CHAPTER XXIV.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DICK.
Just at dusk a horse came galloping madly up toward the front of thehotel, bearing on its back an excited, frightened, pale-faced girl. Itwas Felicia. Brad Buckhart happened to be leaving the hotel as the girlpulled up her sweaty horse.
"Oh, Brad!" she cried, and her voice was filled with the greatestagitation and distress.
The Texan made a bound down the steps.
"What is it, Felicia?" he asked. "Whatever is the matter? My pard--hewent out to ride with you! Where is he now?"
"Oh, where is he? Oh, where is he?" cried Felicia.
"You don't know? Is that what you mean? Oh, say, Felicia, don't tell meanything has happened to my pard!"
"Brad! Brad!" she gasped, swaying in her saddle, "a strange thing hashappened. I can't account for it."
In a moment he lifted her down in his strong arms and supported her, ashe tumultuously poured questions upon her.
"What's this strange thing, Felicia? What has happened? Where is Dick?Tell me, quick!"
"Oh, I wish you could tell me!" she retorted.
"He went out with you?"
"Yes, yes!"
The Texan made an effort to cool down.
"Look here, Felicia," he said. "We're both so excited we don't hit anysort of a trail and stick to it for shucks. If anything whatever hashappened to my pard, I want to know it right quick. Keep cool and tellme all about it. What was it that happened?"
"But I tell you I don't know--I don't know," came faintly from the girl."We rode some miles to the south. It was splendid. We laughed, andchatted, and had such a fine time. Then, when we turned to come back, Ichallenged Dick to a race. My horse was just eager to let himself out,and we raced. I had the lead, but my horse was so hard-bitted that Icouldn't look back. Two or three times I called to Dick, and heanswered. I heard his horse right behind me, and felt sure he was near.Once I thought he was trying to pass me, and I let my horse out more.
"I don't know how far I went that way, but it was a long, long distance.After a while his horse seemed letting up. He didn't push him so hard.Then I pulled up some and called back to him again, but he didn'tanswer. I had to fight my horse, for he had the bit in his teeth and wasobstinate. After a while I managed to turn, and then I saw somethingthat gave me an awful jump. Dick's horse was a long distance away, andwas going at a trot, but Dick was not in the saddle. The saddle wasempty, and Dick was nowhere to be seen."
"Great tarantulas! Great horned toads! Great Panhandle!" explodedBuckhart. "You don't mean to tell me that my pard let any onery horsedump him out of the saddle? Say, I won't believe it! Say, I can'tbelieve it! Why, he can ride like a circus performer! He is a regularcentaur, if I ever saw one! Whatever is this joke you're putting up onme, Felicia?"
"No joke, no joke!" she hastily asserted. "It's the truth, Brad--theterrible truth! Dick was not on the horse. I don't know what happened tohim, but he wasn't there. As soon as I could I rode back to find him. Irode and rode, looking for him everywhere. I thought something must havehappened to him that caused him to fall from the saddle. I wondered thatI had heard no cry from him--no sound."
"And you didn't find him?"
She shook her head.
"I found nothing of him anywhere. I rode until I was where we started torace. After that I had called to him, and he had answered me more thanonce. I know that, at first, he was close behind me."
"Jumping jingoes!" spluttered Brad. "This beats anything up to date! Youhear me warble! You must have missed him, somehow."
"It is not possible, Brad. I stuck to the road and followed it all theway through the chaparral, beyond which we had started to race thisway."
"Then you raced through a piece of woods, did you?"
"Yes, yes."
"Do you remember of hearing him answer any to your calls after you hadpassed through those woods?"
"I don't remember."
"Oh, Brad, what if he was thrown from his horse and some wild animaldragged him into the chaparral after he fell senseless on the road! Youmust find him! Where is Frank? Tell Frank at once!"
"That's good sense," declared the Texan. "But wherever is Dick's horse?"
"I don't know where the animal is now. I paid no further attention to itafter I found Dick was missing."
