ARREST AND ESCAPE.
Frank was inclined to resent the stranger's words and manner.
"I don't understand how that concerns you, sir," he said, rather
stiffly.
"Hey," cried the man, glaring at Merry. "Don't git insolent,
youngster! I don't like it."
"Your question was impertinent."
"Whatever is that? Be careful. I don't want any foolin'."
Frank smiled at this, which seemed to make the horseman angry.
"Hang ye!" he exclaimed. "You want to be respectful, for you're liable
to get into trouble with me, and you won't like that."
"Shoo fly!" chuckled Toots, showing his big white teeth in a grin.
"G'way dar, man! Yo' gibs me de fever an' chillins."
"Wa-al, dern me!" roared the man, growing very red in the face. "It's
the first time an ordinary nigger ever dared to speak to Bill Higgins
that way."
"Hole on, sar! I ain't no ordumnary nigger, sar. I's a cullud gemman
ob 'stinction, sar, an' po' white trash cayarn't talk to me lek
dat--no, sar!"
"Choke off that critter!" growled the man, addressing Frank. "If yer
don't, I'll shoot him full of holes!"
"I wouldn't advise you to do that," came calmly from Merriwell. "You
might get into serious trouble if you did."
"Trouble?--trouble over shootin' a nigger?" snorted the stranger.
"Wa-al, I think not! I've got the record of killin' a dozen white men,
and----"
"Thirteen is an unlucky number you know. Without doubt you will be
hanged, as you deserve, when you kill the thirteenth one."
"Mebbe so, but a nigger won't count. I'll bore him if he opens his
trap again!"
"Land ob mercy!" gurgled Toots, dodging behind a tree. "Dat man am
crazzy fo' suah! Look out fo' him, chilluns; dar am no tellin' when
he'll tek a noshun inter his fool haid teh shoot you all."
"You must be a very bad man," said Merriwell, sarcastically.
"I am; and now yer realize it, mebbe you'll have a little more
respect. Who be yer? an' what're yer doing here?"
"If you will show that you have any right to ask those questions, I
will answer them."
"Right! Why, hang it! I'm ther sheriff of this county!"
"Well, what have we done that the sheriff of this county or any other
county in California should come around and demand our names, as if we
were criminals?"
"Ye're suspicious characters."
"Is that it? And we look like dangerous criminals?"
"I've seen fellows what didn't look more dangerous than you as was
rather tough."
"Well, we are not tough, and we have no reason for concealing our
names."
Then Frank gave the name of each of the boys, pointing them out as he
did so, and told how they happened to be in California.
Bill Higgins, as the man had called himself, listened and looked them
over. His manner seemed to change, and he said:
"You tell that pretty straight, and I reckon you're not giving me a
crooked deal, but whar's to' other one?"
"What other one?"
"The one what owns the other bisuckle. Thar's only five of you, and
here are six bisuckles."
The keen eyes of the sheriff made this discovery, and Frank realized
that Hodge's wheel should have been concealed.
"Oh, the other fellow has just stepped aside to look at the big
trees," he explained. "This is the first time we have ever seen trees
like these. They are wonders, sir. Do you have them all over the
State? How tall are they? Can you give us the dimensions of the
largest tree discovered in this State? We desire some information
concerning them."
"I see ye do," said Higgins, with sarcasm, "an' I desire a little
information myself. You'll answer my questions."
Frank feared his ruse would fail, but he suavely said:
"Oh, certainly--of course, sir. We shall be pleased to answer your
questions. Do these trees make good timber for building purposes? Are
they difficult to work up? How thick is the bark? And how----"
"That'll do!" roared the sheriff, fiercely. "I'm no bureau of
information. Whar is the other feller?"
Frank assumed a dignified and injured air.
"As you do not seem inclined to answer my questions, I must decline to
answer yours," he said, coldly. "If you will drive along, it will be
agreeable to us."
Higgins showed his yellow teeth through his grizzled beard.
"Oh-ho!" he grated. "So that's the trick. Wa-al, I know t'other chap
is near, an' I'm goin' ter see him. That is settled."
Off his horse he sprang, leaving the animal to stand, and then, to the
surprise of all, he ran to the tree behind which Bart was concealed,
dashed around it, and gave a shout of triumph.
A moment later the sheriff reappeared, dragging Hodge by the collar.
"Don't try ter git away!" he commanded. "If ye do, you'll be sorry. I
don't fool with a critter of your caliber."
"Let go!" cried Bart, indignantly. "What are you trying to do with me?
Take your hands off, sir!"
