ALL QUIET.
Frank expected to meet an officer at the station when he reached Dundee
late that night, for he fancied Riddle, intending to keep up the game,
would telegraph ahead for his arrest.
When he stepped down from the train, Merry looked around for the
expected sheriff or policeman.
No one was there to meet him.
He was pretty tired, and so he took a carriage to a hotel, where he
registered, and asked if he could get something to eat. It was long past
the supper hour, but he was able to obtain a lunch, which satisfied him
very well.
Next Frank sent a telegram to Barnaby Haley, and then sat down and wrote
a letter, telling briefly his adventures since starting out as advance
man for the company.
By this time it was pretty late, and he decided to retire and get some
sleep.
He was filled with wonder because he had not been molested in Dundee,
but decided that Riddle had resolved to come on himself and see to the
matter.
Fully convinced that there would be more trouble for him in the morning,
he went to his room.
As he was preparing to go to bed, he thought of Cassie and his last talk
with her.
“Poor girl!” thought Frank. “I wonder if she really prayed to-night and
tried to go through her part without the stimulation of morphine. It is
too bad that the accursed drug should get such a hold on such a girl.
She said she would pray for me.”
He was about to jump into bed when another thought came to him.
“I said I would pray for her!”
Down beside the bed Frank Merriwell knelt. He bowed his head, and his
lips moved in a whispered prayer.
Who can say that prayer was not heard—and answered?
For all of the exciting adventures of the day, Frank was soon sleeping
soundly.
He was aroused by a sharp knocking on his door.
“Hello!” he muttered, as he sat up. “Here’s the trouble I’ve been
expecting! They might have let me sleep till morning. Wonder if they
will take me to some wretched lockup and give me a buggy bunk. If they
do, I’ll have to stay up the rest of the night. I enjoy excitement, but
I draw the line at night encounters with bugs.”
He got up leisurely.
Rat-tat-tat!
The person outside the door was getting impatient.
“Don’t be in such a hurry,” called Merry, placidly. “I won’t jump out of
the window.”
“Let me in!”
“Directly.”
Frank struck a match and lighted the gas. Then, in his nightgown, he
opened the door.
A man dodged in quickly.
“Shut the door!” he ordered, his voice and manner betraying agitation.
“What’s the matter?” asked Frank, in surprise.
“Lock it—lock it!”
The stranger took hold of the key and turned it himself.
Frank’s surprise increased.
“Well,” he said, looking the man over, “will you be good enough to tell
me what this means?”
“I want to see you.”
“All right. Take a good look at me.”
“Your name’s Merriwell?”
“Sure thing.”
“New man ahead of the ‘Empire Theater Comedy Company’?”
“Right again.”
“I’m Collins.”
Frank jumped.
“Collins?” he cried—“Weston Collins?”
“Yes.”
Frank had never seen the former advance man of the company, so it was
not strange he had not known Collins.
“Well,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and staring hard at
the intruder, “what in the name of all that’s bad are you doing here?”
“I came in a little while ago. Saw your name on the register. You
registered with the name of the company attached, so I knew you must be
the man Haley had sent out to fill my place. I came up to see you.”
“Did King send you?”
“King! What made you think so?”
“On account of your telegram.”
“Telegram to whom?”
“Mr. Haley.”
“What telegram?”
“The one you sent from Salacia.”
“Never sent any.”
“What?”
Frank was surprised and incredulous. Was this more trickery?
“Never sent Haley a telegram,” declared Collins. “Did he receive one?”
“Yes.”
“My name signed?”
“Just that.”
“Fake! King did it—or somebody representing King.”
Merry was doubtful.
“What did it say?” asked Collins.
Frank told him, and the former advance man showed anger.
“Just like King!” he cried. “He hates Haley, and he will do anything to
torment the old man.”
“But—but you dropped the work in Salacia. Manager of the opera house
heard our company had gone up. He put King’s paper right up over what
you had put up for us. Why did you do that way?”
Collins hesitated a little, and then, walking up and down, he began:
“Look here, Merriwell, I want to set myself straight, but I don’t know
how to do it. That’s why I’m here. I’m taking all chances of being
arrested.”
“Arrested?”
“Yes. It’s like this: I got into some trouble out here in this country
once, and had to skip. I’ve kept it quiet all my life—never told anybody
about it. King knew it, because he was with me at the time. I changed my
name. Collins is not my right name. When Haley decided to book this
section, I tried to persuade him not to do it. Didn’t want to come here.