By this time the Texan had heard enough, and, lifting Felicia clear offher feet, he strode into the hotel with her, as if carrying a feather.Just inside the door he nearly collided with Cap'n Wiley.
"Port your helm!" exclaimed the sailor. "Don't run me down, even if youare overloaded with the finest cargo I ever clapped my eyes on."
"Hold on, Wiley!" commanded Brad. "Just you drop anchor where you are. Iwant you."
"Ay, ay, sir!" retorted the marine. "I will lay to instantly. Ever hearthe little story about the captain who ran out of provisions and,getting hard up, decided to have eggs for breakfast and made his shiplay two?"
"Cut your chestnuts out, now!" growled the Texan. "Where is Frank?"
"I last saw his royal nibs in close communion with a gentleman who isliterally rotten with money."
"Not Macklyn Morgan?"
"Well, hardly. He is not chumming with old Mack to any salubriousdegree. It was Thomas Kensington."
"Do you know where Frank is now? If you do, find him instantly and tellhim something has happened to Dick."
"Ay! ay!" again cried Wiley. "Just you bear off and on right where youare, and I will sight him directly and bring him round on this course."
The sailor hurried away, leaving Brad to question Felicia still furtherabout the road they had taken outside of Prescott.
Fortunately Frank was easily found, and Wiley came hurrying back withhim.
"What is it, Brad?" asked Merry, controlling his nerves and betrayinglittle alarm, for all that he saw by the appearance of Felicia that someserious thing had occurred.
"Oh, Frank--Dick!" she panted. "You must find him--you must!"
The Texan quickly told Merry what had happened as related by Felicia.
Frank's face grew grim and paled a little--a very little. His jawhardened, and his eyes took on a strange gleam.
"I opine I know just the road they took," said Buckhart. "She has toldme all about it. I am dead certain I can go straight back over thattrail."
"Wiley," said Merry, still with that grim command of himself, "get amove on and have some horses saddled and made ready."
"Leave it to me," cried the sailor, immediately taking to his heels anddusting away.
By this time others in the hotel knew what had happened, and a number ofpeople had gathered around. Unmindful of them, Frank took Felicia on hisknee as he sat on a chair and questioned her.
"Oh, Frank!" she suddenly sobbed, clasping him about the neck. "You willfind Dick, won't you?"
"As sure as I am living, Felicia," he asserted, with that same confidentcalmness. "Don't you doubt it for a moment, dear. Rest easy about that."
"You don't think some wild animal has got him?"
"I hardly fancy anything of that sort has happened to my brother."
Merry called for the housekeeper, who soon came and he turned Feliciaover to her, saying:
"Look out for her, Mrs. Jones. Take care of her and don't let her worrymore than can be helped."
"Lord love her sweet soul!" exclaimed the housekeeper, as she receivedthe agitated girl from Frank and patted and petted her. "I will lookafter her, Mr. Merriwell. Don't you be afraid of that. There, there,dear," she said, softly stroking Felicia's cheek. "Don't you take on so.Why, they will find your cousin all right."
"You bet your boots!" muttered Brad Buckhart, who was examining along-barreled revolver as he spoke. "We will hit the trail and find himin less than two shakes of a steer's hoof."
Wiley now came panting back into the room, struck an attitude, and madea salute.
"Our land-going craft are at the pier outside."
Frank paused only to kiss Felicia and whisper a last word in her ear
. Ashe turned to leave the room, he came face to face with Macklyn Morgannear the door.
Morgan looked at him in a singular manner and smiled.
"Excuse me, sir. You seem to be in a great hurry about something."
Merry stopped short and stood looking straight into the eyes of hisenemy.
"What is your next low trick, Morgan?" he said. "Let me tell you hereand now, and don't forget it for an instant, if ever any harm comes tome or mine through you, you'll rue it to the last moment of yourmiserable life."
With which he strode on out of the hotel.
