CHAPTER XXIII.
LAST OF THE DANITES.
"How do you know?"
"I have witnessed other executions here."
"Then no time is to be lost."
"What would you do?"
"I do not know--something, anything to save them!"
Old Solitary held Frank back.
"Do not throw your life away," he said. "Wait a while. See, they arelighting two bonfires, the piles of wood having been prepared inadvance."
"What is that for?"
"That there may be plenty of light for the execution, which the entirecamp will witness. See, a few moments ago the place seemed asleep, butnow it is all astir with life."
"I see," groaned the wretched boy; "and it seems to me that there isvery little chance for us to get in there and save Scotch and Clyde."
"Not one chance in a hundred. See those two posts in the full glare oflight? Well, to those posts the captives are to be tied. It is plainthat the tribunal have doomed them to death by shooting. What a farce!"
"That's right!" grated Frank; "it is a farce! As well might they havekilled them in the first place. There was no chance for them to escape."
"Not the least."
"Look, Frankie," whispered Barney, "there comes th' poor profissor, an'Cloyde is clost behindt him."
The Danites were marching their captives out to execution!
In a very few moments the professor and the boy were tied to thedeath-posts.
Uric Dugan directed the movements of the Danites.
"Where is Miskel?" hoarsely breathed Frank. "Will she do nothing toprevent this?"
"She has done all she could," muttered Old Solitary. "It is probable shewas not aware the tribunal was in progress. She will be prevented frominterfering now."
And now six men, with rifles in their hands, formed a line in front ofthe prisoners.
Everything was done with startling swiftness.
Frank Merriwell was trembling with eagerness and excitement, and heappealed to Old Solitary:
"Are we to remain inactive and see this frightful deed? Are we to donothing now that we are here?"
"We will do what we can," declared the strange man. "The time has comefor Dugan's career to end! I feel that I must strike. He shall nevergive the fatal signal!"
The man lifted his old rifle, and the hammer clicked as he cocked it.
Dugan stepped forth to give the signal, and his harsh voice rang outdistinctly:
"Ready!"
The firing squad lifted their rifles.
"Take aim!"
The fatal moment was at hand.
The butt of Old Solitary's rifle came to the man's shoulder. He wasresting on one knee, and the weapon was held as steady as the hills."One!" counted Dugan.
It was the last word he ever uttered, for a spout of flame leaped fromthe muzzle of Old Solitary's weapon, and the bullet sped on its fatalmission.
Without a cry or a groan, Dugan flung up his hands and plunged headlongupon his face.
There was a wild shriek, and the form of a girl rushed into thefirelight. Down beside the fallen man she dropped, lifting his head andstaring wildly into his face.
It was Miskel, but she could not save her wicked father, for the aim ofOld Solitary had been accurate.
The Danites were thrown into the greatest confusion, and Frank Merriwellheld back no longer.
"Come on, Barney!" he shouted.
"Oi'm wid yez!" assured the undaunted Irish lad.
Forward they rushed, each firing a shot as they did so, and adding tothe dismay of the Danites.
Straight up to Professor Scotch ran Frank, and, with one slash of asharp knife he had drawn, he released the man.
Barney did the same thing for Walter Clyde, and the two were set atliberty before the Danites realized what was happening. Then bulletsbegan to whistle around them.
At that moment a wild, strange cry cut the night air, filling the heartsof the Danites with the utmost terror.
It was the war cry of the Navajoes!
A hundred dusky forms seemed to materialize from the darkness, and ahundred savage warriors, deadly enemies of the Danites, came charginginto the camp.
Old Solitary had rushed to the side of Uric Dugan, into whose face heglared, as he cried:
"Look, Dugan, look! You robbed me of reason, of memory, of everything Iheld dear; but I have been avenged, for it was my hand that laid youlow!"
"He is dead!" screamed Miskel, and she fainted on her father's body.
"Yes, he is dead!" said the avenger, in a half-regretful tone. "And henever knew who killed him."
Then he suddenly caught up the girl and rushed away into the darkness,with her flung over his shoulder.
How Frank and his companions escaped from that spot without fallingbefore the Danites or the savages they scarcely knew. A dozen times theyfancied all was lost. They emptied their weapons, they struck down everyone who blocked their way, and they finally succeeded in getting out ofthe pocket.
That they did so at all was due to the fact that the Navajoes, who hadsurprised and overcome the guard in the pass, believed they held theonly exit from the canyon, which made it impossible for any one to getaway, even though they might escape temporarily. If two or three were toescape for the time, the Indians felt that it was impossible for them toget away entirely.