"Not till I lodge ye behind bars, young feller. You're under arrest,
so cool down and keep still."
"Why am I arrested?"
"Oh, you don't know; oh, no!"
"Answer my question, sir! Why am I arrested?"
"Now, don't go to gettin' funny and givin' orders. It ain't necessary
to answer."
Frank stepped forward.
"It is no more than right that you should tell me why you have
arrested my friend, sir," he said.
"Ho! ho!" cried the sheriff. "So he is your friend! I thought as much!
Well, don't you get too frisky, or I may take a notion to arrest you,
too."
"Such a thing would be an outrage, and I believe you have perpetrated
an outrage in arresting Mr. Hodge."
"I don't care what you think!"
"At the same time, I see no reason why you should refuse to tell me
why you have arrested him."
"Jive him gesse--I mean give him Jesse!" fluttered Rattleton, as he
sought Frank's side. "You know we will stand by you, old man. If you
say the word, we'll take Hodge away from him."
Bill Higgins' ears were sharp, and he caught the words. Like a flash
he whipped out a huge revolver, which he held in a menacing manner,
while he growled:
"Thirteen may be an unlucky number, but skin me if I don't make it
thirteen or more if you chaps tries the trick!"
He looked as if he meant what he said.
"Steady, fellows," warned Merriwell, as the boys gathered at his back,
ready for anything. "Don't be hasty."
"It won't be good fer yer if you are!" muttered Higgins.
"We can take Hodge away from him--I know we can!" whispered Diamond,
eagerly. "Say the word, and we'll jump him!"
"That's right," nodded Browning, with deliberation.
Higgins backed off a bit, still holding fast to Hodge, and handling
his revolver threateningly.
"Blamed if I don't take the whole gang in!" he shouted. "I reckon
you're all standin' in together with this feller."
"You will have a warm time taking in this crowd," said Frank, quickly.
"We are friends of Mr. Hodge, and therefore we think it no more than
right that we should know why he is arrested."
"If that's goin' to satisfy ye, you shall know. He's arrested for
shovin' the queer."
"Shoving--the--queer?"
"That's whatever!"
"But--but there must be a mistake."
"Bill Higgins never makes mistakes."
Frank was shocked, stunned. He looked at Bart, and Hodge's face, which
had been pale, turned crimson with apparent shame. It was like a blow
to Merriwell, for the conviction that Hodge was guilty came over him.
"It was that wretched girl--she did it!" he thought. "She has led him
into this. She has influenced him to put out some of that bogus money,
and he, like the infatuated fool that he was, did it willingly. Oh, it
is a shame!"
Bart stole a glance at Frank, and saw by the expression of Merry's
face that he was convinced of his folly. Immediately Hodge seemed to
wilt, as if hope had gone out of him. The color left his face, and it
became wan and drawn, with an expression of anguish that aroused
Frank's deepest pity.
"I don't care!" Merriwell mentally exclaimed. "He did it because he
was hypnotized--because her influence compelled him to do so. If he is
brought to trial now it will mean his utter ruin. What can I do for
him? Can I do anything?"
Bart saw the change that came over Frank's face, but did not
understand what it meant. Instead, noticing a hard, determined look,
he fancied his former friend was hardening his heart against him.
Of a sudden Hodge gave the sheriff a shove and trip, sending him
sprawling on the ground, his revolver being discharged as he fell.
Fortunately the bullet harmed no one.
Like a flash, the desperate boy darted away. He caught his wheel,
which stood against a tree, and was on it in a moment. His feet caught
the pedals, and away he went down the road.
Bill Higgins scrambled up, uttering language that was shocking to
hear.
"The cursed whelp!" he roared. "He can't ride faster than bullets can
travel! I'll fill him full of lead!"
Then he flung up the revolver.
Merriwell was quite as swift in his movements.
"No, you don't!"
With that cry on his lips, Frank knocked the weapon aside just as it
was discharged, and the bullet sped skyward through the tree tops.
Then Bill Higgins whirled and tried to shoot the boy who had saved
Bart Hodge, but the heavy fist of Bruce Browning fell on his temple,
and he dropped like a log to the ground.
Frank picked up the sheriff's revolver, which had fallen from his
hand, and, when Higgins sat up, he found himself looking into the
muzzle of his own weapon.
"Get out!"
Merriwell uttered the words, and Higgins took the hint.
"All right," he snarled; "but this doesn't end it! I'll make all of
yer suffer fer this!"
He arose, mounted his waiting horse, and galloped away after Hodge.