END OF THE SEARCH.
Like a cat, Frank alighted on his feet, and he was ready for anything
the moment he struck the ground.
There was no longer any fighting beneath the tree. The struggling mass
had melted to two dark figures, one of which was stretched on the
ground, while the other bent over it.
Frank sprang forward and caught the kneeling one by the shoulder.
"What has become of her?" he demanded, fiercely.
The man looked up, astonished.
It was Colonel La Salle Vallier!
"Yo', sah?" he exclaimed.
"You?" cried Frank.
Then the boy recovered, again demanding:
"What has become of Miss Burrage? She was here a moment ago."
The colonel looked around in a dazed way, slowly saying:
"Yes, sah, she was here, fo' Mistah Raymon' heard her voice, and he
rushed in to save her."
"Raymond? Where is he?"
"Here, sah."
The colonel motioned toward the silent form on the ground, and Frank
bent forward to peer into the white, ghastly face.
It was, indeed, Rolf Raymond.
"Dead?" fluttered Frank.
"Dead!" replied Colonel Vallier.
"He was killed in the struggle?"
"He was stabbed at the ver' start, sah. The knife must have struck his
heart."
"Merciful goodness!" gasped the boy, horrified. "And how came he here?"
"We were searching fo' Manuel Mazaro, sah. Mistah Raymon' did not trus'
the rascal, and he believed Mazaro might know something about Miss
Burrage. Mazaro is ready fo' anything, and he knew big money would be
offered fo' the recovery of the young lady, so he must have kidnaped
her. We knew where to find Mazaro, though he did not suppose so, and we
came here. As we approached, we saw some figures beneath this tree. Then
we heard a feminine cry fo' help, and we rushed in here, sah. That's
all, except that Mistah Raymon' rushed to his death, and the rascals
have escaped."
"They have escaped with the girl--carried her away!"
"But they will not dare keep her now, sah."
"Why not?"
"Because they are known, and the entire police of the city will be after
them."
"What will they do with her?"
"I don't know, but I do not think they will harm her, sah."
"What was she to Rolf Raymond?"
"His affianced bride, sah."
"Well, she will not marry him now," said Frank; "but I am truly sorry
that the fellow was killed in such a dastardly manner."
"So am I, sah," confessed the queer colonel. "He has been ver' valuable
to me. It will be a long time before I find another like him."
Frank did not understand that remark then, but he did afterward, when he
was told that Colonel Vallier was a professional card sharp, and had
bled Rolf Raymond for many thousands of dollars. This explained the
singular friendship between the sharp old rascal and the young man.
More than that, Frank afterward learned that Colonel Vallier was not a
commissioned officer, had never been such, but had assumed the title.
In many ways the man tried to imitate the Southern gentleman of the old
school, but, as he was not a gentleman at heart, he was a sad failure.
All at once Frank remembered Barney, and that he had promised to stand
by the Irish lad.
"Great Scott!" he cried. "Barney Mulloy is in there with that gang of
raging wolves!"
"Nivver a bit av it, Frankie," chirped a cheerful voice. "Oi am here."
Down from the tree swung the fighting Irish lad, dropping beside his
comrade.
"Th' craythers didn't feel loike comin' up th' shtairs inny more,"
Barney explained. "They seemed to hiv enough sport fer wan avenin'.
Somebody shouted somethin' to thim, an' away they wint out doors, so I
took to lookin' fer yez, me b'y."
"And you found me?"
"Oi looked out av th' windy, an' hearrud yer voice. Thot's whoy Oi came
down. Phat has happened out here, Oi dunno?"
Frank hastily explained.
"Well, it's the avil wan's oun luck!" exclaimed Barney. "But av we shtay
here, Frankie, it's pinched we'll be by the police as will be afther
getting around boy and boy. We'd betther take a sneak."
"Inza----"
"She ain't here inny more, me lad, an' so ye moight as well go."
"You are right. Come on."
Swiftly and silently they slipped away, leaving Colonel Vallier with the
dead youth.
Frank was feeling disgusted and desperate, and he expressed himself
freely as they made their way along the streets.
"It is voile luck," admitted Barney; "but we did our bist, an' it's a
jolly good foight we had. Frankie, we make a whole tame, wid a litthle
yaller dog under th' waggin."
"Oh, I can't think of anything but Inza, Inza, Inza! She----"
"Frank!"
Out of a dark shadow timidly came a female figure.
With a cry of joy, Frank sprang forward, and clasped her in his arms,
lifting her off her feet and covering her face, eyes and mouth with
kisses, while he cried:
"Inza, girl! at last! at last! We fought like fiends to save you, and we
thought we had failed. But now----"
"You did your best, Frank, but that dreadful wretch dragged me to the
window and dropped me into the arms of a monster who was waiting below.