Away out of Prescott they clattered, and away into the gatheringdarkness of a soft spring night. The cool breeze rushed past their earsand fanned their hot cheeks. Frank was in the lead, for Wiley had takenpains to see that Merriwell's own fine horse was made ready for him.
"Is this the road, Buckhart?" the young mine owner called back. "This isthe one Felicia told us to take, isn't it?"
"Sure as shooting!" answered the Texan.
"We don't want to make any mistake in our course," put in the sailor."That would be fatal to the aspirations of our agitated anatomy. At thesame time we want to keep our optical vision clear for breakers ahead.We may be due to strike troubled waters before long."
"That's what we're looking for!" growled Buckhart, who seemed hot fortrouble of some sort.
Onward they rode along the brown trail. Beneath them the ground seemedspeeding backward. The lights of the town twinkled far behind them.Frank's keen eyes detected something that caused him to drop rein andswerve from the road. At a short distance from the trail a horse wasgrazing. This animal shied somewhat and moved away as Merry approached,but Frank's skill enabled him, after a little, to capture the creature,which proved to be saddled and bridled.
"Dick's horse," he said. "Hold him, Buckhart. I want to make anexamination."
Brad took the creature by the head, and a moment later Frank struck amatch, which he protected in the hollow of his hand until it was in fullblaze. He then examined the saddle and the creature's back. Severalmatches were used for this purpose, while both Buckhart and Wiley waitedanxiously for the result.
"What behold you, mate?" inquired the sailor.
"Nothing," answered Frank. And it seemed there was relief in his voice.
"Whatever did you expect to find?" questioned the Texan.
"I hoped to find nothing, just as I have," was the answer. "Still, Ithought it possible there might be blood stains on the horse. It is notlikely there would be hostile savages in this vicinity. Indeed, such athing is almost improbable; yet it was my fancy that Dick might havebeen silently shot from his saddle."
"How silently?" asked Brad. "Shooting is pretty certain to be heard, Iopine."
"Not if done with an arrow."
"But the Injun of this day and generation is generally provided with adifferent weapon."
"That's true; but still some of them use the bow and arrow even to-day."
"I don't reckon a whole lot on anything of that sort happening to mypard," asserted the Texan.
"Nor I," admitted Frank. "But I thought it best to investigate."
The horse was again set at liberty. They had no time to bother with itthen. Once more they found the trail and rode on.
Before them loomed the dark chaparral, into which wound the road theyfollowed. On either hand the tangled thicket was dark and grim.
"A right nasty place for a hold-up!" muttered Buckhart, whose hand wason his pistol.
"If any one tries that little trick," observed Cap'n Wiley, "it's mysagacious opinion that they are due to receive a surprise that willdisturb their mental condition and throw their quivering nerves into theutmost agitation. I am ready to keep the air full of bullets, for inthat way something will surely be hit. Reminds me of the time when Iwent gunning with Johnny Johnson. We came to a promising strip offorest, and he took one side and I took the other. Pretty soon I heardhim banging away, and he kept shooting and shooting until I grew blackin the face with envy. I reckoned he was bagging all the game in thatpreserve. In my seething imagination I saw him with partridges, andwoodcock, and other things piled up around him knee-deep.
"For just about an hour he kept on shooting regular every few seconds.At last I came to him, for I didn't find a single measly thing to popat. Imagine my astonishment when I found him idly reclining in acomfortable position on the ground and firing at intervals into the air.'John, old man,' says I, 'what are you doing?' 'Wiley,' he answered, 'Iam out for game. I haven't been able to find any, but I know where thereis some in this vicinity. I arrived at the specific conclusion that if Icould keep the air full of shot I'd hit something after a while, and soI am carrying my wise plan into execution.' Oh, I tell you, John was agreat hunter--a great hunter!"
"Better cut that out," said Frank. "This is a first-class time for youto give your wagging jaw a rest, cap'n."
"Thanks, mate; your suggestion will be appropriated unto me."