Had to come or throw up my job. Thought I might get into the county and
out again without being recognized. Could have done it, but when King
heard we were having a hard time to hold the show together, he believed
he could knock the company out by driving me off. He gave me an hour to
get out of Salacia before he put the officers on me. I was scared and
made a run for it. He must have had his advance man send the telegram
from Salacia. I suppose he has told everything, and they are looking for
me; but I made up my mind I’d go back and see Haley. That’s why I’m
here. I’ve got back this far. Registered here to-night under a fake
name. Have telegraphed Haley myself. Did that as soon as I got over my
scare. That’s the whole thing in a nutshell. I won’t be able to stay
with the company, and I’m glad they had a man to send right out in my
place.”
Frank had been watching the man as he told the story, and Merry was
convinced that Collins was not lying. He could see that the fellow was
just recovering from the effects of too much liquor, which helped serve
to explain his singular conduct in taking flight without notifying
Haley.
Merry talked with Collins for at least two hours, telling him everything
that had happened since he started out in advance of the show.
Collins complimented him on his ability and the manner in which he had
gotten the best of Delvin Riddle.
“It is my opinion,” he said, “that Riddle is thoroughly disgusted over
the attempt to side track you, and I don’t fancy you’ll have any more
trouble with him. He has found out that you are up to snuff and too
smart for him. It is quite probable that, when he got back in Salacia,
he made a find that caused him to withdraw that warrant from the hands
of the sheriff.”
“What sort of a find?”
“The stolen watch.”
Frank brightened.
“I understand!” he exclaimed. “Riddle may have done that in order to
avoid being detained himself.”
“Just that. He’s liable to be on here to-morrow, and you’ll soon find
out if he’s going to let you alone. I shall get out of town the first
thing in the morning, and I’ll lay low till I can rejoin the company
somewhere outside the State.”
Everything turned out just as Collins had fancied it would. Riddle
appeared the following day, but he did not even seem to see Merriwell.
Frank was not molested then or afterward by Julian King’s agent.
After this Frank found that work on the road as an advance agent was a
great deal easier than it had appeared at the start. In defeating the
schemes of his rivals he had overcome the greatest difficulties of his
new career, and though he found other obstacles from time to time, he
met them with the same steady courage that was sure to win in the end.
He proved one of the finest advance agents that had ever traveled for
Haley, and made a host of friends wherever he went.
THE END.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOUND TO WIN LIBRARY
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To be Published During January, 1905
104—Fatherless Bob By Bracebridge Hemyng
103—Hank, the Hustler By Fred Thorpe
102—Dick Stanhope Afloat By Harrie Irving Hancock
101—The Golden Harpoon By Weldon J. Cobb
To be Published During December
100—Mischievous Matts’ Pranks By Bracebridge Hemyng
99—Mischievous Matt By Bracebridge Hemyng
98—Bert Chipley By John De Morgan
97—Down East Dune By Fred Thorpe
96—The Young Diplomat By Harrie Irving Hancock
95—The Fool of the Family By Bracebridge Hemyng
94—Slam, Bang & Co. By Weldon J. Cobb
93—On the Road By Stanley Norris
92—The Blood-Red Hand By John De Morgan
91—The Diamond King By Cornelius Shea
90—The Double-Faced Mystery By Fred Thorpe
89—The Young Theatrical By Stanley Norris
Manager
88—The Young West-Pointer By Harrie Irving Hancock
87—Held For Ransom. By Weldon J. Cobb
86—Boot-Black Bob By John De Morgan
85—Engineer Tom By Cornelius Shea
84—The Mascot of Hoodooville By Fred Thorpe
83—Walter Blackshaw By Frank Sheridan
82—The Young Showman’s Foes By Stanley Norris
81—On the Wing By Weldon J. Cobb
80—Yankee Grit By John De Morgan
79—Bicycle and Gun By Cornelius Shea
78—The Backwoods Boy By Horatio Alger, Jr.
