Frank Merriwell's Alarm Part 42

"It's not that; you don't understand. I must not be seen. I'll get out of sight, and you must bluff him off, if he asks about me. That's all.

Here he comes!"

A glimpse of the horseman was obtained as he flitted along between the great trees.

Immediately Hodge slipped behind a tree, and lost no time in getting out of view.

The horseman came on swiftly, and the boys saw that he was a large man with a grizzled beard that had once been coal black. He was roughly dressed, with his pantaloons tucked into his boots.

As he approached the man eyed the boys closely. Close at hand he drew up, saying in a harsh voice:

"Wa-al, who are you, and whatever are yer doing here?"

CHAPTER XXI.

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 n.i.g.g.e.r ever dared to speak to Bill Higgins that way."

"Hole on, sar! I ain't no ordumnary n.i.g.g.e.r, 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 n.i.g.g.e.r?" 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 n.i.g.g.e.r 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 a.s.sumed 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."