Frank Merriwell's Triumph Part 59

CHAPTER XXV.

HOW WAS IT DONE?

What had happened to d.i.c.k? Intentionally he had permitted Felicia to keep the lead in the race through the chaparral. It is possible he might have overtaken her had he tried. He had no thought of danger, and he was wholly unprepared when out from the shadows of the chaparral shot a twisting, writhing coil, the loop of which fell over his shoulders and jerked him like a flash from the saddle. The shock, as he struck the ground, drove the breath from his body and partly stunned him. Before he could recover he was pounced upon by two men, who quickly dragged him into the edge of the thicket, where a third man--a half-blood Mexican--was coiling the lariat with which the boy had been s.n.a.t.c.hed from the horse's back.

These men threatened d.i.c.k with drawn weapons.

"Make a sound or a cry, kid," growled one of them, "and we sure cuts you up!"

The boy's dark eyes looked fearlessly at them, and he coolly inquired:

"What's your game? I have not enough money on me to pay you for your trouble."

"Ho, ho!" laughed one of the trio. "We gits our pay, all right, younker.

Don't worry about that. Tie his elbows close behind him, Mat. Mebbe we best gags him some."

"No, none of that," declared the one called Mat. "If he utters a cheep, I'll stick him sure."

But the other insisted that d.i.c.k should be gagged, and this they finally and quickly did. With his arms bound behind him and a gag between his teeth, he was lifted to his feet and forced into the depth of the thicket. The Mexican, who was called Tony, seemed to know a path through the chaparral, although it was dim and indistinct, and this they followed.

Thus it happened that when Felicia missed d.i.c.k and turned back she found no trace of him. On through the thick chaparral they threaded their way, now and then crouching low to push through th.o.r.n.y branches, their progress necessarily being slow. For a long time they tramped on, coming finally to an opening.

Several horses were grazing there. No time was lost in placing the captive boy on the back of a horse and fastening his feet together beneath the animal's belly. Already it was growing dusky, but those men knew the course they would pursue. The Mexican and Mat mounted one animal and followed d.i.c.k, while the biggest man of the party, who had once been addressed as Dillon, now took the lead.

Starry night came as they still pushed on, but they had left the chaparral behind and were on the trackless plain. Finally it was decided that the captive should be blindfolded. By this time his jaws were aching, and he was greatly relieved when the gag was removed. They seemed to think there was little danger of his cries being heard should he venture to shout for help. d.i.c.k did not shout; he felt the folly of it.

Long hours they rode, and the bandage over the boy's eyes prevented him from telling what course they followed. At last they halted. The cords about his ankles were released, and he was unceremoniously dragged from the saddle to the ground. Following this, he was marched into some sort of a building. There at last the bandage was removed from his eyes, and even his arms were set free. Dillon and Mat were with him. The Mexican had been left to care for the horses.

"Now, kid," said the big man, "you makes yourself comfortable as you can. Don't worry none whatever; you're all safe here. Nothing troubles you, and we looks out for you. Oh, yes, we looks out for you."

"Why have you brought me here?" asked d.i.c.k.

"We lets you guess at that a while. It amuses you perhaps, and pa.s.ses away the time."

"If my brother finds out who did this----"

"Now, don't talk that way!" cried Mat. "We don't bother with your brother any. We does our business with other parties."

"So that's it--that's it!" exclaimed d.i.c.k, "My brother's enemies have paid you for this piece of work."

"That's one of the little things you has to guess about," hoa.r.s.ely chuckled Dillon. "Thar's a bunk in the corner. I sure opines this place is stout enough to hold you, and all the while Mat or I sits in the next room. If we hears you kick up restless-like, we comes to soothe you.

We're great at soothing--eh, Mat?"

"Great!" agreed Mat.

"If you has a good appet.i.te," continued Dillon, "in the morning we gives you a square feed. Oh, we treats you fine, kid--we treats you fine. We has orders to be ca'm and gentle with you. We're jest as gentle as two playful kittens--eh, Mat?"