Through the chaparral they went, their eyes searching the trail andnoting every dark spot on the ground. At length they came to the fartherborder of the thicket, but without making any discovery.
"Here's where Felicia said the race began," said Brad. "We haven't founda thing, Frank--not a thing."
Still Merry led them on a little farther before halting and turningabout.
"What's to be done now?" anxiously inquired the Texan.
"We will follow the trail back through the chaparral," said Frank. "Wewill call to Dick. That's the only thing it seems possible for us todo."
Having decided on this, they rode slowly back; calling at intervals tothe missing lad. The thick chaparral rang with their voices, but throughit came no answer. The cold stars watched them in silence. By the timethey had again debouched from the chaparral Brad was in such a state ofmind that reason seemed to have deserted him. He actually proposedplunging into the thicket and attempting to search through it.
"You couldn't make your way through that tangle in broad daylight,"declared Merry. "Don't lose your head, Buckhart."
"But, Frank--my pard, we must find him!"
"We will do everything we can. We may not find him to-night. But I willfind him in time."
"What has become of him?" groaned the Texan.
"It's my belief," said Merry, "that he is in the hands of my enemies.This is a new blow at me. I saw something of it in the eyes of MacklynMorgan when I faced him in the hotel just before we started. There was alook of triumph on his face."
"Whoop!" shouted Brad. "Then he's the galoot we want to git at! It's upto us to light on him all spraddled out and squeeze the truth out of himin a hurry. Just let me get at him!"
"And you would simply make the matter worse than it is. You must leavethis thing to me, Buckhart. You must hold yourself in check unless youwant to injure Dick. I will deal with Macklyn Morgan."
"You," said Wiley. "I fancy you have hit on the outrageous and egregioustruth. I don't know just what egregious means, but it sounds well there.Morgan has scooped Richard and proposes to hold him hard and fast untilhe can bring you to terms."
"I think very likely such is his plot," nodded Merry.
"He ought to be shot!" exploded Brad. "It was a whole lot unfortunatethat the ruffians who carried him off did not keep him."
"How do you think the trick was done?" questioned Wiley.
"I haven't decided yet," admitted Frank. "But I feel sure my brother isnowhere in this vicinity now. It's my object to see Morgan again withoutdelay."
With this object in view Merriwell lost no further time in ridingstraight toward Prescott. When the town was reached he set outimmediately to find Morgan, having first told Brad to see Felicia and dohis best to soothe her fears.
Felicia was waiting. She started up as the Texan tapped on her door.
"There, there, child!" exclaimed Mrs. Jones, who was still with her."Sit down and keep quiet. I will see who it is."
When the door was opened and Buckhart entered, Felicia cried out to him:
"Dick--you have found him?"
"Well, not exactly that," said the Texan; "but I opine Frank will findhim pretty quick now."
The girl was greatly disappointed.
"Then you know what has become of him?" she asked.
"I opine we do," nodded Buckhart.
"He is safe?"
"You bet he is. He is all right, Felicia. We know well enough that heisn't hurt a bit."
She seized his hands.
"Tell me," she pleaded, "tell me all about it."
Brad was placed in an awkward position, and he felt that it wasnecessary to draw on his imagination.
"Why, there is not a great deal to tell," he said. "I reckon Dick'shorse must have stumbled and thrown him. It stunned him some, of course.Then there were some gents what happened along and picked him up, andthat's about all."
She looked at him in doubt and bewilderment.
"But I didn't see any one. Why didn't I see them?"
Buckhart coughed behind his hand to get a little time for thought.
"Why, these yere gents I speak of," he said, "were afraid to be seen,for they have been up to some doings that were not just exactly on thelevel. That being the case, they took him up all quietlike and steppedinto the chaparral with him, and doctored him, and fixed him O. K. Ofcourse, they will want to be paid for that little job, and that's whythey are keeping him. You leave everything to Frank. He will settle withthem and bring Dick back as sound as a nut. You hear me chirp?"
