Frank Merriwell's Alarm Part 24

"But we will find her."

"I scarcely think it will be an easy task."

"Nor do I think so, but I gave George Morris my word, and I am going to keep my promise to him, poor fellow!"

"You never seem to consider the possibility of failure, Frank."

"The ones who consider the possibility of failure are those who fail, old fellow. Those who succeed are the ones who never think of failure--who believe they cannot fail. Confidence in one's self is an absolute requisite in the battle of life."

"There is such a thing as egotism."

"Yes. That consists in bragging about what you can do. It is most offensive. It is the fellow who does things without boasting who cuts ice in this world. The other fellow often spends his time in telling what he can do, but never does much."

"I think you are right; but let's get down nearer the lake. I've heard that the water is marvelously clear."

"It is so clear that a small fish may be seen from the surface, though the fish is near the bottom where the lake is the deepest."

"Then it can't be very deep."

"It is, nevertheless. In many places it is thirty or forty feet--even more than that."

"Then who invented the fish story?"

"The fish story is all right," laughed Merriwell. "I know."

"How do you know?"

"I've been here before."

"Here--at Lake Tahoe?"

"Sure."

"Well, say!" cried Rattleton, in astonishment, "I'd like to know where you haven't been!"

"Oh, there are lots of places where I haven't been, but this is one of the places where I have been. That's all."

"What brought you here?"

"I came here in pursuit of a young lady in whom a friend of mine, Bart Hodge, was interested."

"I think I have heard you speak of Hodge."

"Yes, he was my chum when I was in Fardale Military Academy. We were enemies at first, and Hodge did his best to down me, but we became friendly after that, and Hodge turned out to be a very decent fellow."

"Where is he now?"

"Give it up. Haven't heard from Bart in a long time. Last I knew he was out here in the West somewhere."

The boys had reached Tahoe on their wheels, there being a road to the lake. The road was not a very good one for bicycle traveling, but they had ridden a portion of the way.

Now they had left the road and pushed down to the lake by a winding path, along which they had been forced to carry their wheels at times.

They made their way down to the edge of a bluff, from the verge of which they could look over into the water.

"Say! it is clear!" cried Harry.

"I told you so," smiled Frank.

"But--but--why, it almost seems to magnify! I can count the pebbles on the bottom. Look at those tiny fishes swimming around there."

In truth the water was marvelously clear, and things on the bottom could be seen almost as plainly as if they were not beneath the surface.

"Why, it don't seem possible that a boat can float on it!" broke from Harry.

"It is something like floating in the air."

"Are there boats to be obtained near here?"

"There are a number of boats on the lake. There once was a man near here by the name of Big Gabe who owned a boat."

"Let's get it, if he is here now. I want to take a sail on this lake.

How do we find Big Gabe?"

"I don't know that we'll be able to find him at all. He was a consumptive."

"Oh, then he may be dead?"

"Not from consumption. He came here to die, but in less than a year he was stronger and heartier than he had ever before been, and he was so lazy that he didn't care to do anything but lay around and take life easy. He said he was going to stay here till he died, but there seemed little prospect that he'd ever die. He----"

At this moment there was a sudden wild snarl behind them, and, before they could turn, each lad received a powerful thrust that sent him whirling from the bluff to fall with a great splash into the water below.

Both lads had pulled their bicycles over the brink, so the wheels fell with a loud splash into the water which washed against the base of the steep rock.

The boys themselves had been sent whirling still farther out, and they sank like stones when they struck the water.

But they came up quickly, wondering what had happened.

"Blate glisters--no, great blisters!" gurgled Harry, as he spurted water like a whale. "Where are we at?"

"Christmas!" said Frank. "What struck us?"

And then, on the top of the bluff, they saw a creature that was dancing and howling with rage and satisfaction.

It was Apollo, the dwarf.

"May I be hanged!" exploded Rattleton. "It's that thing!"