CHAPTER VIII--A CHANGE OF SCENE
Ephraim Gallup possessed a roving disposition, although when away heoften longed to be "back hum on ther farm," and, after returning fromhis travels abroad with Frank, he did not remain long at his Vermonthome.
Drifting to California in search of fortune, a peculiar combination ofcircumstances had caused him to become a sailor, and he had finallyshipped on Lord Stanford's yacht. He was on board when Frank and theEnglishman had the encounter on the pier in San Francisco, but wasunable to render Merriwell any assistance.
Inza had seen and recognized Ephraim, but he had signaled for her tokeep still, and so she had pretended that she did not know him.
However, they found opportunities to speak together, and the Yankeeyouth assured her that she could depend on him. When the opportunitycame he would do his level best to help her escape from Lord Stanford.
The tossing about of the _Fox_ in the storm had made Bernard Burragevery ill and repentant. He began to think he was sure to die before theyreached land again, and he begged Inza's forgiveness for trying to forceher into a marriage against her will.
"I thought I was doing it for your good," he said. "I see now that I wasselfish and cruel, but I have pledged you to him, and it is too late forany backing down."
To this the girl had said nothing, but she felt that she would prove itwas not too late when they went ashore.
Lord Stanford had seen things were going against him, and he hadthreatened to take the girl to one of the islands off Santa Barbara andkeep her till a minister could be brought there to marry them.
But the appearance of Frank upset the desperate nobleman's plans.
Lord Stanford was thoroughly disgusted.
"Deuce take the blooming girl!" he said. "She has caused me more troublethan she is worth, and I wouldn't marry her now if she'd have me!"
He thought of having Merriwell arrested for running him down, butthought better of it, as he realized the accident had happened becausehis own helmsman had swung directly into the course of the _Greyhound_,which Merriwell would not have trouble in proving.
He suspected that Ephraim Gallup had done the trick intentionally, butthat was something he could not prove.
In less than an hour Inza and her parent were ready to leave the yacht,and with them went Frank and his friends, including Ephraim.
"Won't stay another minit, b'gosh!" said the Yankee lad.
It was not long after this that the two boats separated, and Frank'syacht was headed for Santa Barbara.
As they parted Lord Stanford shook his fist at Frank, at which the boyfrom Yale simply laughed.
The run to Santa Barbara was made without special incident, and hereFrank and Inza separated for the time being.
The weather proved delightful, and the boys concluded to take it easy atthis ideal spot in the land of sunshine and flowers.
"We need a rest after such a chase," said Frank, to the crowd, as theyrested under some trees, two days after landing.
Just then came a cry of pain from Hans.
"A rest!" howled the Dutch boy. "Dis don't peen no rest. I bet me yourlife dot vos annudder flea der small uf mein pack on! Und I vos pittenall ofer in more as zwei tozen places alretty yet! Murter!"
Hans' companions laughed heartily as the fat Dutch lad made a franticeffort to reach over his shoulder and scratch the itching spot on hisback.
They were reclining beneath the shade of a large tree that stood nearthe flat, sandy beach, watching the surf roll in and shoot up in snowyspouts around a distant rocky point.
"Haw! haw! haw!" laughed Ephraim Gallup. "Gol darned ef yeou don't makeme lawf! What's a little squint of a flea amaount to?"
"Oh, vot vos der madder mit you?" snorted Hans. "Suppose you mind minebusiness, aindt it."
Then the fat fellow got his back against the tree and scratched it inthat manner, making up a face that was expressive of mingled feelings ofintense agony and acute satisfaction.
"You chaps make me tired!" grumbled Diamond, in a rather surly manner."You are all the time quarreling. I'd wish you'd drop it and give us arest."
"Is that so!" came sarcastically from the Yankee lad, as he stiffenedup. "Wal, I want tew know! Who be yeou, anyhow?"
"I'll mighty soon show you, if you want to know!" grated Jack, givingthe boy from Vermont a savage glare.
Ephraim spat on his hands.
"Sail right in!" he cried, as he got on his feet. "I'm all reddy. Wharbe yeou frum, anyhaow?"
"I am from Virginia, one of the finest States in the Union," answeredDiamond.
