THE MEETING AT THE CASTLE.
After having the romantic story of Queen Mary thus repeated for them by
the old professor, the boys felt a deeper interest in Holyrood Castle as
they wandered through its rooms. The guide showed them through the
Chapel Royal, which is a beautiful fragment of the ancient abbey,
conducted them into the picture gallery and the tapestry apartment, gave
them a chance to inspect Lord Darnley’s rooms, and finally brought them
to Queen Mary’s apartments, showing where the queen had supped on that
fatal night and pointing to dark stains on the floor of the narrow
corridor outside, which, in broadest Scotch, he soberly declared “were
made wi’ th’ blud o’ Rizzio himsel’.”
Throughout the inspection of the castle Dick was keenly interested, but
he noticed that Brad remained gloomy and downcast in appearance.
“What’s the matter, old man?” he finally exclaimed. “Why don’t you brace
up and chase that thundercloud off your face?”
“I can’t,” answered the Texan. “I can’t help thinking something wrong
has happened.”
“Something wrong? Why, you’re thinking of——”
“Nadia Budthorne and her brother,” confessed Brad, flushing somewhat.
“You know they were to meet us at the hotel in Edinburgh, and they have
not done so.”
“Brad, you’ve been smitten on that girl ever since you first saw her on
London Bridge. I didn’t think it of you, you husky son of the Lone Star
State!”
“Now, don’t try to kid me, pard!” growled Buckhart. “You can’t say much,
for if ever a fellow was badly smashed over a girl, you have been
smashed over June Arlington.”
“Oh, June and I are just good friends,” Dick hastened to say.
“Good friends, indeed!” mocked the Texan. “Right good friends, and
that’s no lie! You were such a mighty good friend to her that you got
her sneaking brother back into school after he had been fired, with the
result that he put up a low-down job on you that caused you to be
expelled. If you try to guy me any at all about Nadia Budthorne you’ll
certain hear a few remarks from yours truly concerning June Arlington.”
“Oh, well,” laughed Dick, “I admit you have me there, but how do you
know that Nadia cares anything for you?”
“I don’t know,” acknowledged Brad, “and I sure opine that’s what’s
keeping me right well fussed up the most of the time. You know you were
surprised yourself when we struck Edinburgh, and failed to find the
Budthornes at the hotel where they agreed to meet us.”
“They came by rail, and I suppose they have visited Glasgow and other
places on their way.”
“Pard, you know that any one who comes from London by rail would
naturally visit Edinburgh first. I tell you I have a feeling that
something is wrong. We lost track of Miguel Bunol, Heck Marsh, and Luke
Durbin right away after the Budthornes left London, and I’m some afraid
that onery gang followed Nadia and her brother up here into Scotland. If
Bunol could meet Dunbar Budthorne alone, and get a chance to talk with
him a few minutes, I reckon he’d get the fellow in his power again, for
you must allow, partner, that he exercises some sort of baleful power
over Budthorne.”
“I thought it possible we broke Bunol’s spell over Budthorne the night
we proved to the latter that Bunol and the others had been fleecing him
in a crooked manner at cards.”
“Temporarily we did, I judge; but you know Budthorne’s will power has
been some weakened by drink, and he might cave in to Bunol again if the
Spaniard found him.”
“I don’t think there is any great cause for worry, Brad. I believe Nadia
and her brother will appear in good time.”
During this conversation the old professor had been talking with the
guide. He now announced that he was ready to go, and soon the three were
leaving by the castle gate.
Just as they passed through the gate they came face to face with two
persons who were on the point of entering. They halted in surprise, for
they were Hector Marsh and a corpulent, vulgar-appearing man known as
Luke Durbin.
A growl of rage came from the throat of Brad Buckhart, and he planted
himself in front of Marsh and Durbin, his fists clinched and his whole
atmosphere breathing fight.
“Whatever are you two sneaking, onery, low-down coyotes doing here?” he
roared, his rugged face dark as a storm cloud.
“My goodness! my goodness!” gasped Zenas Gunn, in great alarm. “Stop
him, Richard, or he will attack them! We shall be arrested for making a
disgraceful disturbance here!”
Dick caught Brad’s muscular arm in a grip of iron.
“Go slow, old man!” he said, in a low tone.
Neither Marsh nor Durbin acted as if the encounter had given them great
surprise. Durbin was smoking a black, rank-smelling cigar, which he
rolled into the corner of his mouth, thrusting his pudgy hands deep into
his trousers pockets, and surveying the trio before him with an air of
insolent contempt.
Marsh exposed his teeth in a sneering grin.
