Frank Merriwell's Alarm Part 13

Coming through the darkness at a mad gallop was what seemed to be the gleaming skeleton of a horse. The ribs, the bones of the neck, legs and head, all showed plainly, glowing with a white light.

And on the back of the horse, which had sheered to the north and was pa.s.sing the fire, sat what seemed to be the skeleton of a human being, the bones gleaming the same as those of the horse.

It was almost an astonis.h.i.+ng and awe-inspiring spectacle, and it frightened the Indians greatly.

"Howugh--owugh--owugh!" wailed Black Feather, dismally.

Then the savages dropped on their faces, covering their eyes, so they could not see the skeleton horseman.

Almost at the same moment as the horseman was pa.s.sing the spot the ghastly appearing thing seemed to give a sudden swing about and completely disappear.

"Poly hoker!" gasped Rattleton. "It's gone!"

"That's right!" palpitated Diamond--"vanished in a moment!"

"Oh, mah soul--mah soul!" wailed Toots. "Dat sholy am de ol' debbil hisse'f, chilluns! When we see it next it's gwan teh hab one ob us fo sho!"

"Hark!" commanded Browning.

The beat of the horse's feet could be distinctly heard, but the creature had turned about and was going back toward the pa.s.s through the bluffs.

Chucker-chucker-chuck! chucker-chucker-chuck! chucker-chucker-chuck!

came the ghostly sounds of the galloping horse.

"It's turned about!" gasped Harry, in astonishment.

"It's going!" fluttered Jack.

"And we'd better be going, too!" put in Browning.

Then with a familiar whirring sound something came flying toward them through the darkness, causing Toots to utter a wild shriek of terror.

Into the light of the camp-fire flashed a boy who was mounted on a bicycle, and they saw it was Frank Merriwell.

"Away!" he hissed, as he flew past them. "Make straight for the pa.s.s by which we entered this pocket. I will join you."

Then he was gone.

Browning gave Toots a sharp shake, fiercely whispering:

"Mount your wheel and keep with us if you want to save your scalp! If you don't you will be left behind."

Then the boys leaped upon their bicycles and were away in a moment, before the prostrate Indians had recovered from the shock of terror given them by the appearance of the skeleton horse and rider.

For the time Bruce Browning took the lead, and the others followed him. Toots had heeded the big fellow's warning words, and he was not left behind.

Barely had they pa.s.sed beyond the range of the firelight and disappeared in the darkness when wild yells of anger came from behind them, and they knew the Indians had discovered they were gone.

"Bend low! bend low!" hissed Diamond. "They may take a fancy to shoot after us! Stoop, fellows!"

Stoop they did, bending low over the handlebars of their bicycles.

Bang! bang! bang!

The Indians fired several shots, and they heard some of the bullets whistle past, but they were not hit.

"Well, that's what I call luck!" muttered the young Virginian.

"What do you call luck?" asked Rattleton.

"The appearance of that skeleton horse and rider in time to scare the Indians and give us a chance to get away."

"Oh!" said Harry, sarcastically, "I didn't know but it was Merry's return. I told you he would not desert us."

"I wonder how he happened to come back just then?"

"He came back because he was watching for an opportunity to help us, and he saw we had a splendid chance to get away while the redskins were scared by the appearance of the horse and rider. You ought to know him well enough to know he is not the fellow to desert his friends in a sc.r.a.pe like this."

Diamond was silent.

"I wonder where Frank is?" said Browning. "He said he would join us, and he is----"

"Right here, old man," said a cheerful voice, as a flying bicycle brought Merriwell out of the darkness to Browning's side. "This way, fellows! We'll hit the pa.s.s and get out of here as soon as we can."

"Lawd bress yeh, Ma.r.s.er Frank!" cried Toots, joyfully. "I didn't know's I'd see yeh no mo', boy!"

"I hope you didn't think I had left you for good?"

"No, sar!" declared the colored boy. "I done knows yeh better dan dat, sar! I knowed yeh'd come back, but I was afeared yeh'd come back too late, sar. Dem Injunses was gittin' po'erful anxious fo' dis yar wool ob mine--yes, sar!"

"Well, I am glad to know you thought I would not desert you. I don't want any of my friends to think I would go back on them in the hour of need."

Diamond was silent.

The pa.s.s was found without difficulty, and they went speeding through it.

"How did you happen to turn up just then, Frank?" asked Harry.

"I was waiting for a chance to come to you, and I saw the chance when that horse and rider frightened the Indians."

"The horse and rider--where are they?" asked Browning.

"Gone through the pa.s.s ahead of us."

"Mah gracious!" exclaimed the colored boy. "What if dat ol' debbil teks a noshun teh wait fu' us?"

"What sort of ghost business was it, anyway?" questioned Rattleton.

"It seemed to be a skeleton horse and a skeleton rider, and it disappeared in a twinkling. I will admit this skeleton business is beginning to work on my nerves."