77—Ahead of the Show By Fred Thorpe
76—Merle Merton By Frank Sheridan
75—The Three Hills of Gold By Harrie Irving Hancock
74—A Barrel of Money By Weldon J. Cobb
73—Lucky Thirteen By John De Morgan
72—Two Ragged Heroes By Ernest A. Young
71—A Slave for a Year By Fred Thorpe
70—In the Woods By Frank Sheridan
69—The Prince of Grit By Harrie Irving Hancock
68—The Golden Pirate By Weldon J. Cobb
67—Winning His Way By John De Morgan
66—Boats, Bats and Bicycles By Ernest A. Young
65—Bob, The Hoodoo By Fred Thorpe
64—Railroad Ralph By Engineer James Fisk
63—Comrades Under Castro By Victor St. Clair
62—Life-Line Larry By Frank Sheridan
61—Track and Trestle By Ernest L. Young
60—The Phantom Boy By Weldon J. Cobb
59—Simple Simon By Herbert Bellwood
58—Cast Away in the Jungle By Victor St. Clair
57—In Unknown Worlds By John De Morgan
56—The Round-the-World Boys By Fred Thorpe
55—Bert Fairfax By Frank Sheridan
54—Pranks and Perils By Ernest A. Young
53—Up to Date By Weldon J. Cobb
52—Bicycle Ben By Herbert Bellwood
51—Lost in the Ice By John De Morgan
50—Fighting for a Name By Fred Thorpe
49—Lionel’s Pluck By Frank Sheridan
48—The Mud River Boys By Ernest A. Young
47—Partners Three By Weldon J. Cobb
46—The Rivals of the Pines By Herbert Bellwood
45—Always on Duty By John De Morgan
44—Walt, the Wonder-Worker By Fred Thorpe
43—Through Flame to Fame By Frank Sheridan
42—A Toss-Up for Luck By Ernest A. Young
41—The Jay from Maine By Herbert Bellwood
40—For Home and Honor By Victor St. Clair
39—A Bee Line to Fortune By John De Morgan
37—Never Give Up By Fred Thorpe
36—Vernon Craig By Frank Sheridan
35—The Young Showman’s Triumph By Stanley Norris
34—The Roustabout Boys By Herbert Bellwood
33—The Young Showman’s Pluck By Stanley Norris
32—Napoleon’s Double By John De Morgan
31—The Young Showman’s Rivals By Stanley Norris
30—Jack, the Pride of the Nine By Frank Sheridan
29—Phil, the Showman By Stanley Norris
28—Bob Porter at Lakeview By Walter Morris
Academy
27—Zig-Zag, the Boy Conjurer By Victor St. Clair
26—The Young Hannibal By Matt Royal
25—Git Up and Git By Fred Thorpe
24—School Life at Grand Court By Frank Sheridan
23—From Port to Port By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U.S.N.
22—The Rival Nines By Walt Winton
21—The Young Journalist By Harrie Irving Hancock
20—John Smith of Michigan By Herbert Bellwood
19—Little Snap, the Post Boy By Victor St. Clair
18—Cruise of the Training Ship By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U.S.N.
17—Chris, the Comedian By Fred Thorpe
16—Lion-Hearted Jack By Frank Sheridan
15—The Rivals of Riverwood By William G. Patten
14—His One Ambition By Herbert Bellwood
13—A Strange Cruise By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U.S.N.
12—Dick Derby’s Double By Fred Thorpe
11—The House of Mystery By Matt Royal
9—From Switch to Lever By Victor St. Clair
8—Clif, the Naval Cadet By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U.S.N.
7—The Boy in Black By Fred Thorpe
6—The Crimson “Q” By Herbert Bellwood
5—The Balas Ruby By Capt. Geoffrey Hale
3—Bound for Annapolis By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U.S.N.
2—Blind Luck By Fred Thorpe
1—The Boy Argus By William G. Patten
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CIRCUS LIFE
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Is admirably described in Stanley Norris’ great series of books for
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adventures while fighting his way to the top of his chosen profession.
Every boy will thrill to the finger tips to read of his many narrow
escapes.
_PRICE, 10 CENTS PER COPY AT ALL NEWSDEALERS_
STANLEY NORRIS
29 Phil, the Showman
31 The Young Showman’s Rivals
33 The Young Showman’s Pluck
35 The Young Showman’s Triumph
82 The Young Showman’s Foes
If ordered by mail, add four cents to cover postage.
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We heartily recommend our _Boys of Liberty Library_ to boys who have
good, red blood coursing through their veins—who like really good tales
of adventure.
The books listed below detail the adventures of brave lads who took an
active part in the Revolutionary War, who, in many cases, saved the day
to the Patriot army when all seemed lost. Read this series boys, nothing
you can buy for the money will please you half so well.
1. Paul Revere and the Boys of By John De Morgan
Liberty
5. The First Shot For Liberty By John De Morgan
9. The Hero of Ticonderoga By John De Morgan
13. On the Quebec By John De Morgan
17. Fooling the Enemy By John De Morgan
21. Into the Jaws of Death By John De Morgan
25. The Tory Plot By T. C. Harbaugh
27. In Buff and Blue By T. C. Harbaugh
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WEST POINT STORIES
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_214_ _On Guard_
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_230_ _Off for West Point_
_238_ _A Cadet’s Honor_
_248_ _The West Point Rivals_
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[Illustration]
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● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
○ Typographical errors were silently corrected.
○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only
when a predominant form was found in this book.
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).