CHAPTER XI.
ANOTHER ESCAPE.
The poor boy relapsed into silence, closing his eyes and breathingwith no small difficulty. A great flood of pity welled up in the heartof Frank Merriwell as he looked at that thin, bruised face, and hefelt like becoming the boy's champion and avenger.
Again Frank pressed the thin hand that looked so weak and helpless. Heheld it in both his own warm, strong hands, and he earnestly said:
"My poor fellow! you have been wretchedly treated, and it is certainthat Bernard Belmont shall suffer for what he has done. Retribution issomething he cannot escape."
"Oh, I don't know!" weakly whispered George. "I used to think so--Iused to think that the wicked people all were punished, but I'mbeginning to believe it isn't so."
"You must not believe it isn't so," anxiously declared Frank. "Ofcourse you believe there is an All-wise Being who witnesses even thesparrow's fall?"
"Yes."
"Then you cannot doubt that such a Being will visit just punishmentupon the wicked man who has caused you so much suffering and pain. Hisway is past finding out, but you must trust Him."
There was something noble and manly on the face of Frank Merriwell ashe spoke those words, and the manner in which he uttered them toldthat he had the utmost and implicit confidence in the wisdom of theBeing of whom he spoke.
At that moment it scarcely seemed possible that Frank was the samemerry, laughing, lively lad who was usually so full of fun and pranks.Those who fancied they knew him best would have been amazed could theyhave seen him and heard his words.
Thus was shown one of the many hidden sides of Frank's nature, whichwas most complex and yet honest and guileless.
The boy on the bed opened his eyes and looked at Frank in silence, fora long time. Finally he said:
"I see you really believe what you say, and you have given me newfaith. I have suffered so much--so much that I had begun to doubt. Itis hard to trust in the goodness of God when it seems that nearly allthe wicked ones in the world are the ones who are prosperous. BernardBelmont is believed to be an upright and honorable man in the townwhere he lives, and the people there think he was very kind to the twoinvalid children left on his hands when his wife died."
"Some day they will know the truth."
"It will be when I am dead!"
"Nonsense!"
"I am sure of it. Do you know, dear friend, Apollo hurt me so muchto-night! It seems that he hurt me somewhere in--here."
The boy pressed his hand to his side.
"But the doctor is coming, and he will make you well again."
"Perhaps he can't. I had rather not get well than be turned over toBelmont again and left for him to torture."
George shuddered at this, and Frank ground his teeth softly, as hethought what intense satisfaction it would give him to see the manBelmont punished as he deserved.
"Why doesn't Harry come with the doctor?" thought Frank, as he got upand impatiently paced the floor. "He has had plenty of time."
A few moments later the boy on the bed beckoned with his thin hand.
Frank hastened to the bedside, anxiously asking: "Is there anything Ican do?"
"Yes," whispered George; "sit down and listen."
"I wish you would save your strength. You must stop talking."
"I must talk, for it is my last chance. I want to tell you again thatI know my sister is somewhere in the mountains up around Lake Tahoe.You have said you would find her. Do so; tell her I am gone. She is anheiress, for all the money Bernard Belmont has will belong to herthen. If you could do something to aid her in obtaining her rights.Will you try?"
"I will try."
"Oh, you are so good--and you are so brave! How you fought thatterrible dwarf! You did not seem afraid of him! It is wonderful! Inever saw anybody like you! Yes, yes, I am beginning to have faith.How can I help it after this?"
He smiled at Frank, and there was something so joyous and so patheticin that smile that Merry turned away to hide the tears which welledinto his eyes.
When Frank turned back he was bravely smiling, as he said, in a mostencouraging manner:
"Now you must have faith that you are going to get well. That is whatyou need. It will be better than medicine and doctors. Think--think ofmeeting your sister again!"
"Yes, yes!" panted the boy. "Dear little Milly!"
"How happy she will be!"
"Yes, yes!"
"And think of regaining possession of what is rightfully your own--ofgetting square with Bernard Belmont."
A cloud came to the face of the boy.
