CHAPTER XXII.
A SENSATION IN TOWN.
Frank's little "scout," as he called it, on which expedition he haddriven the redskins from the wounded miner, had convinced him thatCimarron Bill and his gang had withdrawn from the vicinity of the QueenMystery Mine.
So it came about that Merry and Bart Hodge started for Holbrook,bringing with them the gold Frank had found in the saddle-bags and beltof the dead miner.
Boxer would not be left behind. Since the death of his former master thedog kept close to Frank, for whom he seemed to have formed an affectionquite as deep as that he had entertained for Benson Clark.
Frank and Bart came, dust covered and wearied, into Holbrook.
Boxer's engagement with the mongrel curs, who set upon him, was anincident to enliven their advent in town, and it demonstrated the mettleof the setter.
The shot that came from the window of the hotel was somewhat surprising;but, as the bullet failed to pass anywhere near either Bart or Merry,they did not fancy it was intended for them. Still Frank dropped a handtoward the pistol swinging at his hip, thinking the lead might beintended for Boxer.
A puff of smoke was dissolving before the open window, but CimarronBill had vanished, nor did he again appear there. Neither Frank nor Barthad seen him.
So they were not greatly alarmed, and they laughed over the manner inwhich Boxer had put his assailants to flight, merriment which was joinedin by many of the spectators who had gathered to witness the fight.
"Good boy, Boxer!" said Merry. "You did that up slickly."
At which the setter turned toward Frank and showed his teeth in a grin,and something followed that caused several of the bystanders to gasp andstagger or stand dazed and astounded.
When Frank and Bart rode on two or three of those men hurried intoSchlitzenheimer's saloon, where one of them banged the bar with hisclenched fist, and shouted:
"By thunder! that's the first time I ever heard a dog talk! Was Idreaming?"
"None whatever, pard!" declared another, mopping sweat from his face. "Iheard it plain enough. For the love of goodness, Fritz, give me asnifter of tanglefoot! I need something to brace my nerves after that!"
"Vot id vos you peen sayin'?" asked the fat Dutchman behind the bar."Vot vos dot voolishness apoudt der talkings uf a tog?"
"No foolishness," declared the sweating individual, as whisky andglasses were placed on the bar. "I'll swear to it. The dog that came inwith those young gents an' whipped two other dogs in short order sartinmade an observation in good, clean United States, or I'm the biggestliar on two legs."
"Say, Benchy!" said the Dutchman scornfully, "I pelief you vos readinessto haf anoder attack py dose delerium triangles, ain'd id! Uf you villundertook my advice, you vill off svear alretty soon und safe yourseluffrom der snakes some droubles."
"This is my first drink to-day," asserted Benchy, as he poured withshaking hand; "and I'd not take this if I didn't need it a whole lot tosteady my nerves arter hearin' a dog talk."
"It's on the level, Fritz," assured the man who had banged the bar withhis fist. "I heard it myself. The young fellow with the mustache says tothe dog arter the dog had licked t'other dogs, says he, 'Good boy,Boxer; you done that up slick.' Then the dog turns about and grins up athim and winks, and he opens his mouth, and I hope I may be struck deadwhere I stand this minute if he didn't answer and say, 'Oh, that was notrick at all, Frank; those low-bred curs haven't any sand.' I heard it,Fritz, and I'll swear to it with my last breath!"
"You vos craziness!" said the Dutchman. "Oh, you vos drying some jokeson me to play alretty."
But now several of the others asserted that they also had heard the dogspeak, and that the animal had uttered the very words quoted by the mancalled Spikes.
"Id peen a put-up jobs!" shouted Schlitzenheimer angrily. "Uf vor agreadt vool you tookit me, you vos not so much uf a jackass as I lookto peen! Id vos nod bossible a tog vor to speech, und I vill bate zwit'ousan' tollar it on!"
"But I heard him!" declared Benchy.
"I'm another!" averred Spikes.
"We all heard him!" cried the others at the bar.
"You got vrom my blace uf pusiness out britty queek!" ordered theDutchman, in a great rage. "I vill not had so many plame liars aroundt!Und dond you back come some more alretty undil you vos readiness apologyto make vor me drying to vool!"
"Look here, Fritz," said Benchy, leaning on the bar, "I'll bet you tendollars coin of the realm that the dog can talk! If I had been alone inhearing the beast, I might have thought myself fooled; but all theseother gents heard him, and so there is no mistake. Do you take me?"
"Den tollars haf nod seen you in a month," declared Schlitzenheimerdisdainfully. "Howeffer, uf you prings pack by you dot tog und he villspeech my saloon in, I vill gif you den tollars my own moneys out uf,and all der drink you can a whole veek vor. Now, you tookit my adviceund shut upness or make goot britty queek."
"I'll do it!" cried Benchy, and he hastened forth.
Frank and Bart had proceeded directly to the bank, where their dust wasweighed and taken on deposit. This done, they left and sought a squaremeal in the very hotel where Mrs. Arlington and June were stopping.Fortunately the presence of his guests, who paid extravagantly well,had caused the proprietor to have on hand an unusual stock of cookedfood, and he was able to see that the young men from the mines wereprovided for in a manner that surprised and pleased them not a little.
Although he took good care to keep out of sight, Cimarron Bill knewFrank Merriwell was in the hotel. At the bar of the place Bill found arough, bewhiskered fellow, whom he drew aside.
"Bob," said Bill, in a whisper, "are you ready to tackle a toughproposition?"
"For the needful, Bill," was the quiet answer of the man, who, in spiteof his rough appearance, was known by his mild manner of speech asGentle Bob. "What is it?"
"You know the young tenderfoot gent what I have been stacking upagainst--the one what I spoke to you about?"
"I reckon."
"Well, he is now eatin' in the dinin'-room."
"Sho!" said Bob, in placid surprise.
"Fact," assured Bill. "Him an' one of his pards is thar. They came intertown together a short time ago. Now, I could pick a quarrel with them,and I allows I could shoot 'em both; but it would be knowed agin' methat I had been tryin' to jump their claim, which sartin' would rousefeelin's. In your case, as you were nohow consarned in the raid on themine, it would be different, an' I 'lows you might find a way o' doin'the job easy an' slick. You kin plead self-defense, an' I promise youthere will be plenty o' money to defend ye."
"It's the money fer the job I'm a-thinkin' of first, Bill," said Bob.
"A good clean thousan' dollars if you shoots the young gent with themustache," whispered Bill.
"Do you mean it?" asked Bob, looking at him hard. "Where does it comefrom?"
"That I allow is none of your business. You has my word that you getsit. And I opine the word o' Cimarron Bill is knowed to be good."
"As his bond," said Gentle Bob, taking out a brace of pistols andlooking them over. "I takes the job, Bill; and there sartin will be afuneral in these parts to-morrer."