Frank Merriwell's Triumph Part 46

"I am afraid we're in awful trouble now, Abe. You remember the bad men we saw in the valley before my horse ran. Perhaps these are two of them."

"Better be ketched by bad men than starve," he returned, with an effort to rea.s.sure her. "I have seen heaps of bad men before this, and I am still alive."

One of the horses was easily captured, but, to the surprise of the man, the other one charged viciously at him. When he sought to get at its head, the creature wheeled with a squeal and kicked wildly.

The man swore.

"What ails ye, drat yer?" he growled.

Then he released the docile animal and turned his attention to the other.

To his astonishment, the creature was fierce as a raging lion. It charged on him repeatedly, and he escaped only by the utmost nimbleness.

It squealed, and whirled, and kicked in all directions. Apparently it fancied a thousand men were trying to capture it, and its wild gyrations were exceedingly surprising, to say the least.

After a little, the man ran away when he found the opportunity and stood at a distance, with his hands on his hips, watching the cavorting creature.

"The dinged hoss is sure crazy!" he declared. "Why, its a-trying to chew itself up, or kick itself to pieces. Never see but one critter act that way before."

"It's locoed," said Abe to the man with him.

Immediately this man called to his companion, saying:

"Let the beast alone. The kid says it's locoed, and ef that's so, I reckon it's no good to anybody."

"Never see no locoed horse feed nateral like this one was," returned the other. "I opines the critter is just ugly, that's all."

But, suddenly uttering snorts and squeals, the horse went das.h.i.+ng off into the distance, as if pursued by some frightful thing. Nor did it stop until it had disappeared far, far away.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE LOTTERY OF DEATH.

Men were lying about on the ground, sleeping where they had dropped.

Picketed horses were grazing at a little distance. The most of the men slept heavily, but one or two routed up as the guards brought the boy and girl and the captured horse to the bivouac.

"Whatever has you there?" growlingly asked one of the men who had awakened.

"Some lost children we finds near yere," was the answer.

Macklyn Morgan, wrapped in his blanket, had also awakened. His curiosity was aroused, and he flung off the blanket and got up.

"Children!" he said. "How does it happen that there are children in this wretched region?"

One of the men explained how he had heard the sound of the fiddle, which had led them to the boy and girl. He also repeated Abe's story, adding that it sounded "fishy." The interest of Morgan was redoubled at once.

He immediately turned his attention to the hunchback.

"Going to Flagstaff to meet Frank Merriwell's brother, did you say?" he questioned, attempting a kindly manner. "Seems to me that was rather a crazy undertaking, my lad. And what is Frank Merriwell's brother doing in Flagstaff?"

"He jest said he was going there on his way to Californy," declared Abe, trying to stick to his original story and make it seem consistent. "We hope to see him there."

Felicia was silent; but she felt that Abe's yarn was not believed by the men.

"How did you happen to know this d.i.c.k Merriwell?" questioned Morgan.

Abe started to reply, but faltered and stammered a little, whereupon Felicia quickly said:

"I am his cousin."

Instantly the man's interest was redoubled.

"His cousin, eh?" he exclaimed. "Now we're getting at it. Curtis, start a fire. I want to look these children over."

While the man thus ordered was complying Morgan continued to question the girl and boy, but now his interest seemed centred in Felicia.

"So you are also the cousin of Frank Merriwell?" he said. "Tell me more about these two Merriwells. I have heard of Frank Merriwell, and I consider him a most excellent young man. I admire him very much."

He endeavored to make his words sound sincere, but little Abe fancied there was a false ring in them.

"You know d.i.c.k is Frank's half-brother, sir," said the girl. "He attends school in the East. I was at school in the same place once, but the climate didn't agree with me, and so Frank sent me West for my health."

"Have you seen him lately?"

"Yes, sir."

"When?"

"In Prescott, a few days ago. He was there, but some bad men made a lot of trouble for him and he left."

"This boy is your brother?" asked Morgan, indicating Abe.

"Why, yes, sir!" broke in Abe, quickly, seeing that Felicia would soon be trapped. "I am a sort of brother; an adopted brother, you know."

"Oh, that's it?" said Morgan. "But if you were living on a ranch down on the Rio Verde, how did you happen to be in Prescott when Frank Merriwell was there?"

"Why, we jest went there. Dad he took us there," hastily a.s.serted the hunchback, seeking to maintain the original deception.

"Is that true?" asked Morgan of Felicia.

She was silent.

"Of course it's true!" indignantly exclaimed the boy.

"It seems to me that you are somewhat mixed, my child. Now, I advise you to trust me. It will be the best thing you can do. I advise you to tell me the truth. At this time we're on our way to join Frank Merriwell and help him to defend his new mines. He has many enemies, you know. We might take you directly to him."