PURSUED.
Fortune gave the boy the opportunity he desired.
Along the street came two runaway horses, attached to a carriage. In
front of the restaurant they crashed into another team, and there was a
rush to see how much damage had been done. The attention of every one
seemed diverted toward the front.
Frank had observed an open door at the back of the room, and through
this he quickly sprang, ran along a narrow passage, and burst into the
kitchen.
"Hello, here!" cried the cook, in astonishment. "What's the matter?"
"Terrible smashup, out in front," replied the boy. "Don't know how many
have been killed. It is awful!"
"That so?" came stupidly from the bewildered man in white. "How did
it---- Well, he was in a hurry!"
But Frank had sprung out by an open door and was gone.
The boy reached a side street, sprinted round a corner, doubled and
turned at every opportunity, and settled to a swift walk.
He soon discovered which direction he should take without having asked
to be directed toward any particular point.
"This is an unpleasant scrape," muttered the boy; "and it came about
through my readiness to exchange my good money for bad. If I remain in
this town I am liable to be arrested at any moment."
He wondered what Bart would say when he was told. What could Bart think
about a girl who carried two bright new counterfeit fifty-dollar bills
in her purse?
Frank began to doubt. He was forced to confess to himself that such a
thing was remarkable. If the girl had had but one bad bill in her
possession, it would have seemed that she had obtained it unwittingly;
but two--and exactly alike----
"Can it be possible she is, in some way, connected with a gang of
counterfeiters?" Frank asked himself. "I will not believe it! Her face
is too innocent."
Then he remembered how, in the city of Chicago, he had encountered a
beautiful girl who was connected with counterfeiters; but he also
remembered that she was an unwilling tool, and had embraced the first
opportunity to get clear of the meshes of the net into which she had
fallen.
"If Isa Isban is connected with such a gang, I am certain it is against
her will."
Then he thought how, when she had discovered that he had plenty of
money, she had hastened to get him to change two fifty-dollar bills, and
his faith was shaken.
"It looks bad," he confessed.
As he approached the place where he had left Bart on guard over the
house in which the girl was believed to be, he passed a livery stable.
He was hurrying on when some one ran out of the stable and clutched him
by the arm.
"Just in time!" palpitated the voice of Bart Hodge.
"Hello!" exclaimed Frank, surprised. "Just in time for what?"
"They're gone!"
"Who?"
"Vida Melburn and that man."
"Gone where?"
"Taken the lake road. Something has caused them to hustle out on the
jump. I do not believe they are coming back here."
"Then we must follow."
"Sure."
"How----"
"Here--in the stable. I have ordered a horse. We'll have two. They'll
not slip us easily."
"How did they travel?"
"Horseback."
"How much of a start?"
"Twenty minutes."
Together the boys ran back into the stable, and another horse was
ordered saddled.
"Look here," cried Frank, displaying his money. "We wish to overtake
some people who have a start on us. Give us the best animal in the
stable."
The proprietor of the stable was on hand, and he looked the boys over
doubtfully.
"How do I know I'll ever see my critters again?" he asked.
"We'll make a deposit," declared Frank. "We'll stick up a hundred
dollars apiece on 'em. If they are worth more you can afford to take
chances. If we're horse thieves you won't have much trouble in tracing
us. Besides that, horse thieves do not work in this way. If they did
they'd get the worst end most of the time, for they'd have to chance it
on the horses being worth a hundred each."
The proprietor was rather bewildered. He believed something was wrong,
but still he did not wish to refuse to let the boys have the horses.
The money was counted out and thrust into his hands.
"Hustle!" cried Merriwell. "We can't afford to lose a moment."
The stable-keeper roared out an order to his assistants. The horse that
Bart had ordered was quickly brought out, ready for mounting, and then
he was followed by another, onto which a saddle was flung. Frank looked
the animals over with a critical eye.
"They'll do," he said, approvingly.
In a few seconds the lads were mounted and dashing away from the stable.
The proprietor stood looking after them, doubt written on his face.
"Gee whiz!" he muttered. "I never thought of that! Bet I've made a
derned fool of myself! Well, I reckon I'll git the critters back."
"What is it you did not think of?" he was asked.
"Why, it's remarkable kids like them should be so flush with money. And
they looked scared. They're runnin' away. I reckon they've been stealin'
an' they wuz hustlin' to get away before they wus arrested."
The boys disappeared down the street.
Frank allowed Bart to take the lead.
"I suppose you know the shortest cut to the lake road?" he asked.
"I do," said Bart. "You follow close, that's all."
As they rode, Frank related his adventure in the bank.
Bart whistled in astonishment.
"Bogus money?" he cried. "And you received it of the girl? That is
strange."
"It looks bad," said Frank.
"I don't understand it. How do you suppose she happened to have it? It's
not at all probable she knew what it was."
"I am not so sure of that."
The dark-eyed boy gave his companion a reproving look.
"She is as innocent as a flower! I will not believe she could do such a
thing! But she is in trouble."
They were regarded with some surprise as they dashed along the streets.
The citizens wondered why two boys were riding at such speed. A sleepy
policeman shouted at them, but they gave him no heed.
Soon they came to the outskirts of the city. Before them lay the lake
road.
"This is the way they came?" questioned Frank.
"Sure," nodded Bart. "They are somewhere ahead."
"What makes you think they are skipping the city? It strikes me they may
be simply out for a canter. Perhaps they are going to take a look at
Tahoe up there among the mountains."
"They did not buy horses for a canter of a few hours."
"They bought horses?"
"Yes."
"Then it is pretty certain they have no notion of coming back to Carson.
You have a level head, my boy. Forward!"
The road became rugged and steep. They were looking for a mounted man
and girl in advance, and they constantly urged forward their sweating
horses.
"I do not see anything of them."
"The road crooks away up yonder, so they would be hidden. They have
quite a start, and they are in a hurry."
A cloud of dust rose behind the galloping horses, drifting away to the
left. The road was rough, but the boys did not mind that.
"Tahoe must be on the top of a mountain," grumbled Bart, after a time.
"It is six thousand, two hundred and eight feet above the level of the
sea," said Frank. "That is elevated somewhat."
"I should say so. It must be the highest body of water in this country,
if not in the world."
"It is higher than the peaks of many lofty mountains."
"And this so-called 'lake road' is hardly better than an ordinary trail.
We are in for a hard pull of it."
"But the ones we are pursuing are in for just as hard a pull."
"That's right, and one of them is a girl."
The mountains loomed formidably before them. The bleak heights seemed to
block their way. But the road wound onward and upward, and they followed
it.
"What was that?" questioned Frank.
"What? I did not hear anything."
"It sounded like a cry. There it is again."
"I heard it that time. It did not seem to be ahead of us, and so it----
Great Scott! Look back!"
Frank looked back down the road. Far away, several horsemen were riding
toward them. They were urging forward their animals, and the sunlight
glinted on polished weapons.
"We are pursued, partner!" said Frank, grimly. "We are in for a hot
chase."