THE SIGNAL FOR SILENCE.
Lizette was hammering at Frank Merriwell's door.
"Wake up, monsieur!" she cried. "_Mon Dieu_, it is such a terrible
theeng! Queek! queek! Do come, monsieur!"
Her knock and her cries brought Frank forth in pajamas.
"What is it--what's the matter?" he demanded.
The voice of Hodge was heard questioning the cause of the disturbance,
and Bart came forth from another room.
Lizette seized Merry's arm.
"Oh, come queek!" she implored. "I see it from my window. I have ze bad
headache so long I cannot sleep. Zen I geet up and sit by ze window. I
look out and see some one walking beneath the trees. When he walk in ze
moonlight I see it is ze Monsieur Carson. Zen all at once--oh, ze
terrible theeng!"
"Go on!" commanded Frank. "All at once--what?"
"I see ze ozzer man--just ze glimpse. I see heem run out queek and soft
behind Monsieur Carson. He lift his hands. He strike Monsieur Carson
with sometheeng, and Monsieur Carson he fall down and lie so still on ze
grass. Zen ze ozzer man he run away."
It did not take Frank long to go leaping down the stairs, and Hodge
followed him closely. They tore open the door and rushed out. Within the
shadow at the corner of the house they stumbled over a prostrate figure.
Frank dropped on his knees.
"It's Berlin!" he hoarsely exclaimed. "Heavens! is he dead?"
"Hardly that, Merry," came a faint whisper, as Carson stirred in Frank's
arms. "What was it that fell on me? It seemed as if the moon came down
and burst upon my head. I saw a flash of fire and heard a frightful
explosion. What happened to me?"
"Some one struck you down from behind. Lizette saw it from her window.
She was sitting at the window and saw you walking here on the lawn. She
saw the man rush upon you and knock you senseless."
"Lizette?" muttered Carson. And then again in a queer tone he said:
"Lizette?"
"Yes, she saw it."
"From--her--window?" questioned Berlin.
"From her window," repeated Frank. "Have you been robbed, Carson? The
ruffian must have been a robber. I presume he went through your
pockets."
"I don't know," muttered the young Westerner thickly.
"Let me see," said Frank. "He didn't take your watch, and here's your
purse. Why, this is singular! I wonder if he saw Lizette. I wonder if
she uttered a cry and frightened him away."
"Let's find the whelp!" snarled Hodge.
"First let's find out how badly Carson is hurt. Let's get him into the
house."
Together they lifted Berlin and assisted him to the house between them.
Inza was calling from the head of the stairs to know what was the
matter.
"Lie to her, Merry," said Hodge. "Don't let her get excited. Wait, I'll
do the lying. I'll quiet her and Elsie."
He hastened up the stairs.
Carson sat on a chair and felt of his head with both hands.
Frank struck a light, and he examined to see how badly his friend was
injured.
"Here's a bad bump," he said; "but I don't believe your scalp is broken.
Looks as if you'd been struck by a sandbag."
"Whatever it was, it put me out of commission mighty quick," mumbled
Berlin. "Goodness! my head aches a whole lot. I'm weak a-plenty."
They heard Bart telling Inza and Elsie that a man had been seen prowling
around outside. Hodge was concealing the fact that anything had happened
to Carson. He urged them to go back to their rooms.
"No need of frightening them over me, Merry," muttered Berlin. "I'm all
right. My head is too thick to be easily cracked."
"Tell me just how it happened," urged Merry.
"Didn't Lizette tell you?"
"Yes, but I thought she might be mistaken in her excitement. Did you see
any one? Did you see who struck you?"
"No, I didn't see him."
"Nor hear him?"
"Nor hear him, Frank. I heard nothing. It's doubtful if I'd heard a clap
of thunder just then."
"Eh, why not?"
"Oh, well, you see I was--I'd been--I'd been--thinking," faltered
Carson.
"How did you happen to be out there?"
"Couldn't sleep. Went out to get the air."
"Well, let me doctor that bump. Sit right still; I'll take care of you."
Merry hurried away, soon returning with a bowl of cool water and a
sponge. He also had some sort of soothing liniment.
Hodge returned while Frank was at work over Berlin.
"Managed to calm the girls down and sent them back to bed," he said.
Then he took something from his pocket, clicked it, and looked it over.
"What's that?" asked Merry.
"My pistol," answered Bart grimly. "I'm going out to look for the gent
who did this little job."
"Don't go alone. Wait till I get Carson fixed, and I'll be with you."
"And that will give him plenty of time to get away. We've given him too
much time already, Frank. Don't worry about me. I'll take care of
myself, and I'll take care of him if I find him."
Bart went out.
"Are you feeling better, Carson?" questioned Merry.
"Oh, I tell you I'm all right," was the answer, as Berlin tried to force
a laugh.
"Who could be prowling round here?" speculated Frank. "I wonder if a
burglar was trying to break in."
"That must be it," said Carson quickly. "Did Lizette describe the man?"
"No. She said she barely saw him as he rushed out behind your back and
struck you."
"It's strange that Bessie should----"
Carson checked himself.
"Bessie?" questioned Frank.
"I mean Lizette," Berlin hastened to say. "My thoughts are all in a
jumble. Don't mind me if I get mixed up. I'm all right now, Merry."
"If you need a doctor----"
"I don't. You've done everything a doctor could do."
"Then if you're all right, I think I'll go out and look around for
Hodge."
Carson rose to his feet a trifle unsteadily.
"I'm going with you," he declared.
"You'd better not," Merry advised.
"I must--I want to."
"You're still weak."
"Oh, no; I'm strong enough. Just see, Frank, I can walk all right."
"Come on, then," said Merriwell.
All around the grounds they searched, finally finding Hodge, who stated
that he had seen no trace of any one.
"The rascal made good his escape," said Frank. "I'll notify the sheriff
first thing in the morning. A while ago there were some burglaries in
surrounding towns. Perhaps the crooks have decided to operate in
Bloomfield."
"And it was natural they should pick out your house first, Merry," said
Carson.
They turned toward the house and paused again beneath the very tree
where Berlin had stood when he heard the mingled voices of Lizette and
the unknown man. As Frank and Hodge were talking, Carson turned away and
walked a short distance toward the house. Stepping out from beneath the
trees, he looked up.
In an open upper window a face appeared, distinctly shown by the
moonlight.
It was Lizette.
He gazed up at her, and she looked down at him. Then she leaned forth
from the window, lifted one hand and pressed a finger to her lips.
He understood the signal and nodded.
She vanished, and he saw her no more that night.