But Professor Septemas Scudmore, with his air ship, was in the canyon,and the boys, half lugging the exhausted Professor Scotch, found himwaiting for them, greatly alarmed and excited by the sounds of thebattle.
"What does it mean?" cried the lank professor, as the party rushed up."What is all that shooting and yelling?"
"There is no time to explain now," said Frank. "Get in, everybody, andlet's get out of this infernal place as soon as we can! There is not amoment to lose."
"I am bewildered," declared Scudmore. "A moment ago an old man withwhite hair and beard rushed up to me, bearing a girl in his arms. Shehad fainted, and he thrust her into the car, telling me to wait for you,and take her away with us."
"It was Old Solitary, and the girl must be Miskel. Is she in the carnow?"
"Yes."
"And the man?"
"He is gone."
"It was Old Solitary, sure enough, and he will be able to hide from thesavages. We cannot wait for him."
"The _Eagle_ would not carry so many, even if we could wait. I have herinflated, and she is tied down. Get in, get in! We'll throw out everybit of ballast, and make the attempt to rise out of the canyon. It maybe a failure, but I think it will succeed, if we can get high enough tostrike the strong wind which is blowing above us. We can try."
They got into the car, and the bags of ballast were tossed overboard.Then the ropes were cut, and the air ship rose slowly with its heavyburden.
* * * * *
Four days later five persons were seated in a room in the town of Loa,which is located amid the mountains of Southern Utah. The five wereProfessors Scotch and Scudmore, and the three boys, Frank, Barney andWalter Clyde.
"Then you are determined to go back to Water Pocket Canyon and the placewhere the camp of the Danites was, are you, Clyde?" asked Frank.
"I shall not be satisfied till I do so," was the answer. "I must findOld Solitary, if he is living, for I believe he is my father."
"I have thought that such might be the case," said Frank. "In some wayhe has been wronged by Uric Dugan. He did not seem to know exactly how,but he was sure of it. It was only at times that he seemed deranged, buthe did not remember much of his past."
"It would be most remarkable if he should turn out to be my father, whomI have believed dead all these years."
"It would be a miracle," declared Professor Scotch. "But do you know youcan find Water Pocket Canyon again?"
"Yes, for I have Ben Barr to guide me. He will take me there."
"Well," said the little professor, "I wish you success, but I would notgo back there for the worlds, and I absolutely refuse to
let my boysgo."
"I suppose we'll have to humor the professor in this instance," laughedFrank. "Our last escapade came near being fatal for all of us."
"You owe your salvation to Professor Septemas Scudmore," declared thatindividual, importantly. "But for his marvelous invention, the _Eagle_,you would have fallen victims to untamed savages."
"Begorra, thot's roight!" nodded Barney. "Th' _'Agle_ is a greatbirrud."
"It is bound to make me famous the world over, and send my name ringingdown the corridors of time."
"But what of poor Miskel?" asked Frank. "She is heartbroken over thedeath of her father. She knows nothing of the world at large, and----"
"Under the circumstances," said Walter, "I feel that it is my duty tosee that she does not come to harm. As long as she wants it, she shallhave a home with my folks, if she will accept."
"Be aisy, me b'y!" chuckled Barney, roguishly. "It's a swate purty faceshe has, an' Oi'm thinkin' ye're a bit shtuck on her."
"Oh, come!" protested Walter, blushing. "I have known her but four days,and----"
"Ye've made good progress, me lad. Oi notice thot you have donefirrust-rate comfortin' her. It's an invoite to th' weddin' Oi warnt,an' Oi think Frankie would look foine as th' bist man."
"If the wedding ever takes place, you shall be invited."
The mystery of Old Solitary remains still, for he was never found;although Walter and Ben Barr did make their way into Water PocketCanyon once more. The ruins of the Danite village were found, also humanbones, picked clean by wolves and vultures. No living thing seemed toremain in the vicinity, and the silence and shadow of death hung overthe place.
Old Solitary's cave was deserted. It is possible that, after all, thestrange man fell a victim to the savages; but it is more likely that,being deranged, he was spared by them, and they made him a greatmedicine man among them. Perchance he is living with them to-day on theNavajo reservation.
"I think we are well out of that," said Frank, when it was all over. "Iwant no more of the murderous Danites."
"Humph, I told you to keep off," grunted Professor Scotch. "But you'llsoon run into equal peril, I'll warrant."
"No, professor--only sight-seeing in the future."
"And where?"
"Yellowstone Park, the great National reservation."
"Hurro!" cried Barney. "Just the sphot Oi've been wantin' to see."
"Yes, I'd like to see the park myself," said the professor. "We'll besafe there."
But were they? Let us wait and see.