Having made this statement, the Texan felt greatly relieved. He hadmanaged to get through it some way, although it was a hard strain onhim. Still, Felicia was not entirely satisfied, and her fears were notfully allayed.
"If these men are bad men," she said, "won't they harm Dick some way?"
"Ho! ho! ho!" laughed Brad. "What a foolish notion to get into yourhead, Felicia. Whatever good would it do them to harm him? What couldthey make out of that? It's up to them to take the best care of him, soFrank will feel like coughing up liberal when he settles. You can seethat easy enough. So don't worry over it any more."
"No, don't worry over it any more, child," put in Mrs. Jones. "Just goto bed. The strain on you has been severe, and you must rest."
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't rest until I see Dick! Don't you think I may seehim soon? Don't you think Frank will bring him here right away?"
"Oh, mebbe not," said Brad. "It may take some time, for Frank thoughtlikely Dick had been carried to Goodwin, or Bigbug, or some place. Yousee, we didn't find out just where they had taken him. All we found outwas that he had been taken somewhere and was all right. You let Mrs.Jones tuck you in your little bed, and you just close your peepers andget to the sleeps. That's the best thing for you to do."
Fearing she might suspect that he had not stuck by the truth if shequestioned him further, Brad now made the excuse that he had to hurryaway, and quickly left the room. In the meantime Frank had beensearching for Morgan. He fully expected to find Morgan without trouble,and in this he was not disappointed. The money king was talking withThomas Kensington in the hotel bar.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Kensington," said Merry. "If I'm notinterrupting an important matter, I'd like a word or two with this man."
Morgan lifted a hand.
"You will have to excuse me, sir," he said. "I am quite busy now."
"On the other hand," said Kensington, "we have finished our business.Mr. Morgan followed me here and wished to talk of mining matters. I amin no mood to discuss such matters to-night."
He bowed to Frank and turned away.
Morgan gave Merriwell a defiant look.
"I cannot waste my time on you, young man," he said. "It's altogethertoo valuable."
"You have wasted considerable time on me in the past, and I have beencompelled to waste some on you. This night has brought matters to aclimax. I know your game; but it will fail, just as every trick you havetried has failed. I have a few words to say to you. My brother ismissing."
"What's that to me? I care nothing about your brother."
"Yet you attempted not so very long ago to hold him as a hostage. It wasyour scheme to force me into dealing with you by holding my brother aprisoner in the hands of your ruffians."
"Be careful, young man! Don't accuse me of anything like that! If youdo, I'll----"
"You'll what?" demanded Merry, grim as flint and cold as ice. "Now, whatwill you do, Macklyn Morgan?"
"I'll make you smart for it!"
"It's about time you learned, sir, that your threats have no effect onme whatever. As I have said, my brother is missing. If he is not inPrescott to-morrow morning, it will be the worse for you. Do you knowhow I dealt with Milton Sukes? Do you know that I investigated hisbusiness methods and found out about his crooked dealings, so that whenI was ready to expose him he was driven desperate? Macklyn Morgan, areyou immaculate? Do you mean to tell me that your career as a maker ofmillions has been unspotted? Do you mean to tell me that you never havebeen concerned in any crooked schemes? I know better, Morgan. I know howa man like you makes his money. As I dealt with Sukes, so I will dealwith you! I will investigate. I will learn the truth, and then I willexpose you. To-day you may be concerned in several questionableprojects. If those schemes are rotten, the world shall know it. I shalltake hold of this thing in earnest, and I'll do for you what I did forSukes."
"That's a threat on my life!" cried Morgan, turning to the others whowere near. "Gentlemen, I call on you to bear witness that this man hasthreatened my life."
"You know better, sir, I have threatened nothing but your crookedbusiness. Your life is safe as far as I am concerned. But you will seethat my brother is in Prescott to-morrow, or I'll hold you up for theinspection of the whole country and show people what a thoroughbredscoundrel you are! That's all I have to say to you, sir. Good night."
Frank turned his back on Morgan and walked out of the room.