FRANK EXACTS A PROMISE.
The very next day old Joe appeared at the roundhouse, although his week
was not up. He took care to keep out of Ganzell’s sight, but he hung
around.
“Phwat th’ divvil is he up to?” asked Larry Logan. “He’s apt to git
another wake off av th’ ould marn sees him.”
Some of the men spoke to old Joe, but he snarled at them in reply, so
they quickly decided to let him alone.
Hicks was seen in the vicinity of 33, and Logan got a fancy that he
contemplated some trick with the engine.
Frank Merriwell was busy at work, and he paid no attention to his enemy.
Hicks showed he was still drinking, for he was in his shirt sleeves,
not even having worn a coat to the roundhouse.
Frank’s work often took him outside the building, sometimes to turn the
table, sometimes to do other things.
No. 33 was being run by a spare man, who appeared as the time
approached for her to go out. The fireman was on hand in advance, and
had steam up.
It happened that Frank Merriwell was on his way to the roundhouse from
another building when the time came for old Joe’s engine to come out.
He was walking near the track just as 33 glided out of the door.
There were several persons about, and Merry was paying very little
attention to any of them. He was attending strictly to his business, as
was his habit.
As old 33 came along, Frank received a heavy jolt that threw him on the
track directly in front of her pilot!
Had the engine been running a trifle faster, or had Frank been less
nimble, the life of the young wiper would have been crushed out beneath
the wheels then and there. As it was, the pilot brushed Merry as he
scrambled from the track.
Frank leaped to his feet, quivering all over with anger.
Whoever the man was, he was on the other side of the engine at that
moment, but Merry would know quickly.
The fireman of 33 had been running her out. He saw Merriwell knocked
down before her nose, and threw back the lever, although he realized
it was too late to save the youth by his efforts to stop the engine. A
moment later, he saw Frank was safe from harm, and he sent her ahead
again.
Then, as the engine passed on, Frank leaped across the track and sprang
after a man who was walking swiftly away.
“Here!” he cried, and his hand fell on old Joe Hicks’ shoulder.
The engineer turned, uttering a snarl. His face was white and his eyes
staring. It was plain enough that he was completely unstrung at that
moment.
“So it was you who tried to kill me in that cowardly manner!” cried
Frank, his eyes blazing. “Well, that is even worse than I expected of
you!”
“What d’yer mean?” hoarsely demanded the man.
“I mean that you knocked me onto the track in front of 33, which was a
deliberate and criminal attempt to kill me!”
“You lie!”
“It is true!”
“I say you lie!”
“And I say you lie, Hicks!” growled a hoarse voice, and Old Slugs came
up. “I saw the whole thing, an’ I’ll swear you done it on purpose.”
“You?” Hicks hissed. “Why, you’re a fool! You ain’t got no reason to
love this youngster! You’d oughter be glad ter see him knocked out.”
“Mebbe I had, but I’m no murderer, an’ I don’t care ter ’sociate with
murderers. Merriwell gave me a hammerin’, but he done it fair, an’ I
ain’t doin’ him dirt in return.”
“You’re a fool!” Hicks again hissed.
“All ther same, I reckon my word will stand if I have ter tell what I
jest saw you do. You’ll git scarce mighty quick round this shop when
the old man hears of that.”
“You hear!” came from Frank. “I have the proof!”
“All right!” panted the desperate engineer. “I can live. I’ll take care
of my nevvy and niece. If I’m out of work, I can look arter them all
the better.”
Frank started. So that was what Hicks would do. He would force himself
on the lame boy and the blind girl by right of relationship. He would
take the money they made on the street, and he would spend it for drink.
A sudden idea came to Merry.
“Look here, Mr. Hicks,” he said, “on one condition I will agree not to
make a charge against you.”
“What’s that?”
“You are to let little Jack and his sister quite alone. You are not
even to claim them as relations, or try to see them.”
“Think I’ll do that?”
“If you don’t, I’ll swear you tried to kill me to-day, and I have the
proof. You were seen by Mr. Hall and by the fireman on 33. You will
lose your job on this road. You will be discharged in disgrace, and it
will not be easy for you to get a job anywhere else. When they ask you
why you left the last place, you’ll have to lie. Perhaps they will know
why you left. You may be blacklisted.”
Old Joe’s face turned almost green, while his lips seemed dry and
parched. He stood before Frank Merriwell, half cowering, half defiant,
like a tiger driven at bay.
“Choose!” commanded Frank.
“I don’t like the idea of letting you have your way with the kids.”
“Choose!”
“Oh, well, you could fix me if you went and told that stuff to the old
man. It was all an accident, but----”
“Choose!”
“I don’t care a rap about the kids anyway. You needn’t worry about me
botherin’ them.”
“You give your word not to trouble them?”
“Yes.”
“You will not even try to see them? Promise that.”
“I promise.”
“All right. I will not make a complaint against you.”
“But I may,” growled Old Slugs, who did not seem at all satisfied.
“No!” exclaimed Frank, quickly. “You must not!”
“I ain’t makin’ any promises.”
“Why, blow ye!” grated Hicks. “You don’t dare!”
“Yes, I do,” returned Old Slugs, sullenly. “I don’t like you none too
well, and I’d as lives see you get out of here as not. It’s my duty to
report what I saw, an’ I’m goin’ to do my duty.”
“Ah--a--ah! You’re thunderin’ particular about your duty all to once! I
won’t forgit it. I’ll have a score to settle with you!”
“I’ll keep watch for ye better than Merriwell did. You won’t get the
chance on me.”
“But you shall not report this affair, Mr. Hall,” came firmly from
Frank’s lips.
“Who says so?”
“I do.”
“But you ain’t got any right to say so.”
“All the same, I do. If you report it, I’ll----”
Frank hesitated, and Old Slugs quickly asked:
“What’ll you do?”
“I’ll give you another thrashing, and it will be worse than the first!”
flared Frank, looking as if he were ready to start in on the job at
that moment. “I’ll fix you so you will not work for more than one day!”
It was plain enough that Frank meant exactly what he said. Old Slugs
could not doubt it.
“Why,” said Hall, “I’m your friend now. I came here and stood by you in
this matter against Hicks.”
“You are not my friend if you say a word about it to the old man. You
will be my enemy.”
“You must be foolish! If Hicks stays here, he’ll get at you ag’in, and
he may do me, too. The only safe thing for us now is to report him, and
then he’ll be fired.”
“I will take my chances. As for you, you can’t be afraid of him, for
you can handle him. Give him another show. Perhaps he will appreciate
it.”
“All right, if you say so, but it seems like a fool trick.”
“You’ll keep mum?”
“If you say so.”
“I do. I have your promise. Do not break it.”
Old Slugs went away grumbling and growling, and Frank turned to the
engineer.
“I have saved you from being discharged,” he said. “Of that there can
be no doubt. All I ask of you in return is that you let Jack and Nellie
entirely alone.”
Hicks nodded.
“If you do not,” cried Frank, his fine eyes flashing, “by the eternal
skies, I’ll make you regret the day you ever saw them! That is all.”
Then he turned and walked into the roundhouse to go about his work.