"An' I'm from Vermont, ther finest State in ther Union," flung backGallup, "Vermont kin lick Virginny four times aout of four, an' don'tyer fergit it!"
This was too much for Jack to stand. He got up quickly, his dark facehaving grown pale with anger.
"We'll see about that, you Yankee clown!" he hissed. "We'll settle itright here!"
The affair had suddenly assumed a very serious aspect, and Frank sprangto his feet, quickly stepping between them, saying as he did so:
"Here, you fellows! I am ashamed of you both! Stop it!"
"Git out of the way, Frank!" cried the Yankee boy. "If he wants terfight, I'm all reddy, b'gosh!"
"Don't interfere, Merriwell!" exclaimed the Southern lad. "I must teachthis insolent chap a lesson."
"There will be no fighting here," said Frank, his face stern and his aircommanding. "I forbid it!"
"He called me a clown!" burst from Ephraim.
"He insulted me!" grated Diamond.
"Let him take it back, darn him!"
"Let him apologize, confound him!"
"I tell you to drop it!" said Frank, firmly. "What sort of chaps are youthat you can't get along together and overlook trifles? I am ashamed ofyou fellows!"
The manner in which Frank said this brought a flush of resentment toDiamond's cheeks. He drew himself up to his fullest height, and coldlysaid:
"Very well, sir; you will have no further cause to be ashamed of me. Iwill not give you the opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"That I see you are beginning to get down on me lately, since you havemet your old friends from Fardale, and I will not trouble you any more.I will withdraw from the party and take the next train for the East."
Frank looked astonished.
"It can't be that you are in earnest, Jack?" he said.
"I am."
"I can't believe it! You know I am not down on you. I do not get down onany one in such a way. I have proved to you in the past that I am yourfriend. I have not changed in the least. It was no more than naturalthat I should be overjoyed to see my old chums, but their appearance hasnot caused me to change toward you in the least."
Jack looked sulky.
"That's easy enough to say," he muttered.
Those words brought the color to Merriwell's face.
"Jack Diamond!" he cried, and his voice rang out clear and cutting, "didyou ever know me to lie?"
"No, but this is a case where----"
"Do you wish to insult me? It can't be that you do, Jack! Your wordswere thoughtlessly spoken. I know it. You have not been well of late,and that is why you are unlike your old self."
"If I have changed so much, it is best that I should get out, and I willdo it. I didn't mean to insult you, Merriwell, and I take back anythingthat seemed like an insult. I never knew you to lie, and I do notbelieve you could be forced to tell an untruth."
Instantly Frank seized Jack's hand.
"I knew you didn't mean it, old fellow!" he cried, his face lighting upwith a sunny smile, as he gave the hand of the Virginian a warmpressure. "We have come to know each other too well for you to thinksuch a thing of me."
"It's natural that you should think a great deal of your old friends,"said Jack, unsteadily; "and I was a fool to notice anything. I thinkthere is something the matter with me, and I believe it will be betterfor all concerned if I get out of the party right away."
"Nonsens
e, old fellow!"
"But I can't get along with Gallup."
"You can if you'll try."
"It's no use. I'm going home."
"All right," said Frank, slowly; "that spoils the scheme I had in mymind. It ruins my plans, and will mean the breaking up of the wholeparty."
"I don't see how that comes about."
"Never mind; it's no use to talk about it, if your mind is made up. It'stoo bad, that's all!"
Jack wavered.
"Won't you tell me what your plan was?" he asked.
"It was a scheme for a trip back East, in which we could have any amountof sport. But what's the use? You are going, and that spoilseverything."
Diamond looked conscience-stricken, but he was proud, and he disliked toyield. However, his curiosity was aroused, and he urged Frank to divulgehis scheme.
"I'll do it if you'll shake hands with Gallup and promise to stick bythe party. I am sure Ephraim will shake hands."
"Why, 'course I will!" cried the Vermonter, cheerfully. "I ain't no darnfool ter git my back humped up inter ther air an' keep it there till itgits crooked like a camel's jest 'cause I think I'm spitin' somebody.Shake? Why, sartin'!"
Then, before Jack could realize it, the quaint down Easter had him bythe hand and was working his arm up and down as if it were a pumphandle.