“Why, hello!” he said, in a voice like the croaking of a bullfrog. “So
you people are here, eh? What are we doing? Well, I rather guess we have
just as good right to visit this old castle as you have.”
“Right,” said Durbin. “And he wants ter be careful about callin’ folks
names, or he’ll git his block knocked off. See!”
Dick felt Brad’s arm quiver and the muscles tighten.
“I’d certain enjoy it a heap if either of you varmints would try to
knock my block off!” exclaimed the Texan. “I’d enjoy it if you both
tried the trick! Just break loose and sail right into me. I’ll stampede
over you red-hot and a-whooping, as sure as I’m the Unbranded Maverick
of the Rio Pecos!”
“You’re just as big a blower as ever,” said Marsh. “Why don’t you cut
out that hot air and learn decency in your talk.”
“Learn decency! Whoop! Would I learn it any of you? Why, you crawling
cur, you haven’t one decent bone in your body!”
“Stop him—Dick, do stop him!” gasped the professor. “He’ll get us into a
broil!”
Dick’s good judgment told him that it was better to avoid an encounter
at that time and place, and, therefore, he spoke a few words to
Buckhart, seeking to quiet him.
“That’s right!” cried Marsh. “Better pull him away if you don’t want him
hurt.”
“You’ll never harm any one,” said Dick, remembering Hector’s natural
cowardice. “I don’t wish him to soil his hands on you, that’s all.”
“If the hot-air merchant wants ter fight,” said Durbin, “why don’t you
give him all he’s lookin’ fer, Heck? We’ll jest step aside somewhere an’
you can knock the stuffin’ outer him. I’ll see that his frien’s don’t
interfere.”
Marsh turned pale at the thought. He had not the slightest desire to
meet Bradley Buckhart in a square fight, man to man.
“Oh, no!” he quickly said. “The fellow talks fight, but it’s all talk.”
“It is, eh?” cried Buckhart, attempting to free himself from Dick’s
clutch and stride forward, a furious gleam in his eyes.
Suddenly the bold front Marsh had assumed disappeared. Knowing
Merriwell’s disinclination to engage in a personal encounter unless
forced to do so, and counting on the pacifying influence of Professor
Gunn, the fellow had assumed an air of bravery that was entirely
fictitious. Thinking the Texan might get free and come at him, he now
dodged behind Durbin, crying:
“Keep your distance! I’ll have the law on you if you touch me! I can
prove that we were going about our business when you stopped us.”
Buckhart paused in disgust, muttering:
“I might have known it! I didn’t stop to think what a coward he was at
school.”
Durbin showed disappointment.
“Here, what are you dodging for?” he snapped. “You’ve tol’ me fifty
times that that fellow was nuttin’ but a bag of wind, and that you could
knock the tar outer him in a minute.”
“So I can—if I want to,” said Heck. “But I don’t want—at least, not
here. There’s plenty of time. I’ll see him again. I’ll fix him all
right.”
“Come along, Brad,” urged Dick. “Here come some other visitors from the
castle. Don’t let them see you wasting words on such a worthless and
cowardly scamp.”
Professor Gunn also took hold of the Texan and urged him to move away.
“It is the regret of my life,” said the old pedagogue, “that while the
fellow was in school I did not sooner learn his true character. I am
sorry he was permitted to remain there so long to contaminate other
boys.”
“Bah, you old fossil!” croaked Marsh. “You’re an old back-number anyhow,
and you’re not fit to teach a monkey school. Why don’t you go die and
get yourself buried out of the way! You’d never be missed.”
“Outrageous—outrageous!” gasped Zenas, shaking his cane at the insulting
chap. “I’d like to break this stick over your back, you scamp!”
“You never will, old lobster. If you should try it I’d give you a punch
in the bread basket that would unhinge you.”
“Are you going to remain here longer and give him further opportunity to
insult me, Bradley!” demanded Gunn.
“I’ll go,” said Buckhart, cooling down a little. “Dick is right about
him. He is a pitiful coward, and any one who touches him will simply
soil his hands.”
As they walked away Marsh continued to shout taunts and insults until
they were quite out of hearing.
“Now what do you think about it, partner?” asked Buckhart, as they
retraced their way into the city.
“About what?” asked Dick.
“About the possibility that there is something wrong, and that is why
Nadia and her brother failed to meet us here. Marsh and Durbin are here,
and you can bet your sweet life Bunol is not far away. They followed the
Budthornes.”
“It may be that you are right.”