I did not faint--I would not! I made up my mind that I would keep my
senses and try to escape. The man jumped after me, and then a signal was
given that brought the others from the building. They were going to wrap
something about my head when I got my mouth free and cried out. After
that I scarcely know what happened. There was fighting, and I caught a
glimpse of the face of Rolf Raymond. How he came there I do not know. I
felt myself free, and I ran, ran, ran, till I fell here from exhaustion,
and here I lay till I heard your voice. I knew it, and I replied."
"Frankie, me b'y!" cried Barney, "it's a bit ago we were ravin' at our
luck: It's givin' thanks we should be this minute."
"True, Barney, true! It is all right at last. Inza is safe, Rolf Raymond
is dead, and----"
A cry broke from the lips of the girl.
"Rolf Raymond dead?" she exclaimed, wildly. "Are you sure?"
"Sure," replied Frank, coldly. "You will not marry him now."
"I should not have married him anyway."
"But you were affianced to him?"
"By my father--yes. My father and Roderick Raymond, who is a cripple and
has not many more years to live, were schoolmates and friends in their
younger days. Roderick Raymond has made a vast fortune, and in his old
age he set his heart upon having his son marry the daughter of his
former friend and partner. It seems that, when they first got married,
father and Raymond declared, in case the child of one was a boy, and
that of the other was a girl, that their children should marry. Rolf was
Mr. Raymond's only son, as I am an only daughter. Believing himself
ready to die, Roderick Raymond sent to my father and reminded him of
their agreement. As you know, father is not very wealthy, and he is now
an invalid. His mind is not strong, and he became convinced that it was
his duty to see that I married Rolf Raymond. He set his mind on it, and
all my pleadings were in vain. He brought me here to the South, and I
saw Rolf. I disliked him violently the moment my eyes rested on him,
but he seemed to fall madly in love with me. He was fiercely jealous of
me, and watched me as a dog watches its mistress. I could not escape
him, and I was becoming entangled deeper and deeper when you appeared. I
knew you, and I was determined to see you again--to ask you to save me.
I took part in the parade to-night, and went to the ballroom. Rolf
followed me about so that I became disgusted and slipped from the room,
intending to return home alone. Barely had I left the room when a fellow
whispered in my ear that he had been sent there by you--that I was to go
with him, and he would take me to you. I entered a closed carriage, and
I was brought to the place where you found me a captive in the hands of
those ruffians."
Frank had listened with eager interest to this explanation, and it made
everything clear.
"It was ordained by fate that we should find you there," he declared.
"It was known the Queen of Flowers had disappeared, and we were
searching for you. Something led us straight to that place. Rolf Raymond
came there, also, and he came to his death. But, Inza, explain one
thing--why didn't you answer my letters?"
"I answered every one I received. You stopped writing."
"I did not; but I received no answers."
"Then," cried the girl, "your letters must have been intercepted. You
were constantly changing about. I did not know your address, so I could
not ask for an explanation."
"Well, it has come out right at last. We'll find a carriage and take you
home. To-morrow I will see you."
They reached Canal Street, and found a carriage.
Inza's invalid father was astounded when he saw Frank and Barney Mulloy
appear with his daughter, and he was more than ever astounded and
agitated when he knew what had happened.
But Inza was safe, and Rolf Raymond was dead.
It was a lively tale the boys related to Professor Scotch that night.
The little man fairly gasped for breath as he listened.
"Well! well! well!" was all he could say.
In the morning the police had taken hold of the affair, and they were
hot after the fellows who had killed Rolf Raymond. Frank and Barney were
called on to tell their story, and were placed under surveillance.
But the cottage cafe was deserted, and the Spanish rascals were not
captured. They disappeared from New Orleans, and, to this day, the law
has never avenged the death of Roderick Raymond's only son.
The murder of his boy was too much for Raymond to endure, and he died of
a broken heart on the day of the son's funeral. Knowing he was dying, he
had a new will swiftly made, and all his wealth was left to his old
friend Burrage.
Frank and Barney thoroughly enjoyed the rest of their stay in New
Orleans. In the open carriage with them, at Frank's side, rode the
"Queen of Flowers" as they went sight-seeing.
In the throng of spectators, with two detectives near at hand, they saw
Colonel La Salle Vallier. He lifted his hat and bowed with the utmost
courtesy.
"The auld chap is something of a daisy, after all, Frankie," laughed
Barney. "Oi kinder admire th' spalpane."
"Ha, hum!" coughed Professor Scotch, at Barney's side. "He is a great
duelist--a great duelist, but he quailed before my terrible eye--he was
forced to apologize. Hum, ha!"
Frank leaned toward Inza.
"If anything happens when we are again separated that you should fail to
receive my letters, you will not doubt me, will you?" he asked, in a
whisper.
And she softly replied:
"No, Frank, but----"
"But what?"
"You--you must not forget Elsie Bellwood."
"I haven't heard from her in a long time," said Frank. And there the
talk ended.
But Frank was to hear from his other girl friend soon and in a most
unexpected manner.