[Illustration]
Frank Merriwell’s Chase
OR
_EXCITING TIMES AFLOAT_
By BURT L. STANDISH
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Author of “Frank Merriwell’s School Days,” “Frank
Merriwell’s Chums,” “Frank Merriwell’s Foes,”
“Frank Merriwell’s Trip West,” etc.
Publisher’s Logo
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_STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS_
238 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK CITY
[Illustration]
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Copyright, 1898
By STREET & SMITH
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Frank Merriwell’s Chase
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FRANK MERRIWELL’S CHASE.
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CHAPTER I
THE RECEPTION AT BELFAST.
“Das vas Pelvast,” said Hans.
“Yes,” nodded Frank, who was at the wheel of the _White Wings_, “that is
Belfast, ‘the home of fair women, brave men and Strainer’s
Sarsaparilla.’”
Frank Merriwell, the great Yale athlete, was cruising off the Maine
coast, during this vacation in his yacht, the _White Wings_. He had with
him four of his friends—Bart Hodge, Bruce Browning, Jack Diamond and
Hans Dunnerwust.
“How do you knew so much apout him?” asked the Dutch boy.
“Why, there it is in glaring letters on that big advertising board that
has been placed where it can be read almost anywhere here in the
harbor.”
“Vale, I didn’t seen dot. I don’d vant no sarsbarillas, und I don’d gif
a cend vor der prafe men, but I don’d mind if you took a look der
peautiful girls at.”
“They say we shall see plenty of them here,” smiled Merry. “Belfast is
famous for them. No city of its size in the State of Maine can compare
with it for pretty girls and beautiful women, if the report is true.”
“Vot peen der madder mit Shack Ti’mond?” chuckled Hans, calling
attention to the Virginian. “He don’d seem to took some interests dose
peautiful girls in.”
“Haw!” grunted Bruce Browning. “He is thinking of the girl he left
behind him—at Bar Harbor.”
“Vale, Baula Penjamin vos a beach,” admitted the Dutch boy; “but there
vos odders.”
“You make me weary, Hans,” said Jack, irritated. “If you will close up a
while I shall consider it a great favor.”
“I don’t toldt you so!” squawked Dunnerwust. “You vos tochy, dot’s vot
is der madder mit me! You nefer vos aple to took a shoke in my life.”
“Your jokes are rather dense.”
“I don’d knew vot you meant py dot.”
“I didn’t suppose you would.”
The boys were charmed with the view of Belfast obtained from the water.
The city is built on a slope, and is embowered in trees, the houses and
cottages showing amid the green mass of foliage. Here and there could be
seen the tall spires of churches. The handsome residence of the mayor on
Northport Avenue could be plainly seen, as it was situated in a sightly
place overlooking the harbor and the bay.
Several vessels were on the stocks in the shipyards, and the sound of
hammering could be heard, while crews of men were seen busily working
about them.
The harbor was filled with shipping. Lying at her wharf, taking on
freight and passengers, was the Boston boat, _City of Bangor_, bound for
the “Hub.”
“Where will you anchor, Frank?” asked Bart Hodge, approaching Merry.
“Beyond the steamboat wharf where that fleet of small boats and yachts
are anchored.”
Clang-clang! clang-clang! The bell on the steamer suddenly rang, and
Frank knew what the signal meant.
“She is going to swing off from the wharf,” he said. “It is high water,
so I will hold inshore and let her go outside.”
The steamer’s paddle wheels began to revolve, and she swung round at the
southern end of the wharf, straining at the huge cable that held and
turned her. It took some time for her to turn, but a sudden toot from
her whistle told that at last she was ready to go ahead. Then the cable
was flung off and the great boat glided down the harbor.
A stream of teams and human beings were leaving the wharf and climbing
the hill into the city, but on the wharf remained a group of young men
and boys, all dressed in bicycle suits. They seemed to be watching the
_White Wings_ with remarkable interest.
“Wonder why those cyclists are watching us?” said Diamond.
“I was wondering about the same thing,” admitted Frank.
Then a youth was seen to climb on the piles at the corner of the wharf.
He stood up straight and cried:
“Ahoy, the yacht!”
“Ay! ay!” answered Frank, giving the wheel over to Hodge.
“Is that the _White Wings_?”
Those on the wharf could not see the name on the stern of the yacht.
“It is.”
“Frank Merriwell in command?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you going to stop at Belfast?”
“We are.”
“Then the Belfast Wheelmen will be honored to entertain Mr. Merriwell
while he remains in our city. Will he be kind enough to come ashore as
soon as possible? If so, we will wait here for him.”
“Great Scott!” muttered Frank. “How did they know I was coming? This is
too much! They made it altogether too interesting for me at Camden and
Rockland, and it begins to look as if there is to be a repetition of it
here. I’d rather not be known at all.”
“But you can’t help it now,” said Hodge, who was proud of Frank’s fame
and popularity. “It won’t do to refuse their polite offer.”
“Don’t refuse,” grunted Browning. “They’ll have something good to eat.”
“Py shimminy!” gurgled Hans. “Dot peen vot you vant. I vos hungry enough
to ead a raw tog alretty.”
“The rest of us are not invited,” said Diamond, quickly. “It’s only
Frank.”
“Vale, maype he vould slip a piece of bie his bocket indo uf he knew id
vould safe my life.”
“Will Mr. Merriwell come ashore?” asked the spokesman of the bicyclists.
“Say yes, Frank,” murmured Hodge. “Tell them you will do so as soon as
we drop anchor.”
Frank did so, and a cheer went up from the wheelmen assembled on the
wharf.
With this gathering were several girls in riding suits, and other girls
and young ladies watching, making it evident that Frank and his friends
had been expected.
The _White Wings_ swung in near to the other yachts anchored in the
harbor, her anchor went over and her sails came down smoothly. Then
Frank got into the small boat, and Diamond and Hodge rowed him over to
the wharf where the cyclists awaited him. They gathered around him as he
came up the step onto the wharf, and the one who had hailed the yacht
grasped him by the hand, saying:
“You are Mr. Merriwell, I presume?”
“That is my name,” smiled Frank.
“Mr. Merriwell, I am delighted to know you. We are all delighted. My
name is Dustan—Howard Dustan. These gentlemen are members of the Belfast
Bicycle Club. We heard you were coming. There was a Camden man on the
_City of Bangor_, which passed you on its way here from Searsport, and
he reported that you were headed this way. It didn’t take long to get
the boys together when they learned that Frank Merriwell was coming in
here. Let me introduce them to you.”
So Frank was introduced to each of the lads in gray as they came
forward.
“Gentlemen,” he laughed, in his charming way, “I assure you this is an
unexpected pleasure. It will be a long time before I shall forget my
reception in Belfast. I am glad to know you all.”
“And we are glad you did not slight us by skipping Belfast,” said Mart
Woodock. “We heard you were in Camden and Rockland, but, as you left
there more than a week ago, we thought you were not coming to Belfast.
You will find just as good people here as there are in the State of
Maine.”
“I haven’t a doubt of it,” bowed Merry; “and I am charmed with the
people of Maine. It is my first visit this way, but I am sure it will
not be my last.”
Then he uttered a sudden exclamation of surprise and sprang toward the
door of the freighthouse.
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