“I’m plumb certain of it. That gang has not given up the hope of again
getting hold of Dunbar Budthorne and squeezing money out of him. But
what worries me most is the fact that Bunol has an infamous scheme to
force Nadia into marriage with him. Just think of it! That sweetest of
girls married to a snake like Mig Bunol! It’s enough to make a chap
crazy!”
“He’ll never succeed in that, don’t worry, Brad. She knows him, and she
despises him quite as much as we do.”
“But they may make her a right good lot of trouble.”
“The fact that those fellows are here in Edinburgh would seem to
indicate that the Budthornes must be in the city. Perhaps there was some
mistake about the hotel where we are to meet them. We must search for
them, Brad.”
“That’s the stuff, pard; we’ll turn this old city over, but we’ll find
them.”
“Dear me!” said Professor Gunn. “I hope there will be no serious
trouble. I do hope we’ll not get into a fight of any sort with those
ruffians.”
“But, professor,” smiled Dick, “a short time ago, as you were recalling
the fact that we are in the land of Wallace and Bruce, you said you knew
there was good fighting stuff in you and you lamented greatly because
you had never been given an opportunity to demonstrate what a hero you
really are. It is possible you may have an opportunity while we are in
Scotland. Who knows? I seem to scent fighting in the crisp air here.”
“Goodness knows that’s not the sort of fighting I meant! I could shed my
blood joyfully for my country, or something like that; but fighting of
any other sort is low and degrading and I abhor it—I abhor it.”
Upon arriving at their hotel they found a letter there, addressed to
Dick.
“A lady’s writing,” said Merriwell, in surprise. “Who can it be?”
He tore the envelope open. A moment later he uttered an exclamation,
calling Brad and the professor to read it. This was all the letter
contained:
“Dear Mr. Merriwell: We—my brother and myself—are stopping at
Ben Cleuch Inn, which is near Kinross on Lochleven. Left
Edinburgh suddenly because I saw Miguel Bunol there, and I
believe he had followed us. This will explain why we failed to
meet you as agreed. Hope you and your friends may be able to
join us at Lochleven. We desire very much to see you again, if
only to thank you for all your kindnesses to us. My brother is
pretty well, although quite nervous. Your grateful friend,
“Nadia Budthorne.”
On first reading this brief communication Buckhart looked relieved and
delighted, but in a few minutes the shadow returned to his face, and it
seemed deeper than ever. Dick noted this and questioned him as to the
cause of it.
“Oh, nothing,” answered the Texan somewhat gruffly.
“But it _is_ something. I thought you would be pleased to hear from
Nadia?”
“I am.”
“You look it!” said Merriwell sarcastically. “Here you have been
worrying because she did not meet us, and now that you know where she is
you put on a face like a funeral.”
“It’s all right,” muttered Brad, failing to meet his companion’s eye.
“It’s all right! I don’t care!”
“What’s all right? What is it you don’t care about?”
“She didn’t have to write to me! She had a right to address the letter
to you if she wished.”
Suddenly the truth dawned on Dick; Brad was hurt because Nadia had not
addressed the letter to him.
“Well, you’re the limit for silliness!” Dick exclaimed.
“Perhaps I am,” grated Brad. “I can’t help it. I know I’m no prize
beauty. I know that beside you I’m a half-finished shine. It’s all
right! Of course, all the girls are bound to get struck on you. They
can’t help it. But you’ve got girls enough!” he added, in resentful
rebellion. “To say nothing of June Arlington, there is Doris Templeton
and——”
Dick put an arm round his friend and laughingly checked him.
“Don’t be such an ass, old man!” he entreated. “Nadia Budthorne is a
beautiful girl, but I’m not struck on her, and——”
“She is on you!”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Then explain some why she sent that letter to you. Why didn’t she
address it to me or to the professor?”
“It just happened that way. You know I disguised myself as old Mr.
Allsquint and in that manner exposed Bunol and his gang, and I suppose
that is why——”
“Perhaps so,” admitted the Texan suddenly. “I reckon I am an ass, pard!
I always was, and it’s becoming more and more natural for me. Of course
you can’t be to blame if Nadia took a liking to you. Why shouldn’t she
like you more than me? You’re the best chap in the world, and I’m just a
very common and a very ordinary chump, without any particular polish and
without any pretense to good looks.”
“Brad,” said Dick earnestly, “you are one of the truest, finest, noblest
fellows alive. Any one who comes to know you well can’t help liking you;
and as for good looks—well, you bear the stamp of a man on your face,
and therefore in the very best sense you are handsome. Stop running
yourself down. What shall we do? Shall we light out of Edinburgh and
make for Kinross and Lochleven to-day?”
“Instanter!” exclaimed the Texan eagerly. “Let’s not lose an hour,
pard!”