"Jest so," agreed Mat.

"Of course, you being young, it disturbs you some to be introduced to us so sudden-like. Still, you seems to have a lot of nerve. You don't git trembly any, and you looks a heap courageous with them fine black eyes of yours. By smoke! I almost believes you has it in yer ter tackle us both, kid; but you'd better not--you'd better not. It does no good, and it ruffles our feelings, although we is so ca'm and gentle. When our feelings is ruffled we are a heap bad--eh, Mat?"

"Sure," agreed Mat.

"That's about all," said Dillon. "Now we bids you a pleasant good night, and we hopes you sleeps sweet and dreams agreeable dreams--eh, Mat?"

"We does," nodded Mat.

Then they backed out through the door behind them, which led into the front room of the building, leaving d.i.c.k in darkness, as the door was closed and barred.

d.i.c.k knew there was very little chance for him to escape unaided from the clutches of those ruffians. Still, he was not the sort of a boy to give up, and he resolved to keep his ears and eyes open for any opportunity that might present itself. Left without a light, there was no hope of making a satisfactory examination of his prison room until the coming of another day.

He flung himself down on the couch and meditated. But for the fact that he was in fine physical condition, his fall when jerked from the saddle might have injured him seriously. As it was, he had simply been somewhat shaken up. He felt a slight soreness, but regarded it as of no consequence. Of course, he understood the game the ruffians were playing. Beyond question he was to be held as a hostage in order that Frank's enemies might force Merry into some sort of a deal concerning the mines.

His one satisfaction lay in the belief that Felicia had escaped. As he lay there on the bunk, he could hear the mumbling voices of his captors in the next room. After a time his curiosity was aroused, and he felt a desire to hear what they were saying.

Silently he arose and stole over to the part.i.tion between the rooms.

This part.i.tion was strangely thick and heavy for a building in that part of the country. Seemingly it had been constructed for the purpose of safely imprisoning any one who should be thrust into that room. Although he pressed his ear close to the part.i.tion, he was unable for some time to understand anything the men were saying. He moved softly about, seeking a place where he might hear better, and finally found it in a crack beneath the ma.s.sive door, through which shone a dim light.

Lying flat on his back, with his ear near this crack, the boy listened.

To his satisfaction, he was now able to hear much of the talk that pa.s.sed between the men. Plainly but two of them, Mat and Dillon, were in the outer room.

"This piece of work certain pays us a good thing, Mat," said Dillon.

"The gent what has it done is rotten with coin, and we makes him plank down a heap liberal."

"What does yer know about him, pard?" inquired Mat. "Whoever is he, anyhow?"

"Why, sure, I hears his name is Morgan, though I deals with him direct none at all myself."

"Well, partner, this is better and some easier than the railroad job."

"All the same, Dan gets a heap sore when he finds we has quit t'other job. And, as for this being less dangerous, I am none certain of that."

"Why not?"

"Well, this yere Frank Merriwell they say is a holy terror. Dan hisself has had some dealings with him, you know. He knocks the packing out of Dan down at Prescott not so long ago."

"Down at Prescott," thought the listening boy; "down at Prescott. Why, I supposed it was up at Prescott. If it's down, Prescott must be to the south. In that case these fellows doubled and turned north after scooping me in."

This was interesting to him, for one thing he desired to know very much was just where he had been taken. As he was meditating on this, d.i.c.k missed some of the talk between the men, for in order to understand what they were saying it was necessary for him to listen with the utmost intentness.

"Do you allow, Dillon," he finally heard Mat say, "that Dan will stick to his little plan to hold up that train?"

"I opine not. He won't be after trying it all by his lonesome. One man who holds up a train and goes through it has a heap big job on his hands."

"So that's the kind of a railroad job they were talking about!" thought d.i.c.k. "They surely are a tough lot."