Frank Merriwell's Alarm Part 5

Merriwell had conquered, but he showed no sign of triumph, although he quietly said:

"I knew all the while, dear old fellow; in fact, I believe I know you better than you know yourself."

Then, when the others came up, ready to jolly Diamond about refusing to drink, Frank checked them with a gesture.

Jack felt better when he had taken a second drink of water. As water had risen in the hole, all the boys were able to get another round, and the spirits of all of them were raised.

"I believe we have some hard bread and jerked beef, haven't we, Merry?" asked Browning.

"Yes."

"Well, we are all right, then. Can't knock us out now. All I need is a good chance to rest."

"Oh, you need rest!" nodded Rattleton. "You always need that. You can take more rest and not complain than any fellow I ever saw."

"Young man," said Bruce, loftily, "it won't work. I refuse to let you get me on a string, so drop it."

"You'll be lucky if you get out of this part of the country without getting on a string with the other end hitched to the limb of a tree."

"That reminds me," drawled Bruce; "at the last town where we stopped I asked a citizen if there were any horse thieves in that locality, and he said there were two of 'em hanging around there the night before."

"Yes," nodded Harry, "that was the place where they said they were going to stop lynching if they had to hang every durned lyncher they could catch."

"Boys," laughed Merriwell, "we are all right. When you chaps get to springing those things I feel there is no further danger. We'll pull out all right."

"Suttinly, sar," grinned Toots. "I's gwan teh bet mah money on dis crowd ebry time, chilluns. We's hot stuff, an' dar ain't nuffin' gwan teh stop us dis side ob San Francisco--no, sar!"

Finally, refreshed and filled with new hope, the boys mounted their wheels and started to seek for the second water-hole.

Frank led the way, and they turned to the south, riding along the base of some barren cliffs.

"Are you sure we'll be able to find our way back to the water-hole we have left if we fail to discover the other one?" asked Rattleton.

"I am taking note of everything, and I do not think there will be any difficulty," answered Frank.

They had proceeded in this manner for about two miles when they saw before them a place where the barren cliffs opened into a pa.s.s that seemed to lead into the mountains.

"There is our road!" cried Merriwell, cheerfully. "It should lead us straight to the second water-hole."

"Yah! yah!" laughed Toots. "Cayarn't fool dat boy, chilluns! He knows his business, yo' bet! Won't s'prise me a bit if he teks us stret to a resyvoyer--no, sar!"

They made for the pa.s.s, and, in a burst of energy, the colored boy spurted to the front, taking the lead.

Of a sudden, as they approached a point where the bluffs narrowed till they were close together, the negro gave a sudden wild howl of terror, tried to turn his wheel about and went plunging headlong to the ground.

"Wow!" gasped Rattleton. "What's struck him?"

"Something is the matter with him, sure as fate," said Frank.

Toots was seen to sit up and stare toward the wall of stone, while it was plain that he was shaking as if struck by an attack of ague. Then he tried to scramble up, but fell on his knees, with his hands clasped and uplifted in a supplicating att.i.tude, while he wildly cried:

"Go 'way, dar, good Mr. Debbil! I ain't done nuffin' teh yo'! Please don' touch me! I's nuffin' but a po' good-fo'-nuffin' n.i.g.g.e.r, an' I ain't wuff bodderin' wif--no, sar! Dar am some white boys wif me, an'

I guess yo'll lek them a heap sight better. Jes' yo' tek one of them, good Mr. Debbil!"

"Has he gone daffy, too?" muttered Frank, in astonishment.

Then the boys came whirling up and sprang from their wheels, at which Toots made a scramble for Frank, caught hold of his knees, and chatteringly cried:

"Don' yeh let him kerry me off, Ma.r.s.er Frank! I knows yo' ain't afeared of nuffin', so I wants yeh ter protect po' Toots from de debbil wif de fiery eyes!"

But Frank was so astonished that he scarcely heard a word the colored boy uttered.

Seated on a block of stone in a niche of the wall was a human skeleton. It was sitting bolt upright and seemed to be staring at the boys with eyes that flashed a hundred shades of light.

"Poly hoker--no, holy poker!" palpitated Harry, leaning hard on his wheel. "What have we struck?"

For a time the others were speechless.

Wonderfully and fantastically was the skeleton decorated. On its head was a rude crown that seemed to be of glittering gold, while gold bracelets adorned its arms. About the fleshless neck was a chain of gold, to which a large locket was attached, and across the ribs was strung a gold watch-chain, while there were other fantastic and costly ornaments dangling over those bones of a human being.

The eyes of the skeleton, flas.h.i.+ng so many different lights, seemed to be two huge diamonds of enormous value.

No wonder the young cyclists stared in astonishment at the marvelously bejeweled skeleton!

"Well," drawled Browning, with his usual nonchalance, "the gentleman seems to have dressed up in his best to receive us. Some one must have sent him word we were coming."

Toots, seeing the others did not seem frightened, had got on his feet and picked up his bicycle.

"Goodness!" muttered Diamond. "If all those decorations are solid gold, there is a small fortune in sight!"

"What is the meaning of this, Frank?" asked Rattleton. "How do you suppose this skeleton happens to be here?"

"Ask me something easy," said Merriwell, shaking his head.

"The skeleton must have been decorated in that manner by some living person," a.s.serted Rattleton.

"But where is that person?"

"Not here, that is sure."

"It may be a warning," said Jack, gloomily.

"Warning, nothing!" exclaimed Frank. "It is plain the thing has been left there by some person, and we are the discoverers. It must be that the skeleton is that of some poor devil who perished here for want of water."

"And it may be that the one who placed it there perished also," said Rattleton.

"Very likely."