Ephraim Gallup possessed a roving disposition, although when away he
often longed to be "back hum on ther farm," and, after returning from
his travels abroad with Frank, he did not remain long at his Vermont
home.
Drifting to California in search of fortune, a peculiar combination of
circumstances had caused him to become a sailor, and he had finally
shipped on Lord Stanford's yacht. He was on board when Frank and the
Englishman had the encounter on the pier in San Francisco, but was
unable to render Merriwell any assistance.
Inza had seen and recognized Ephraim, but he had signaled for her to
keep still, and so she had pretended that she did not know him.
However, they found opportunities to speak together, and the Yankee
youth assured her that she could depend on him. When the opportunity
came he would do his level best to help her escape from Lord Stanford.
The tossing about of the _Fox_ in the storm had made Bernard Burrage
very ill and repentant. He began to think he was sure to die before they
reached land again, and he begged Inza's forgiveness for trying to force
her into a marriage against her will.
"I thought I was doing it for your good," he said. "I see now that I was
selfish and cruel, but I have pledged you to him, and it is too late for
any backing down."
To this the girl had said nothing, but she felt that she would prove it
was not too late when they went ashore.
Lord Stanford had seen things were going against him, and he had
threatened to take the girl to one of the islands off Santa Barbara and
keep her till a minister could be brought there to marry them.
But the appearance of Frank upset the desperate nobleman's plans.
Lord Stanford was thoroughly disgusted.
"Deuce take the blooming girl!" he said. "She has caused me more trouble
than she is worth, and I wouldn't marry her now if she'd have me!"
He thought of having Merriwell arrested for running him down, but
thought better of it, as he realized the accident had happened because
his own helmsman had swung directly into the course of the _Greyhound_,
which Merriwell would not have trouble in proving.
He suspected that Ephraim Gallup had done the trick intentionally, but
that was something he could not prove.
In less than an hour Inza and her parent were ready to leave the yacht,
and with them went Frank and his friends, including Ephraim.
"Won't stay another minit, b'gosh!" said the Yankee lad.
It was not long after this that the two boats separated, and Frank's
yacht was headed for Santa Barbara.
As they parted Lord Stanford shook his fist at Frank, at which the boy
from Yale simply laughed.
The run to Santa Barbara was made without special incident, and here
Frank and Inza separated for the time being.
The weather proved delightful, and the boys concluded to take it easy at
this ideal spot in the land of sunshine and flowers.
"We need a rest after such a chase," said Frank, to the crowd, as they
rested under some trees, two days after landing.
Just then came a cry of pain from Hans.
"A rest!" howled the Dutch boy. "Dis don't peen no rest. I bet me your
life dot vos annudder flea der small uf mein pack on! Und I vos pitten
all ofer in more as zwei tozen places alretty yet! Murter!"
Hans' companions laughed heartily as the fat Dutch lad made a frantic
effort to reach over his shoulder and scratch the itching spot on his
back.
They were reclining beneath the shade of a large tree that stood near
the flat, sandy beach, watching the surf roll in and shoot up in snowy
spouts around a distant rocky point.
"Haw! haw! haw!" laughed Ephraim Gallup. "Gol darned ef yeou don't make
me lawf! What's a little squint of a flea amaount to?"
"Oh, vot vos der madder mit you?" snorted Hans. "Suppose you mind mine
business, aindt it."
Then the fat fellow got his back against the tree and scratched it in
that manner, making up a face that was expressive of mingled feelings of
intense agony and acute satisfaction.
"You chaps make me tired!" grumbled Diamond, in a rather surly manner.
"You are all the time quarreling. I'd wish you'd drop it and give us a
rest."
"Is that so!" came sarcastically from the Yankee lad, as he stiffened
up. "Wal, I want tew know! Who be yeou, anyhow?"
"I'll mighty soon show you, if you want to know!" grated Jack, giving
the boy from Vermont a savage glare.
Ephraim spat on his hands.
"Sail right in!" he cried, as he got on his feet. "I'm all reddy. Whar
be yeou frum, anyhaow?"
"I am from Virginia, one of the finest States in the Union," answered
Diamond.