"Of course I want what is mine--I want Milly to have her rights," heslowly said; "but--but it is not my place to punish the man who haswronged us."
"The law will do that."
"God will do that! I believe it once more since talking with you. Itrust Him fully."
There were footsteps outside the door, a gentle tap, and Frankadmitted Harry and a physician.
The doctor sat down in a chair by the bed and asked the boy a fewquestions, while Frank and Harry anxiously watched and listened. Thedoctor's face was unreadable.
"Who is this boy, Frank?" whispered Harry. "Where did you find him?"
"Wait," said Merry. "I will tell you later, but not here."
The doctor declared that the unfortunate lad must have some lightstimulating food without delay, and he wrote a prescription.
"Take this to a druggist and have it filled," he said, handing it toHarry.
Harry left the room.
The boy lay back on the bed, his eyes closed, breathing softly. Thedoctor arose and walked to the window, motioning Frank to join him.
"How is it, doctor?" Merriwell anxiously asked, in a whisper.
The man shook his head.
"I can't tell yet," he confessed; "but I fear he is done for. He hasbeen starved, and his lungs are in a bad way. What he needs most isstimulants and food, but everything must be mild, as his system is insuch a weakened condition. As for the injury to his side, of which hecomplains, of course I cannot tell how severe that may be."
Frank's heart sank, for the doctor was more discouraging in his mannerthan in his words.
"Save him if you can, doctor!" he entreated.
"I will. Is he a friend or relative of yours?"
"He is an utter stranger to me. I never saw him before to-night."
The doctor lifted his eyebrows in astonishment.
"Indeed! Then who is to pay the bills for his care and treatment?"
"I will," Frank promptly answered. "Here, take this as a fee inadvance."
A bill was thrust into the physician's hand.
After looking at the bill the doctor assumed a very deferentialmanner.
"He should have a first-class nurse," he declared.
"He shall," assured Merriwell; "the best one to be obtained inCarson."
"This is very strange," said the physician. "I can't understand whyyou should do such a thing for one who is a stranger to you. You musthave an object."
"I have."
"Ah! I thought so!"
"My object is to see this poor, abused boy live and get his just due.He has been misused, and the man who has misused him should bepunished. I hope to live to know that man has been punished as hedeserves."
"Ah!" came from the doctor once more. "Then you have a grudge againstthe man?"
"I never saw him in all my life. I never heard of him before thisnight."
The physician was more puzzled than before.
"Then I must say you are a most remarkable person!" he exclaimed.
Once more there were steps outside the door--heavy shuffling steps.
The boy on the bed heard those steps, and a gasp came from his palelips, as he turned his head toward the door, his face distorted byfear.
"He is coming!"
The words came in a hoarse whisper from the injured boy.
Frank started toward the door and the boy wildly entreated:
"Stop him--don't let
him come in here! Hark! There is another step!They are both there! They have come for me--come to drag me back to aliving death!"
"Why, he is raving!" exclaimed the doctor.
Bang!--open flew the door. Without stopping to knock or ask leave toenter, a tall, dark-bearded man stepped into the room.
At this man's heels came a crouching figure that seemed half human andhalf beast. It had a short, thick body and long arms that nearlyreached the floor. Its face was pale as marble, save for a red scarthat ran down the left cheek to the corner of the mouth. The eyes wereset near together, and they glistened with a savage, cruel light.
Frank stepped between the intruders and the bed, but the boy had seenthem, and he sat up, uttering a wild scream of fear, then fell back onthe pillow.
"Who are you? and what do you want?" demanded Merriwell, boldlyconfronting the man and the creature at his heels.
"Never mind who we are; we want that boy, and we will have him!"declared the man. "He can't escape us this time!"
Frank glanced at the figure on the bed, and then turned back, cryingwith great impressiveness:
"He can and has escaped you, Bernard Belmont; but he will stand faceto face with you at the great bar of justice in the day of judgment!"
"What!" hoarsely cried the man, starting back and staring at theghastly face of the boy on the bed; "he is dead!"