hill -is full of rumors regarding your wonderful ability as a pitcher. I don’t -suppose we have any one who can hold a candle to you, and we’ll have to -make up what we lack by good work on other parts of the diamond.” - -“Who will be the battery for Gold Hill?” - -“Darrel and Bleeker. Darrel was always our star pitcher, and perhaps it -was a good thing for our boys that he fractured his left arm some time -ago instead of his right.” - -Hawtrey frowned as he remembered the events connected with the -fracturing of that left arm of Ellis Darrel’s. - -“What sort of a catcher is Bleek?” Merry asked, more by way of getting -the colonel’s mind off a disturbing train of reflections than for the -purpose of acquiring any useful information. - -“He’s good anywhere,” was the answer, “and particularly good behind the -bat.” The colonel got up. “We’ll be here Saturday afternoon,” he added, -“and you can count upon facing a team that will make the affair -interesting to you.” - -With a friendly nod he passed down the steps and made his way up the -street. - -“This gives us something to take up our time, anyway,” remarked Clancy, -with a good deal of satisfaction. - -“We’re up against a hard proposition,” said Ballard, looking very much -concerned. “Chip, it will never do for us to leave Arizona with a defeat -behind us.” - -“I don’t think we’re going to,” Merry answered. “You can bet your last -copper, though, that we’re not going to have a walk-away. Let’s figure -out the make-up, fellows. Pink, take a pencil and paper and put Jode -Lenning’s name at the head of the list.” - -Ballard and Clancy straightened suddenly in their chairs and gave -Merriwell a startled look. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -THE LINE-UP. - - -Merry’s friendship for Lenning had been dead against the sentiments and -the judgment of Clancy and Ballard. That Merry’s insight into the -fellow’s nature had been more keen and more correct than their own, -Clancy and Ballard were forced to admit. Nevertheless, they still felt -that Lenning was more or less of a crook, and it surprised them to have -Merry mention his name at all in connection with the prospective nine. - -“What’s biting you?” asked Frank, meeting the stare of his chums -good-naturedly. - -“Can’t you find enough players without taking on Lenning?” queried -Ballard. - -“Possibly, Pink, but I want him.” - -“The rest won’t stand for it, Chip,” blurted out Clancy. - -“Why won’t they?” - -“Well, it’s--it’s---- Oh, hang it, you know why they won’t, Chip, -without my going into details.” - -“Whom do you mean by ‘they,’ Red?” - -“The Ophir fellows--and the Gold Hillers, too. Lenning has proved that -he isn’t square. I guess that’s enough to make every one give him the -cold shoulder.” - -“If you’re going to dig into a fellow’s past, Clan, and judge him by -what he was rather than by what he is now, of course I haven’t got -anything to say. But I don’t call that being square, either.” - -“We were off a bit when we accused Lenning of helping Shoup run away -with the bullion,” put in Ballard, “but we haven’t had much proof, as -yet, that Lenning has squared away and intends to do the right thing -from now on.” - -“We’re going to give him a chance, fellows,” Merry cried, “and we’ll -begin by selecting him for this pick-up nine.” - -“There’ll be objections----” - -“All right,” cut in Merry impatiently, “if the objections come I’ll try -and meet them. Put down Jode Lenning’s name first, Red.” - -Clancy secured pencil and paper and, not without some reluctance, wrote -as his chum directed. - -“Where will Lenning play?” queried Ballard, striving to make the most of -what he considered an unwise selection. - -“Don’t know about that yet,” was the answer. “For the next man put down -Mexican Joe for backstop.” - -Again Clancy and Ballard displayed astonishment, but this time it was of -another sort. - -“Who the mischief is Mexican Joe?” Ballard inquired. “Never heard of him -before.” - -“He works in the blacksmith shop at the mine,” said Merriwell, “and Mr. -Bradlaugh was telling me about him only the other day. He used to catch -for a Mexican team, and they say he has the prettiest throw to second of -any amateur in Arizona. We’ve got to have Mexican Joe.” - -“I wonder,” grinned Clancy, “if he’ll do his signalling in the greaser -lingo? If he does, Chip, you’re liable to get balled up.” - -“I’ll chance that part of it, old man,” said Merry. “Put down Owen -Clancy for the first bag and Billy Ballard for center field.” - -“Got that,” reported Clancy, writing rapidly, “and also Chip Merriwell -for pitcher.” - -“Bradlaugh, junior, for short.” - -“Check.” - -“Barzy Blunt, second base.” - -“He’s a pitcher, isn’t he?” struck in Ballard. - -“He is, and a good one, but I’m told he’s equally good as a baseman. If -I have to be relieved, Barzy can be shifted to the pitcher’s box. Mose -Handy will cover the third sack, and Jerry Spink will take care of left -field.” - -“You’ve got your nine, Chip,” reported Clancy, totting up, “and Lenning -is left for right field. Want any substitutes?” - -“Got to have. Benaway, Shaw, and Reckless will sit on the benches and be -prepared to fill in. I hear they are good all-around ball players.” - -“It’s a good team,” commented Clancy, after studying the list for a few -moments, “with possibly one or two exceptions.” - -“Strikes me, fellows,” said Merry, “it’s a mighty fine line-up. I’ll go -over to Mr. Bradlaugh’s office and speak for Mexican Joe, Lenning, and -Brad. I wish you two fellows would hunt up the others. If you can find -them, have them all report at the Ophir athletic field not later than -four this afternoon. This will be just preliminary to some hard work -to-morrow.” - -Merry grabbed his cap from the veranda floor, where he had dropped it, -and started briskly to his feet. - -“You can count on Pink and me to interview the rest of the fellows, -Chip,” returned Clancy. - -“Stir around,” Frank answered, on his way down the veranda steps. -“There’s not much time between now and four. If some of the fellows -can’t get out to the clubhouse by four, then any time up till five will -do.” - -It was not many minutes until Merry was in the office of the general -manager of the Ophir Mining Company. Mr. Bradlaugh greeted him with a -smile and a warm handclasp. - -“Have you heard,” the lad asked, “that we’re to have a ball game here -next Saturday?” - -“I have,” was the answer, “and I’m pleased almost to death, Merriwell. -Colonel Hawtrey left this office not more than five minutes ago. He told -me about it. You’ll have to do some tall hustling, my lad, if you dig up -a nine that can hold the Gold Hillers. Of course, our nine has got to -win. We can’t consider any other result. It would be too bad to have you -wind up your stay in Ophir with a defeat on the ball field.” - -“I believe we’ve picked a winning team,” said Merry. “Here’s the -line-up, Mr. Bradlaugh,” and he handed Clancy’s list to the general -manager. - -Mr. Bradlaugh leaned back in his office chair and began examining the -list. He had no more than dropped his eyes to the first name than he -gave a start, and looked up. - -“Lenning, Merriwell?” - -“Yes,” nodded Frank. “He’s a good player, if all I hear is true, and we -need him.” - -“Er-hem!” coughed the general manager. “No doubt he’s a good player, and -would be a decided acquisition, but is it a judicious selection?” - -“I think so,” answered Frank calmly. - -“There are liable to be objections,” suggested Mr. Bradlaugh, “and if -you persist in keeping Lenning in the nine, in spite of them, there will -be discontent among the players. You know too much about sports, -Merriwell, for me to remind you what discontent means among a lot of -players.” - -“The point is here, Mr. Bradlaugh,” Frank observed, with considerable -warmth: “Lenning is doing his best to be square, but nobody seems to -have much use for him. He needs friends, and he hasn’t any. Here’s a -chance for him to win back a few of the friends he has lost. I believe -in giving him the chance.” - -The general manager wrinkled his brows dubiously. - -“I appreciate what you are trying to do, and the generous motive back of -it,” said he; “but is it wise to arouse discontent and pave the way for -a possible defeat? I’m putting the thing up to you frankly.” - -“I’ll tell you just as frankly, Mr. Bradlaugh,” said Merry, with spirit, -“that I don’t see why there should be any discontent. Let’s go ahead -with Lenning until we see what happens, anyhow.” - -The general manager nodded, still dubious, but content to leave the -matter in Merry’s hands. He studied the rest of the list. - -“With the probable exception of Lenning,” he reported, “I think you have -made wise selections. I’ll arrange to give Mexican Joe a three days’ -vacation. He’s a wonder as a backstop. Brad, of course, will be -delighted. If Lenning plays, I’ll have Burke lighten his duties at the -cyanide works. Perhaps you’d better go out to the mine and see Joe -personally?” - -“Thank you, Mr. Bradlaugh; I had thought of that. And when I see Mexican -Joe, I’ll also talk with Lenning.” - -The general manager nodded. “My car’s in front,” said he, “and I have -nothing pressing for the rest of the afternoon. I’ll take you out to the -mine.” - -As Mr. Bradlaugh pulled down the roll top of his desk, preparatory to -leaving, Frank noticed that his face wore a troubled look. Was it, he -asked himself, because he had selected Lenning for one of his players? -It hardly seemed possible that so small a matter could affect the -general manager so seriously. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -LENNING YIELDS TO PERSUASION. - - -The short mile separating Ophir from the mine was quickly covered by the -big car. There was little time for conversation during the ride, and -what little talk the general manager indulged in had nothing to do with -Lenning, but concerned Mexican Joe entirely. - -“Burke got hold of Joe less than two weeks since,” remarked Mr. -Bradlaugh. “The boy came here from a mine near Wickenburg, with the best -recommendations I ever saw for a Mexican. He’s as strong as a horse and -as spry as a wild cat; what’s more to the point, he knows his business, -and is straight as a string. Just now, Merriwell, Joe is a comparative -stranger. He flocks by himself pretty much, but he is well liked by -those who have come to know him. Burke, the superintendent, can’t say -too much in his favor.” - -“How old is he?” Frank asked. - -“Eighteen.” - -A disappointment awaited the general manager and Merriwell when they -stopped at the blacksmith shop for a few words with Mexican Joe. Joe had -been given leave of absence by Burke to go to the bedside of a sick -relative who lived near Gold Hill. - -The superintendent, who saw the car at the blacksmith shop, strolled -down from the little headquarters office to find out what the general -manager wanted. His face lighted up when he heard about the forthcoming -ball game. - -“You’ve got to have Joe, Merriwell,” he declared. “Our miners play ball -a little, between shifts, and I’ve seen Joe behind the bat. He’s a -wonder as a backstop.” - -“But if he’s away,” Frank answered, intensely disappointed, “how can we -possibly have him?” - -“He’ll be back to-morrow morning, and I’ll arrange to have him go out to -the clubhouse whenever you say.” - -“Good! Make it to-morrow afternoon at two-thirty.” - -“He’ll be there; and I can promise you that, on the day of the game, -there’ll be a big attendance from these diggings. But don’t you let Gold -Hill down you!” - -“We’re going to do our best, Burke,” laughed Merriwell. “Where is -Lenning?” - -“Lenning?” the super echoed, giving Frank a quick glance, and then -shifting his gaze to the general manager. - -“Merriwell,” Mr. Bradlaugh explained passively, “has chosen Lenning for -one of his players.” - -It seemed, for a moment, as though Burke was going to voice a protest of -his own against the availability of Lenning. He thought better of it, -however. - -“Lenning ought to be at the bunk house now,” said he. “He’s still the -night watchman, you know, and doesn’t go on duty until seven-thirty.” - -“You go over to the bunk house, Merriwell, and talk with him,” suggested -Mr. Bradlaugh. “I’ll stay here with Burke.” - -Frank was glad that he was to be alone when he talked with Lenning. In a -private interview there would be less restraint, and a freer expression -of views and motives, than could have been the case if the general -manager or the superintendent had been present. - -Lenning was found sitting on a bench in the shadow of the bunk-house -wall. His back was against the wall and his eyes were turned upward, -staring into vacancy. Evidently he was in a thoughtful mood, and gave -no heed to Frank when he came around the corner of the bunk house. - -At a little distance, Frank halted. The friendly shout which was on his -lips was smothered, and he stood silently at gaze for a few moments -studying the form on the bench. - -Lenning had a sinister face and eyes that showed a tendency to waver and -shift about, looking anywhere but at the person with whom he happened to -be talking. Neither face nor eyes, it must be admitted, were calculated -to inspire confidence. And yet, as Merry knew well, such appearances are -not to be taken as final in judging a person’s character. - -Just at that moment, Lenning’s face wore an overwhelming expression of -sadness, perhaps of contrition. He did not have to go far into his past -to find abundant cause for self-reproach and regret. - -Lenning, when he had posed as the favorite nephew of Colonel Hawtrey, -had been allowed everything for his comfort that money could buy. His -only work had been to act as his uncle’s secretary, and he had worn -expensive clothes and had been supplied with more of the good things of -life than often come the way of most boys. - -Now, by contrast, he was an ordinary hand at the cyanide plant, and the -serviceable corduroys in which he was clad were frayed and stained with -oil and dust. From almost a drone, living on another’s bounty, Jode -Lenning had become a worker, and was earning his own support. - -Here was proof of Lenning’s resolve to be different from what he had -been, and it was one of the things that had impelled Merriwell to -befriend the fellow when all others had turned against him. With an odd -feeling of heightened respect for the lad on the bench, Frank moved -forward with a cheery, “Hello, Jode!” - -Lenning gave a start, lowered his eyes, and turned. The next moment he -had started to his feet, a pleased smile wreathing his lips. - -“Howdy, Merriwell?” he called, taking the newcomer’s outstretched hand. -“What brings you over this way? Had a notion you’d left Arizona by this -time.” - -“I wouldn’t do that, Len,” answered Frank, “without coming around to say -good-by. Can’t tell just how soon we’ll go, but it won’t be for a few -days yet. What sort of a ball player are you, old chap?” - -The question rather surprised Lenning. - -“Oh,” he answered noncommittally, “I know the game, after a fashion. But -I’m no great shucks at it.” - -“I guess you’re pretty good, from what I hear. I’m picking up some -fellows for a game next Saturday. How’d you like to make one of the -nine?” - -“You--you don’t want me, do you?” Lenning inquired curiously. - -“Sure I want you.” - -“Who’s going to play?” - -“Ballard, and Clancy, and I; then Mexican Joe, if we can get him, and a -few chaps from the O. A. C.” - -“I reckon you better count me out,” said Lenning, turning his face away. -“It wouldn’t be pleasant for your chums, or the O. A. C. fellows, to -have me around.” - -“Bother that! I’m bossing this nine, and I guess that whatever I say -will have to go. Don’t be foolish, Len. I’ve got a special reason for -wanting you in that game.” - -“What reason?” Lenning, steadily enough, brought back his gaze and fixed -it on Merriwell. - -“For one thing,” explained Frank, “there’s nothing like a good, stiff -contest on a ball field to level the differences one chap may have -against another. I’ve seen out-and-out enemies play together, help each -other in a pinch, according to league rules, and then, when the game was -done, forget that they’d ever had a grouch. Something queer about what -the diamond can do in a case of that kind, but it’s a fact, all the -same.” - -Lenning’s face clouded and filled with distrust. - -“You think, Merriwell,” said he, “that I haven’t any friends, and that -this game would probably make some for me. Is that it?” - -“Well, yes, something like that.” - -“Don’t you know,” went on Lenning, paling a little under his tan, “that -if I failed in a close play some one would say that I was trying to -throw the game? Nobody has any confidence in me. Every one has the -notion that I’m a crook, and can’t get over it. My cue is to keep away -from people. I’m sorry, Merriwell, because if there’s one person on -earth I’d hate to disappoint, it’s you.” - -“I don’t think that’s the proper spirit, Lenning,” insisted Frank. -“You’re all right, but how is any one going to know it if you don’t get -out and show them? I’m planning on you. You’re one of the first fellows -I thought about when the idea of the game was sprung on me this -afternoon.” - -“Who sprung it?” - -“Colonel Hawtrey.” - -“And your pick-up nine is going to play a team from Gold Hill?” - -“Yes.” - -“That does settle it. Even if I could get along with the Ophir crowd, -I’ll bet the Gold Hillers would refuse to play if they knew I was in the -game.” - -There was bitterness in the boy’s voice. - -“Why,” he went on, “the colonel himself would be the first to kick up -trouble. I’m asking no odds of my uncle. He’s cut loose from me, and I’m -not blaming him. I’ve got my own way to make, and I’m going to do it -without trying to curry favor with Colonel Hawtrey. You’ll have to find -another player in my place, Merriwell.” - -Frank had not expected Lenning to take such a stand. Although it was -beginning to look as though his choice of Lenning for the nine, if not -unwise, might be hopeless, yet he continued to try persuasion. - -“I’ve got my heart set on this,” said he, “and you might at least go -over to the athletic field with me and join in the preliminary -round-up.” - -“Haven’t time for athletics,” was the answer. “I have to work nights, -you know, so I can’t very well stay up all day.” - -“Mr. Bradlaugh says that he’ll relieve you of your work between now and -Saturday, if you’ll play.” - -Lenning’s interest showed itself immediately. - -“Mr. Bradlaugh said that, did he?” he asked, as though surprised. - -“Yes.” - -“Did he say he thought it was all right for me to get into that game?” - -“That part of it was left with me, Len,” Frank answered. “You like to -play ball, don’t you?” - -Lenning’s face lit up with a sudden glow, and his eyes sparkled. But it -was only for a moment. A dejected expression quickly drove away the -flash of feeling. - -“I don’t think that has anything to do with it, Merriwell,” he returned. - -“Then, you won’t play? You won’t give yourself a chance to make good on -the diamond?” - -There was something about the phrase “make good” which evidently struck -the right chord in Lenning’s new resolutions. - -“I’d do a heap for you, Merriwell,” said he, in a low tone, “and if you -really are anxious to have me go over to the clubhouse grounds this -afternoon, and it’s all right with Mr. Burke, I’ll go. But I won’t -promise to play until I see how matters stack up on the diamond. How -does that strike you?” - -“Get your hat, Len, and come along,” answered Merriwell, pleased to -secure even that much of a concession. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -PLAIN ENGLISH. - - -Clancy and Ballard were not successful in rounding up all the fellows -Merriwell had asked them to see. On such short notice, however, they did -very well. - -Jerry Spink, who was booked for left field, had gone to the Tin Cup -Ranch with an important letter for his father, who was part owner of -the cattle outfit. He was expected back some time Thursday, and the -boys left word for him to report at the clubhouse by two-thirty -Thursday afternoon, if he got back in time. - -Benaway, picked for one of the reserves, was a clerk in the general -store and post office. The proprietor of the store had sent him to a -placer mine to collect a bill, and it was expected that he would return -some time during the evening. A message was likewise left for him. - -Shaw was down with tonsillitis, and he set up a terrible wail of -disappointment when he learned what was going on, and realized his -inability to help out. - -Barzy Blunt, Mose Handy, and Lin Reckless were all the fellows Ballard -and Clancy could get together. Spink and Benaway would be on hand the -following day, however, without fail. - -The six lads, brimming over with enthusiasm because of the game -scheduled with Gold Hill, reached the Ophir clubhouse at about -four-thirty. Neither Merry, nor any of those he had gone to see, had -arrived. - -“Chip will be along before many minutes,” said Clancy. “Let’s get a -couple of balls and begin limbering up on the diamond.” - -They were hard at it when the Bradlaugh car halted at the clubhouse and -unloaded Mr. Bradlaugh, his son, Hannibal--who had been picked up on the -way through town--Jode Lenning, and Merriwell. - -The party came onto the athletic field by a passage between the end of -the clubhouse and the gymnasium. Merriwell was first to come into view -of those on the diamond. - -“Hoop-a-la!” shouted Barzy Blunt, waving his cap. “Here’s Chip with the -rest of the bunch. You can bet a ripe persimmon he wouldn’t----” - -The rest of the cowboy athlete’s remark did not appear. Words suddenly -froze on his lips. Just behind Merriwell was Lenning, and for Lenning, -Blunt had no use whatever. - -“Suffering cats!” muttered Blunt, as soon as he could recover the power -of speech. “Say, Ballard, why is that no-account juniper trailing Chip?” - -Clancy and Ballard had kept quiet about Merry’s determination to work -Lenning into the nine. They had a feeling that their chum’s move was to -prove distinctly unpopular, and they fought shy of mentioning it. The -secret would soon be out, now, and Clancy and Ballard awaited the result -with a good deal of trepidation. - -Blunt was a firm friend of Merriwell’s, but when fate gave him Blunt for -a surname she indicated his character unerringly. He was blunt of speech -and had a hot temper, and it was a habit of his to flash out his -feelings in plain English, with small regard for consequences. - -Nor was the cowboy the only one on the diamond who had been jolted into -silence by the sight of Lenning. Handy and Reckless likewise manifested -all the symptoms of severe frost. - -Clancy and Ballard tried to save the situation by a little joshing and -horseplay. It was a half-hearted attempt, however, and could not make a -breach in the forbidding wall with which Blunt, Handy, and Reckless had -surrounded themselves. - -Merry was quick to sense the chill in the air, and he hurriedly seconded -the efforts of Clancy and Ballard to put matters on a better footing. -Brad, on the ride out to the clubhouse, had had several minutes to -accustom himself to the presence of Lenning. Loyally he rallied to -Merry’s support. Brad’s father, also, did what he could to ease off the -tension. - -“Hello, fellows!” Frank called good-naturedly. “I wonder if you’re all -as hungry to get after the horsehide as I am? This game with Gold Hill -suits me right up to the handle. Barzy, you look like a three-time -winner. Handy, you look as fit for the national game as you did for the -gridiron, a few weeks ago. Reckless, old chap, how’s tricks?” - -In this breezy fashion, Frank strove to smooth out the disagreeable -twist in the situation. Lenning was there by his persuasions, and he -felt that the fault would be his if the lad was humiliated in any way. - -“I think we owe a vote of thanks to Colonel Hawtrey and Chip Merriwell -for this chance to clash with Gold Hill on the diamond,” piped Brad. -“We’ve got to work like the dickens, though, if we get in shape for the -game between now and Saturday.” - -“You must all pull together, my lads,” put in the general manager -significantly. - -Neither Blunt, nor Handy, nor Reckless had a word to say. After their -first cool scrutiny of Lenning, they proceeded to ignore him. - -“Where’s the wonderful Mexican backstop, Chip?” queried Clancy. - -“Couldn’t get hold of him to-day,” Frank answered, “but he’ll be along -to-morrow. What about Spink, Benaway, and Shaw, Clan?” - -Clancy reported as to the three players Merry had mentioned. - -“That’s tough about Shaw,” Merry observed, “but, on the whole, we’re -making out a good deal better than I expected. I can depend on you -fellows, can I?” The question was aimed particularly at Blunt, Handy, -and Reckless. - -“I reckon you can, Chip,” drawled Blunt, a gleam of temper playing in -his sloe-black eyes. “How have you fixed the make-up of the team?” - -“You’re down for second, Barzy, and if they hit me too hard you’ll -probably have to move up to the pitcher’s box.” - -“That’s a joke,” and the grin that half formed itself about the cowboy’s -lip’s led Merry to think he was forgetting Lenning. “You’re the best -amateur twirler in these parts, and if you can’t handle the Gold Hillers -there’ll be no use calling on me. I’m satisfied to hold down the second -bag. You and this greaser from the mine will be the battery for Ophir, -eh?” - -“Probably. Clancy’s at first, Handy’s at third, and Brad goes to short. -Ballard, Spink, and Lenning will be in the outfield.” - -Here Handy proceeded to take part in the conversation. “Lenning?” he -echoed. - -Merry faced around and gave Handy a square look. - -“I said Lenning would be in the outfield,” he remarked. - -“Oh!” Handy grunted. That was all, but if ever a monosyllable shook its -rattles and got ready to strike that one did. - -The nature of Lin Reckless belied his name. He was canny, and just at -that moment realized the value of holding himself in check. He had both -balls, and he began juggling them with one hand, and whistling softly. - -“I reckon I might as well tune up my bazoo and go on record right here, -Chip,” said Blunt. “You ought to know, by now, that I never walk around -a ten-acre lot in order to call a spade an agricultural implement. I’m -not going to do it now. I’d hate myself for a month of blue moons if I -ever played ball with a snake in the grass like Jode Lenning. Instead of -leaving Reckless on the bench, you can put him in the outfield. Lenning -will have his hands full looking after that job you got for him, if I’m -any prophet.” - -It was a barbed shaft, and Lenning squirmed when it struck him. His face -went white on the instant. - -Frank’s face was almost as white as Lenning’s. With a quick move he -placed himself alongside the lad under discussion. Before he could -speak, Handy broke in. - -“Blunt’s got it about right, Chip,” said he. “I don’t want to hurt -Lenning’s feelings, or put you in any sort of hole, but I can’t see why -you should expect us fellows to play ball with Lenning.” - -“I expect you to have some consideration for me,” said Frank hotly, -“even if you haven’t any for Lenning. He’s here by my invitation. I have -asked him, just as I asked you, to help make up the nine. If you don’t -want a team, and don’t care for a game with Gold Hill, say so here and -now, and we’ll declare it off.” - -Merriwell resented, with all the force of his nature, these flings at -Lenning. He felt that his anger was getting beyond control, and he was -glad that Mr. Bradlaugh took a hand in the matter at that moment. - -“You ought to know better than to talk that way, Blunt,” said Mr. -Bradlaugh sharply. “And you, too, Handy. Merriwell is getting the team -together, and you ought to have enough confidence in him to approve of -whatever he does.” - -“Whenever I’ve got anything on my mind,” answered Blunt, “I try to get -rid of it in plain English. Now that I’ve had my say about Lenning, I’ll -drop in a few words for Chip. You’re the clear quill, pard,” he went on -to Merry, “and I’d fight for you any day you can find in the almanac; -but when it comes to associating with a crook and a schemer, I reckon -I’ve got a right to pick and choose for myself.” - -“Sure you have,” approved Handy. - -Reckless was still whistling and juggling the two balls. He seconded -everything that Blunt and Handy were saying, but felt that some -consideration was due Merriwell in the matter, and declined to express -himself. - -“It’s a darned shame,” blurted out Brad indignantly, “that you two -chumps couldn’t have talked this over privately with Chip instead of -shooting off a big noise where it will do the most harm. You make me -tired!” and he turned on his heel and walked off. - -Truth to tell, the helpless writhing of Jode Lenning was more than Brad -could endure. Lenning himself suddenly turned and moved away in the -direction from which he had come, his head bowed dejectedly. - -“Blunt,” said Merriwell scathingly, “you and Handy ought to be ashamed -of yourselves. Is it your style to jump on a fellow when he’s down? If I -put into this plain English you’re harping about all I think of you two, -it would be different from what you’ve said about Lenning, but it would -sound a whole lot worse. You might have had the common decency to keep -still while Lenning was around.” - -The vigor with which Merry expressed himself rather startled Blunt and -Handy. But Frank was not yet done. - -“Look back a little in your own life, Blunt,” said he meaningly. “I -guess you will find something there that will help you to understand how -you have made Lenning feel.” - -The cowboy fell back a step, with twin devils blazing in his eyes. -Merriwell’s words had probed a sore only recently healed, and for a -second Blunt felt all the old agonizing smart caused by the rough -handling. Then, as quickly, his rage passed. - -“I reckon you got me there, Chip,” said he. “I went a heap farther with -Lenning than I meant to, but that’s how I feel.” - -Frank did not answer. Turning, he hurried after Lenning, vanishing -between the end of the clubhouse and the south wall of the gymnasium -building. - -“Fine business, I must say,” growled Ballard. “If this kind of a spirit -lasts up till next Saturday, I can see where we get off.” - -“It won’t last,” said Handy. “Lenning’s out of it now, just as he ought -to be, and everything is all right.” - -But Mr. Bradlaugh shook his head forebodingly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -GETTING THE NINE IN SHAPE. - - -Lenning was well started on the trail to Ophir when Merriwell overtook -him. - -“I’m mighty sorry,” was all Frank could say, as he dropped a hand on the -other’s arm. - -“You see how it is, Merriwell,” Lenning returned, in a tense voice, -lifting his pale, drawn face for a quick look at his companion. - -“Yes, I see how it is,” Frank acknowledged. “I had no right to put you -in that position.” - -“I should have had sense enough not to come. Don’t blame yourself any. -And don’t find too much fault with Blunt and Handy. I mixed the dose for -myself, and it’s no more than right that I should swallow it.” - -During the walk back to town Frank did what he could to soothe Lenning’s -injured feelings. Lenning listened quietly to his talk, and really -seemed in a better frame of mind when he and Frank parted in front of -the Ophir House. - -While waiting for Clancy and Ballard to arrive, Frank had ample time for -a little hard thinking on the veranda. - -At first he had been tempted to throw up the proposed game with Gold -Hill and have nothing further to do with it. He was beginning to see now -that such a move on his part would be childish. - -He had had ample warning not to try to drag Lenning into the baseball -game. He had gone ahead in spite of the warning, and for the disaster of -the afternoon he alone was to blame. - -When his reflections took stock of Blunt and Handy, he felt the hot -blood beginning to pound in his veins. But this was childish, too. -Lenning, not so very long before, had given everybody abundant excuse -for thinking of him just what Blunt and Handy thought. - -After all, Lenning was only paying the score he had run up. It was a -debt he had to meet. When he was through with the battle, he would be -all the better for a few scars to remind him of it. - -This train of thought put Frank himself in a more tolerant mood by the -time Clancy and Ballard got back to the hotel. They went in to supper -together, and, by tacit agreement, dismissed the incident of the -afternoon without any further discussion. - -On the following morning there came a grind at the books under the eagle -eye of Professor Borrodaile; then, after dinner and early in the -afternoon, Frank and his chums went out to the baseball grounds and were -greeted by the whole team, as originally selected by Frank, with the -exception, of course, of Lenning and Shaw. - -Mexican Joe was introduced to Frank by Brad. Joe was of about the same -height and build as Jode Lenning, and, in addition, the two had a facial -resemblance that was most remarkable. Naturally, the Mexican lad’s face -was of a swarthier hue, and this of itself made the difference between -them most pronounced. - -While Benaway and Reckless pounded out flies and grounders for most of -the team, Merry and Joe were off to one side warming to the work with -jump balls, drops, and curves. Merry showed a skill and control that -caused the Mexican backstop to open his eyes, and Joe, on his part, -convinced Merry that he was all that Mr. Bradlaugh had cracked him up to -be. - -That Thursday afternoon’s work brought Frank entirely under the spell -of the game--the sport he loved best of all. For weeks he had not had -the leather sphere in his hands, and now the very touch of it thrilled -him through and through. - -On first meeting Blunt and Handy, Thursday afternoon, Frank was -conscious of a feeling toward them that was distinctly unfriendly; and -they, on their part, had as little to say to Frank as possible. But -when, at five o’clock, a grand rush was made for the bathrooms in the -gym, the magic of baseball had wrought its work, and every member of the -team was full of hope, and enthusiasm, and friendly consideration for -the rest of his teammates. Merriwell, Blunt, and Handy met and mingled -just as they had always done, and just as though the disagreeable -incident of the preceding afternoon had never happened. - -This is not to say that Frank had forgotten Lenning, for such was far -from being the case. He was still sorry for the friendless chap, and -still eager to do him a good turn. What is more, he believed more firmly -than ever that many barriers between Lenning and his former friends -might be leveled if Lenning could have a part in Saturday’s game. It was -queer how that conviction persisted and intensified in Merriwell’s mind. - -Friday afternoon the Ophir nine played a game with a scrub team. The -second nine was poor, for Merriwell had gathered in all the good -material, and the regular team had no difficulty in running up a good, -big score. - -More and more Frank was pleased with the excellent work of Mexican Joe. -The backstop was about as talkative as a cigar-store Indian. He played -silently, swiftly, surely, and his signals showed such an intelligent -comprehension of the right balls that Frank’s admiration was aroused. - -“You’re a corker, Joe!” he declared, slapping the Mexican youth on the -back when the afternoon’s work was over with. - -A gratified smile crossed Joe’s swarthy face. - -“You more of a corker as me,” he averred, and so eased himself of the -only remark he had made during an hour and a half of hard work. - -When Frank and his chums got back to the Ophir House, late that Friday -afternoon, they were all tired, but happy and confident. - -“We’ve got a fast nine,” declared Ballard, “and we’re going to put it -all over that Gold Hill team. You hear me!” - -“They’re a snappy lot, no two ways about that,” agreed Clancy. “I hate -to give Darrel, Bleek, Hotchkiss, and the rest of that outfit the sort -of a jolt they’re due for to-morrow, but if they’re bound to have a game -they’ll have to take the consequences.” - -“That’s right,” said Merriwell. “They’re going to make it pretty -interesting for us, though, and it’s just possible that they’ll open a -bag of tricks that will surprise us.” - -“What sort of a pitcher is Darrel?” queried Ballard. “It’s mighty odd -that, all the time he was with us up Mohave Cañon, he never let out a -peep about being a ball tosser.” - -“He’s good,” asserted Merriwell. - -“How do you know, Chip?” demanded Clancy. - -“I know because Darrel’s the sort that doesn’t do things by halves. If -he set out to learn to pitch, you can bet he has trained his ‘wing’ in a -way to make us sit up and take notice. There’ll be an exciting time on -the ball ground to-morrow afternoon. Bank on that, Red.” - -“I’ll be disappointed if there isn’t, Chip,” grinned Clancy, “but you -and that greaser marvel are going to take care of Darrel and Bleeker, -with ground to spare.” - -“I hope you’re right.” - -“I know I’m right! When Darrel opens his box of tricks, Chip, he’ll find -that you have got a few on tap that are just a little better.” - -“Thanks, old man,” laughed Merry. “It would be hard for me to do any -worrying while you’re around.” - -“Everything’s going swimmingly, Chip,” remarked Ballard, “and there -hasn’t been a hitch since--since Wednesday afternoon.” - -“That’s the trouble,” Frank answered. “I’m afraid, Pink, that the luck -is too good to last.” - -This remark of Merriwell’s proved to be prophetic. A blow between the -eyes was dealt Merry less than an hour after supper. It wasn’t a -knock-out, but it came close to being one. - -The blow arrived by messenger from the Ophir Mine, and was neatly -wrapped up in a note written by Burke, the superintendent. Merriwell was -alone on the veranda at the time the message came to hand, and he drew -up close to a lighted window so that he could see to read it. - -At first he was dazed, and could hardly believe that he read aright. -After rubbing his eyes, he perused the note a second time. Then it was -that the dread news burst upon his realization like a thunderclap. - -“Blazes!” he gasped, crushing the note in his hand and looking around -despairingly. “What the mischief are we going to do now? On the last -day, and in the afternoon, too! Why in the deuce couldn’t----” He bit -his words short and tossed his hands deprecatingly. “But it couldn’t be -helped, it couldn’t be helped!” he muttered. - -Gloomily enough, he walked to a chair at the far end of the veranda and -slumped down into it. Who’d have thought that such a thing could -happen? The Ophir club, it seemed absolutely certain, was going to meet -its Waterloo! There did not appear to be a possible way out of that -tangle of hard luck. - -While Frank was sitting there among the deep shadows of the veranda and -floundering helplessly in a mire of reflections, a horseman galloped up -to the hitching pole in front of the hotel, swung to the ground, buckled -his reins around the pole, and then bounded lightly up the veranda -steps. - -The light from a window, shining over him, showed that he was a mere -lad. His face was open and frank, and a mat of thick, curly hair fringed -the bottom of his cap. - -He paused on his way across the veranda to the hotel entrance. The -figure in the chair, at the far end of the veranda, had caught the -newcomer’s eye. Muttering an exclamation, he started toward the youth -with the bowed head and hopeless air. - -“Hello, Chip, old pal!” the lad cried. “What are you doing out here all -by your lonesome?” - -Merriwell, at the sound of that voice, was on his feet in a twinkling. - -“Darrel, by Jove!” he exclaimed, happily surprised. “What brings you to -Ophir, Curly?” - -“Business,” laughed Darrel. “I’ve got a letter for you from Colonel -Hawtrey.” - -“I hope there’s no bad news in the letter. Hang it all, I’ve had enough -bad news for one night!” - -“Nothing serious, Chip?” queried Darrel solicitously. - -“I guess it wouldn’t strike you as being serious,” Merry returned, with -a short laugh. “Say, Curly, how’d you like to have Ophir present you -with that game to-morrow?” - -“I wouldn’t like it. I don’t want Ophir to present us with anything but -the hardest game we Gold Hillers ever played. Do that, Chip, and I’ll be -blamed if I care who wins. But read this letter,” Darrel broke off, -handing the missive to Merriwell. “When you have done that, we’ll hold a -powwow. I’ve got something to tell you, pard, and like enough it will -surprise you. I don’t think the colonel has written anything that will -give you much of a jolt.” - -“I’ve had my one big surprise for to-night. Curly,” said Merriwell, with -a rueful laugh, “so I guess that anything you can spring won’t take me -off my feet.” - -He withdrew to the window to read the colonel’s letter. When he had -finished, he turned back to Darrel, with a low whistle, which proved -that there must have been something surprising in the letter, after -all. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -HATCHING A PLOT. - - -“You know what there is in this letter, Curly?” Frank asked. - -“Pretty nearly,” was the reply. “Uncle Alvah is afraid, from something -he has heard, that you’re going to have Jode Lenning in your team. If -that is your plan, he sincerely hopes you’ll reconsider; for the move -would arouse resentment in Gold Hill, and might lead to the canceling of -the game. You know, of course, that Lenning’s past record is all against -him, that he’s a vicious young scamp, and so forth, and so forth. Isn’t -that about what the colonel wrote to you, Chip?” - -“Just about,” Frank answered glumly. - -“I heard, although I don’t know how straight I got it, that some of the -Ophir chaps refused to play with Jode, and that he’s out of the game for -good. Is that right?” - -“There were objections when I tried to get Lenning on our nine, and -Blunt and Handy aired their grievance right in front of Lenning. That -fixed it. Lenning couldn’t go on when he saw how those two felt about -it.” - -“What’s the matter with Blunt and Handy?” demanded Darrel, his voice -quivering with anger. “Are they so all-fired righteous that they can’t -associate with a fellow who’s trying to live down his past?” - -Darrel’s attitude set Merriwell to wondering. He had suffered at his -half brother’s hands more than any one else, and yet here he was, -apparently championing his cause and taking his part. - -“It’s hard to tell what’s biting Blunt and Handy, Ellis,” said Frank. -“Looks like they’re trying to make out that they’re ready for harps and -halos, while they’re only convincing people that they’re snobs, with -little, two-by-four dispositions that are anything but heavenly.” - -“Well, even at that, the feeling against Jode is pretty general, isn’t -it?” - -“There are more than Blunt and Handy against his playing ball to-morrow, -but the rest have the decency to keep their objections to themselves.” - -“Isn’t there any possible chance for getting Jode into the game, Chip?” - -Darrel spoke earnestly, almost eagerly. - -“Do you mean to say, Curly,” asked Merriwell, “that you’d like to see -him play against Gold Hill?” - -“I’d like to see him give a good account of himself on the diamond. He -has squared away, and is trying to make something of himself. I think it -would help him to brush up against fellows who used to be his friends, -and corral a little of the good feeling that breaks out in a snappy, -well-fought game of ball.” - -“Well, I’ll be darned!” muttered Merriwell. “What would the colonel say -if he heard you talk like that?” - -“I don’t know as that would make any difference. I think a heap of the -colonel, Chip, but I haven’t reached the point where he does my thinking -for me. I’m not sore at Lenning. We have had our differences, and I’ve -managed to come out on top. Jode is the under dog, and now that he’s -trying to be white, I’d like to help him.” - -“Put it there, Darrel!” cried Merriwell heartily, thrusting out his -hand. “I wish Blunt and Handy were here to absorb your sentiments. -Hearing you talk like that ought to make them feel pretty small.” - -“The colonel wanted me to come over to Ophir to-night,” went on Darrel, -“in order to get that letter into your hands. You know the sort of a -fellow Uncle Alvah is. He’ll crowd a chap mighty hard if he’s given half -a chance. He’s more bitter against Jode than he ever was against me--and -I reckon you know what that means. I’ve argued with him to give Jode -another chance, but he’s as hard and set in his way as the rock of -Gibraltar. You can’t budge him. There’s only one thing that might pull -him over a little in Jode’s direction, Chip.” - -“What’s that?” - -“You know how wrapped up the colonel is in every sort of sport? Well, -his biggest favorite of all the sports is the national game. He’s the -most inveterate fan that ever came down the pike. What’s more, he’s too -good a sportsman to be much of a partisan. Naturally, he likes to see -the Gold Hill fellows win; but to-morrow, if an Ophir chap makes a star -play, you’ll find the colonel cheering himself blue in the face. Simmer -the thing right down, and it’s the game itself he loves--the man in the -box with the clever ‘wing,’ the chap who makes a running catch with all -the odds against him, the fellow who steals and slides to the bag, -keeping the base on a close decision. You understand what I mean, Chip, -a heap better than I can tell it. That’s what gets under the colonel’s -skin. A little, snappy baseball, and he’s sure to bring his best side -uppermost.” - -“I don’t get you exactly,” said Merriwell. “What has the colonel’s love -for baseball to do with Jode?” - -“If Jode’s in the game, and makes good with a few star plays, it will -start the good suggestions to working in his favor. See what I mean?” - -By a queer twist of the imagination, Merriwell began thinking of the -thermometer which Clancy had manipulated on the veranda of the Ophir -House, two or three days before. The colonel’s very words, in -commenting on the thermometer incident, recurred to Frank: “Start a -train of suggestions properly, and, if they lead in the right direction, -you can mold nearly any one to your will.” Was that foolish little joke -of Clancy’s to bear fruit in the affairs of Jode Lenning? - -“I see what you mean, all right, Curly,” said Frank, “but Lenning has -told me that he doesn’t care to curry any favor with the colonel. He has -decided to make his fight single-handed, without putting himself under -obligations to any one. Good idea, too, strikes me.” - -“What he’d do in that ball game, Chip,” declared Darrel, “is part of his -fight. He’d not only impress the colonel, but a rush of true -sportsmanship over the diamond would blot out all the hard feelings -Jode’s old friends are holding against him. Just one snappy double play, -in the last of the ninth, with the score tied and the bases full, might -make or mar Lenning’s whole future. Maybe it seems foolish to talk like -that, but human nature is a queer problem, Chip. I’ve studied it a -little, and there are times when it only takes a mere trifle to start a -flood of sentiment moving in a right or wrong direction.” - -“I think you’re right about the things that are liable to happen during -a ball game, Curly,” Merriwell answered, “but would luck favor Lenning? -Is he a good enough player so that he could confront an issue like that -and make good?” - -“Jode? Why, he’s one of the best ball players in this part of Arizona. -An all-around player, Jode is. I’ve known him to pitch a no-hit game, to -put up one of the smoothest performances as backstop that I’ve ever -seen, to play first, and short, and all around the diamond in a way that -made everybody sit up and stare. He knew that baseball was the colonel’s -favorite game, and he studied and worked to perfect himself in it.” - -“More to make a hit with the colonel than anything else?” - -“I suppose that was his real motive at that time. Since then, though, -everything has changed.” - -“Well, admitting all that this game might mean to Lenning, how are we to -get him into it?” - -“That’s what I came over here to talk with you about. By all means, Jode -must play. Couldn’t you make a decided stand in his favor? If you -threatened to quit, yourself, unless Jode was given a chance on your -team, I think all the objections would melt away. Don’t you?” - -“I don’t want to get any player into the game by making threats,” -demurred Merry. “That’s not my style, anyhow, Curly. And, even if I took -such a stand, Lenning himself wouldn’t put up with it. There’s such a -feeling against him that he’s made up his mind to stay out of the game. -Up to now, I’ve given him a whole lot of credit for that.” - -“Somehow,” insisted Darrel, “we’ve got to have Lenning play. Can’t you -think of some plan, Chip?” - -Frank walked back and forth the length of the shadowy veranda, racking -his brain to evolve some expedient or other that would fit the case. -Suddenly the message from Burke occurred to him, and he whirled on -Darrel and thrust the crumpled note into his hand. - -“Read that, Curly,” said he. “Maybe it opens up a situation which can be -used to help Lenning. I’m giving you a lot of information about our -troubles, but I guess it won’t hurt our chances much. The whole thing is -a mighty delicate matter, and will have to be handled with gloves.” - -“I’ll handle it,” returned Darrel, “if you give me a tip as to what to -do.” - -He stepped over to the lighted window and slowly read the message which -had caused Frank so much chagrin and disappointment. Darrel turned from -the window with a puzzled face. - -“What’s the idea?” he asked. “I don’t exactly grasp it, Chip.” - -“Why, I had thought that, if it could be arranged, a substitute----” - -“Strike me lucky!” gasped Darrel. “That’s just the thing, by George! -Say, Chip, that idea is a humdinger!” - -“I don’t know about that. The success of it hangs on a good many -contingencies. You’ll first have to win over Lenning to the scheme----” - -“Leave that to me. He works nights, doesn’t he? I’ll go over to the mine -and see him the moment I leave here.” - -“Then, again,” said Merriwell gravely, “there’s a suggestion of trickery -about the move that I don’t like.” - -“Trickery nothing! It’s strategy, that’s all. Consider the motive, Chip. -The play is being made for a good purpose--a purpose that could not be -accomplished in any other way.” - -“Well, it’s up to you, Curly. You belong with the other team, and if -you’re willing to put the deal through I don’t see why I should object.” - -“Don’t worry about that. I’ll have a good, long talk with my half -brother, and I’ll bet I can make him see things as I do.” - -Darrel was full of generous enthusiasm. With a final word for Merry, he -darted down the veranda steps, unhitched his horse, mounted, and bore -away in the direction of the Ophir Mine. - -The plot had been hatched, and Darrel had gone actively to work to carry -it out. Were they right or wrong in taking the stand they had done? -Merry fretted over that part of it for a little while, and came to the -conclusion that if Darrel, the captain of the Gold Hill team, thought -the proceeding was justified, then no one else had any reason to -complain. - -Half an hour later, as Merriwell crawled into bed, he was taking an -optimistic view of events to come. The disappointment that had come to -him with Burke’s message would be obliterated by the success of Darrel -in carrying out their plot. And, somehow or other, he had a feeling that -Darrel was going to be successful. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -THE DAY OF THE GAME. - - -The whole of Saturday, Frank and his chums had planned to devote to that -contest with Gold Hill. Morning dawned bright and cloudless; but that is -not saying much, for bright and cloudless mornings prevail in southern -Arizona for three hundred and sixty days out of every year. - -This was a land in which summer sports were to be enjoyed the whole year -round. For those who liked that sort of thing the climate had its -appeal, but Merriwell and his friends were beginning to think that the -rigor of frost and snow, at the usual time, would form a pleasant change -in that monotonous round of balmy weather. - -Saturday was free from the grind which, for five days in the week, the -professor insisted on during the hours from eight to twelve. Nearly the -whole forenoon, therefore, Merriwell was free to spend on the clubhouse -grounds. - -All his players had presented themselves, with the exception of Mexican -Joe. It was around Joe that the plot which concerned Lenning was to -revolve, and the absence of the catcher caused Frank some apprehension. - -There was a little practice on the diamond, but not enough to tire the -players, and some time before noon Merry, Clancy, and Ballard were back -at the hotel. Already people were beginning to arrive in town for the -game. They came afoot, on horseback, and in buckboards and mountain -wagons. - -There were miners and ranchers, Indians, Mexicans, and Chinamen. The -Bar Z Ranch, where Blunt worked, sent a big delegation of cowboys--and -they were all there to root for Barzy. - -News of the game had traveled like wildfire over the cattle ranges and -the mining districts. Young Merriwell had been pretty much in -everybody’s eye during the time he had sojourned in Arizona, and much of -the outpouring was due to a desire to see the lad who had proved himself -such a worthy chip off the old block. - -As a sporting event, the baseball game promised to be Merry’s farewell -performance. This, in itself, was a powerful lure in gathering the -crowds. - -As early as one o’clock the movement set in from Ophir toward the -clubhouse and the athletic field. The game was not called until three, -but the eagerness of the people to secure good seats led them to make an -early start for the grounds. - -“There’ll be some crowd on hand to see us land on the Gold Hillers, -Chip,” remarked Clancy, as they stood on the hotel veranda and watched -the flow of people along the main street of the town. - -“Or to see the Gold Hillers land on us,” Frank laughed. - -“Not at all, not at all,” insisted the red-headed chap. “It would be too -awful if we got stung at this athletic game just before we shook the -Arizona dust from our brogans for good. Here, where we have been -consistently victorious, we must wind up our activities with a success -that will eclipse all the others. Victory shall perch on the Ophir -banners, to the end that _finis coronat opus_ may be justly -exemplified. I repeat, friends and fellow citizens, that----” - -“Choke off that old windjammer, Chip!” begged Ballard, coming out on the -veranda at that moment with his suit case. “He’s got a notion that he’s -making a public speech.” - -“I’ve got other notions, Pink, if it comes to that,” said Clancy, giving -his chum a look of intense disapproval. “One of them is that you’re -little Billy Buttinski, and spoil many a good thing because you’re -jealous.” - -“Jealous--of you? Why, you red-headed snipe----” - -“Tut, tut!” interposed Clancy, waving his hand restrainingly, “men have -been shot for less than that. But don’t push me too far, Pink, don’t -push me too far.” - -Ballard was about to reply, keeping up his end of the good-natured give -and take, when he caught sight of some one hurrying toward the hotel -along the sidewalk. - -“Here’s our prize greaser, fellows!” he announced. “Wonder why he wasn’t -around this morning?” - -“Knows he didn’t need the practice, I guess,” answered Clancy. “If the -rest of us can measure up to the standard set by him and Chip, Gold Hill -won’t get a score across the pan.” - -Frank got his eyes on the approaching backstop and watched him keenly -and critically. The appearance of the lad was the first intimation he -had had of the success of Darrel in carrying out the plot of the -preceding evening. Now, as his eyes followed the catcher along the -sidewalk and to the steps of the veranda, Merriwell experienced a thrill -of profound satisfaction. Darrel, it was evident at a glance, had done -his work wonderfully well. - -Clancy and Ballard had not been taken into Merry’s confidence regarding -that note which had arrived from Burke. Had they been with Frank at the -time of its receipt, very likely they would have been given the whole -disturbing message. Later, after his talk with Darrel, Frank was glad -that his chums were in ignorance of Burke’s note. Now he was purposely -keeping them in the dark. - -“Howdy, Joe!” shouted Clancy. “You’re looking as husky as a keg of -nails.” - -The other’s swarthy face parted in a genial smile; but, true to his -taciturn disposition, he had nothing to say in reply. - -“Think we’re going to win, Joe?” queried Ballard, by way of testing the -catcher’s confidence. - -The other ducked his head emphatically. - -“That’s right, Joe,” grinned Clancy, “I wouldn’t talk if it’s painful. -If you’d only learn the deaf-and-dumb alphabet you could express -yourself with your hands. I believe you’d be a fluent talker if you’d -use your fingers.” - -The catcher continued to grin expansively, but could not be coaxed into -doing any talking. - -Merriwell had been watching Clancy and Ballard with sharp eyes while -they were concerning themselves with the backstop. An expression of -humorous relief crossed his face, and he reached out, caught the -newcomer by the arm, and drew him to one end of the veranda. From the -motions the two indulged in, Clancy and Ballard could see that they were -going over the signals. - -“I don’t see the use of that,” grunted Clancy. “Joe had ’em down pat -yesterday afternoon, and it’s a cinch he wouldn’t forget ’em this -quick.” - -“Nothing like being sure,” said Ballard. - -For nearly half an hour, Merriwell and the catcher continued to go -through their signals and to converse in low tones. At the end of that -time, Mr. Bradlaugh came along in his car to take the lads to the -grounds. - -“All aboard, my lads!” he shouted. - -As they piled into the car, Frank noticed that Mr. Bradlaugh was eying -the catcher with a strange, dubious expression. For a moment Frank -experienced a thrill of dismay, but he was reassured the next moment -when Mr. Bradlaugh remarked: - -“Joe will show them to-day what a real high-class fellow behind the bat -can do in helping to win a game. I hear that you’re more than pleased -with your catcher, Merriwell?” - -“I am,” Frank answered, with emphasis. - -When the car reached the grounds, grand stand and bleachers were -crowded. Automobiles were lined up beyond the stand, and every point -that commanded a good view of the diamond was filled. - -Gold Hill was well represented, and more than half of the grand stand -was occupied by stanch supporters of the rival team. Gold Hill and Ophir -did a lot of friendly joshing back and forth, and the yells and cheers -rang in Frank’s ears as he got out of the car and hurried to the -dressing room in the gym. - -All the rest of the men who were to play with the Ophir team, or to sit -on the benches as substitutes, were clad in their uniforms, and were -waiting for Frank and those with him to arrive. They were greeted -warmly, and Blunt slapped the backstop on the shoulder as he passed him -with his dingy old suit case. - -“We’re expecting great things of you, you old greaser wonder!” exclaimed -the cowboy. - -“That’s what, Joe!” seconded Handy. - -“And you’re not going to disappoint us,” added Reckless. “I know that -just as well as I know that I’m alive.” - -The catcher’s reply was a wide smile, but not a word. As he passed on -and vanished into the dressing room, Merriwell also smiled--but it was a -smile of another sort. - -While Merry was getting into his baseball togs, a din of frenzied -cheering was borne to him from the grand stand and bleachers. He knew, -from the mere volume of sound, that the Gold Hill team had appeared from -their dressing rooms under the grand stand, and had scattered over the -diamond to warm up. - -A few moments later, Merry stepped out among his players, gathered them -around him, and calmly scrutinized their flushed and eager faces. - -“We’ve had two days of practice, fellows,” said he, “and we’re going up -against a team that has been in harness for weeks. But don’t let that -bother you. It’s the spirit you put into your work that counts. Be on -your toes every minute. Come on!” - -He flung open the gym door, bounded through it, and started at a trot -toward the ball field. The backstop was at his side, and close at his -heels trailed Clancy and Ballard. After them came the rest of the team. - -A broadside of cheers went up from the spectators. Gradually the volume -of sound separated into staccato notes and pauses, and clear and high -rolled the chant, “Merry, Merry, good old Merry!” - -Frank flushed. He wondered what that crowd would think if it knew what -“good old Merry” had up his sleeve? - -Off to one side, Darrel and Bleeker were working out. Both waved their -hands in friendly greeting to Merriwell, as he and his swarthy-faced -catcher began their preliminary practice. - -While passing the balls to his companion, Merry was taking note of the -work of the Gold Hillers. It was snappy, and quick, and true, and the -way the horsehide flashed around and across the diamond was enough to -make the Ophirites wonder a bit how that game was going to come out. - -Darrel called in his men, and Frank sent the Ophir players into the -field. Then began an exhibition which was not calculated to inspire much -confidence in the Ophir partisans. Blunt muffed a throw from the home -plate, Spink juggled a fly that had been lifted right into his hands, -and Brad and Handy crashed together in trying to smother a low drive, -and caused a ridiculous flurry between third base and second. Everybody -seemed bent on showing just what a poor performer he could be, on -occasion, and there were more jeers than cheers while Ophir was warming -up. - -Frank was thankful to have the comedy of errors cut short by the umpire, -who had produced the little pasteboard box and was shaking the new ball -out of it. The backstop was getting into his chest protector and turning -his cap, preparatory to putting on the mask. Another moment, and Frank -was in the pitcher’s box and the umpire had tossed him the white sphere. -“Play ball!” came the command. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -POOR SUPPORT. - - -Frank was perfectly cool and composed, and never more thoroughly master -of himself than when he stepped into the box. He knew that fate had -played him up prominently while he had been in that part of the country, -and that what fate had failed to do the florid imaginations of a good -many people had been quick to accomplish. - -Many of the spectators, no doubt, expected to find in young Merriwell a -pitcher who was half a wizard and half a magician. Frank realized that -onlookers of this class were due for a severe disappointment. He was -glad of it, for he had no patience with the wild stories about him which -had been flying over that section of the country. - -Bleeker was the first man to toe the plate for the Gold Hillers. Clancy, -from first, had to do all the ragging, for the backstop remained as -silent as usual. - -“Now for the first victim, Chip. This is Bleek. You know Bleek? Well, -he’s going to look pretty bleak when you get through with him. Start the -circus!” - -“Don’t be hard on your old friends, Chip,” grinned Bleeker. - -There was an air of jaunty confidence about Bleeker which suggested -three-baggers and home runs. Frank believed that this was a good place -to take a reef in Bleek’s aspirations. - -He led off with a jump ball, and the speed behind it made the spectators -jerk themselves together wonderingly. The sphere spanked into the -backstop’s mitt with a report like that of a rifle. Somewhere on its -erratic course Bleek had taken a swat at the deceptive object. - -“Strike!” shouted the umpire. - -A chorus of jeers went up from around the diamond. Bleek, hardly -realizing what had happened, stood looking foolishly at the end of his -bat. - -“Wake up, old man!” warned Darrel from the bench. “Mind your eye, and -don’t reach for the wide ones.” - -From the way Merry started the next ball it looked like it was going to -be another lightning express, but when it crossed the plate it was -jogging along like a slow freight. Bleek, expecting something speedy, -smashed at the sphere before it was within a yard of him. - -“Strike two!” barked the umpire. - -A roar of laughter floated out over the field from the Ophirites in the -grand stand and on the bleachers. - -“What’s the use?” yelled some one. “He can’t see ’em!” - -“Pound it on the nose the next time, Bleek!” begged a Gold Hiller. - -“Kill it! Kill it!” - -“Baste it out!” - -Bleeker nerved himself for a supreme attempt, but in vain. Merry handed -him an inshoot which found the hole in his bat, and he tramped to the -benches with a flush of chagrin. - -“Merry’s certainly all to the mustard,” he grunted, as he dropped down -among his teammates. “He’s got some fancy capers that will fool the best -of ’em. If Hotch connects with the ball it will be an accident.” - -“Watch Merriwell, fellows,” urged Darrel. “See how he does it, then -maybe you’ll be ready for him when you go in for your own stickwork.” - -Obedient to orders, the Gold Hill players studied Merry and tried to get -“wise” to his curves. But, just as they thought they had discovered -something, they saw something else that proved the supposed discovery -wasn’t any discovery at all. - -Hotchkiss, second baseman for the Gold Hillers, was the next man up. He -was a left-handed batter, and Frank, who could pitch equally well with -either hand, fell back on his left wing. - -“Jumpin’ tarantulers!” boomed a cowboy. “Watch him, will ye? He’s usin’ -his south paw!” - -The first was a lightninglike bender, which coaxed a strike out of -Hotch. - -“That’s the way to start ’em, Chip!” cried Brad. “One, two, -three--that’s the style.” - -“Darn it, Chip,” cried Hotch, “why don’t you gi’ me a chance? Ain’t you -a friend o’ mine?” - -The catcher signaled for a wide one, but Hotch was making good use of -his eyes, and allowed it to pass. - -The third cut a corner of the plate. Hotch fouled it back of third base, -and had the second strike called on him. - -The next signal called for a drop. Frank started it pretty high, and -Hotch grinned and shook his head. Then he looked dazed when the umpire -called him out. - -“Rotten!” grunted Hotch, throwing himself down beside Bleeker. “That -last ball was over my shoulders.” - -“You’re wrong, Hotch,” answered Bleek. “It was lower than that. Now, -El,” he shouted, as the captain of the team went to bat, “lace it out. -For the love of Mike, show Merriwell we’re alive.” - -Darrel just managed to do that. He connected with the second one over, -and Merry smothered it without leaving his tracks. - -The Ophirites began to whoop and howl. Their boys were making good, and -they jubilated as only miners and cowboys can. - -The first man to face Ellis Darrel for Ophir was the backstop. He -stepped into the batter’s box with a smile, and cheerfully rapped out -the first one over. A fellow named Dart, who played shortstop for the -Gold Hillers, cuffed it down and snapped it to first. The ball beat the -catcher by a yard. - -“Tough luck, Joe,” commiserated Clancy, himself stepping to the plate. -“Now,” he called, “put one over, Darrel, and I’ll show you what I can -do.” - -Darrel had good control and plenty of speed. Clancy decided to let the -first ball pass, and then listened while the umpire called a strike on -him. - -“Don’t go to sleep, Red,” laughed Bleeker. - -“Just getting waked up for the next one,” chuckled Clancy. - -“Here she is.” - -Clancy sawed the air, and spank went the ball in Bleek’s mitt. - -“Not waked up yet?” jeered Bleek. “Well, well! How long are you going to -wait?” - -“I guess I’ve waited long enough,” said Clancy, and his bat met the next -one on the nose. - -It sailed over Darrel’s head, was muffed by Hotchkiss at second, then -picked up and sent to first like a streak of greased lightning. It -looked, from where Merriwell sat, as though Clancy had beat it out. But -the umpire decided otherwise, and the crestfallen Clancy jogged away to -the bench. - -Merriwell was next. - -“Be easy with this one, El,” suggested Bleeker. - -“It would be a feather in my cap if I could fan him,” laughed Darrel. - -“That’s been done a good many times, Curly,” Merriwell grinned. - -The first ball was a strike. It looked a little wide to Frank, and he -did not reach for it. - -The second ball was a wide one, and so was the third. The fourth ball -was just about where Frank wanted it, and he smashed it for a couple of -bases. - -“Whoop!” roared Barzy Blunt; “we’re off, we’re off! Three tallies, -pards! I’ll not be satisfied with anything less than three runs this -inning.” - -Ballard was the next one up. Merriwell stole third, and he’d have got -home if Ballard had given him a chance. But Ballard fouled once back of -the home plate, and then struck out. - -“That’s awful, Chip,” groaned Ballard, passing the pitcher’s box on his -way to center field. - -“Never mind, Pink,” answered Frank. “We’re hitting Curly, and next time -we’re at bat I believe we’ll do something.” - -Lenaway, left fielder for the Gold Hillers, was the next man to confront -Merry. - -“Remember what you did before, Chip!” called Clancy. “Don’t try to hog -the whole game yourself. Start a man this way and give me a chance to -limber up. Start something, old man.” - -Lenaway swung at the second ball. He must have caught it on the handle, -for it dropped in front of the plate and rolled briskly down toward -Clancy, just inside the path. - -“It’s mine, Chip!” yelped Clancy, and darted at the rolling sphere. - -The red-headed chap booted the ball, and by the time he had laid hold -of it, Lenaway was roosting comfortably on first. Frank had run to cover -the base. He now went back to the mound, wondering what in the deuce had -got into Clancy. - -“Wow!” cried Lenaway. “You can handle a paddle, Red, a heap easier than -you can field a grounder.” - -“Don’t talk to me,” grunted Clancy, in a spasm of self-reproach, “I’m -sore enough.” - -“Well, return the ball so I can take a lead.” - -“There it goes,” and Clancy tossed the sphere to Merry. - -“Now, then,” shouted Darrel, coming down to the coaching line back of -first, “nobody down, fellows! On your toes, everybody. Ginger up, and -we’ll make a showing. Go down toward second, Len--go on! I’m here to -keep you out of danger.” - -Dart, the shortstop, picked up a bat and stepped to the plate. Merry got -him for three balls and two strikes, and then Dart lined one out toward -Brad. It was an easy one, but Brad’s fingers were all thumbs, and the -ball went through him like a sieve. The fielder raced in and picked up -the ball, whipping it over to second just an instant too late. Dart -reached the bag, and Blunt, apparently, forgot that Lenaway was on -third. - -“The ball, Barzy!” cried Merriwell. - -Sudden realization of the fact that the man on third had taken a -dangerous lead toward home startled Blunt. He threw to the plate instead -of to Merry, and he threw wild. While the catcher was chasing the ball -Lenaway got across the first score, and Dart went to third. - -There was much glorying in the Gold Hill section of the grand stand. No -one out, one run, and a man on third! Certainly the prospects were -gratifying. - -Mingo, the Mexican first baseman, followed Dart to bat. Merry struck him -out, and then expeditiously fanned Rylman, the third baseman. -Doolittle, right fielder, belied his name, and hoisted a fly to Spink in -left field. Spink played beanbag, with it, dropped it, picked it up, -then dropped it again. During the farce, Dart darted home and Doolittle -gained second. - -Stark, center fielder, fanned, and Doolittle died on third. But ragged -support had given the Gold Hillers two runs. The swarthy-faced backstop -pulled a long face and Merriwell walked to the bench, trying to figure -out the errors in the first half of the second. They were so many that -he had to give it up. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -WORSE--AND MORE OF IT. - - -Colonel Hawtrey was flying around the Gold Hill section of the stand, -now and then rising in his seat to cheer or to hand a little -good-natured raillery to his friend, Mr. Bradlaugh. - -“Thought you had some ball players over here, Bradlaugh,” he shouted, -while runs were crossing the pan for Gold Hill. - -“So did I,” laughed the general manager. “The game’s young yet, colonel. -Wait till we’re a little farther along.” - -“You fielders have got to take a brace,” Merry was saying to some of his -teammates. “Clancy, I’m surprised at you! Brad, I wonder how your father -enjoyed that play of yours? Now, then, all get together and do -something.” - -Brad, who was first at bat, tried hard to retrieve himself. Perhaps he -tried too hard, for overanxiety is worse than not being anxious enough. -Yet, be that as it may, his little pop-up was bagged neatly by Dart, and -Brad turned from the path to first and made for the bench. - -Then Blunt tried for a hit, but Darrel was pitching great ball, and -nothing happened. Handy followed, and managed to get to first but Spink -spoiled all his chances by getting a grounder to Rylman and being thrown -out at first. - -Bleeker was up again in the first half of the third. Frank had made up -his mind, by then, that he and the backstop would have to do most of the -work, and he was pitching ball that made the fans open their eyes. He -did not allow a man to reach first, but struck them out as fast as they -came to the plate. - -In this round, which added a goose egg to the Gold Hill score, Ellis -Darrel was included. - -Reckless, in the last half of the third, aroused Ophir hopes by dropping -the ball into left field. Lenaway made a grand effort to get under it, -but it slipped over the ends of his fingers. - -“Now, Joe,” begged Blunt, as the catcher picked out his bat, “bring -Reckless in, and come in yourself.” - -The backstop smiled genially, and proceeded to sacrifice Reckless to -second. He almost got to first on the bunt, but was called out by the -umpire. - -“Now, do your prettiest, Clan,” urged Merry. “You’ll never have a better -chance to do something.” - -“Watch me, that’s all,” grinned the red-headed chap. “Here’s where I -make up for some of my errors.” - -Then an awful thing happened. Clancy hit a long fly. The coacher thought -the fielder couldn’t possibly get it, and started Reckless to third. But -the fielder, making a magnificent running catch, took the ball in out of -the wet and whipped it to second. - -That was all; and the best chance Ophir had yet had to score was lost. -The Gold Hillers began to sing, and some of the more demonstrative -marched in a procession around the grand stand, using their megaphones -to “rub it into” the Ophirites. - -The score remained two to nothing. By magnificent work, Merriwell and -his swarthy backstop continued adding ciphers to the Gold Hill score, -but they were not able to get any runs for themselves. - -“Something’s bound to happen yet, colonel,” said Mr. Bradlaugh, in the -second half of the eighth. “I shouldn’t wonder if the balloon would go -up about here.” - -“The score would have been twenty to nothing,” declared Colonel Hawtrey, -“if Merriwell and that Mexican catcher hadn’t stood like a wall between -our boys and first. By Jove! I never saw steadier or more clear-headed -work, and right in the face of the worst support I ever heard of. You -can thank your battery, Bradlaugh, for getting off easy this afternoon.” - -“Perhaps,” answered the general manager hopefully, “we’ll be able to -thank our battery for more than that.” - -“I can admire your grit, anyhow,” laughed Hawtrey, “even if I can’t -applaud your judgment. You are right about one thing, though, Bradlaugh: -A game is never finished until the last man is out.” - -The Gold Hillers, who had hoped to roll up a big score, were now -contenting themselves with merely holding their opponents. Two runs -would be enough. They would win one of the hardest games ever contested -on the Ophir diamond. - -“We’ve got to have three tallies, fellows,” was the word Frank was -circulating among his men. “All together, now! We’ve fooled with these -Gold Hill chaps long enough.” - -Frank was cheerful, even sanguine. Even when Darrel fanned the first -three men to come to bat, Merriwell continued to cheer up his -discouraged teammates. - -“We’re going to win,” said he confidently. “I’ve got a hunch to that -effect.” - -“Pretty soon it will be too late to start,” returned Blunt gloomily. - -“It’s never too late to start, Barzy, so long as the under dog has a -chance to bat.” - -“Well, we’ve only got one more chance.” - -“That will be enough--providing we improve it.” - -During the first half of the ninth, Gold Hill came within a hair’s -breadth of getting another run. A throw to the plate, relayed to -Merriwell and passed to the backstop, who made a marvelous catch and -tagged out the runner, was all that prevented the score from coming in. - -“Who made that throw from deep center?” shouted Colonel Hawtrey, rising -in his seat. - -“Ballard, Merriwell’s chum,” some one replied. - -“Bravo, Ballard!” cheered the colonel. “Now you’re playing ball! And you -Mexican boy, down there!” - -The Ophir catcher, with a queer movement, turned and looked up at the -colonel. - -“That was fine, do you hear?” went on the colonel enthusiastically. “I -must shake hands with you for that.” - -The backstop turned on his heel and walked to the benches with bowed -head. - -“It’s about over, Bradlaugh,” said the colonel, lifting his voice high -in order to be heard through the buzz of conversation that surrounded -him. “So far as results are concerned, we could just as well leave now.” - -“Don’t be in a rush,” answered Mr. Bradlaugh. “I still think something -is going to happen that will turn the tide in our favor.” - -“Hope springs perennial in the breast of the baseball fan,” laughed -Hawtrey. - -“Merriwell gets to bat in the last half. He’ll do something.” - -“How do you figure that?” demanded Hawtrey. “Spink is first up, then -Reckless, then Mexican Joe, then Clancy. Merriwell comes after that. -What chance has Merriwell got to do any stickwork? Three will fan before -his turn at the plate--Darrel will look out for that.” - -“Maybe Darrel will slip up in his calculations,” said the general -manager doggedly. - -With his hands thrust deep into his pockets, Mr. Bradlaugh sat in -growing hopelessness while Spink and Reckless fanned. It looked as -though it was all over. Many of the Gold Hillers in the automobiles -began to toot their horns triumphantly, and to prepare to leave. Those -in the grand stand and on the bleachers were already congratulating each -other. - -With two out, the swarthy backstop was leading the forlorn hope. What -could he accomplish, in the face of defeat that seemed absolutely -certain? - -There was nothing about the catcher, as he picked up his club and -stepped to the plate, which suggested that he was either nervous or -discouraged. He was there to do his best, and thoughts of failure did -not seem to bother him in the least. - -No one, not even the Ophirites, had much to say to the backstop. It -seemed, to almost every one except Merriwell and the catcher, as though -the game was irretrievably lost. Merry and the catcher, however, were -still hoping against hope. - -Darrel, perhaps too confident of victory, allowed a ball to cross the -plate just about where the catcher wanted it. With a crack that sounded -like the report of a rifle he lifted the horsehide far out between left -and center. - -The smack of bat against ball at once claimed the attention of the -crowd. - -Those who were on the point of leaving stood in their tracks and faced -around to follow proceedings on the diamond. - -“It’s only a flurry,” the Gold Hillers said to each other. “There are -two out, and not a ghost of a chance for Ophir tying the score. They’re -dying hard, though.” - -Stark, in center field, managed to pick up the ball and to fling it in. -He was so quick with it that the catcher was prevented from making a try -for third. - -Clancy was the next batter. His flagging hopes had been revived. After -him came Merriwell. If Clancy could only make good use of the -swatstick, a whole chain of gorgeous possibilities would flash through -the murky skies that encompassed Ophir. - -“Keep your nerve, Clan,” called Merry. “Remember, it’s all up to you. -Lace it out, old chap. Not that way,” he added, with a laugh, as the -nervous Clancy swung at the sphere and missed. - -Clancy ground his teeth, and into his wildly beating heart there entered -the determination to do or die. - -Again Darrel sent the ball at him. The bat moved a little in his hands, -but did not come down. - -“He had a notion!” some one yelled, as the umpire called a ball. “Coax -him again, Darrel. He can’t get a hit!” - -Once more Darrel “wound up,” and let the ball go. This time, to the -dismay of the Ophirites, Clancy cracked it out. It sped hotly past the -pitcher, and was finally scooped up by short. - -The complexion of affairs had changed. The backstop was on third, and -Clancy was hugging first. Handy went down to the coaching line. -Merriwell, a smile on his face, stepped to the plate. - -“All I want is a good one, Curly,” said he, “and we’ll sew up the game -right here.” - -A wild commotion broke out among the spectators. Those who had started -to leave sat down again, and some who had left crowded back into the -grand stand. - -Was it possible, every onlooker was asking himself, that Ophir could -snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in such a spectacular manner? - -Merriwell was at the bat. Here was the point that aroused the wildest -fears of Gold Hill, and the fondest hopes of Ophir. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -WON IN THE NINTH. - - -Nerves, everywhere around the ball field, were drawn to breaking -tension. On Merriwell alone depended the fortunes of the day for Ophir. - -It was the last half of the ninth inning. There were two out and two on -bases. A hit by Merriwell would certainly bring in the catcher, and, if -the hit happened to be a two-bagger, a couple of scores might be put -across the pan. This is as far as the wildest dreams of the Ophirites -allowed them to go. - -Ellis Darrel was keyed up to the highest pitch of achievement. If he -could strike out Merriwell--something which he had not been able to do -so far--the danger point would be safely passed. He made up his mind -that he would fan him. - -It was something which Darrel hated to do. There was no one whom Darrel -thought more of, or to whom he owed a greater obligation, than Frank -Merriwell, junior. - -With face a little white and eyes gleaming restlessly Darrel shot a ball -across the plate. It was not the sort of a ball Merry wanted, so he let -it pass. - -A discontented murmuring came from the wild-eyed Ophirites as the umpire -called the strike. - -There was silence in the crowded grand stand, over the bleachers, and -among the automobiles. All eyes were fixed, as by a weird fascination, -on the trampled ball field, holding the players steadily under gaze, and -keeping nervous track of the base runners and of the lithe, slender -figure holding the bat. - -Darrel let fly with another ball. It was wide. The third one delivered -was also too far off to count. But the next one---- - -Merriwell, with a terrific swing, met it squarely. With a smack that -could be heard for half a mile in the quiet air, the bat started the -ball skyward. - -Wild cheers broke from the crowd, and the hardest cheering was done by -Colonel Hawtrey. What did he care how that magnificent hit might benefit -Ophir at the expense of Gold Hill? He had just witnessed the finest -example of pluck in the face of overwhelming discouragement which it had -ever been his lot to observe. - -“Go it, Merriwell!” shouted the old colonel, hopping up and down and -thrashing his arms in the air. “See how many bases you can tear off -before the ball comes in.” - -“There’s the greaser, spilling over the home plate!” howled a delirious -voice. - -“And here comes Clancy! Hoop-a-la! Watch him go. That red head looks -like a comet.” - -Blunt was standing up on the players’ bench, roaring at the top of his -voice. What he said, however, was lost in the general hubbub. - -While Clancy was covering the ground as though it burned his feet, the -fielders were scrambling to get the ball. Farther and farther out they -went, clear down into the distant oval of the cinder track. - -Clancy came home--the score was tied. Still the ball was not coming -back. - -“Come in, Merry!” howled a hundred frantic voices. “Come in! You’ve -knocked out a home run!” - -This was really the case. The voices of the coachers were drowned in -Merriwell’s ears, and he had to keep track of the ball himself. He was -disposed to play safe. In the face of the general yell for him to get in -the winning tally, however, he plunged for home with all the speed that -was in him. By then the ball was coming, and those who had shouted for -Merry to finish his circle of the bases were beginning to feel sorry -that their ardor had carried them away. - -The ball was relayed from second by a beautiful throw. Bleeker nabbed it -and reached for Merry. But, at that moment, Merry’s feet were on the -plate. - -“Safe!” bellowed the umpire. - -That was the signal for bedlam to be turned loose. There was still a -chance for Ballard to bat, but the game was won, and what was the use of -prolonging the agony? - -Spectators scrambled into the field and a rush was made for the panting -and dusty Merriwell. Those who could not get near Merry rushed at -Clancy, and those who failed to reach Clancy made a set at the swarthy -backstop. - -It was remembered that honors were due equally to the three lads who had -brought in the runs. It was the catcher who had started the batting -rally, and had he not got a hit there would have been no chance for -Clancy and Merriwell. - -Colonel Hawtrey was one of those who had failed to come close to Merry -and Clancy and had turned to the backstop. - -“My boy,” said he, his voice a-thrill with excitement, “you started a -bit of the finest and most sportsmanlike work I have ever seen pulled -off on a ball ground. I wish to congratulate you, and----” - -The colonel paused. The streams of sweat, which were pouring down the -backstop’s face, were leaving little gutters of white in the swarthy hue -of his cheeks. - -“You’re not a Mexican!” exclaimed the colonel. - -“No,” agreed the youth, standing his ground. “I never said I was a -Mexican, colonel.” - -“That voice!” gasped Hawtrey, recoiling. “That----” - -He suddenly ceased speaking. His face hardened and his eyes became two -glowing points of white-hot steel. - -“I know you!” went on the colonel savagely. “You couldn’t get into the -game by fair means, and so you disguised yourself, smearing your face -with some kind of stain to make you look like a Mexican. You -double-dealing scoundrel! You----” - -Just at this point Darrel stepped to the front and thrust an arm -affectionately through that of his half brother. - -“Don’t blame Jode for it, colonel,” said Darrel. “I’m the one who -engineered the scheme.” - -“And I’m the one who helped you,” said Merry, moving up on Lenning’s -other side. - -Colonel Hawtrey passed a dazed hand across his forehead. - -“Do you mean to say, Ellis,” he muttered, “that you--you admit having -deceived me?” - -“I admit persuading Jode to fix himself up as Mexican Joe,” answered -Darrel. “It was his only chance to get into the game, you see. He had to -come in as Merriwell’s substitute, although posing at the same time as -Mexican Joe.” - -“Why did you want him in the game?” demanded the colonel. - -“We wanted to see him do some good work and win back your friendship and -that of a few of the lads who have turned against him.” - -“Perhaps he has succeeded,” said the colonel coldly, “but it is a case -of double-dealing which I will not countenance.” - -Hawtrey, elbowing the crowd aside, started toward the clubhouse. - -“I say, colonel!” called Mr. Bradlaugh. - -“I’m going to town, Bradlaugh,” said the colonel, without looking back. -“If you want to see me, it will have to be at the Ophir House.” - -“Don’t fret, boys,” said Mr. Bradlaugh to Merry, Lenning, and Darrel. -“He’ll feel better after a while. I’ll see what I can do with him.” - -With that Mr. Bradlaugh hurried after his irate friend. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -THE PLOT THAT FAILED. - - -“You can see what’s happened, Darrel,” said Lenning, turning with a -weary air to his half brother. “The colonel is down on me worse than -ever; and he’s down on you, too.” - -Merry, Darrel, and Lenning were surrounded by a crowd about equally -composed of Gold Hill and Ophir players. The revelation that had -stripped the mask from the supposed Mexican Joe, leaving in his place -the friendless Jode Lenning, had come as a stunning surprise. - -“I’d like to know something about this, Chip,” said Ballard. “It strikes -me that you haven’t been square with us.” - -“He was as square as he could be, Pink,” answered Darrel. “After the -plot was hatched he couldn’t very well give it away, could he?” - -“Where the deuce is Mexican Joe?” asked Clancy. - -“I got a note from Burke last evening,” Merriwell exclaimed, “which -informed me that Joe had been called suddenly back to the bedside of his -sick relative. That put me strictly up against it, till Darrel blew in -and suggested that Lenning be substituted for Mexican Joe, but without -telling any one the difference.” - -“I had a hard time getting Jode’s consent,” said Darrel, “but finally, -more to please Chip and me than anything else, he agreed. I secured that -stain for him in town, and Burke got him some clothes that looked enough -like the greaser’s to pass muster. He was a pretty close imitation of -the real thing, eh, fellows?” Darrel laughed, slapping his half brother -heartily on the back. - -“I should say so!” exclaimed Clancy. “Why, we had the real Mexican with -us for a couple of days, and yet I couldn’t see any difference between -the two.” - -“Nor I,” said Ballard. “Lenning was a dead ringer for Mexican Joe.” - -“What was the plot aimed at, Chip?” asked Blunt. - -“It was aimed at you fellows and the colonel. We thought Lenning would -make such a good record in the game that he would win the approval and -good will of the colonel and the boys from Gold Hill and Ophir. But,” -Merry finished regretfully, “I guess we made a miss of it, and that the -plot failed.” - -“Not much it didn’t fail--that is, not entirely,” Blunt resumed. -“Lenning has shown himself a good deal of a man, by jumping into this -thing like he did, and I for one feel as though I had made a blamed fool -of myself.” He turned to Lenning. “Will you shake hands,” he asked. - -A gratified smile wreathed itself about Lenning’s lips. - -“You bet I will, Blunt!” he exclaimed. “The plot certainly worked out -all right if it gave me Barzy Blunt for a friend.” - -“Shucks!” grunted Blunt, deeply touched. “I reckon I acted like a -coyote, t’other day, when I allowed I wouldn’t have you in this nine of -Chip’s. I’m sorry I tuned up like I did.” - -“Just forget it, Blunt,” smiled Lenning. - -“I feel a good deal the same as Barzy does,” spoke up Handy. “If it -hadn’t been for you, Lenning, dropping into our team as a substitute for -the Mexican, I reckon we would have lost out. Will you shake with me?” - -And, beginning right there, Jode Lenning held an impromptu reception. -Reckless was next to grip his hand after Handy had released it; then -came Clancy and Ballard, and every player that was left in both teams. - -“I guess you fellows didn’t fall down on that plot, after all,” laughed -Clancy. “You made good on the diamond, Lenning, and that has shown a few -of us what pesky idiots we were.” - -“I--I want you to understand, fellows,” said Lenning, his voice -trembling and his eyes misty, “that I appreciate your show of confidence -in me. I have turned over a new leaf, and I’m not particularly anxious -to curry any favor with Colonel Hawtrey. I gave him cause to treat me as -he did, and I don’t want him to think I’m sneaking around, trying to get -him to take me back and help me. I wouldn’t go back if he offered to -take me. I’m earning my way now, and I want to be independent.” - -“That’s the talk!” approved Barzy Blunt. - -“Come on over to the gym, fellows,” called Merry, “and let’s get under -the showers. I think we’ll all feel better for a bath and a rubdown.” - -“It’s like going home, El,” Lenning whispered to Darrel, with a catch in -his voice. - -Silently Darrel’s arm went around his half brother and tightened -affectionately. - -The plot may have failed in so far as it concerned Colonel Hawtrey, but -in other ways, equally far-reaching, it had been a success. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -WOO SING AND THE PIG. - - -“Suffering snakes!” exclaimed Barzy Blunt, coming to a halt in the -trail, “what in blazes is that, fellows?” - -“It might be a steam calliope breaking out in high C,” grinned Owen -Clancy, “only this part of Arizona runs more to cantaloupes than -calliopes, so----” - -Billy Ballard groaned heavily. - -“Pa-ro-no-masia,” he said, clearly and distinctly. “Get that?” - -“No,” said young Merriwell decidedly, “I don’t get it, Pink, and I don’t -want to. Sounds worse than the measles.” - -“I reckon I’ve had it,” remarked Blunt seriously. “If it’s catching, I -know I have. When I was a kid I made it a rule to corral everything from -mumps to meningitis. Can you have it twice?” - -“I’m vaccinated,” said Clancy, “so I guess it wouldn’t be fatal even if -I did catch it. What are the symptoms, Pink?” - -“In your case, Red,” Ballard explained, “the symptoms are ‘cantaloupe’ -and ‘calliope.’ Professor Phineas Borrodaile, who is long on -polysyllables, explained the term to me.” - -“Well, come across. What sort of a silly-bull is this -pa-ra-what-d’you-call-it?” - -“Slay him!” whispered Ballard weakly. “There are more symptoms.” - -Feigning wrath, Clancy bristled up to Ballard. - -“I’ll be slaying you, Pink,” he growled, “if you don’t tell me what I’ve -got so I can get rid of it.” - -“Keep your distance, Clancy!” ordered Ballard. “I can see another pun in -your eye. If you make it, somebody will have to hold me or I’ll give you -a jab with my powerful right.” - -“That would be a pun-jab, and---- Ouch! Quit it, Chip! Let go!” - -Merry had grabbed his red-headed chum with both hands. - -“Will you let up of your own accord, Clan,” hissed Merry, “or have I got -to strangle you?” - -“I’ll quiet down if Pink will kindly explain what he means,” said -Clancy. - -“A fellow who puns has pa-ra-no-masia,” explained Ballard. - -“Oh, that’s it!” murmured Clancy, pretending a great relief. “A fellow -who puns ought to be punished, I suppose.” - -“He ought to be punched,” declared Ballard; “and right here----” - -But, just at this point, the sound which Blunt had first heard, and -which had aroused his curiosity, came suddenly closer. It was loud, and -shrill, and ear-splitting. Nor was it hard to determine the cause of it, -now that it was so close. - -“A pig, by thunder!” exclaimed the cowboy. - -The words were still on his lips as a small and highly excited porker -came plunging wildly into view around a turn in the trail. There was a -rope tied to one of the pig’s hind legs, and attached to the end of the -rope was a Chinaman. - -The Chinaman’s silk kimono was split up the back, one of the sleeves had -been torn away, and what remained of the garment was covered with dust -and grime. His flapping trousers were also considerably out of repair, -and one of his sandals was gone. - -“Why,” cried Merry, “it’s Woo Sing!” - -Woo Sing was the Chinese roustabout at the Ophir House, the hotel at -which Merry and his chums had put up during the whole of their stay in -Ophir, Arizona. Ordinarily, Woo Sing was very bland and peaceable, but -now it was evident that his Oriental temper was getting the best of him. - -“Whoosh!” he shouted, on catching sight of the boys. “One piecee pig -makee heap tlouble. Woo Sing no likee pig, by Klismus! Somebody give Woo -Sing club, by gee clickets, him makee pig bologna sausage chop-chop.” - -The pig, for the moment, had stopped struggling and stopped squealing. -With his round, wicked little eyes he was surveying the four lads in the -trail. - -“Where’d you get the porker, Sing?” inquired Ballard. - -“Pophagan he wantee. Him sendee Woo Sing to gettee. I pay fi’ dol’ fo’ -pig, and he makee fitty dol’ damage with tlouble. Pophagan no sendee -Sing fo’ pig ally mo’. Him tly sendee, Sing quit job, by glacious!” - -All the boys studied the angry Chinaman for a moment, and then the humor -of the situation broke over them, and they began to laugh. - -“You makee laugh, huh?” chattered the Chinaman wrathfully. “You ketchee -heap plenty fun flom China boy’s tlouble! By jim’ Klismus, I been so mad -I likee make fight. Mebbyso, you takee pig with stling bymby flom one -place to some othel place. Pig makee tlouble fo’ you, then China boy -laugh allee same Sam Hill. Now China boy no can laugh. Whoosh! Giddap,” -he added, shaking the rope in an attempt to make the pig resume the -journey townward. - -The pig, however, seemed to have ideas of his own on the subject of -starting. Planted firmly in the trail, he merely let out a protesting -squeal every time Woo Sing jerked the rope. - -“He makee squeal, no makee move!” cried the exasperated Chinaman. - -“He’s balky, Sing,” observed Blunt, tipping a humorous wink at the other -lads. “You’ve got the rope around the wrong end of that pig. If you had -it hitched in front, you know, you could pull him along.” - -“In flont?” cried the Chinaman, in horror. “Me no gettee in flont of pig -fo’ hunnerd dol’. It plenty bad to tlavel behind, where China boy makee -watch pig do his devil tlicks. P’laps pig makee move if China boy givee -kick.” - -With that, Sing hauled off with the foot which still wore a sandal. In -less than a second the Chinaman’s foot and the pig had a rear-end -collision. The pig let out an angry squeal, and started--but not in the -right direction. Instead of striking out along the trail on the way to -Ophir, the pig began running circles around Sing. - -In just two rounds the Chinaman’s feet were neatly lashed together by -two coils of rope. Another round, and the pull on the rope jerked the -bound feet out from under their owner, and he sat down in the trail with -more haste than grace. - -By that time, the pig evidently came to the conclusion that he had done -enough circling, and started off on the straightaway. He did not head -toward Ophir, however, but away from the town and in the direction of -Bitter Root Cañon. - -For possibly two yards he dragged the helpless Chinaman after him, then -the Chinaman’s weight, pulling against the loop around the pig’s leg, -caused the rope to slip off, and the unmanageable little porker found -himself free to travel where he pleased. - -Frank and his friends had been attempting to do something to relieve the -Chinaman’s distress. Woo Sing was sputtering like a package of -firecrackers, however, and the situation was so funny that the boys had -to laugh in spite of themselves. Their enjoyment interfered with their -efforts to aid, and they had barely surrounded the pig and the Chinaman -when the pig broke loose. - -Ballard, as it happened, was right in the pig’s way. Without taking the -trouble to go around Ballard, the pig charged for his legs, and knocked -them out from under him. For about a second Ballard was standing on his -head. - -“Me losee fi’ dol’, him gettee ’way!” wailed Woo Sing, untangling -himself from the rope and jumping to his feet. “Whoa, pig! Come, pig; -come, pig!” - -The Chinaman was flying at speed after the escaped porker. - -“Help ketchee, help ketchee!” he flung over his shoulder, in an -imploring voice, as he raced onward. - -“That’s the darndest, most contrary pig I ever saw in my life!” fumed -Ballard. - -“He’s not used to chinks,” laughed Blunt, “and that’s all the trouble.” - -“Pink tried to hog all the Chinaman’s trouble,” said Clancy, “and now -he’s sore because he got just a little of it.” - -“Gee!” exclaimed young Merriwell; “the pig’s going like a streak, and -he’ll be in the cañon in about two minutes. No chance of overhauling him -so long as he sets a pace like that.” - -The trail Frank and his friends were traveling was the one leading from -town to the clubhouse and athletic field of the Ophir Athletic Club. -This was also the main trail to Gold Hill; and, at the point where the -clubhouse road branched away, the pig had exercised considerable -discrimination by keeping right on toward Gold Hill. - -The frantic Woo Sing was leading the pursuit. His tattered garments were -fluttering and snapping around him in the wind of his flight, and his -long queue was standing straight out behind. The pig was a mere flurry -of dust in the distance. - -At the place where the trail forked to lead to the clubhouse, Frank drew -to a halt. - -“We can’t all of us go on and help Sing, fellows,” said he. “There’s -work for us at the golf links, and we can’t waste time getting there. -Ballard, you and Blunt go on and help recapture the pig. Clan and I will -hunt up Mr. Bradlaugh and Colonel Hawtrey and see what we can do for -Lenning.” - -“There’s your chance, Pink,” laughed Clancy. “Go ahead and stir -yourself. But I’d advise you not to get too much in the pig’s way. If he -makes a dead set at you, just swing around, get on his back, and ride. -Do that, and it won’t be long before you tire him out and get him so -he’ll eat out of your hand.” - -“You go to blazes!” growled Ballard. “If you know so much about catching -runaway pigs, maybe you’d better go with Blunt and let me trail along -with Chip.” - -“Come on, Bal,” cried the cowboy, and started off, running awkwardly in -his feet-pinching, high-heeled boots. - -Without waiting for further talk, Ballard took after Blunt. Merry and -Clancy watched until the little cloud of dust, representing the pig, had -crossed the rim of the cañon and vanished down the steep slope; then, -turning, they set their faces toward the clubhouse. - -“That was more fun than a box of monkeys, Chip,” chuckled Clancy. “I -wish I could be around to see how the chase comes out.” - -“They’ll catch the pig, of course,” laughed Merriwell. “It means five -dollars to Sing, and he’ll never give up until he lays the porker by the -heels. Ballard and Blunt couldn’t very well give up the chase and leave -the Chinaman to go it alone.” - -For a few moments the two chums walked onward, chuckling and snickering -over recent events; then, as they drew near the clubhouse, Merry’s face -suddenly straightened. - -“Now, Clan,” said he, “we’re right up to one of the hardest jobs we ever -tackled. Let’s get serious.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -A GOOD WORD FOR LENNING. - - -It was Monday forenoon, and the second day after Merriwell’s pick-up -nine had clashed on the diamond with the team from Gold Hill. - -As a result of Jode Lenning’s clever work during that game, he won over -all the ball players, and made many friends among the spectators; but -the one man Merry and Darrel had wished to reconcile with Lenning became -angry at what he termed Lenning’s deception, and seemed more bitterly -set against the young fellow than ever. That one man was Colonel -Hawtrey. - -Lenning, happy in the thought that many of the friends he had lost had -been regained, returned with a light heart to his work at the Ophir -Mine. At the Ophir House, directly after the baseball game, Mr. -Bradlaugh, president of the Ophir Athletic Club and general manager for -the syndicate that operated the gold mine, had labored hard with Colonel -Hawtrey to soften him in his attitude toward Lenning. He had not been -very successful, but he had given Frank a tip that, Monday forenoon, he -and the colonel were to play a game of golf on the Ophir club links, and -he suggested that Frank appear personally and speak a good word for -Lenning. - -What the ball game had failed to accomplish, Frank might succeed in -bringing about by explaining that, whatever duplicity Lenning had used -in the game, had been at the suggestion and by the advice of Merriwell -himself and of Darrel. - -It was a delicate mission, this that was taking Frank to the golf links -that forenoon, and he had every reason to consider it, as he had -observed to Clancy, “one of the hardest jobs he had ever tackled.” - -The club links lay to the south of the clubhouse, and Merry and Clancy -had hardly reached the clubhouse door before they glimpsed two -white-clad figures and two diminutive lads with bags out on the course. -One of the white-clad figures was on its knees, building a tee. - -“There they are, Clan,” remarked Merriwell soberly. - -“Sure thing, Chip,” laughed Clancy, a little uneasily. “Let’s mosey over -and have our little interview.” - -Perhaps it was not an opportune moment in which to interrupt two golf -enthusiasts, but Merry reflected that he and Clancy were there by -invitation of Mr. Bradlaugh, and it seemed the part of wisdom to get -their interview with the colonel over as soon as possible. - -It was the colonel’s first drive, and he was carefully weighing his -driver in his hands as the boys came up. - -“Hello, Merriwell,” he called out genially; “and here’s Clancy, too. Did -you come out to see me get the better of Bradlaugh? This,” he laughed, -“is going to be one time when Gold Hill puts Ophir down and out.” - -Mr. Bradlaugh nodded to the boys, and gave Merry a suggestive wink. That -wink said, as plain as words, that Merriwell had better chip in with his -word for Lenning while the colonel was feeling in such an amiable mood. - -“I don’t want to butt in here, colonel,” said Frank, “but Clancy and I -didn’t come to see your match with Mr. Bradlaugh, but to have a bit of a -talk with you.” - -A look of surprise crossed the colonel’s face, and then his brows -lowered with just a shade of suspicion. He tucked his driver under his -arm, gave a regretful look at the waiting ball, and then pushed his -hands resignedly into his trousers pockets. - -“Go ahead, Merriwell,” said he. “I wouldn’t allow many young fellows to -stand between me and the ball I’m going to put over that bunker, I can -tell you. I realize, though, that I’m vastly indebted to you in a good -many ways. What’s on your mind?” - -“There’s just one thing, colonel,” returned Merriwell earnestly, “which -I’d like to see accomplished before Clancy, Ballard, and I pull up -stakes and quit southern Arizona.” - -“Only one thing, eh?” said the colonel, with a faint smile. “Well, what -is it?” - -Frank was brought right up to the critical point, first crack out of the -box. He had steeled himself for the ordeal, however, and answered -calmly: - -“It’s about Jode Lenning, colonel. I’d--I’d like to see you take down -the bars a little, and be friends with him.” - -The faint smile had passed from Hawtrey’s face. The brows lowered again. - -“Be friends with that young ne’er-do-well?” he observed. “That’s the -thing you’d like to see accomplished before you leave Arizona?” - -“Yes, sir,” Frank answered hopefully. - -“When do you expect to leave?” - -Frank’s hopes continued to grow. Why all this talk if the colonel was -not inclined to be in a receptive mood regarding his cast-off nephew? - -“Why, we’re going to leave just as soon as Professor Borrodaile receives -his check from Mr. Bradlaugh’s syndicate for the mine in the Picketpost -Mountains. Just when that will be I don’t know.” - -“I can tell you, my boy,” struck in Mr. Bradlaugh. “I had a telegram -from New York yesterday, saying the check would be here in to-day’s -mail. The stage will bring it this forenoon.” - -“That means, then,” said Merriwell, “that we’ll probably get away -to-morrow.” - -“Too soon.” scowled the colonel. “You’re not giving me time enough.” - -“About how much time do you want, Hawtrey,” queried Mr. Bradlaugh, “in -order to show a merciful and forgiving spirit toward your own flesh and -blood?” - -Colonel Hawtrey faced Mr. Bradlaugh slowly and looked him full in the -eyes. - -“About fifty years,” he answered harshly, “and then some.” His tone -changed a little as he turned back to Merriwell. “I’m sorry, my lad,” he -went on. “I suppose you’ll think I’m a hard-hearted old wretch, but this -matter that seems so simple to you is really quite complicated. As I’ve -said before, Jode has made his own bed, and now he must lie in it.” - -“I’d like to explain,” Frank continued gloomily, “that Jode got into the -ball game because Darrel and I begged him to. If there was any -deception, Darrel and I are responsible for it.” - -“I suppose that Jode is sending you to me with all this talk,” commented -the colonel. “It would be like him.” - -“He has nothing to do with it, colonel,” protested Frank. “In fact, he -says he doesn’t want to curry any favor with you. He says you did -exactly right to set him adrift, and that, from now on, he intends to -make his own way in the world and stand on his own feet. He doesn’t want -any help from you.” - -“That’s a very laudable purpose--if Jode really means what he says. -But--you never can tell about that. I’ve had enough of the young cub.” - -“He means what he says now, colonel,” averred Frank earnestly, hating to -give up championing Lenning’s cause. - -“It’s my opinion that you’re wrong in thinking that. It’s also my -opinion that you’re showing very poor judgment, as well as a very -generous and forgiving nature, by having anything whatever to do with -Jode. You’ll be sorry, I fear, before you’re done with that scapegrace.” - -“Merriwell’s judgment,” suggested Mr. Bradlaugh, “has proved to be -pretty good since he has been with us.” - -“I’ll agree with you there, Brad,” nodded the colonel; “but,” and he -laughed, “there’s always got to be a first time when a fellow’s judgment -goes wrong.” - -“You ought to make Merriwell feel good over this Lenning affair before -he leaves Ophir, colonel,” observed Mr. Bradlaugh casually. “It wouldn’t -cost you much but a little pinch in your pride.” - -“It’s a matter of principle, not pride, with me,” growled Hawtrey. “I’d -do a good deal for you, my boy,” he added, turning to Frank, “but you -could hardly expect me to break a principle just to make you ‘feel -good,’ as Bradlaugh puts it.” - -“Lenning is trying to do right,” Mr. Bradlaugh persisted. “He’s as -steady as a clock, out at the mine.” - -“Glad to hear it. You can’t depend on him, though, Bradlaugh. He’s -liable to go wrong again at any time. Lenning’s my nephew, and I hate to -say it, but there’s nothing to be gained by shying at the truth.” - -Colonel Hawtrey, as though he considered these words final, put himself -in position and let drive at the ball. The white sphere went arching -magnificently across the bunker. - -“Beautiful!” murmured Mr. Bradlaugh. “You’re in great form to-day, -Hawtrey.” - -The colonel laughed good-humoredly. Turning, he slapped Merriwell -affectionately on the shoulder. - -“Don’t fret about Lenning,” said he, “for you’ll find that----” - -The colonel was interrupted by a man on a horse, who galloped up and -came to a quick stop at that moment. It was Burke, the superintendent at -the mine. - -“Hello, Burke!” exclaimed Bradlaugh, who was just getting ready to make -his drive. “What’s on your mind this beautiful morning?” - -“We’ve got to have a new night watchman at the cyanide plant,” Burke -answered. - -Everybody’s attention was captured on the instant. - -“Where’s Lenning?” demanded the general manager. - -“He went away yesterday and hasn’t come back,” said the superintendent. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -STARTLING NEWS. - - -The night watchman at the cyanide works had very important duties to -perform. Jode Lenning, in spite of his youth, had been filling the -position to the satisfaction of everybody at the mine. Burke’s -announcement, therefore, came as a tremendous surprise. - -“Went away?” repeated Mr. Bradlaugh. “Didn’t he tell you he was going?” - -“Oh, certainly,” replied the superintendent, “he told me he was going, -and that he would be back in plenty of time to go on duty at the tanks. -Borrowed my saddle horse, too--the sorrel with the white stocking foot. -Up to an hour ago, though, he hadn’t got back. Had to fill in his place -last night with a man from the night shift in the mill.” - -Colonel Hawtrey was taking this all in with significant glances, -directed now at Frank and now at Mr. Bradlaugh. His face wore a grim -“I-told-you-so” expression. - -“What time did he leave the mine?” asked Mr. Bradlaugh. - -“About nine in the morning.” - -“Did he say anything about what he intended to do?” - -“No. But he did remark, I remember, that he had quite a long ride to -make; and, last evening when he failed to return, the man in charge of -our powder house told me that Lenning had given him a dollar for some -dynamite, a length of fuse, and a cap.” - -This merely intensified the mystery. - -“What the deuce do you suppose he wanted of that dynamite?” muttered Mr. -Bradlaugh. - -“Lenning’s schemes go pretty deep sometimes,” frowned the colonel. -“He’ll not come back, Burke. I don’t believe he intended to come back, -when he left the mine. I’ll ride over in a day or two and give you a -check for your horse and riding gear. I don’t consider that I’m in any -way responsible for your missing property, understand, but Lenning is a -relative of mine, and I don’t want any of my friends to suffer financial -loss through him.” - -“I believe he’ll come back,” said Burke. “All my opinions about that boy -have changed since he’s been working at the mine. I think he’s trying to -be square, and to clear his record.” - -“I’d give fifty thousand dollars this minute,” declared the colonel, “if -I could know that what you say is a fact. But,” he added, “actions speak -louder than words. Before many hours have passed we’ll hear what Lenning -has been up to. Maybe he just got tired of a life of honest endeavor and -made a sudden break to get away from it. I was afraid that, sooner or -later, the life out there would get too monotonous for him.” - -“We’re going to give him the benefit of the doubt,” said Mr. Bradlaugh. -“He was going to take a long ride, and may have met with an accident, or -have been delayed in some other way. Just leave the mill hand on the -work for a day or two, Burke, and we’ll wait for Lenning to show up, or -to send us word.” - -“Thought I’d better report the thing to you, Mr. Bradlaugh,” Burke -remarked. “If any other hand had turned up missing, I’d not have -bothered you with the matter, but I realize that Lenning is a sort of -protégé of Merriwell’s, and I wanted to let him know what had happened.” - -“I think the affair will come out all right, Merriwell,” said Mr. -Bradlaugh to Frank, “and that there’s no need to do any worrying.” - -“Whether it comes out all right or whether it doesn’t, Brad,” spoke up -the colonel, “we’ve got a little business together on the links. Go -ahead and get started.” - -Mr. Bradlaugh turned to make his drive. - -“Lenning had a reason for not getting back as he said he’d do,” Frank -asserted confidently. “When he shows up at the mine, he’ll explain the -delay in a manner that will be satisfactory to everybody. I’m just as -sure of that as I am that I’m alive this minute.” - -The youngster’s loyalty to Lenning won a nod of approval from Mr. -Bradlaugh. While the latter was swinging at the ball, Frank, Clancy, and -Burke turned and started for the trail in front of the clubhouse. The -superintendent rode slowly at the side of the two boys. - -“What in the world do you suppose Lenning wanted that dynamite for?” -Burke asked. - -“Search me!” Frank answered, vastly puzzled. - -“While you’re asking conundrums,” chimed in Clancy, “what did he want to -take a ride for--and a long one, at that?” - -“Yesterday was Sunday.” Burke reminded Clancy, “and the mill is shut -down. Most of the men pull out for a ride or a walk.” - -“But Lenning has to be on duty every night, hasn’t he? If he was going -to take a ride that lasted all day, when would he get his share of -sleep?” - -“Probably he could do without that for one day. You see, he----” - -Burke bit off his words abruptly. His eyes were fixed on the trail that -led from the main road to Gold Hill to the clubhouse. - -“Who’s that over there?” he asked, with a hint of a laugh in his voice. -“The man, whoever he is, seems to be having a little trouble.” - -Against the clear, bright sky a man on a mule stood out in clean-cut -prominence. The man was tall and angular, while the mule was long and -equally angular. The mule was at a standstill, his long ears laid back, -and the rider was pounding his bony sides desperately in an attempt to -get him to move. - -“Holy smoke!” chuckled Clancy; “why, that’s Professor Phineas -Borrodaile, our tutor, and he’s trying to make Pophagan’s mule, Uncle -Sam, carry him on to the clubhouse.” - -“Uncle Sam appears to be an obstinate brute,” laughed Burke. - -“He’s worse than that,” grinned Merriwell. “When Uncle Sam starts, he’s -liable to begin all at once and go straight up in the air before he -moves ahead. We know a little about that mule, and the professor ought -to be pretty well acquainted with him by this time. He---- Ah, look at -that, will you?” - -Uncle Sam had suddenly resented the sting of the quirt. As though -propelled by springs he had all at once bounded upward. - -Daylight showed between the professor and the saddle, but he kept -himself from going overboard by grabbing at the saddle horn with both -hands. This time, at least, the upward jump was not followed by a -movement forward; on the contrary, Uncle Sam continued to rise in the -air, but not altogether, as at first. The brute was full of tricks and -vagaries, and he began to rise now forward and now at the rear, canting -himself from one position into the other with a lightninglike, seesaw -motion that must have been intensely disagreeable to Professor -Borrodaile. It was rather edifying to the super and the boys, however. - -The professor’s hat was jarred off, and the skirts of his long, black -coat billowed about him with each upward spring of the mule. The rider, -flung alternately toward the front of the quadruped and then toward the -back, was put to it to remain in the saddle. Language could be heard, -flowing copiously across the bleak sands from the professor--words of -many syllables, some Latin and a little Greek, but all well calculated -to express the professor’s annoyance. - -Burke bowed his head and shook with suppressed mirth. Clancy snickered. -Merry, knowing the professor was safe from injury, took his own toll of -enjoyment. All three of them laid a course calculated to bring them to -the part of the trail at that moment occupied by the professor and Uncle -Sam. - -Before they reached the scene of the professor’s trouble, the learned -gentleman had slipped wrathfully from the saddle to the ground and had -planted himself in front of his refractory steed. Clinging to the bridle -reins with one hand, the “prof” shook a finger in the mule’s face and -commenced telling the brute what he thought of him. - -“You belong to the stone age, you obnoxious quadruped,” he cried, “when -the genus homo ruled the rest of creation with clubs and granite -hammers! Your unmannerly attempts to relieve yourself of my weight, -should bring upon you punishment of a most severe nature. If I were -possessed of any instrument at all adequate, I should use it savagely in -an attempt to subjugate you. As it is. I can merely pit my strength -against your own, and pull. Will you come, you vicious, long-eared peace -disturber? Will you?” - -Hanging to the reins with both hands, the professor lay back on the -bridle with all his strength. For a moment, Uncle Sam resisted; then, -urged by some mulish, mischievous instinct, the brute allowed himself to -relax abruptly and to lurch forward. As a result, the professor went -backward, almost heels over head. - -The reins were suddenly released. Freedom, perhaps, was what Uncle Sam -had desired and had been working for. The instant he found himself free, -he whirled around on his hind feet and would have cleared out in the -direction of Ophir had Frank not deftly seized the flying reins. - -The professor got up dazedly. Rubbing the small of his back, he passed -his eyes over those who had just arrived upon the scene of his trouble -with the mule. Then, recognizing those who had suddenly grouped around -him, his face brightened. - -“Ah, Merriwell!” he murmured; “and Clancy!” - -“And Mr. Burke, from the mine,” added Clancy, smothering his enjoyment -as he picked up the professor’s hat. “I guess you know Mr. Burke?” - -“I believe we have met,” was the reply. “I was in a hurry to get from -Ophir to the clubhouse, and so I borrowed Pophagan’s mule. That was a -mistake,” he added ruefully, taking his hat from Clancy and carefully -settling it on his head, “a very great mistake. If any one is in a hurry -to transport himself from one place to another, about the worst thing he -can do is to take Uncle Sam. A most perverse brute, young gentlemen! I -assure you that I have spent nearly an hour on the road from Ophir to -the clubhouse.” - -“What was your hurry, professor?” inquired Merry, hiding his smile by -turning toward Uncle Sam. - -“News of most tremendous importance reached Ophir. I wanted to convey -it to Mr. Bradlaugh. I was informed that he is playing golf on the club -links, so I took Uncle Sam and started for the links.” - -“Important news?” asked Clancy, brushing the professor’s clothes with -his hands. “Anything exciting, professor?” - -“It has excited me,” was the reply, “because I am indirectly concerned -in what has happened. Did I tell you that payment for the mine in the -Picketposts was due to arrive this morning, by mail from the East?” - -“I don’t think you told us, professor,” returned Frank, “but Mr. -Bradlaugh gave us the information a short time ago. The stage must be in -by this time. Did you get your money?” - -“Not at all, I’m sorry to say. You see, the stage was robbed while -coming through the cañon, robbed, and----” - -“Robbed!” came the startled exclamation from Merriwell, Clancy, and -Burke. - -“Yes, robbed,” repeated the professor. “There wasn’t much aboard but the -mail pouches. They were taken, and in one of them was my certified -check, and also the check for Mrs. Boorland. The--the event is most -deplorable. I can ill afford to lose twenty-five thousand dollars. You -see, young gentlemen, I had been counting upon that money to afford me -rest and comfort in my declining years. Now it is gone! I--I thought I -had better tell Mr. Bradlaugh.” - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -ANOTHER BLOW. - - -A period of stunned silence settled over the little group in the trail. -Uncle Sam suddenly and finally dispelled the stillness by tossing up his -head and emitting a long and discordant “hee-haw!” The professor, whose -nerves were in a lamentable state, jumped straight into the air. When he -came down, he turned an indignant look at the mule. - -“So!” he mumbled. “That animal is the most provoking creature that ever -lived. One can never tell what he is going to do, nor when he is going -to do it. Where are the golf links, Merriwell?” - -“Over there, professor,” Frank answered, pointing toward the golf -grounds. “We just left Mr. Bradlaugh. He and Colonel Hawtrey are out of -sight, just now, behind that bit of a rise, but you can find them -without much trouble.” - -“I believe I will go on, then, and acquaint Mr. Bradlaugh with this most -distressing occurrence.” - -“Don’t you want to ride?” asked Clancy. - -“I prefer to walk,” was the answer. “I will be under obligations to you, -Merriwell, if you will see that Uncle Sam is returned to Pophagan.” - -“Just a minute, professor,” struck in Burke. “Can’t you tell us -something about this robbery? Just where did it happen, and how did the -news reach Ophir?” - -“The stage driver brought the news to town, and when I left, Hawkins, -the deputy sheriff, was getting one or two men to ride with him and -begin pursuit of the thieves.” - -“Any passengers on the stage this morning?” - -“No; there was only the driver and the mail pouches. The express company -was supposed to have money aboard this morning’s stage for the Ophir -bank, but, fortunately, the shipment failed to arrive. The robbers, -presumably, had heard of the expected shipment of funds, and so were -disappointed when they had to content themselves with only the mail -pouches. I am a loser to the extent of----” - -“Don’t worry over your lost check, professor,” interrupted Burke. -“You’ll not lose a cent. Whether it was a check or a draft, payment will -at once be stopped, and another check or draft will be sent to you.” - -The professor was woefully ignorant of business matters. - -“You are sure of this, Mr. Burke?” he asked, brightening. - -“I am positive. See Mr. Bradlaugh, however, and tell him about what has -happened. He will take the necessary steps to protect you. How many -robbers were in the gang?” - -“Two, and they seemed to be young fellows. They had handkerchiefs tied -over their faces, and rode out from behind a mass of bowlders, a mile or -two north of the place where the road leaves the cañon. Pistols were -shown, but not used. The driver had nothing at all in the way of a -weapon--which, perhaps, was a most fortunate thing for the driver. I--I -really believe I had better be going now. I hope, Merriwell, that you -will have no difficulty in getting that vicious quadruped back into his -owner’s hands.” - -“I’ll take chances, on that,” Frank laughed, and vaulted into the -saddle. “Want to ride, Clan?” he asked, of his red-headed chum. - -“I love to ride,” grinned Clancy, “especially mules.” With that, he -climbed up behind Merriwell. - -The professor did not pause to see how quietly Uncle Sam behaved under -Merry’s guiding hand. Already the professor was striding off toward the -golf links. - -Without any ill-natured move whatever, Uncle Sam had allowed himself to -be turned around, and had started over the return course to Ophir. His -gait was never very rapid, and Burke restrained the impatience of his -own mount in order to ride beside the boys. - -“That is the first time, to my knowledge, that the Gold Hill-Ophir stage -has ever been held up,” remarked the super. “This part of the country -has been tolerably free from crimes of that sort. As a rule, we’re about -as peaceable a community as you’d find anywhere. Mrs. Boorland was -robbed of her money in the gulch--but a sneak thief did that; and then -there was that attempted theft of bullion from the mine. Up to the time -those two crimes were attempted, nothing of the sort had excited the -community since--I don’t know when. Hawkins is getting considerable work -during the last few weeks.” - -“He didn’t have any luck chasing those fellows who tried to make off -with the bullion,” said Merriwell. - -“Billy Shoup and that unknown safe cracker he had with him were too many -for Hawkins,” said Clancy. - -“Hawkins is pretty persistent,” observed Burke. “He hasn’t given up -finding those fellows.” - -“It was Shoup who took Mrs. Boorland’s money,” went on Merriwell, “and -it was Shoup, again, with an unknown companion, who tried to steal the -bullion. I’m wondering if the fellow isn’t mixed up in the robbery this -morning?” - -“Possibly,” mused Burke. “If he is, he has got himself into hot water -for fair. Stealing mail bags is a crime against the government, and the -secret-service men are relentless fellows to deal with. No stone will be -left unturned to bring the thieves to book, you can gamble on that. -They---- Well, well,” he broke off quizzically, “what sort of a -procession is that, ahead there?” - -The boys and the super were close to the point where the clubhouse trail -joined the Gold Hill road. Along the latter trail, at that moment, a -queer little procession was moving in the direction of Ophir. - -Billy Ballard was in the lead. He had some object tied to a cord, and -was pulling it slowly through the dust of the road behind him. - -Just behind Ballard was a pig--the same small porker with which -Merriwell and Clancy had become acquainted a little earlier in the -forenoon. The pig was tied to a rope by a hind leg, and Woo Sing, as -before, was attached to the rope. - -Barzy Blunt brought up the rear of the procession. He was armed with a -long switch. - -As Ballard dragged the mysterious object through the dust, he would let -it lie still for a moment, and the pig would run forward to get hold of -it. This was Ballard’s signal to jerk it out of the pig’s way. - -Sometimes the pig would trot along after the receding object so rapidly -that the Chinaman had a hard time keeping up; and then again there were -times when the pig grew discouraged, and lagged, and Blunt would have to -reach over Woo Sing’s shoulder and apply the gad. - -It was a humorous performance, although none of the four concerned in -it--which includes the pig--seemed to think of it in that light. - -“This little trip of mine from town to the clubhouse,” laughed Burke, -“has been full of surprises, pleasant and otherwise. Now, that, I -should say, is about as comical as the professor’s troubles with Uncle -Sam. Whose pig is it? And what are Ballard and Blunt doing, along with -the chink?” - -Merry and Clancy explained, and, by the time the explanation was -finished, they had reached the procession. Those with the pig came to a -halt, and Ballard promptly jerked in the object he was dragging, and -held it aloft in his hands. The object proved to be a dirty, -half-shelled ear of corn. - -What made the situation all the funnier to Merry, Clancy, and Burke were -the very serious expressions worn by Ballard, Blunt, and Woo -Sing--especially Woo Sing. If there had been a joke about coaxing the -pig to town with an ear of corn, it had long since passed out of the -consciousness of those with the pig. - -“Whoop!” shouted Clancy. “You fellows ought to have a drum corps along. -What show do you fellows belong to, anyhow?” - -“Chip,” said Ballard sadly, “you handed Blunt and me a hard job when you -sent us with Woo Sing to get back that pesky porker. We had to run our -legs off in the cañon before we could get hands on the pig; and, even -then, he got away from us half a dozen times before we finally landed -him.” - -“We’ve had a dickens of a time!” grunted Blunt. “Barked our shins on -bowlders, scratched our hands and face in the chaparral, say nothing of -having the pig knock us down and run all over us. Jumping sand hills! -Say, if I had it to do over again, I’d rather let the pig go and pay -Pophagan five dollars out of my own pocket.” - -“Pig plenty hard to ketchee,” sighed Woo Sing. “Him allee same stleak of -lightning, by jim’ Klismus! Now we think we ketchee, now we no ketchee. -Velly tough luck. My no likee, by jing! My tellee Pophagan my no likee. -Pophagan no likee, him gettee ’nother China boy. Whoosh!” - -Burke was almost smothered. “Where did you get the corn?” he asked. - -“Sing had it in his pockets all the time,” growled Ballard. “The ground -and lofty tumbling he did with the pig shelled the ear a little, but -enough corn was left for a coaxer. It was my idea,” and Ballard’s heavy -face lightened somewhat. “We’ve been teasing the pig all the way from -the cañon, but it’s slow work, and I’m about ready to throw up the job. -What’re you chumps laughing about?” he demanded hotly. - -“That’s what I want to know,” scowled Blunt, bending over to rub one of -his shins. “If you think it’s funny chasing a pig over all outdoors, -you’d better try it once.” - -“You made good, anyhow,” chuckled Merry. “That’s the principal thing, -fellows. Whether you’re chasing a pig, or running a race of any other -sort, you ought to feel like shaking hands with yourselves when you -win.” - -“It’s no joke,” snorted Ballard, “and I want you to stop that fool -grinning.” - -“The joke was on the pig,” said Clancy. “And I think it’s a pretty how -de do when three husky fellows like you will make such a rumpus over one -small porker.” - -“That’ll do,” cried the cowboy. “A while ago I felt like massacring the -pig, but now I’m beginning to feel as though I’d like to massacre you. -What about it, Pink?” - -“Count me in,” answered Ballard. “Only make a complete job of it, that’s -all, Barzy.” - -“By the way,” said Blunt, having a sudden thought that sent his -attention galloping on another course, “what’s Jode Lenning doing out -this way?” - -“Lenning!” exclaimed Merriwell. “You don’t mean to say you saw him?” - -“Looked like him, although he and the other fellow were a good way off. -They were pelting along on horseback, as tight as they could go--came -out of a gulch and rushed along the trail to beat the band. Each of ’em -had something over the saddle in front of him that looked like a bag. -They didn’t come very near where we were, so we didn’t have a chance to -give ’em a close sizing; but the fellow was Lenning--I’d almost stake my -head on it.” - -A queer feeling raced through Merriwell’s nerves. He was wondering if, -after all, Lenning had left the mine for some such work as had taken -place in the cañon that morning? Another moment and he had fought down -the rising suspicion. - -“What sort of a horse was the fellow riding?” asked Burke; “I mean,” he -added, “the one you thought was Lenning?” - -“Sorrel,” reported the cowboy, “a sorrel, with one white forward foot.” - -The superintendent drew in a quick breath, and rested his eyes on -Merriwell. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -A DARK OUTLOOK FOR LENNING. - - -Merriwell and Burke looked at each other so long and so significantly -that Ballard became curious. - -“What’s biting you two, anyhow?” he asked. - -In the fewest possible words, Frank told Ballard and Blunt about the -robbery in the cañon. - -“Thunder!” exclaimed Ballard. “Why, the stage went past us with both -horses on the run while we were tangled up with that pig. I wondered -then why the mischief the driver was in such a tearing hurry.” - -“That must have been right after the robbery,” said the excited cowboy, -“and the driver was in a rush to get to town and spread the news. Gee, -but this is a stunner!” - -“Those two fellows we saw on horseback were the robbers,” went on -Ballard. “The things they had in front of them were the mail bags!” - -“Great head, Pink!” approved Clancy. - -“But, of course,” observed Blunt, “the juniper we thought was Lenning -couldn’t have been Lenning at all. Looked a heap like him, though.” - -“Um!” grunted Burke; “I don’t know about that. Lenning left the mine -yesterday and hadn’t returned up to something like an hour ago. He took -my horse when he went--and my horse is a sorrel, with a white stocking -foot.” - -Frank was sorry the superintendent had thought it necessary to throw in -any comments about Lenning. The only result would be to crowd suspicion -upon the absent watchman, when, in all likelihood, he was as blameless -of the robbery as Burke himself. - -The superintendent, however, was never backward about airing his views. -Ballard stared as he listened to Burke, and then turned and looked at -Barzy Blunt. - -Blunt’s face was a study. Up to the time of that ball game with Gold -Hill, the cowboy had had no sort of use for Jode Lenning. In fact, right -to Lenning’s face, Blunt had declared that no respectable fellow would -take part in a game in which a crook like Lenning was booked to play. - -But the game itself had changed all that. Blunt, and all the players, -had been won over by Lenning’s clever work, and by his meeting in -masterly fashion that thrilling moment when victory or defeat for Ophir -hung on his efforts alone. - -Had the enthusiasm inspired by Lenning’s splendid work in a crisis -developed a friendship that could not last? Frank watched Blunt -critically. - -“I reckon you haven’t got it right, Burke,” said the cowboy finally. “It -wasn’t so mighty long ago when I’d have believed Lenning equal to any -sort of skullduggery. It used to make me sore to see Chip, there, -standing up for the fellow, getting him a job, and all that; but, on the -day of that ball game, I made up my mind that Chip Merriwell’s judgment -was warranted not to come out in the wash. ‘What’s good enough for -Chip,’ I said to myself, ‘is good enough for me, and right here’s where -I quit handing it to Lenning every time a chance comes my way.’ I’d be a -pretty measly sort of a coyote if I shook hands with Lenning on Saturday -and then turned against him Monday. Sorrel horse or no, that couldn’t -have been Lenning we saw in the cañon.” - -“Bully for you, Barzy!” exclaimed Merriwell, deeply gratified by the -stand the cowboy had taken. - -Burke shook his head, by way of dissent. - -“The circumstantial evidence is pretty strong,” said he. - -“The same kind of circumstantial evidence, Burke,” returned Merry, “that -led you to think Lenning had made off with that bullion. Remember that? -Lenning was missing, and the bullion was missing, so you thought----” - -“This isn’t the same, Chip, not by a whole row of ’dobies,” broke in the -superintendent. “Lenning’s record is all against him.” - -“So it was the night the bullion was taken,” said Frank warmly, “and -Lenning has been making a mighty fine record since then.” - -“Well, this sort of talk won’t get us anywhere. It doesn’t make any -difference, just now, whether Lenning was one of the thieves or whether -he wasn’t. The main point is, Ballard and Blunt saw the thieves -galloping off after the stage was held up. Hawkins ought to be put in -possession of what they know without loss of a moment’s time. I’m going -to hustle for town and tell some one who can get the news to the deputy -sheriff in short order.” - -His spurs rattled, and he kicked up the dust on the road to Ophir. - -“It gets my goat,” muttered Ballard, “the way Lenning drops into -trouble. Just as he gets started on the right road, something like this -has to happen and put him all to the bad again. I’ll be hanged if I can -understand how he manages it.” - -“Somebody else manages it for him,” said Clancy. “That’s an easy guess. -It was Shoup that engineered the bullion plot.” - -“Who engineered this one?” queried Ballard. - -“Maybe it was Shoup again.” - -“Did the fellow you saw with the one who looked like Lenning resemble -Billy Shoup?” asked Frank. - -“No more than I do,” said Blunt. “He was a square, chunk of a man. Of -course, you understand we weren’t near enough to see either of ’em very -clearly.” - -“I understand that. Well, let’s get to town, fellows. I’m all worked up -about this thing. The professor’s check was in that batch of stolen -mail, and if he doesn’t get it back we’ll have to hang out here until -another check can come on from New York.” - -“How many more will that mule carry?” inquired Ballard, looking at Uncle -Sam wistfully. - -“He’s loaded to the guards now, Pink,” answered Clancy. “If you got on -with Chip and me, we’d swamp him. Besides,” and here the red-headed -chap’s voice grew rather lofty, “you don’t know how to ride a mule, -anyway. There’s a knack about it that only comes of long practice.” - -“Oh, splash!” grunted Ballard. “You’re sitting up there like a frog on a -toadstool. Let’s see what sort of a mule rider you are.” - -He was standing within arm’s length of Uncle Sam, and he reached out -suddenly and touched the mule’s flank with one end of the ear of corn. -Thereupon Uncle Sam tried to stand on his head, Blunt had to dodge his -flying heels, and Ballard, in trying to get out of the way, stumbled -over the pig and fell flat. As for Clancy, in spite of his implied -prowess as a mule rider, he was jolted off, and Merriwell had all he -could do to stick in the saddle. - -“There, Pink, cut that out!” cried Merry. “We want to get back to town, -and we don’t want any more foolishness. This business of Lenning’s needs -attention.” - -“I’m anxious to get back to town, too,” said Ballard, picking himself -up, “but we can’t leave Woo Sing. Suppose we rope the pig and let it -ride in Clancy’s place, Chip? I don’t believe the mule will know the -difference.” - -“Good idea,” approved Merry. “Tie the pig and boost it up here.” - -“Velly fine!” cried the Chinaman, his slant eyes sparkling. - -Blunt, Ballard, and Woo Sing fell upon the small porker, and, while the -air was torn with squeals, they bound his feet together and then hoisted -him to Uncle Sam’s back. There was a good deal of wriggling and -squirming on the pig’s part, but Uncle Sam took it good-naturedly, and -ambled off. - -Clancy, Ballard, Blunt, and Woo Sing kept pace with the mule, and they -all arrived in town together. The pig was unloaded in the waiting pen, -out back of the hotel, and Uncle Sam was turned into the small corral -where he passed most of his time. The Chinaman was so happy over the -safe ending of his work with the pig that he almost shed tears. - -“Melliwell,” he snuffled, “you do a heap plenty fo’ Woo Sing. China boy -nev’ fo’gettee.” - -“Not a word for us,” said Ballard disgustedly, as he walked away with -Frank and the rest, “and Blunt and I helped capture the porker in the -cañon. I always said that chink had a wooden head. Next time he goes pig -catching, by George! he can take Clancy and Chip.” - -There was a buzz of excitement in Ophir’s main street. Everywhere the -stage robbery was being discussed. Riders were leaving town by twos and -threes, all heading for the cañon, and fired with a desire to do -something to help run the robbers to earth. - -The boys saw Burke just as they turned to mount the steps leading to the -hotel veranda. Burke was sitting on his horse by the hitching pole in -front. He had just mounted, it appeared, preparatory to returning to -the mine. - -“Hawkins was gone long before I got here,” said he, “but I sent word to -him by two or three of those who just pulled out for the cañon. Maybe -they’ll see the deputy sheriff, and maybe they won’t. I’ve done the best -I could, though.” - -“Telephone in, will you, Burke,” requested Merry, “in case Lenning is at -the mine when you get there?” - -“Glad to,” was the answer, “but,” and a grim look crossed the -superintendent’s face as he spoke, “don’t waste any time waiting for the -message, Chip. Lenning’s in this up to his eyes.” - -It was dinner time at the Ophir House, and the gong which called guests -to meals had long since sounded. Frank and his friends, as soon as they -could get some of the dust off their faces and hands, went into the -dining room and took their places at the table. - -As the robbery had been the one exciting topic in the street, so was it -now the principal event discussed by those at the tables. Lawlessness is -always a theme that draws universal attention, and this was particularly -the case in a town like Ophir. - -Although a Western town with a past that was pretty turbulent, in later -years it had settled down into a peaceful and orderly little burg. The -robbery, therefore, had caused a ripple of excitement, since crime of -any sort was in such decided contrast to the ordinary mood of the place. - -Frank was no more than half through his meal when, somewhat to his -surprise, Pophagan called to him from the dinning-room door: “Ye’re -wanted at the phone, Merriwell!” - -“There it is!” exclaimed Blunt, with much satisfaction. “Burke’s calling -to tell you that Lenning’s at the mine.” - -“That must be the case!” exclaimed Frank, hurrying from the room to -answer the call. - -The rest of the boys finished their meal hurriedly, and, by the time -they were done and out in the office, Frank came out of the little booth -where he had been receiving his message. There had been a change in his -face. It no longer wore a pleased expression, but was heavy and -troubled. - -“What’s to pay, pard?” demanded Blunt. - -“The message wasn’t from Burke,” said Merry, “and that’s about all I can -tell you now. Will you take a ride with me, Barzy?” - -“A ride? Where?” - -“Tell you later. This is a rush order, and we’ve got to be on the move.” - -“Sure, I’ll ride with you, Chip--anywhere.” - -“Come on, then,” said Merriwell, and hurriedly led the way out of the -office. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE. - - -Frank was leading the way to the town corral, bent on getting his horse, -Borak. Blunt, who had leave of absence from the Bar Z Ranch, was -likewise keeping his cowpony at the corral. When clear of the main -street, Frank turned, to find Clancy and Ballard trotting along behind -him. He stopped. - -“I say, Clan,” said he, “you and Pink are not in this.” - -“If not, why not?” demanded Ballard. “This party isn’t so blamed -exclusive that Red and I can’t go along, is it?” - -“You’ve nicked it, old man. The orders are for two, and no more.” - -“Who sent the orders?” - -“Give it up. They come through Dolliver.” - -“Oh, Dolliver! Think it has anything to do with the robbery?” - -“I hope not,” said Frank. “My biggest wish just now is that it has -something to do with Lenning.” - -“Don’t you know that, Chip?” queried Clancy. - -“I don’t know a thing about why we’re going out there. It’s a hurry-up -call, and no more than two are to come.” - -“Then that settles it,” said Ballard. “Two are to go, and you’ve chosen -Blunt. Take your ride, Chip, but if you don’t get back in a reasonable -time, Red and I will get a couple of horses and follow you.” - -“No,” Frank answered hastily, “don’t do that. I wasn’t to tell anybody -but the chap who came with me where we were going. You fellows just stay -here, keep mum, and wait till we get back--if it isn’t until next week. -Understand?” - -“That’s a big order, Chip,” said Clancy, “but I guess we can fill it.” - -“We’re going to Dolliver’s now,” Frank went on. “I haven’t a notion -where we’ll go from Dolliver’s, or what we’re to do. So long, fellows!” - -Rather gloomily Clancy and Ballard bade Chip and Barzy good-by, and -wished them luck. The uncertainty in which Clancy and Ballard were left -was not at all soothing to their nerves. - -Blunt proceeded silently with Merriwell to the corral. It was not until -they were mounted, and galloping stirrup to stirrup toward the Ophir -Mine on their way to Dolliver’s that Blunt allowed himself to talk. - -“It was Dolliver that got you on the wire, Chip?” - -“Yes,” Frank nodded. - -“What sort of a powwow did he give you?” - -“I told Clan and Pink practically all of it, Barzy. Dolliver said that -some one was just at his ranch and wanted him to telephone to me. It was -noon, and this person who wanted the message sent told Dolliver he -thought I could be caught at the Ophir House without any trouble; but, -if I wasn’t there, then Dolliver was to try and get you.” - -“Dolliver didn’t say who the fellow was that wanted one or t’other of -us?” - -“I asked him that, but he wouldn’t answer. He said I was to come to his -place as quick as I could, was to bring just one person with me, and -wasn’t to tell anybody but my companion about the message nor where I -was going.” - -“Suffering cats!” Blunt exclaimed. “This has got me worked up a-plenty, -Chip. It’s a whale of a mystery, eh?” - -“That’s what it is.” - -By then, the boys were galloping past the mine, and the roar of the -stamp mill was loud in their ears. Their course carried them on beyond -the mine, and, as they got farther and farther away from it, the song of -the stamps died by degrees into silence. - -Dolliver’s ranch was fifteen miles from Ophir. Frank and his chums knew -the place well, for they had made free use of Dolliver’s telephone, -several weeks before, when the Ophir football squad was in camp at -Tinaja Wells, in Mohave Cañon. - -Dolliver’s home was entirely surrounded by a wild, unsettled country. -Close to the pioneer’s adobe, the bridle path through the cañon began -its course, separating from the road that was used by wagons freighting -for the Fiddleback outfit. - -“You don’t think this can be any sort of trap, do you, pard?” asked -Blunt suddenly, while they were pounding along. - -“Trap?” Frank laughed. “What sort of a trap, Barzy?” - -“Give it up. If somebody wanted to get us into trouble, I reckon this -would be a good way to do it.” - -“I don’t know of anybody who’d want to get us into trouble. Anyhow, -Dolliver wouldn’t. He’s a pretty good sort of a chap, that Dolliver.” - -“You can bet your spurs on that!” declared the cowboy heartily. “I’ve -known Dolliver ever since I was knee-high, and he’s sure the clear -quill. You’re positive it was Dolliver talking at t’other end, of the -line?” - -“When you’ve heard Dolliver’s voice once,” said Frank, “you couldn’t -mistake it for anybody else’s. Sure it was Dolliver talking.” - -“The whole thing is so blamed queer that it sort of set me to -wondering.” - -“We’re winding up our stay in Arizona with a lot of blue fire and -tremelo trimmings,” went on Frank. “If it’s going to do anybody any -good, though, I don’t see how I can have any kick coming.” - -“You’d like a heap to see Lenning and the colonel on good terms before -you leave, wouldn’t you?” - -“Nothing would suit me better, Barzy.” - -“What luck did you have with the colonel at the golf grounds?” - -“None at all. He’s bitter against Lenning.” - -“Reckon I told you we’d have our trouble for our pains if we tried to -put in a good word for Lenning, didn’t I? Hawtrey is a crabbed old -proposition, and when he fastens himself to an idea you can’t pry him -loose with a crowbar. It may be a fool idea, too, but that don’t count.” - -“He said he’d like to oblige me by being friends with Lenning, but that -I was asking him to break through a principle--which was something he -wouldn’t do for anybody.” - -“The colonel doesn’t take any stock in Lenning’s trying to act square -with everybody. He’d rather watch a game of baseball than eat, but he’d -never let himself get carried away to the extent that he’d overlook a -grouch or forget an injury. He’s a pretty fine old fellow, too, if you -come at him on the right side.” - -Talking occasionally, but more often pounding along the trail in -silence, the boys at last came to Dolliver’s lonely little cabin. They -had hardly drawn rein before the rancher stepped through his front door. - -“Put up yore critters, boys,” said he, “an’ then come into the house. -It won’t take me long to tell ye what I left out in palavering over the -phone.” - -With that, Dolliver stepped back through his front door. - -“Pretty short about it,” remarked Frank. - -“He’s worked up about something,” said Blunt. “He hasn’t any time for -the extra frills when he’s bothered like that.” - -They rode around the cabin to the corral, stripped the riding gear from -their horses, and turned the animals into the small inclosure. A moment -later, they were inside the house, occupying a couple of chairs and -facing the rancher. - -Dolliver had his pipe going, and his eyes were glittering strangely. - -“Reckon ye’re some s’prised to be brought out here like this, eh?” he -asked. - -“Well, a little,” Frank acknowledged. - -“Why’d ye come on such scant information?” - -“Mainly because you gave us the information, Dolliver.” - -“That’s you!” said Dolliver, with something like a cackle in his hairy -throat. “Merriwell, ye’re plumb queer. I figgered that out some weeks -back, when ye was up to Tinaja Wells, in camp. When a feller does ye -dirt, ye don’t allers hide out in the bresh with a gun and wait fer him -to come trompin’ by. Not you! Ye lay fer him with the glad hand, if -he’ll only give ye half a chance. Blunt knows that,” he added -significantly. - -The red leaped into the cowboy’s face, and then slowly faded. - -“I was a fool,” the cowboy grunted. “Chip didn’t lay for me with the -glad hand, either--not so you could notice. He licked me good and -proper, right over there in Mohave Cañon. I needed the trimming.” - -“Keno! And ye got what ye needed, Barzy. Ever since then ye’ve been -purty sensible.” Again a smothered chuckle sounded in the rancher’s -tanned throat. “Merriwell,” he continued, smoothing down the fire in his -pipe with his thumb, “I hear ye’re purty soon to leave these parts, but -I want to tell ye that ye’ve done a man’s work since ye’ve been in -Ophir.” - -“Don’t lay it on too thick, Dolliver,” Frank laughed. “I’ve made a few -friends down this way, I guess, but they had as much to do with that as -I had.” - -“Mebbyso, mebbyso,” and the wave the rancher gave his hand signified -that he had some opinions of his own on that matter. “But this palaver -ain’t gittin’ us fur on the road ye’ve got ter travel.” - -“Who asked you to send that message to us?” Frank asked. - -“Ye ain’t goin’ to know it till ye find it out,” replied Dolliver. “I -reckon that’s plain, ain’t it?” - -“Yes, I suppose so; but when are we to find it out?” - -“Purty quick. I opine ye know Mohave Cañon about as well as the next -one, eh? Anyways, it’s plain to you betwixt here and Tinaja Wells?” - -“I’ve gone over it enough so I ought to know it.” - -“Correct. Well, I’m powerful glad ye brought Barzy along. Ye’re the two -fellers that chap asked for. ‘If ye can’t git Merriwell,’ says he, ‘git -Blunt.’ Fust choice was you, an’ next was Barzy. Ye’re to leave yer -ridin’ stock with me an’ travel up the cañon afoot. That’s all.” - -“Where are we to go?” asked Frank, puzzled. - -“Ye’re to keep goin’ till some un stops ye. I couldn’t tell ye a thing -more if I was ter be hung fer it. Better be movin’, boys. I don’t know -whether there’s any time ter waste or not, but I opine not.” - -Without delaying further, Merry and Blunt left the cabin, crossed the -main wagon road, and struck into the bridle path that led through the -cañon. So far from clearing the mystery, Dolliver had only deepened it -by his few remarks. - -“I’d like to know what we’re up against,” grumbled Blunt, as he and -Merry trudged onward between the high, rugged walls of the defile. - -“I guess we’ll find out before we go very far,” Merriwell answered. - -In this he was correct. They had hardly put more than a mile between -them and Dolliver’s when a voice hailed them from behind a mass of -bowlders at the foot of the clifflike wall on their left. - -They halted, recognizing the voice that had called to them and yet -wondering if their imagination was playing them a prank. But they were -not mistaken. A form appeared around the edge of the pile of bowlders--a -form that they recognized at once. - -“Lenning!” Merriwell exclaimed. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -PLAYING IN HARD LUCK. - - -Jode Lenning’s face was pinched and haggard. He was also wearing a suit -of clothes in which Merriwell had never seen him before, and yet which -struck an oddly familiar note in Merriwell’s memory. - -Frank had suspected that this mysterious call from Dolliver might have -something to do with Lenning; but that he and Blunt should find him, -hiding in Mohave Cañon and apparently disguised, furnished most of the -surprise that entered into the situation. - -“Come over here, Chip, you and Blunt,” Lenning called. “I’ve got -something to tell you, and there are a good many reasons why we should -not do our talking in the cañon trail.” - -The cowboy was plainly bewildered. His brows knotted into a frown, and -silently he followed Merriwell to the heap of bowlders. - -“We can look each way from here,” Lenning said nervously, “and we can -see whoever comes in time to get out of sight before they get close to -these rocks.” - -“Who are you expecting, Jode?” Frank asked. - -“Shoup,” was the answer, “and a fellow who is with him and is called -Geohegan. They’ll come, I’m pretty sure.” - -“Shoup! What makes you think he’s still in this part of the country?” - -“I’ve got plenty of reason for thinking so,” said Lenning angrily. -“Before I talk more about him, though, just tell me what’s happened, -will you?” - -“What’s happened?” repeated Frank. “Where?” - -“In Ophir. Hasn’t something happened there recently?” - -“Two things have happened,” spoke up Blunt, his face dark with doubt and -suspicion of Lenning. “One happened yesterday and the other this -morning. You borrowed a horse from Burke and went for a long ride--but -you didn’t come back. Then----” - -“I’ll tell you about that,” broke in Lenning eagerly. “What happened -this morning?” - -“The stage from Gold Hill was held up.” - -“That’s it, that’s it,” Lenning half whispered, dropping a trembling -hand on the cowboy’s arm. “Do they think I had anything to do with -holding up the stage? That’s what I want to know.” - -Blunt studied the haggard face before him and looked into the shifty, -dark eyes. His voice was less hard as he went on. - -“There were two of the robbers, and one of them looked like you, -Lenning. What’s more, he rode a horse that answers the description of -Burke’s.” - -Lenning struck his hands together sharply. - -“So that’s what he tried to do!” he muttered fiercely; “that was his -game all along! Isn’t there any chance at all for a fellow who wants to -do right--who’s trying to clear his record? I suppose, now, that -everybody thinks Jode Lenning is up to his old tricks, and was one of -those who robbed the stage?” Lifting himself high above the bowlders, -Lenning looked up and down the cañon. “I wish they’d come!” he gritted. -“Why can’t they come now?” - -At that moment, doubtless, Blunt had the same idea that ran through -Merriwell’s brain. Lenning seemed “flighty” and out of his head. Had his -troubles unbalanced him? - -“Don’t fret about anything, Jode,” said Frank. “Take things easy. There -are a lot of fellows, back in Ophir, who feel sure you hadn’t anything -to do with robbing the stage. Why did you leave the mine? Where did you -go, and why did you take the dynamite?” - -A flicker of a smile crossed Lenning’s face. - -“It won’t take long to explain all that, Chip,” said he, dropping down -below the top of the pile of bowlders again. “Do you remember, several -weeks ago, when Colonel Hawtrey put in a charge of dynamite near our -camp in the gulch? He had discovered evidences of mineral, and I put -down the hole for him and he loaded it. That blast was never set off. -You know why. Well, while I’ve been at the Ophir Mine I’ve been thinking -of that mineral ‘prospect,’ and I made up my mind to set off the charge -and see what it would uncover. That’s why I borrowed Burke’s horse for a -long ride, and that’s why I took the dynamite.” - -“That explanation is simple, sure enough,” Frank laughed. “The mouth of -the gulch isn’t very far from here, and the place where the colonel -began his blasting operations isn’t much farther. You went there, put -more dynamite and a capped fuse on top of the other charge, and then set -off the load?” - -“That’s what I did, Chip.” - -“What did you find?” - -Lenning pushed one hand into his pocket and drew out a small piece of -ore. The ore was white quartz, powdered thickly with yellow specks. - -“Great guns!” gasped Blunt, staring. “Say, if you’ve found much of that, -Lenning, you’ve got a big thing.” - -“Yes, if it belonged to me. But it doesn’t. It belongs to the colonel.” - -“It belongs to the fellow that gets his monuments up first, and files -his location. If the colonel hasn’t done that, Lenning, the claim is as -much yours as his.” - -“It’s the colonel’s by right of discovery,” asserted Lenning, “and I’m -not going to try and beat him out in locating it. All I wanted to set -off the charge for was to satisfy my curiosity. I reckon I’ve explained -why I left the mine, haven’t I? It doesn’t look much as though I had -planned to hold up the stage, does it?” - -“No,” said Frank. - -“You have explained why you left the mine,” spoke up Blunt, “but you -haven’t explained why you didn’t go back.” - -“Look here.” Lenning held out his hands close together. The wrists were -red and swollen. “And look here.” He caught hold of the side of the coat -he was wearing. “Can’t you guess anything from all that?” he asked. - -“We don’t want to do any guessing, Jode,” returned Frank kindly, “what -we want are the facts.” - -Once more Lenning straightened erect and looked searchingly up and down -the defile. He discovered nothing, and quickly dropped down again by the -side of Merriwell and Blunt. - -“This is what happened,” said he. “I set off the blast. After that I -went down into the bottom of the gulch to get Burke’s horse. Naturally, -I had secured the animal at a good safe distance from the place where I -was exploding the dynamite. Two fellows jumped at me from the -chaparral--one of them was Shoup and the other was this chap, Geohegan. -They threw me down, and for a few moments I was stunned. When I got my -wits back Shoup was covering me with a revolver. He ordered me to remove -my clothes. When I had done that, Geohegan drew a bead on me while Shoup -removed his own clothes and got into mine. Then I was made to put on -Shoup’s garments, and the two tied me hand and foot and left me. When -they came, I reckon they had only one horse between them; but, when they -left, each had a mount, for Shoup had taken Burke’s horse. You believe -me?” Lenning broke off to ask. “I know it’s a fishy story, but it’s the -truth. I don’t want you to think that I’m lying.” - -Blunt remained silent, clearly incredulous. Frank, however, had -confidence in Lenning and felt sure he was telling the truth. - -“Go on with the rest of it, Jode,” said he. “It’s a strange yarn, but it -rings true.” - -“Things happened early in the afternoon, yesterday,” Lenning proceeded. -“Those scoundrels left me bound and helpless, and I remained right on -the spot where they had dropped me for the rest of that afternoon and -all night.” - -Lenning shivered, and a light of horror rose in his shifty eyes. - -“I’m a coward,” he whispered. “No one can know what I suffered, all -through those black hours of the night, lying helpless on the slope of -the gulch wall. I yelled and shouted for help, but of course there was -no one within miles of me. I was afraid some prowling mountain lion -would spring upon me, or a wild cat or--or--I can’t begin to tell you of -all the things I was afraid of. And yet I had to lie there all through -the night, every minute an hour and every hour an eternity. When dawn -came, I began to have a little nerve, and when the sun rose I began to -think about trying harder to free myself. It was astonishingly easy, -when I once got around to it.” - -“How did you do it?” queried Blunt. - -“Well, I twisted and rolled up the slope until I reached some of the -rocks that had been thrown out by the blast. They had jagged corners, -sharp as a knife. I turned on my back and scraped the ropes that bound -my hands against the ledge of one of the broken fragments. Pretty soon I -had freed my hands. It did not take me long after that to get the ropes -off my feet. Then I started for Dolliver’s. I had it in mind to -telephone from there to Mr. Bradlaugh, so that he would know why I had -been delayed. You see,” and a bitter smile played about Lenning’s lips, -“I had a notion Burke might think I had stolen his horse and run away. I -didn’t know anything about the stage robbery, although I felt positive -Shoup and Geohegan were up to something unlawful, and were going to try -and make it appear as though I had a hand in it. The sun was high, the -forenoon was more than half gone, and I was in a hurry to reach -Dolliver’s and telephone to Mr. Bradlaugh. - -“But I was weak as a cat, Merriwell. I had brought a lunch with me from -the mine and had eaten it at noon. Of course I had had no supper or -breakfast, and the horrors of the night were pretty well calculated to -wear me out. It took me some time to get down the cañon, and I was less -than halfway to Dolliver’s when I heard a sound of galloping. I thought -at once that Shoup and Geohegan were coming back to look after me, and -crawled out of sight among the rocks. Then,” and Lenning laughed -huskily, “luck began to turn my way.” - -“What happened?” asked Frank, absorbed in Lenning’s recital. - -“About the strangest thing you could imagine, Chip,” replied Lenning; -“something that’s stranger even than what I’ve already told you. Shoup -and Geohegan were really coming up the cañon, and each had a bag in -front of his horse. They stopped within a stone’s throw of where I was -hiding, hid the two bags among the bowlders, and then mounted and rode -on as fast as they could. I thought they were going to see what had -become of me, but possibly I was mistaken. If they had only gone to the -gulch, they would have been back long before this. People say I’m a good -schemer. Well, I did some scheming then. First I changed the two bags -from where Shoup and Geohegan had left them, then I went on to -Dolliver’s and told him what I wanted him to do. He gave me something to -eat, and I rushed back here. And here I’ve been ever since, waiting for -you to come--and for Shoup and Geohegan to show up.” - -“What if Shoup and Geohegan do show up?” asked Blunt. - -“We’ll capture them,” answered Lenning fiercely. “The three of us could -turn the trick.” - -“Where are the bags, Lenning?” queried Merriwell. - -“Around back of this pile of bowlders. This way, if you want to see -them.” - -He stumbled around the base of the huge rock pile, Merriwell and Blunt -following him. In the narrow space between the rocks and the foot of the -steep cañon wall lay the two mail bags. They had not, as yet, been -tampered with in any way. - -Here was evidence of the truth of Lenning’s wild story--evidence that -could not be doubted. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -A FRUITLESS VIGIL. - - -Lenning certainly had been playing in hard luck. He had started into the -hills with the very innocent idea of setting off a blast in the gulch, -and fate had played him a scurvy trick by bringing down on him two -scoundrels like Shoup and Geohegan. Toward the end of Lenning’s weird -experience, however, fortune had smiled, and the plunder secured by the -road agents had fallen into his hands. - -“You’ve had a pretty tough time of it, Jode,” said Merriwell, his eyes -on the mail bags, “but you’ve made a star play in getting back this -government property. Great work! There was about one chance in a -thousand that these mail pouches would come close enough for you to get -a whack at them, but the chance came your way and you made the most of -it. Where did Shoup and Geohegan unload the sacks?” - -“Across the cañon, a little farther up,” Lenning replied. - -“And you toted ’em down here and stowed ’em in a different place so as -to hold ’em out on the measly junipers?” asked Blunt, his sloe-black -eyes beginning to glow. - -“Yes.” - -“And, according to your notion, Shoup and Geohegan will surely return -for their loot, at which time you, and Chip, and I will make a surround -and take a little of the deputy sheriff’s work off his hands?” - -“That’s what I was thinking.” - -“_Bueno!_ All that makes the biggest kind of a hit with me. Chip, those -two curs will certainly come back after the bags, and we can work -through the program just as Lenning has chalked it up. It’s a great -plan, by thunder!” - -“It’s a plan for the deputy sheriff,” said Merriwell, “and he’s the -fellow who ought to be on the job. Why didn’t you figure it that way, -Jode?” he asked. “Why did you send for Blunt and me, instead of -Hawkins?” - -Lenning swerved his eyes quickly to Merriwell. - -“You understand, don’t you, that I had to have my two best friends?” he -asked. “I couldn’t take chances with Hawkins, nor with any one else. Had -the deputy sheriff found me here, like this, with both mail bags in my -possession, his first move would have been to arrest me for holding up -the stage. My record is against me; circumstances are against me. -Hawkins would never swallow that yarn I gave you fellows.” - -“I reckon that’s correct,” agreed Blunt. “You had to make something of a -mystery out of that telephone message to Chip in order to play safe.” - -“That’s it,” Lenning nodded. “I only wanted two to come, because two -would be enough for my work here. I wanted those two to be my best -friends, so they’d take my word as to what had happened. I didn’t want -Chip to know who had sent for him, or to tell anybody where he was -going, because, if the news got out, some one else who wasn’t so -friendly might have taken it into their heads to come to the cañon and -interview me. I had to fight shy of that.” - -“By glory,” breathed Blunt, “but you’ve sure got a head for plans! You -worked through that complicated puzzle with ground to spare.” - -“I guess you sabe, all right,” pursued Lenning grimly, “that if you were -not friends of mine you’d say right off that I’d told you a -cock-and-bull story, and that I was really one of the thieves, but that -I had lost my nerve and was trying to pull out of a bad scrape without -taking any of the consequences.” - -“We’re a good way from thinking that, Jode,” said Merriwell earnestly. - -“I’m no end grateful to you for hanging on to your confidence in me. -There are others, though, who won’t be so considerate. I can’t go back -to Ophir without taking Shoup and Geohegan along. Understand? If I do, I -shall be arrested. I’ve figured that all out, and know what I’ve got to -do.” - -Merriwell and Blunt had not looked at the affair from this angle. They -were not slow to perceive that Lenning was right, however. His record, -in the matter of the robbery, had to be cleared by the capture of the -real robbers, or he would surely be regarded with suspicion himself. - -“You’re right, Lenning,” declared Merriwell, his face taking on a -resolute cast, “we shall have to capture Shoup and Geohegan. The next -question is, how are we to do it? Are you armed?” - -“No.” - -“Neither are we. Undoubtedly the two road agents are pretty well heeled. -There are three of us and only two of them, but, with guns, they’ll have -far and away the best of it, unless----” - -Merriwell’s voice trailed away into silence and he dropped his head -thoughtfully. - -“Unless what, pard?” said Blunt. - -“Why,” and Frank looked up, “unless we can use a little strategy. If we -can engineer a bit of a surprise, perhaps we could capture those fellows -before they have a chance to draw their weapons and shoot.” - -“Now you’re shouting, Chip!” jubilated the cowboy. “Strategy, that’s -the thing. Let’s hatch up something and then slam it at those junipers -before they sabe what we’re about.” - -This was the idea, and the three lads fell to work on it without delay. -They finally concluded that they would watch and listen vigilantly, and -when they heard or saw the road agents approaching they would hustle -across the cañon to the place where the mail bags had originally been -left. There they would hide themselves, leap out on the thieves when -they bent to pick up the sacks, and trust to strength, and quickness, -and the surprise of the attack to accomplish their purpose. - -It seemed like a desperate plan, although Barzy Blunt chuckled over it -and appeared to consider it a joke more than anything else. Merriwell, -although fully resolved, had grave apprehensions regarding the outcome. -Lenning was almost panic-stricken, but his needs were great enough to -master his fears. - -For the rest of the afternoon the lads took turns scanning the cañon -from the top of the pile of bowlders. The evening shadows began to -lengthen, and Blunt suggested that some one go to Dolliver’s after food. - -It was decided that the cowboy should make the trip. Lenning begged him -to hurry, for, if Shoup and Geohegan should come while he was away, the -plan for a capture might fail because there were only two left to carry -it out. - -Blunt was gone only half an hour. It had been an anxious half hour for -Merriwell and Lenning, but it had passed without bringing any sign of -the two road agents. - -“I told Dolliver what we were up to,” said Blunt, while he and his -companions were eating the cold rations he had brought. “He’s a good old -scout, that Dolliver person, and he wished us all sorts of luck. Said -if we didn’t make our capture before morning he’d tote breakfast for -three up the cañon.” - -“If anything at all happens,” returned Merriwell, “it will happen before -morning.” - -“That’s my notion to a t-y, ty,” agreed the cowboy. - -A long and fruitless vigil followed. The lads took turn about doing -guard duty, and while one kept on the alert, the other two slept. - -Frank had his turn at sentry-go about midnight. It wasn’t a particularly -pleasant piece of work. - -The bottom of the cañon was as dark as a pocket. Overhead was a broad -streak of sky, glittering with stars, edged by the jagged crests of the -cañon’s walls. - -The silence that reigned in the depths of the defile was intense. The -heavy breathing of Blunt and Lenning seemed to rumble around the rock -pile, and even the ticking of Frank’s watch grew in volume until it -equaled that of an eight-day clock. - -Now and then the weird quiet was broken by the distant wail of a -panther, or the far-off yelp of a coyote. During the three hours of -Frank’s watch, however, no hoofbeats sounded among the rocks, and no -human prowlers came in quest of the mail bags. - -It was three in the morning when Frank roused Blunt to relieve him. The -cowboy got up with a yawn. - -“Anything happened, Chip?” he asked. - -“No.” - -“Blamed queer! I can’t understand why those two holdup men leave their -loot for so long.” - -“I can’t, either. Maybe they’re having a hard time dodging Hawkins and -his posse.” - -“Like enough. Hawkins is a regular bloodhound when he strikes a -criminal’s trail. I hope we’re able to accomplish something here, just -on Lenning’s account. He had it about right when he said he’d only have -to show himself in Ophir to be arrested. The fact that he was found with -the mail bags would be enough to land him in jail. Say, he’s up against -it for fair.” - -“He’s playing in the hardest kind of luck, Barzy, and no mistake,” Frank -agreed. - -“He’s got a fight on his hands if he ever clears his record.” - -“That’s the fight he’s been making ever since he broke with Billy Shoup. -Whenever he takes a step forward and begins to hope he’ll win out, -something happens to make him slip back. Everybody’s so darned anxious -to believe the worst of him.” - -“That’s what a fellow gets for having a black past. People, as a rule, -judge a man by what he was, and not so much by what he is or what he’s -trying to be. That yarn Lenning sprang on us to account for his failure -to get back to the mine, and for the way he got hold of the mail bags, -was certainly a beaut. Not more than two in a million would have taken -any stock in it, but Lenning sure picked the two. Even at that, Chip, -now and then a doubt comes sneaking into my head.” - -“What sort of a doubt?” - -“Why, that Lenning is putting one over on us, somehow. I know I hadn’t -ought to have any suspicions, but a fellow can’t always help what he -thinks.” - -“Don’t turn against Lenning, Barzy,” urged Merriwell. “Before long -something will happen to prove that he’s given us the right of it. The -mail bags come pretty nearly proving that he has told the truth, I -think.” - -“I’ll hang on to Lenning as long as you do, pard,” said the cowboy. -“Now, find a nice soft rock, curl up, and catch your forty winks. I’ll -keep a lookout for the road agents.” - -It was several minutes before Frank dozed off. His bed was hard and far -from comfortable, but he slept soundly, nevertheless. When he awoke -there was a sound of voices in his ears, and the sun was looking over -the rim of the eastern wall of the defile. He sat up. Dolliver was -standing at the base of the bowlder heap, talking with Blunt and -Lenning. - -“Here’s news, Chip,” jubilated the cowboy, looking around. “Dolliver -brings our breakfast, and also a report he just received over the phone -from town. What do you think has happened?” - -“I’m not in shape to guess conundrums, Barzy,” Frank answered. “What’s -the news?” - -“Hawkins and his posse have captured Shoup and Geohegan--and Shoup was -wearing Lenning’s clothes and riding a sorrel with a white forward foot. -How’s that?” - -“Bully!” cried Frank, and the next moment he was on his feet with a -cheer. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -RISING HOPES. - - -The skies were brightening for Jode Lenning. His story of what had -happened in the gulch has been borne out by the capture of the road -agents and by the discovery that Shoup was wearing Lenning’s clothes and -riding Burke’s horse. Blunt was beaming and Lenning was radiant. - -“Ye’ve had yer fuss around this rock pile all fer nothin’,” remarked -Dolliver. - -“Glad of it,” Frank laughed. “Where did Hawkins catch those fellows, -Dolliver?” - -“On the trail between here and Ophir. Shoup an’ t’other chap are -swearin’ by all they’re worth that they don’t know a thing about the -holdup, but Burke’s hoss an’ Lenning’s clothes are two things Shoup -can’t explain. Hawkins is now trying to get the road agents to tell what -they done with the mail bags. They won’t tell. I opine they think they -stand a show to dodge the consequences if they keep mum about that -missin’ mail.” - -“We’ll get the bags to town as soon as possible,” said Frank. - -“Good idee,” approved Dolliver. “Put away this here grub, fust thing, -then come down to my shack an’ git yore hosses.” - -“Did you telephone anything about the mail bags, Dolliver?” asked -Lenning. - -“Nary a word. I jest kept all that was goin’ on here to myself. You -fellers can explain about the mail bags. It’s none o’ my put in.” - -There were three happy youngsters who sat at the foot of the bowlder -heap that morning and ate the grub Dolliver had brought to them. A -cheerful mind is a good appetizer, and the lads were not long in -cleaning up the supply of food. After that the mail bags were -shouldered, and the return to Dolliver’s was made. - -On the way down the cañon the boys acquainted the rancher with many -matters of which he had been in ignorance. The story told by Lenning was -gone over for his benefit, and struck as hard a blow at his credulity as -it had at Merriwell’s and Blunt’s. But recent events had clinched the -truth of the yarn, so all Dolliver could do was to believe and marvel. - -“Sounds purty far-fetched, an’ that’s a fact,” declared the rancher, -“but ye can’t dodge facts, not noways. Everything’s workin’ around purty -good fer you, Lenning. I’m glad as blazes that I made up my mind to help -ye with that telephonin’ yesterday. There was one spell that I reckoned -I hadn’t better have anythin’ ter do with ye; then, when it kinder -struck me how Merriwell was yore friend, and that his jedgment was a -heap better’n the ordinary run, I jest nat’rally made up my mind ter do -what I could.” - -“I’m obliged to you, Dolliver,” said Lenning. - -“Let it go at that. I’m a rough old propersition, I reckon, but I like -ter help a feller when he’s down. An’ you was purty well down, wasn’t -ye, when ye stuck yer head in at my door yesterday an’ asked would I -send that myster’ous message ter town?” - -“I was,” said Lenning, with emphasis. - -“So I allowed,” and the chuckle sounded in the rancher’s hairy throat. - -Once at the ranch, Frank and Blunt lost little time getting their horses -under saddle. - -“One of us will have to carry the mail bags, Barzy,” said Frank, “and -one of us will have to carry Lenning.” - -“You let Lenning ride with you, Chip,” the cowboy suggested. “This -cayuse of mine never carried double, and I don’t know how he’d act. I’ll -agree to make him tote the mail bags, though. Got any rope, Dolliver?” - -Dolliver secured a reata, and Blunt used it to make the two bags fast -behind his saddle. When the cowboy mounted, his horse showed some temper -at the unaccustomed load at the saddle cantle by pitching and plunging. -It was not much of a fracas, and Blunt quickly got the animal steadied -down. - -“Takes quite a hoss ter git the best o’ you, Barzy,” grinned Dolliver. -“Ye can ride, boy.” - -Merriwell took Lenning up behind him. The latter, before they started, -reached out a grateful hand toward the rancher. - -“Some time, Dolliver,” said Lenning, “I hope I can do something for you. -Until that time comes, my thanks will have to be your pay.” - -“Shucks!” grunted Dolliver. “Think I have ter take money for every -blame’ thing? I don’t want nothin’ more. What I’d like a whole lot, -though, would be ter have a couple of friends like Merriwell an’ Blunt.” - -“You’ve got ’em, pard,” said the cowboy. “Eh, Chip? If you ever get in a -hole, send us a hurry-up call and we’ll come a-smokin’. Adios, -Dolliver.” - -“So long!” called Frank. - -Lenning waved his hand. Then, the next moment, both horses were -galloping along the trail toward Ophir. - -“I’m pulling out of this a good deal better than I thought I would,” -remarked Lenning. “I suppose I’ll have to get another job, though. Burke -wouldn’t hold my place at the tanks for me.” - -“That’s where you’re wrong,” Frank answered. “Mr. Bradlaugh told Burke -to give you the benefit of the doubt, and to let one of the mill hands -fill in as night watchman until you come back.” - -“Mr. Bradlaugh did that?” - -“Sure! I was around when he gave orders to the super.” - -“Then I’m mighty glad the general manager isn’t going to be disappointed -in me,” Lenning said, with a good deal of feeling. “That ball game, last -Saturday, made me a host of friends, Chip.” - -“Good friends and true!” declared Frank. “By work like this, up Mohave -Cañon, you’re making yourself solid with everybody, Jode.” - -“Things looked pretty dark for me for a while.” - -“I’ve heard folks tell that it’s always darkest just before day,” put in -the cowboy. “That’s the case with you, I reckon, Lenning.” - -It was a glorious morning. Arizona mornings, especially in early -December, are always glorious. Southern Arizona has the finest climate -in the world during the winter, and the finest part of every perfect day -comes directly after sunrise. - -Mile after mile rolled out from under the galloping hoofs of the horses. -For a long time the three lads rode in silence, and it was Lenning who -was first to speak. - -“I think, fellows,” said he, “that I had better go directly to the -mine.” - -“Of course,” Frank agreed. “What you want to do, Jode, is to slip into -your blankets at the bunk house and pound your ear good and hard. -To-night, I suppose, you’ll have to go on duty at the tanks.” - -“That’s right. The mail bags, though, ought to be taken into town as -soon as possible.” - -“I’ll see that they reach the post office in good shape,” said Barzy -Blunt. “I’m the fast mail between Dolliver’s and Ophir this morning,” he -added whimsically. “The mail’s twenty-four hours’ late, but it won’t -lose much more time while I’m getting it over the road.” - -“The professor’s check for twenty-five thousand ought to be in one of -those bags.” - -“Is that right?” asked Lenning. - -“Yes,” said young Merriwell. “Mr. Bradlaugh got a telegram saying the -payment for that mine in the Picketpost Mountains would be along -yesterday. The professor was scared stiff when he heard of the robbery. -He thought he had lost the money for good.” - -“You were waiting for the professor to close up his mining deal before -you left for the North, weren’t you?” went on Lenning. - -“That’s all that has been keeping us.” - -“Then I suppose you’ll be leaving pretty soon?” - -“Just as soon as we can.” - -Both Lenning and Blunt fell silent. They hated to think that Merriwell, -Clancy, and Ballard were presently to leave Ophir, and for good. - -Frank and his chums had made many friends during their stay in southern -Arizona, and, for Blunt and Lenning, at least, their going would leave a -big gap in the little mining town. - -“I hate to think of it, pard,” said the cowboy presently, in a subdued -tone. - -“Same here,” added Lenning, with just the barest shake in his voice. - -“You and your pards, Chip,” proceeded Blunt, “have done a whole lot for -athletics in this section of the Southwest. You blew in here, I -remember, with pretty nearly everybody down on you, but you started -right in and cleaned up on the unpopular sentiment. I reckon there -won’t be anybody but will hate to see you pull up stakes.” - -Frank was conscious of many regrets himself. Never would he forget the -clear, beautiful days, the happy friendships, or the exciting -experiences which he had encountered in that far-away corner of the -Southwest. - -“We’ve had a good time here, fellows,” said he, “but we didn’t come to -Ophir to camp down indefinitely. We have stayed a whole lot longer than -we intended. Clancy, Ballard, and I are on a roughing-it trip. The trip -was originally planned for six months, you know, but it may be longer -than that. You see, we’re missing school, and dad is a stickler about -having me keep up my studies along with the athletics. Professor -Borrodaile rather helped us over that part of the difficulty. He has -become our private tutor, and when we do get back to Farnham Hall, we’ll -be up with the rest of our class. Besides that, we’re having a whole lot -of fun that we shouldn’t have had otherwise. I’m sorry to leave Ophir, -but we’ve got to move--that’s all.” - -Again silence settled over the three boys. Barzy and Jode, no doubt, -were thinking of what they owed Chip Merriwell. They owed him a good -deal, too, for Frank was a true chip off the old block and had passed -around many of the teachings which had been handed down to him by his -illustrious father. - -Presently, almost before the boys dreamed they were so near, the croon -of the stamps at the mine broke on their ears. At the trail which forked -from the main road to lead to the mining camp, Frank and Jode turned, -leaving the cowboy to hustle on into town with the recovered mail -pouches. - -“I’ll report to King, the expert in charge of the cyanide works,” -Lenning said, after Merry had hitched Borak by the bunk house, “and -then I’ll hunt my blankets. Are you going to stop, Chip?” - -“I’ll just speak a word with Burke,” Frank answered. - -He accompanied Lenning toward the cyanide plant, climbing the slope that -led to the mill, and lingering near the long ore platform. Then he -watched while Lenning made his way to the laboratory building, -disappeared inside, and, after a few minutes, reappeared and climbed the -slope in Frank’s direction. - -Fate, at that moment, had once more taken Lenning’s affairs in hand. All -the details of an accident were forming, and the accident itself was -about to project itself suddenly into the peaceful activities of the -camp. - -Frank and Jode, as it chanced, were so placed at that moment as to -become active participants in the near tragedy which was about to be -launched. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -THE RUNAWAY ORE CAR. - - -Colonel Hawtrey got the better of Mr. Bradlaugh on the golf links that -Monday forenoon. This event, no doubt, pleased the colonel mightily, and -yet there was something at the back of the colonel’s consciousness which -disturbed him. - -Young Merriwell had come to him and had spoken a good word for the -colonel’s cast-off nephew. Rather brusquely the colonel had refused to -meet Merriwell’s advances on Lenning’s behalf. This, as Hawtrey fondly -assured himself, was because the Lenning matter was less an affair of -pride than of principle. Yet, for all that, the colonel was sorry that -he had been so unyielding. - -After Merriwell had left the golf links with Burke and Clancy, Professor -Borrodaile had appeared excitedly and announced the robbery of the -stage. Instantly, Colonel Hawtrey had thought of Lenning’s mysterious -absence from the mine, and, almost as quickly, he had settled it to his -own satisfaction that Lenning must have had a hand in the robbery. - -So far from making the colonel contented on the score of turning a deaf -ear to Merriwell’s plea for Lenning, the information about the robbery -and the colonel’s deductions merely disquieted him the more. - -In the afternoon Colonel Hawtrey went back to his home in Gold Hill. -Here he came directly under the influence of his other nephew, Ellis -Darrel. - -Darrel, at one time, had occupied a position almost identical with -Lenning’s at that moment. There was this difference, however, that -Darrel’s hands were clean of any crooked work. He had been plotted -against, and the colonel had cast him off unjustly. - -Merriwell, believing in Darrel, had helped him to regain his place in -his uncle’s regard. And now Darrel, perhaps influenced by Merriwell’s -example, was trying to befriend his half brother, Lenning. - -The colonel and Darrel had had many talks regarding Lenning. In these -interviews Darrel had tried to patch up the differences between the -colonel and Jode. In this he had no success whatever. The colonel had -finally forbidden Darrel to mention Lenning’s name. - -Back from his game with Mr. Bradlaugh, and thoroughly ill-humored -because of his disturbing thoughts about Lenning, the colonel repaired -to his study. Here Darrel met him and attempted to broach the forbidden -subject of his half brother. - -“That will do, Ellis!” cried the colonel sharply. “I want no more of -your views on the subject of Jode. He has proved himself a crook and a -coward--two classes of people I have no use for whatever.” - -“I am only asking you to give him a chance, Uncle Alvah,” pleaded -Darrel. - -“Merriwell seems to be taking good care of Jode. As for a chance, why, -the young scoundrel will have to make his own chances for himself. If he -could only prove that he had a little courage, a little honesty. I might -feel differently toward him. But he’s a coward, he has a yellow -streak--and that makes him a disgrace to the family.” - -“Then you won’t----” - -“I’ll not discuss this any longer with you,” snapped the colonel, and -flung himself into a chair and picked up a paper. - -Later in the day news came to Gold Hill that the two road agents who -had held up the stage had been seen in Bitter Root Cañon, and one of -them rode a sorrel horse with a white stocking foot and was believed to -be Lenning. - -“I don’t doubt it,” growled the colonel. “Is there no depth to Lenning’s -baseness? If he is bound to pile disgrace upon disgrace, I wish, for the -sake of the rest of us, he would migrate to some other part of the -country.” - -“I doubt the report, colonel,” said Darrel stoutly. “Jode has turned -over a new leaf and he is trying honestly to live down the past. He had -no hand in that robbery.” - -“What means his absence from the mine?” cried the colonel heatedly. “Put -two and two together, Ellis! For Heaven’s sake, don’t try to appear so -dense. Lenning was seen in the cañon, near where the stage was -robbed--and he was riding a horse that answers the description of -Burke’s.” - -“Blunt and Ballard _thought_ Lenning was the fellow they saw,” qualified -Darrel. “They weren’t sure of it.” - -“Well, I’m sure of it, so we’ll let it go at that.” - -The irascible old colonel went to bed that night in a bad temper. He did -not sleep, however, but lay and tossed restlessly. Visions came to -him--visions of Jode and of his only sister, Jode’s mother. In these -midnight fancies the face of Jode was haggard and repentant, and the -face of the mother was pitiful and pleading. Finally, along toward -morning, the colonel could bear his thoughts no longer. - -He got up and, for two or three hours, he paced the confines of his -bedroom. Something was urging him to probe the facts in Jode’s case. He -remembered that he had promised Burke he would visit the mine and -settle for the horse and the riding gear. Why not go to the mine that -morning? - -When Ellis Darrel came down to breakfast, he discovered that his uncle -had gone away. Blixen, the most spirited driving horse in the stable, -had been put to the road wagon, and Colonel Hawtrey had been last seen -making for the Ophir trail. - -“It’s something about Jode that’s taking him in that direction,” thought -Darrel happily. “The old chap isn’t so hard-hearted as he wants me to -think.” - -All the way along the trail through Bitter Root Cañon Blixen gave the -colonel a handful. The horse had not been out of the stable for two or -three days, and was even more spirited and hard to manage than usual. -Perhaps it was a good thing for the colonel that Blixen took all his -attention. He had no leisure for disagreeable thoughts about Lenning. - -The journey from Gold Hill to Ophir had not absorbed much of Blixen’s -surplus energy, for he tore through the latter town at a tremendous -clip. Hawtrey had to twist the reins around his hands and curb the -plunging roadster with all his strength. - -When well out of Ophir and close to the mine, the colonel passed Barzy -Blunt, galloping the other way, with two bags roped behind him to the -back of his horse. The colonel was too busy with Blixen to get a good -look at the bags. Blunt shouted something to him as they rapidly passed -each other, but he could not distinguish the words. - -With a grind of wheels the road wagon lurched into the mining camp and -up to the door of the headquarters adobe. A Mexican stood at the door. - -“Where is the superintendent?” the colonel inquired. - -“Him gone to stamp mill,” was the answer. - -The colonel turned and started to drive up the slope toward the head of -the mill. In taking this move it was necessary for him to cross the -narrow railroad track by which loaded ore cars were carried full to the -ore platform and empty away from it. To understand clearly what took -place, a little description of the method of delivering ore to the Ophir -Mill will be necessary. - -The ore cars were of iron and supplied with suitable brakes. They were -filled at the various shaft houses and drawn by teams up the incline to -the ore platform. Here the teams were taken away, the brakes on the cars -were set, and the wheels blocked with stones, and the unloading begun. -When the unloading was finished, the blocking was knocked away, and the -cars slid down the sleep slope of their own momentum. - -The track at the head of the mill formed a loop. Thus the empty cars, -when released, rolled down the hill and back to the main track before -their momentum was lost. - -This morning, in some mysterious manner, a loaded car broke away and -started down the incline. The brakes on the car had not been set--which -was an infringement of the rules--and the teamster who had left the car -in position for unloading had been content merely to block the wheels. - -Fate worked out many little details in bringing about the near tragedy -that morning, and this matter of the runaway car was but one of them. -The colonel, just as the car broke loose and began slipping slowly down -the steep grade, was driving across the rails, far below, planning to -come up the slope to the mill by the wagon road. - -In some manner a forward wheel caught in one of the rails. Blixen, -impatient of the sudden and unexpected pull on the traces, stopped and -began to back. A shout from somewhere, booming clearly above the roar of -the stamps, apprised the colonel of his danger from the ore car. - -Snatching the whip from its socket, he struck Blixen sharply. The horse -plunged ahead, breaking away from the carriage. The colonel, by the pull -on the lines, was dragged over the dashboard and flung across the -tracks. His limp hand released the reins, and Blixen raced on among the -buildings and ore dumps of the camp. - -But the colonel, stunned by his rough contact with the iron rail, lay -unconscious across the track. He was in deadly peril. There was no one -near enough to drag him out of his dangerous predicament, and the heavy -ore car was plunging toward him at frightful speed. - -Burke, coming suddenly out upon the ore platform at the head of the -mill, gasped as he stared downward and took in the tragic scene. The -next moment, he groaned and staggered back. - -“Nothing can save him!” he cried huskily. “The runaway car will grind -him to pieces!” - -But the superintendent was wrong in his conclusions. At the very moment -the car broke from its moorings, Merriwell was standing beside the -track, halfway down the hill. He was waiting for Lenning to climb to his -side from the laboratory building. - -Lenning, having seen Burke come to the ore platform, changed his course. -Instead of making straight toward Merriwell, who was part way down the -hillside, he started for the crest of the hill at the place where Burke -had appeared. - -He was close to the track, a little below the ore platform, when the -runaway car came charging down the grade. Merriwell was perhaps three -hundred feet below him. Far below Merriwell, lying unconscious across -the rails, was Colonel Hawtrey. Lenning, his ears accustomed to the roar -of the stamps, heard and distinguished the stricken, hopeless cry of the -super from the platform above. And then, in a flash, the outcast nephew -planned a move which might save his uncle. - -“The switch!” he yelled, motioning with his hands. “The switch, -Merriwell! _Throw it!_” - -Merriwell, although frantically alive to the colonel’s danger, yet -managed to keep his wits about him. Ten feet below him was a switch by -which cars were sometimes placed upon a short spur track. If Merry could -throw the switch before the car reached it, the car would be hurled to -the siding and the colonel would be saved. - -But, as Merry quickly realized, the car was coming so rapidly that the -switch could not be thrown before the leaping ore carrier was past the -spur. Then Merry realized something else. - -Utterly oblivious of danger to himself, Jode Lenning had crouched beside -the rails and then leaped recklessly at the flying car. Fortune favored -him. Although cruelly buffeted by his landing on the loaded ore, Lenning -gained the car and laid hands on the brake. Then, to Merriwell, Jode’s -purpose became clear. Jode would put on the brakes, thus slackening the -car’s speed and giving Merriwell time to throw the switch. - -The next moment Merry had flung himself at the target and twisted the -hand lever. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -THE YELLOW STREAK GONE. - - -All this had happened in a very brief space of time. The many details -which, combined, made the accident possible, stretched over a period of -some duration, but the accident itself passed from beginning to -conclusion in a few ticks of a watch. - -Sick and unnerved, Merriwell leaned against the target. The screech of -the ore car’s wheels rasped wildly in his ears. He had a glimpse of the -runaway ore carrier sliding from the loop track to the switch, with Jode -kneeling on the ore and clinging to the brake wheel. - -The next instant Merriwell realized that Jode, by his daring work, had -plunged himself into a fresh catastrophe. - -The spur track was short and lay on level ground. There was no barrier -at the end of it, but a plunge downward for half a dozen feet right from -the ends of the rails. Lenning, with the car and its load, must take -that plunge! - -The events of Lenning’s past life were such as to lead people to believe -that he was a coward, and had a yellow streak. Yet how could that be -when he voluntarily threw himself into terrible danger to save his -uncle? - -Under Merriwell’s horrified eyes the ore car sped out to the end of the -spur and dived downward. Not a cry escaped Lenning as, white-faced and -rigid, he tipped off into space with the load of ore. - -Colonel Hawtrey was himself a witness of his nephew’s plunge from the -end of the spur track. His senses returned to him quickly and he lifted -himself on one elbow. As it chanced, his eyes were fixed on the spot -where Jode and the car were shooting off into space from the spur. - -Burke was another eyewitness. Quickly as he could come, he rushed down -the hill and hurried out to the end of the little siding. There he and -Merriwell stood together, looking down. - -The car lay bottom up on the ground below. The ore it had carried was -scattered widely. - -“Do you see him?” Burke whispered hoarsely in Merriwell’s ear. - -“Yes,” Merriwell answered, and forthwith began descending to the foot of -the slight slope. - -Lenning had been thrown quite a little distance from the car, and was -lying face downward in the sand and gravel. He was silent and -motionless. - -“Jode!” called Frank, kneeling beside him and touching his shoulder. - -There was no answer from the lad who had fought so hard to clear his -record. With a sinking sensation at his heart, Frank lifted Jode in his -arms and turned his face upward. His cheek and temple were gashed and -bleeding, and his eyes were closed. - -“Can’t he talk?” asked Burke. “Is he unconscious?” - -Frank nodded. “Let’s take him somewhere,” said he; “to the bunk house, -where we can get him on a bed. He must be badly hurt, Burke.” - -“I don’t see how he ever came through that alive!” muttered the -superintendent. - -A crowd had gathered, racing to the scene from the cyanide works, from -the blacksmith shop, from the mill. - -“That was the bravest thing I ever saw!” declared King, the cyanide -expert. “Is he going to live, Burke?” - -“Of course he’s going to live!” declared Frank, white-lipped but with a -voice of conviction. “What do you think now,” he added, “you fellows -that thought Jode was a thief and had a yellow streak?” - -“If he had ever had a yellow streak,” returned King, “he has wiped it -out for good and all.” - -“King,” said Burke quietly, “telephone to town for a doctor. The rest of -you men,” he added, “go back to your work. Everything possible will be -done for Lenning--I don’t need to tell you that. Come on, Merriwell,” he -finished, “and let’s get him to the bunk house.” - -As carefully as they could, Frank and the super lifted Lenning between -them and bore him away to the long, low building where the miners and -mill men had their sleeping quarters. - -They had hardly laid Lenning down on his cot, before Colonel Hawtrey, -his face ashen, pushed into the bunk house and up to the side of the -unconscious boy. The colonel’s clothing was torn and his hat was gone, -but he was giving no thought to himself. - -For a moment he stared into the haggard, bleeding face of his nephew; -then he turned to Frank and the superintendent. - -“Tell me about this,” he said, in a queer, dry voice. “I missed some of -the details. The ore car broke loose, I remember that; then I tried to -get out of the way, and one of the front wheels of my carriage became -locked in the track; I struck Blixen with the whip, and the singletree -broke, and I was jerked over the dashboard. When I came to myself, the -ore car, with Jode aboard, was pitching off the end of the spur tracks. -Fill in the gaps for me, please.” - -“Jode yelled to me,” said Frank, “to run and throw the switch. At the -same time Jode jumped aboard the car as it rushed past him. If he hadn’t -put on the brakes, the car would have got by the switch before I could -have thrown it. That’s all, colonel. Jode tipped off the end of the spur -with the car and the ore.” - -The colonel moistened his dry lips with his tongue. - -“Is--is he dead?” he asked, in a low voice. - -“No,” replied Burke. - -“Send for a doctor and do everything possible to save him.” - -“We have sent for a doctor, colonel, and I don’t think there’ll be any -trouble about saving him. He was in splendid physical condition to stand -such a shock. But if the car had fallen on him, or the ore--well, -there’d have been another story to tell.” - -Without a word, Colonel Hawtrey drew a chair to the head of the bed and -sat down to wait. And all the while he was waiting he never took his -eyes from Jode’s unconscious face. - -In less than twenty minutes the doctor was at the mine. Removing his -coat, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work with professional -briskness. - -“What is your verdict, doctor?” inquired Colonel Hawtrey, after the -examination had been finished. - -“A fractured leg is about all the damage, colonel,” was the answer, “so -far as I can see. He may be hurt internally, but I don’t think so. We’ll -know more about that later on. Jode has been doing some great work, eh? -He not only recovers the stolen mail bags and sends them to town, but he -caps his exploits by saving your life, colonel. There must be something -pretty fine about a fellow who can do all that.” - -“Saved the mail bags?” repeated Hawtrey. “What do you mean by that?” - -Just here Frank took the conversation into his own charge, and proceeded -to tell the colonel all that had happened in Mohave Cañon. The colonel’s -face was a little pale as he listened, but his expression did not -undergo a change in any particular. He was an iron man, with an iron -control of his feelings. - -The doctor set the broken leg; then, when it was done, he took measures -to revive the injured lad. Under the doctor’s ministrations it was not -long before Jode opened his eyes. - -At first his gaze was troubled and bewildered. Finally, realization came -to him and he stretched out his hand to Merriwell. - -“Chip,” said he, “we had to do it quick, but we did it well. I--I wonder -how I ever had the nerve!” - -“Never mind about that, old man,” answered Frank, with twitching lip and -blurred eyes. “You saved the colonel. It was you, Jode. I had mighty -little to do with it.” - -The colonel arose from his chair and stepped to the side of the cot. For -a moment uncle and nephew gazed into each other’s eyes. - -“I have wronged you, my lad,” said the colonel. “Are we going to let -bygones be bygones?” - -“If you want it that way, colonel,” Jode answered. - -And then their hands met in one long, lingering clasp. Merriwell stepped -out of the bunk-house door, and stood in the clear, bright sunshine. - -“At last!” he murmured. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -CONCLUSION. - - -Jode Lenning’s experience with Shoup and Geohegan, his recovery of the -stolen mail bags, and his rescue of Colonel Hawtrey from the runaway ore -car were topics of discussion in that part of Arizona for a good many -days. - -Geohegan, it developed, was the cracksman who, on a former occasion, had -helped Shoup break into the safe at the cyanide works and make off with -four bars of bullion. Hawkins had been hunting for Shoup and Geohegan on -the score of that attempted robbery, and he had about given up finding -the rascally pair, when they dropped into his hands through that holdup -in the cañon. - -Shoup, although a young fellow, was a drug fiend. He had gone from bad -to worse, until now he had committed a crime which, in all likelihood, -would have to be expiated in some government prison. - -In the confession which Geohegan made, it appeared that the two thieves -had blundered upon Lenning entirely by chance. Taking his clothes and -his horse was a plan of Shoup’s. After hiding the mail bags in the -cañon, the two robbers had gone into the gulch. Here they discovered -some of Hawkins’ posse, and fled to escape them. They were followed -relentlessly, and finally captured. - -Two drafts for twenty-five thousand dollars each, one for the professor -and one for Mrs. Boorland, were found in one of the stolen mail pouches. -Thus the matter of the mine in the Picketpost Mountains was wound up, -and nothing further remained to delay the departure of Frank and his -chums from southern Arizona. - -The one thing Frank had wished for with all his heart--the -reconciliation between Colonel Hawtrey and Lenning--had been -accomplished. The lad now felt that he could leave Ophir with a cheerful -spirit. - -Among the first to pay Lenning a visit in the Ophir bunk house and -congratulate him on his brightening prospects were Clancy and Ballard. - -“Don’t congratulate me, fellows,” said Lenning. “Give Merriwell the -credit. He was my friend when every one else had turned against me. -Whenever I needed a boost in the right direction, I could always count -on him to give it. I’ll never forget Chip, and I’ll never cease to be -grateful to him.” - -“Chip is all to the mustard,” said Clancy loyally, “and I can only find -fault with him about one thing.” - -“What is that?” - -“He wouldn’t let Pink and me go along with him and Blunt when they -answered that mysterious call from Dolliver. See what a lot of -excitement we missed!” - -“That was a case, Clancy,” smiled Lenning, “where two of you were -company and four would have been a crowd.” - -“All right,” assented Ballard cheerfully, “we’ll leave it that way. -Going to Gold Hill to live, Jode, as soon as that broken pin is mended?” - -“No,” replied Lenning, “I’m going to stay right here and work for Mr. -Bradlaugh and Mr. Burke. The colonel has done the fine thing by me, and -he’d do more, but I don’t intend to let him. From now on I shall make my -own way in the world.” - -And for this determination, Clancy, Ballard, and all the rest of -Lenning’s friends thought more of him than ever. - -It was Wednesday when Frank and his chums took their leave of Ophir. -The last thing Frank did, before getting out of the town, was to send -Borak to Barzy Blunt with a card. The card presented Barzy with Frank’s -compliments and best wishes, and begged him to accept Borak as a -present. - -Borak had once belonged to Blunt. When dire necessity urged, the cowboy -had been compelled to sell the famous black steed. Frank had purchased -the animal, but had always intended, on leaving Arizona, to return the -saddler to his former owner. - -When the stage, which was to take the boys to Gold Hill, the nearest -railroad point, pulled up at the door of the Ophir House, Pophagan, Woo -Sing, and a host of others were gathered on the veranda to bid -Merriwell, Clancy, and Ballard good-by. A miner, whose regard Frank had -won by coaching the Ophir football squad to victory, presented each of -the lads with a nugget of placer gold to be made into a scarfpin. - -“You’re sartinly the clear quill, kids,” said the miner, “and we’re a -heap proud to have had ye among us. Pure gold, them nuggets is, and I -reckon as how you’re all three the same. Come back to us some time. -Don’t let this be the last time we see ye.” - -“Maybe we will,” said Frank, shaking hands all around with a smothered -feeling in his throat. “You’ve been mighty good to us, all you Ophir -people.” - -“That’s no jolly,” said the red-headed chap. - -“We almost feel like we belonged to Ophir,” added Ballard. - -The professor had gone on to Gold Hill the day before, and the boys were -to meet him in that town, and they were all to proceed northward -together. - -When the lads had shaken hands until their arms ached, they climbed into -the stage, and the driver whipped up his team. As they rolled down the -straggling, familiar street, cheers went up from the hotel and were -echoed all along the sidewalks. - -“Three cheers for Merriwell, Clancy, and Ballard!” rang out the cry, and -they were given again and again with a hearty good will. - -“Seems almost like we were leaving home,” sniffed Clancy. - -“That’s right, Red!” agreed Ballard. - -But Merriwell said nothing. He could not trust himself to speak. - - -THE END. - - -“Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s Mission” will be the title of the next volume of -the MERRIWELL SERIES, No. 218. Burt L. Standish has outdone himself in -this latest narrative. It is a tale of sympathetic understanding and -real friendship, as well as a story of action and excitement. - - - - -BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN - -MERRIWELL SERIES - -ALL BY BURT L. STANDISH - -Stories of Frank and Dick Merriwell - -Fascinating Stories of Athletics - -A half million enthusiastic followers of the Merriwell brothers will -attest the unfailing interest and wholesomeness of these adventures of -two lads of high ideals, who play fair with themselves, as well as with -the rest of the world. - -These stories are rich in fun and thrills in all branches of sports and -athletics. They are extremely high in moral tone, and cannot fail to be -of immense benefit to every boy who reads them. - -They have the splendid quality of firing a boy’s ambition to become a -good athlete, in order that he may develop into a strong, vigorous, -right-thinking man. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - - 101--Frank Merriwell’s Nomads - 102--Dick Merriwell on the Gridiron - 103--Dick Merriwell’s Disguise - 104--Dick Merriwell’s Test - 105--Frank Merriwell’s Trump Card - 106--Frank Merriwell’s Strategy - 107--Frank Merriwell’s Triumph - 108--Dick Merriwell’s Grit - 109--Dick Merriwell’s Assurance - 110--Dick Merriwell’s Long Slide - 111--Frank Merriwell’s Rough Deal - 112--Dick Merriwell’s Threat - 113--Dick Merriwell’s Persistence - 114--Dick Merriwell’s Day - 115--Frank Merriwell’s Peril - 116--Dick Merriwell’s Downfall - 117--Frank Merriwell’s Pursuit - 118--Dick Merriwell Abroad - 119--Frank Merriwell in the Rockies - 120--Dick Merriwell’s Pranks - 121--Frank Merriwell’s Pride - 122--Frank Merriwell’s Challengers - 123--Frank Merriwell’s Endurance - 124--Dick Merriwell’s Cleverness - 125--Frank Merriwell’s Marriage - 126--Dick Merriwell, the Wizard - 127--Dick Merriwell’s Stroke - 128--Dick Merriwell’s Return - 129--Dick Merriwell’s Resource - 130--Dick Merriwell’s Five - 131--Frank Merriwell’s Tigers - 132--Dick Merriwell’s Polo Team - 133--Frank Merriwell’s Pupils - 134--Frank Merriwell’s New Boy - 135--Dick Merriwell’s Home Run - 136--Dick Merriwell’s Dare - 137--Frank Merriwell’s Son - 138--Dick Merriwell’s Team Mate - 139--Frank Merriwell’s Leaguers - 140--Frank Merriwell’s Happy Camp - 141--Dick Merriwell’s Influence - 142--Dick Merriwell, Freshman - 143--Dick Merriwell’s Staying Power - 144--Dick Merriwell’s Joke - 145--Frank Merriwell’s Talisman - 146--Frank Merriwell’s Horse - 147--Dick Merriwell’s Regret - 148--Dick Merriwell’s Magnetism - 149--Dick Merriwell’s Backers - 150--Dick Merriwell’s Best Work - 151--Dick Merriwell’s Distrust - 152--Dick Merriwell’s Debt - 153--Dick Merriwell’s Mastery - 154--Dick Merriwell Adrift - 155--Frank Merriwell’s Worst Boy - 156--Dick Merriwell’s Close Call - 157--Frank Merriwell’s Air Voyage - 158--Dick Merriwell’s Black Star - 159--Frank Merriwell in Wall Street - 160--Frank Merriwell Facing His Foes - 161--Dick Merriwell’s Stanchness - 162--Frank Merriwell’s Hard Case - 163--Dick Merriwell’s Stand - 164--Dick Merriwell Doubted - 165--Frank Merriwell’s Steadying Hand - 166--Dick Merriwell’s Example - 167--Dick Merriwell in the Wilds - 168--Frank Merriwell’s Ranch - 169--Dick Merriwell’s Way - 170--Frank Merriwell’s Lesson - 171--Dick Merriwell’s Reputation - 172--Frank Merriwell’s Encouragement - 173--Dick Merriwell’s Honors - 174--Frank Merriwell’s Wizard - 175--Dick Merriwell’s Race - 176--Dick Merriwell’s Star Play - 177--Frank Merriwell at Phantom Lake - 178--Dick Merriwell a Winner - 179--Dick Merriwell at the County Fair - 180--Frank Merriwell’s Grit - 181--Dick Merriwell’s Power - 182--Frank Merriwell in Peru - 183--Frank Merriwell’s Long Chance - 184--Frank Merriwell’s Old Form - 185--Frank Merriwell’s Treasure Hunt - 186--Dick Merriwell Game to the Last - 187--Dick Merriwell, Motor King - 188--Dick Merriwell’s Tussle - 189--Dick Merriwell’s Aero Dash - 190--Dick Merriwell’s Intuition - 191--Dick Merriwell’s Placer Find - 192--Dick Merriwell’s Fighting Chance - 193--Frank Merriwell’s Tact - 194--Frank Merriwell’s Puzzle - 195--Frank Merriwell’s Mystery - 196--Frank Merriwell, the Lionhearted - 197--Frank Merriwell’s Tenacity - 198--Dick Merriwell’s Perception - 199--Dick Merriwell’s Detective Work - 200--Dick Merriwell’s Commencement - 201--Dick Merriwell’s Decision - 202--Dick Merriwell’s Coolness - 203--Dick Merriwell’s Reliance - 204--Frank Merriwell’s Young Warriors - 205--Frank Merriwell’s Lads - 206--Dick Merriwell in Panama - 207--Dick Merriwell in South America - 208--Dick Merriwell’s Counsel - -In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books -listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York -City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance -promptly, on account of delays in transportation. - -To be published in January, 1929. - - 209--Dick Merriwell, Universal Coach - 210--Dick Merriwell’s Varsity Nine - -To be published in February, 1929. - - 211--Dick Merriwell’s Heroic Players - 212--Dick Merriwell at the Olympics - -To be published in March, 1929. - - 213--Frank Merriwell, Jr., Tested - 214--Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Conquests - 215--Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Rivals - -To be published in April, 1929. - - 216--Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Helping Hand - 217--Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona - -To be published in May, 1929. - - 218--Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Mission - 219--Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Ice-boat Adventure - -To be published in June, 1929. - - 220--Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Timely Aid - 221--Frank Merriwell, Jr., in the Desert - - - - -Round the World Library - -Stories of Jack Harkaway and His Comrades - -Every reader, young and old, has heard of Jack Harkaway. His remarkable -adventures in out-of-the-way corners of the globe are really classics, -and every one should read them. - -Jack is a splendid, manly character, full of life and strength and -curiosity. He has a number of very interesting companions--Professor -Mole, for instance, who is very funny. He also has some very strange -enemies, who are anything but funny. - -Get interested in Jack. It will pay you. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - -By BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG - - 1--Jack Harkaway’s School Days - 2--Jack Harkaway’s Friends - 3--Jack Harkaway After School Days - 4--Jack Harkaway Afloat and Ashore - 5--Jack Harkaway Among the Pirates - 6--Jack Harkaway at Oxford - 7--Jack Harkaway’s Struggles - 8--Jack Harkaway’s Triumphs - 9--Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands - 10--Jack Harkaway’s Return - 11--Jack Harkaway Around the World - 12--Jack Harkaway’s Perils - 13--Jack Harkaway in China - 14--Jack Harkaway and the Red Dragon - 15--Jack Harkaway’s Pluck - 16--Jack Harkaway in Australia - 17--Jack Harkaway and the Bushrangers - 18--Jack Harkaway’s Duel - 19--Jack Harkaway and the Turks - 20--Jack Harkaway in New York - 21--Jack Harkaway Out West - 22--Jack Harkaway Among the Indians - 23--Jack Harkaway’s Cadet Days - 24--Jack Harkaway in the Black Hills - 25--Jack Harkaway in the Toils - 26--Jack Harkaway’s Secret of Wealth - 27--Jack Harkaway, Missing - 28--Jack Harkaway and the Sacred Serpent - 29--The Fool of the Family - 30--Mischievous Matt - 31--Mischievous Matt’s Pranks - 32--Bob Fairplay Adrift - 33--Bob Fairplay at Sea - 34--The Boys of St. Aldates - 35--Billy Barlow - 36--Larry O’Keefe - 37--Sam Sawbones - 38--Too Fast to Last - 39--Home Base - 40--Spider and Stump - 41--Out for Fun - 42--Rob Rollalong, Sailor - 43--Rob Rollalong in the Wilds - - * * * * * - - 44--Phil, the Showman By Stanley Norris - 45--Phil’s Rivals By Stanley Norris - 46--Phil’s Pluck By Stanley Norris - 47--Phil’s Triumph By Stanley Norris - 48--From Circus to Fortune By Stanley Norris - 49--A Gentleman Born By Stanley Norris - 50--For His Friend’s Honor By Stanley Norris - 51--True to His Trust By Stanley Norris - 52--Facing the Music By Stanley Norris - 53--Jungles and Traitors By William Murray Graydon - 54--The Rockspur Eleven By Burt L. Standish - 55--Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson - 56--In Fort and Prison By William Murray Graydon - 57--The Rockspur Rivals By Burt L. Standish - 58--George Arnold’s Pluck By John De Morgan - 59--The Golden Harpoon By Weldon J. Cobb - 60--The Rockspur Nine By Burt L. Standish - 61--Always on Duty By John De Morgan - 62--On the Wing By Weldon J. Cobb - 63--Twenty Thousand Leagues By Jules Verne - Under the Sea - 64--A Legacy of Peril By William Murray Graydon - 65--Lost in the Ice By John De Morgan - 66--The Young Railroader By Stanley Norris - 67--The Tour of the Zero Club By Capt. Ralph Bonehill - 68--The Young Railroader’s Flyer By Stanley Norris - 69--The Silent City By Fred Thorpe - 74--The Young Railroader’s Long Run By Stanley Norris - 75--The Treasure of Star Island By Weldon J. Cobb - 76--The Young Railroader’s Comrade By Stanley Norris - 77--In Unknown Worlds By John De Morgan - 78--The Young Railroader’s By Stanley Norris - Promotion - 79--A Trip to Mars By Weldon J. Cobb - 80--The Young Railroader’s Chance By Stanley Norris - 81--Rob Ranger’s Mine By Lieut. Lounsberry - 82--Zip, the Acrobat By Victor St. Clair - 83--Rob Ranger’s Cowboy Days By Lieut. Lounsberry - 84--On His Merit By Victor St. Clair - 85--Out For Sport By Wallace Kincaid - 86--Where Duty Called By Victor St. Clair - 87--Engineer Ralph By Frank H. MacDougal - 88--Fortune’s Winding Trail By Roy Franklin - 89--The Boy Conjurer By Victor St. Clair - 90--The Go-Ahead Boys’ Legacy By Gale Richards - 91--With Odds Against Him By Weldon J. Cobb - 92--Sunset Ranch By Stanley Norris - 93--Chums of the Prairie By Stanley Norris - 94--The Young Range Riders By Stanley Norris - 95--Jack Lightfoot, the Athlete By Maxwell Stevens - 96--Jack Lightfoot’s Crack Nine By Maxwell Stevens - 97--Jack Lightfoot Trapped By Maxwell Stevens - 98--Jack Lightfoot’s Rival By Maxwell Stevens - 99--Jack Lightfoot in Camp By Maxwell Stevens - 100--Jack Lightfoot’s Canoe Trip By Maxwell Stevens - 101--Jack Lightfoot’s Iron Arm By Maxwell Stevens - 102--Jack Lightfoot’s Hoodoo By Maxwell Stevens - 103--Jack Lightfoot’s Decision By Maxwell Stevens - 104--Jack Lightfoot’s Gun Club By Maxwell Stevens - 105--Jack Lightfoot’s Blind By Maxwell Stevens - -In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books -listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York -City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance -promptly, on account of delays in transportation. - -To be published in January, 1929. - - 106--Jack Lightfoot’s Capture By Maxwell Stevens - 107--Jack Lightfoot’s Head Work By Maxwell Stevens - -To be published in February, 1929. - - 108--Jack Lightfoot’s Wisdom By Maxwell Stevens - 109--The Pride of Annapolis By Com. Luther G. Brownell - -To be published in March, 1929. - - 110--The Haunted Hunter By Edward S. Ellis - 111--An Annapolis Adventure By Com. Luther G. Brownell - -To be published in April, 1929. - - 112--The Two Scouts By Edward S. Ellis - 113--An Annapolis Hero By Com. Luther G. Brownell - -To be published in May, 1929. - - 114--Among the Redskins By Edward S. Ellis - 115--Making Good in the Navy By Com. Luther G. Brownell - -To be published in June, 1929. - - 116--Tracked Through the Wilds By Edward S. Ellis - 117--A Dash for Glory By Com. Luther G. Brownell - - - - -Nick Carter Still Lives! - -For many years the stories of the adventures of Nicholas Carter, the -great American detective, have been favorites with busy men in all walks -of life. The reason is not hard to find. They afford splendid relaxation -and complete entertainment. - -Some of the Nick Carter stories are among the greatest detective stories -ever written and will remain so, as long as the English language is -read. - -Look over the list of these titles in the NEW MAGNET LIBRARY and buy -yourself a real treat. - - - - -NICK CARTER STORIES - -New Magnet Library - -_Not a Dull Book in This List_ - -ALL BY NICHOLAS CARTER - -Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that the -books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the work of -a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no other type of -fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of new plots and -situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from all sorts of -troubles and landed the criminal just where he should be--behind the -bars. - -The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories -than any other single person. - -Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been -selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of them -as being fully as interesting as any detective story between cloth -covers which sells at ten times the price. - -If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet -Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you. - -_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - - 901--A Weird Treasure - 902--The Middle Link - 903--To the Ends of the Earth - 904--When Honors Pall - 905--The Yellow Brand - 906--A New Serpent in Eden - 907--When Brave Men Tremble - 908--A Test of Courage - 909--Where Peril Beckons - 910--The Gargoni Girdle - 911--Rascals & Co. - 912--Too Late to Talk - 913--Satan’s Apt Pupil - 914--The Girl Prisoner - 915--The Danger of Folly - 916--One Shipwreck Too Many - 917--Scourged by Fear - 918--The Red Plague - 919--Scoundrels Rampant - 920--From Clew to Clew - 921--When Rogues Conspire - 922--Twelve in a Grave - 923--The Great Opium Case - 924--A Conspiracy of Rumors - 925--A Klondike Claim - 926--The Evil Formula - 927--The Man of Many Faces - 928--The Great Enigma - 929--The Burden of Proof - 930--The Stolen Brain - 931--A Titled Counterfeiter - 932--The Magic Necklace - 933--’Round the World for a Quarter - 934--Over the Edge of the World - 935--In the Grip of Fate - 936--The Case of Many Clews - 937--The Sealed Door - 938--Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men - 939--The Man Without a Will - 940--Tracked Across the Atlantic - 941--A Clew from the Unknown - 942--The Crime of a Countess - 943--A Mixed-up Mess - 944--The Great Money-order Swindle - 945--The Adder’s Brood - 946--A Wall Street Haul - 947--For a Pawned Crown - 948--Sealed Orders - 949--The Hate that Kills - 950--The American Marquis - 951--The Needy Nine - 952--Fighting Against Millions - 953--Outlaws of the Blue - 954--The Old Detective’s Pupil - 955--Found in the Jungle - 956--The Mysterious Mail Robbery - 957--Broken Bars - 958--A Fair Criminal - 959--Won by Magic - 960--The Piano Box Mystery - 961--The Man They Held Back - 962--A Millionaire Partner - 963--A Pressing Peril - 964--An Australian Klondike - 965--The Sultan’s Pearls - 966--The Double Shuffle Club - 967--Paying the Price - 968--A Woman’s Hand - 969--A Network of Crime - 970--At Thompson’s Ranch - 971--The Crossed Needles - 972--The Diamond Mine Case - 973--Blood Will Tell - 974--An Accidental Password - 975--The Crook’s Double - 976--Two Plus Two - 977--The Yellow Label - 978--The Clever Celestial - 979--The Amphitheater Plot - 980--Gideon Drexel’s Millions - 981--Death in Life - 982--A Stolen Identity - 983--Evidence by Telephone - 984--The Twelve Tin Boxes - 985--Clew Against Clew - 986--Lady Velvet - 987--Playing a Bold Game - 988--A Dead Man’s Grip - 989--Snarled Identities - 990--A Deposit Vault Puzzle - 991--The Crescent Brotherhood - 992--The Stolen Pay Train - 993--The Sea Fox - 994--Wanted by Two Clients - 995--The Van Alstine Case - 996--Check No. 777 - 997--Partners in Peril - 998--Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé - 999--The Sign of the Crossed Knives - 1000--The Man Who Vanished - 1001--A Battle for the Right - 1002--A Game of Craft - 1003--Nick Carter’s Retainer - 1004--Caught in the Toils - 1005--A Broken Bond - 1006--The Crime of the French Café - 1007--The Man Who Stole Millions - 1008--The Twelve Wise Men - 1009--Hidden Foes - 1010--A Gamblers’ Syndicate - 1011--A Chance Discovery - 1012--Among the Counterfeiters - 1013--A Threefold Disappearance - 1014--At Odds with Scotland Yard - 1015--A Princess of Crime - 1016--Found on the Beach - 1017--A Spinner of Death - 1018--The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor - 1019--A Bogus Clew - 1020--The Puzzle of Five Pistols - 1021--The Secret of the Marble Mantel - 1022--A Bite of an Apple - 1023--A Triple Crime - 1024--The Stolen Race Horse - 1025--Wildfire - 1026--A _Herald_ Personal - 1027--The Finger of Suspicion - 1028--The Crimson Clew - 1029--Nick Carter Down East - 1030--The Chain of Clews - 1031--A Victim of Circumstances - 1032--Brought to Bay - 1033--The Dynamite Trap - 1034--A Scrap of Black Lace - 1035--The Woman of Evil - 1036--A Legacy of Hate - 1037--A Trusted Rogue - 1038--Man Against Man - 1039--The Demons of the Night - 1040--The Brotherhood of Death - 1041--At the Knife’s Point - 1042--A Cry for Help - 1043--A Stroke of Policy - 1044--Hounded to Death - 1045--A Bargain in Crime - 1046--The Fatal Prescription - 1047--The Man of Iron - 1048--An Amazing Scoundrel - 1049--The Chain of Evidence - 1050--Paid with Death - 1051--A Fight for a Throne - 1052--The Woman of Steel - 1053--The Seal of Death - 1054--The Human Fiend - 1055--A Desperate Chance - 1056--A Chase in the Dark - 1057--The Snare and the Game - 1058--The Murray Hill Mystery - 1059--Nick Carter’s Close Call - 1060--The Missing Cotton King - 1061--A Game of Plots - 1062--The Prince of Liars - 1063--The Man at the Window - 1064--The Red League - 1065--The Price of a Secret - 1066--The Worst Case on Record - 1067--From Peril to Peril - 1068--The Seal of Silence - 1069--Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle - 1070--A Blackmailer’s Bluff - 1071--Heard in the Dark - 1072--A Checkmated Scoundrel - 1073--The Cashier’s Secret - 1074--Behind a Mask - 1075--The Cloak of Guilt - 1076--Two Villains in One - 1077--The Hot Air Clew - 1078--Run to Earth - 1079--The Certified Check - 1080--Weaving the Web - 1081--Beyond Pursuit - 1082--The Claws of the Tiger - 1083--Driven from Cover - 1084--A Deal in Diamonds - 1085--The Wizard of the Cue - 1086--A Race for Ten Thousand - 1087--The Criminal Link - 1088--The Red Signal - 1089--The Secret Panel - 1090--A Bonded Villain - 1091--A Move in the Dark - 1092--Against Desperate Odds - 1093--The Telltale Photographs - 1094--The Ruby Pin - 1095--The Queen of Diamonds - 1096--A Broken Trail - 1097--An Ingenious Stratagem - 1098--A Sharper’s Downfall - 1099--A Race Track Gamble - 1100--Without a Clew - 1101--The Council of Death - 1102--The Hole in the Vault - 1103--In Death’s Grip - 1104--A Great Conspiracy - 1105--The Guilty Governor - 1106--A Ring of Rascals - 1107--A Masterpiece of Crime - 1108--A Blow for Vengeance - 1109--Tangled Threads - 1110--The Crime of the Camera - 1111--The Sign of the Dagger - 1112--Nick Carter’s Promise - 1113--Marked for Death - 1114--The Limited Holdup - 1115--When the Trap Was Sprung - 1116--Through the Cellar Wall - 1117--Under the Tiger’s Claws - 1118--The Girl in the Case - 1119--Behind a Throne - 1120--The Lure of Gold - 1121--Hand to Hand - 1122--From a Prison Cell - 1123--Dr. Quartz, Magician - 1124--Into Nick Carter’s Web - 1125--The Mystic Diagram - 1126--The Hand that Won - 1127--Playing a Lone Hand - 1128--The Master Villain - 1129--The False Claimant - 1130--The Living Mask - 1131--The Crime and the Motive - 1132--A Mysterious Foe - 1133--A Missing Man - 1134--A Game Well Played - 1135--A Cigarette Clew - 1136--The Diamond Trail - 1137--The Silent Guardian - 1138--The Dead Stranger - 1140--The Doctor’s Stratagem - 1141--Following a Chance Clew - 1142--The Bank Draft Puzzle - 1143--The Price of Treachery - 1144--The Silent Partner - 1145--Ahead of the Game - 1146--A Trap of Tangled Wire - 1147--In the Gloom of Night - 1148--The Unaccountable Crook - 1149--A Bundle of Clews - 1150--The Great Diamond Syndicate - 1151--The Death Circle - 1152--The Toss of a Penny - 1153--One Step Too Far - 1154--The Terrible Thirteen - 1155--A Detective’s Theory - 1156--Nick Carter’s Auto Trail - 1157--A Triple Identity - 1158--A Mysterious Graft - 1159--A Carnival of Crime - 1160--The Bloodstone Terror - 1161--Trapped in His Own Net - 1162--The Last Move in the Game - 1163--A Victim of Deceit - 1164--With Links of Steel - 1165--A Plaything of Fate - 1166--The Key Ring Clew - 1167--Playing for a Fortune - 1168--At Mystery’s Threshold - 1169--Trapped by a Woman - 1170--The Four Fingered Glove - 1171--Nabob and Knave - 1172--The Broadway Cross - 1173--The Man Without a Conscience - 1174--A Master of Deviltry - 1175--Nick Carter’s Double Catch - 1176--Doctor Quartz’s Quick Move - 1177--The Vial of Death - 1178--Nick Carter’s Star Pupils - 1179--Nick Carter’s Girl Detective - 1180--A Baffled Oath - 1181--A Royal Thief - 1182--Down and Out - 1183--A Syndicate of Rascals - 1184--Played to a Finish - 1185--A Tangled Case - 1186--In Letters of Fire - 1187--Crossed Wires - 1188--A Plot Uncovered - 1189--The Cab Driver’s Secret - 1190--Nick Carter’s Death Warrant - 1191--The Plot that Failed - 1192--Nick Carter’s Masterpiece - 1193--A Prince of Rogues - 1194--In the Lap of Danger - 1195--The Man from London - 1196--Circumstantial Evidence - 1197--The Pretty Stenographer Mystery - 1198--A Villainous Scheme - 1199--A Plot Within a Plot - 1200--The Elevated Railroad Mystery - 1201--The Blow of a Hammer - 1202--The Twin Mystery - 1203--The Bottle with the Black Label - 1204--Under False Colors - 1205--A Ring of Dust - 1206--The Crown Diamond - 1207--The Blood-red Badge - 1208--The Barrel Mystery - 1209--The Photographer’s Evidence - 1210--Millions at Stake - 1211--The Man and His Price - 1212--A Double-Handed Game - 1213--A Strike for Freedom - 1214--A Disciple of Satan - 1215--The Marked Hand - 1216--A Fight with a Fiend - 1217--When the Wicked Prosper - 1218--A Plunge into Crime - 1219--An Artful Schemer - 1220--Reaping the Whirlwind - 1221--Out of Crime’s Depths - 1222--A Woman at Bay - 1223--The Temple of Vice - 1224--Death at the Feast - 1225--A Double Plot - 1226--In Search of Himself - 1227--A Hunter of Men - 1228--The Boulevard Mutes - 1229--Captain Sparkle, Pirate - 1230--Nick Carter’s Fall - 1231--Out of Death’s Shadow - 1232--A Voice from the Past - 1233--Accident or Murder? - 1234--The Man Who Was Cursed - 1235--Baffled, But Not Beaten - 1236--A Case Without a Clew - 1237--The Demon’s Eye - 1238--A Blindfold Mystery - 1239--Nick Carter’s Swim to Victory - 1240--A Man to Be Feared - 1241--Saved by a Ruse - 1242--Nick Carter’s Wildest Chase - 1243--A Nation’s Peril - 1244--The Rajah’s Ruby - 1245--The Trail of a Human Tiger - 1246--The Disappearing Princess - 1247--The Lost Chittendens - 1248--The Crystal Mystery - 1249--The King’s Prisoner - 1250--Talika, the Geisha Girl - 1251--The Doom of the Reds - -In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books -listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York -City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance -promptly, on account of delays in transportation. - -To be published in January, 1929. - - 1252--The Lady of Shadows - 1253--The Mysterious Castle - 1254--The Senator’s Plot - -To be published in February, 1929. - - 1255--A Submarine Trail - 1256--A War of Brains - -To be published in March, 1929. - - 1257--Pauline--A Mystery - 1258--The Confidence King - -To be published in April, 1929. - - 1259--A Chase for Millions - 1260--Shown on the Screen - -To be published in May, 1929. - - 1261--The Streaked Peril - 1262--The Room of Mirrors - -To be published in June, 1929. - - 1263--A Plot for an Empire - 1264--A Call on the Phone - - - - -READ - -When you want real recreation in your leisure hours, read! Read the -STREET & SMITH NOVELS! - -They are the cheapest and most interesting reading matter published in -America to-day. No jazz--no sex--just big, clean, interesting books. -There are hundreds of different titles, among which you will find a lot -of exactly the sort of reading you want. - -So, when you get tired of rolling around in your Lady Lizzie or -listening to the blah-blah of your radio, hie yourself to the nearest -news dealer, grab off a copy of a good detective, adventure or love -story, and then READ! - -Read the STREET & SMITH NOVELS. Catalogue sent upon request. - - Street & Smith Corporation - 79 Seventh Avenue New York City - - Printed in the U. S. A. - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: - -The Contents has been provided by the transcriber. - -Punctuation has been standardised. Spelling has been retained as -published in the original publication except as follows: - - Page 9 - neither of us got a soo _changed to_ - neither of us got a sou - - Page 14 - As the drew out the little square _changed to_ - As she drew out the little square - - Page 24 - you can bet your last soo _changed to_ - you can bet your last sou - - Page 43 - I’ll go you, Chip _changed to_ - I’ll go with you, Chip - - Page 54 - they didn’t pay any atention _changed to_ - they didn’t pay any attention - - Page 65 - Then and there the Farnum Hall lads began _changed to_ - Then and there the Farnham Hall lads began - - Page 71 - the frail craft and disapeared beneath _changed to_ - the frail craft and disappeared beneath - - Page 78 - with some diffiiculty, climbed _changed to_ - with some difficulty, climbed - - Page 78 - hasn’t a soo in his jeens _changed to_ - hasn’t a sou in his jeans - - Page 80 - had up their sleves for you _changed to_ - had up their sleeves for you - - Page 85 - it was his awkardness that caused _changed to_ - it was his awkwardness that caused - - Page 101 - I’v got a hunch that _changed to_ - I’ve got a hunch that - - Page 112 - my private oponion that _changed to_ - my private opinion that - - Page 119 - From the zinc boz the solution drops _changed to_ - From the zinc box the solution drops - - Pages 131 and 138 - The first pages of Chapters XX and XXI, transposed in the - original publication, have been ordered correctly in this - ebook - - Page 133 - Supose we rummage around _changed to_ - Suppose we rummage around - - Page 140 - Between you and me, Ping, I believe _changed to_ - Between you and me, Pink, I believe - - Page 146 - who was the the other fellow _changed to_ - who was the other fellow - - Page 165 - Mirable dictu! _changed to_ - Mirabile dictu! - - Page 187 - Shaw was down with tonsilitis _changed to_ - Shaw was down with tonsillitis - - Page 192 - sound a whole lot worst _changed to_ - sound a whole lot worse - - Page 209 - finish coronat opus _changed to_ - finis coronat opus - - Page 218 - “Tough luck, Joe,” commisserated Clancy _changed to_ - “Tough luck, Joe,” commiserated Clancy - - Page 238 - makee tlouble for’ you _changed to_ - makee tlouble fo’ you - - Page 243 - not been very succesful _changed to_ - not been very successful - - Page 260 - by jim’ Klismas _changed to_ - by jim’ Klismus - - Page 271 - a whale of a mystey _changed to_ - a whale of a mystery - - Page 296 - we didn’t come to Opir to camp _changed to_ - we didn’t come to Ophir to camp - - Page 302 - carried full to the ore platfom _changed to_ - carried full to the ore platform - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Arizona, by -Burt L. 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