"An' I'm from Vermont, ther finest State in ther Union," flung back
Gallup, "Vermont kin lick Virginny four times aout of four, an' don't
yer fergit it!"
This was too much for Jack to stand. He got up quickly, his dark face
having grown pale with anger.
"We'll see about that, you Yankee clown!" he hissed. "We'll settle it
right here!"
The affair had suddenly assumed a very serious aspect, and Frank sprang
to his feet, quickly stepping between them, saying as he did so:
"Here, you fellows! I am ashamed of you both! Stop it!"
"Git out of the way, Frank!" cried the Yankee boy. "If he wants ter
fight, I'm all reddy, b'gosh!"
"Don't interfere, Merriwell!" exclaimed the Southern lad. "I must teach
this insolent chap a lesson."
"There will be no fighting here," said Frank, his face stern and his air
commanding. "I forbid it!"
"He called me a clown!" burst from Ephraim.
"He insulted me!" grated Diamond.
"Let him take it back, darn him!"
"Let him apologize, confound him!"
"I tell you to drop it!" said Frank, firmly. "What sort of chaps are you
that you can't get along together and overlook trifles? I am ashamed of
you fellows!"
The manner in which Frank said this brought a flush of resentment to
Diamond's cheeks. He drew himself up to his fullest height, and coldly
said:
"Very well, sir; you will have no further cause to be ashamed of me. I
will not give you the opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"That I see you are beginning to get down on me lately, since you have
met your old friends from Fardale, and I will not trouble you any more.
I will withdraw from the party and take the next train for the East."
Frank looked astonished.
"It can't be that you are in earnest, Jack?" he said.
"I am."
"I can't believe it! You know I am not down on you. I do not get down on
any one in such a way. I have proved to you in the past that I am your
friend. I have not changed in the least. It was no more than natural
that I should be overjoyed to see my old chums, but their appearance has
not caused me to change toward you in the least."
Jack looked sulky.
"That's easy enough to say," he muttered.
Those words brought the color to Merriwell's face.
"Jack Diamond!" he cried, and his voice rang out clear and cutting, "did
you ever know me to lie?"
"No, but this is a case where----"
"Do you wish to insult me? It can't be that you do, Jack! Your words
were thoughtlessly spoken. I know it. You have not been well of late,
and that is why you are unlike your old self."
"If I have changed so much, it is best that I should get out, and I will
do it. I didn't mean to insult you, Merriwell, and I take back anything
that seemed like an insult. I never knew you to lie, and I do not
believe you could be forced to tell an untruth."
Instantly Frank seized Jack's hand.
"I knew you didn't mean it, old fellow!" he cried, his face lighting up
with a sunny smile, as he gave the hand of the Virginian a warm
pressure. "We have come to know each other too well for you to think
such a thing of me."
"It's natural that you should think a great deal of your old friends,"
said Jack, unsteadily; "and I was a fool to notice anything. I think
there is something the matter with me, and I believe it will be better
for all concerned if I get out of the party right away."
"Nonsense, old fellow!"
"But I can't get along with Gallup."
"You can if you'll try."
"It's no use. I'm going home."
"All right," said Frank, slowly; "that spoils the scheme I had in my
mind. It ruins my plans, and will mean the breaking up of the whole
party."
"I don't see how that comes about."
"Never mind; it's no use to talk about it, if your mind is made up. It's
too bad, that's all!"
Jack wavered.
"Won't you tell me what your plan was?" he asked.
"It was a scheme for a trip back East, in which we could have any amount
of sport. But what's the use? You are going, and that spoils
everything."
Diamond looked conscience-stricken, but he was proud, and he disliked to
yield. However, his curiosity was aroused, and he urged Frank to divulge
his scheme.
"I'll do it if you'll shake hands with Gallup and promise to stick by
the party. I am sure Ephraim will shake hands."
"Why, 'course I will!" cried the Vermonter, cheerfully. "I ain't no darn
fool ter git my back humped up inter ther air an' keep it there till it
gits crooked like a camel's jest 'cause I think I'm spitin' somebody.
Shake? Why, sartin'!"
Then, before Jack could realize it, the quaint down Easter had him by
the hand and was working his arm up and down as if it were a pump
handle.