CHAPTER XVIII.
OLD FRIENDS.
"We are a set of jolly, jolly lads, As we ride--as we ride away! You bet we're up to date, but are no cads, As we ride--as we ride away! We've crossed the plains and scaled the Rockies high, And now hurrah! for 'Frisco's town is nigh; We sing as toward that port we swiftly fly, As we ride--as we ride away!"
Through a California forest of monster trees our five boys wereriding, and they sang as they rode, their voices blending beautifullyand making the old woods echo with sweet music.
To them it seemed that all the perils of the trip were past and SanFrancisco was in view, although in truth, it was more than two hundredmiles away by the route they would be compelled to follow.
It was a perfect day, with the sun shining from a cloudless sky, as italways seems to shine in California. It was warm, but not too hot forcomfort, and the road through the forest was fairly good, winding tothe right and then to the left beneath the shadows of the great trees.
"If this road wasn't so crooked, we wouldn't have to travel so far,"groaned Browning, his manner being so dismal that the others brokeinto a shout of laughter.
"You shouldn't kick about this road," smiled Frank. "I've seen a roadmuch more crooked than this."
"It must have been pretty crooked."
"It was so crooked that when you started to ride on it you'd meetyourself coming back."
"Yow!" whooped Rattleton. "That's the worst I ever heard! A man shouldbe put behind bars for perpetrating anything like that."
"I don't think I'd like to be put behind bars," confessed Merry.
"Huah!" grunted Bruce. "There are others. Why, I know fellows who wantto be in front of bars all the time."
"You mean they drink incessantly?"
"No, I mean they drink whiskey."
"Yah! yah! yah!" shouted Toots, his shrill laugh awaking the echoes."Nebber heard Mistah Brownin' say nuffin' funny as dat befo'! Dat teksde cake!"
"I wouldn't mind taking a small cake," said the big fellow. "ThisCalifornia air makes me hungry."
"Land ob wartermillions! yo's alwus hungry, Mistah Brownin', sar. Yo'sbeen eatin' all de way 'crost de country."
"That's right," was Browning's confession. "And there was one strip ofcountry where they didn't seem to have anything to eat but corn beefand cabbage. I actually ate so much corn beef and cabbage that I wasashamed to look a cow in the face."
"Well, we'll soon be in San Francisco, the greatest city in all thisWestern land," put in Frank. "There we can get almost any kind of feedwe like. Why, I know a restaurant where we'll be able to get 'genuineBoston baked beans.'"
"You know a place?" questioned Diamond. "You know? Look here, FrankMerriwell, what is there you don't know about? Have you beeneverywhere and seen everything?"
"Not by a long distance, but I have been in San Francisco."
"Well, it seems to me that we never mention a place that you don'tknow all about. You were perfectly familiar with Carson City."
"Yes, I had been there before, and it is a place I shall not soonforget, for it was there I last saw my old chum of Fardale, BartHodge."
"You have spoken of him often of late."
"Yes; I have been thinking of him very much. It is natural, as I amnear where I saw him last. Dear old fellow! How we fought in the olddays when we first met! And, after that, what firm friends we became!Hodge had his failings, but he was white at heart. He would lay downhis life for a friend. His parents were wealthy, and they had indulgedhim in everything he desired, till he was completely spoiled and theycould do nothing with him. Fardale was noted as a place where justsuch fellows were taken and broken into the traces, and so his fathersent him there. Hodge didn't do a thing at first--oh, no! not a thing!He raised merry thunder, and he hated me with a virulent hatred. Hetried to injure me in every way he could devise, but when I pulled himout of several bad scrapes, incidentally saving his life, he began tosee that he was in the wrong. He had a fierce battle to overcome hisnatural inclination to do dirty things, but overcome it he did, and hebecame fairly popular in time, although no one knew him and understoodhim like myself. Between us there was a perfect understanding, and Icould control him when he would not listen to reason from any otherperson."
"I believe you were stuck on Hodge!" said Diamond, somewhat piqued.
"No more than I am on any of my true friends," answered Frank.
"It seems you put yourself to lots of trouble with him."
"I did; but I fancied there was the making of a fine man in him, and Ifelt that it was a shame to see a chap go to the dogs. Several timeshe came near being fired from Fardale, for they could do nothing withhim. If he had been fired, his father would have forced him to hustlefor himself. With a boy of Hodge's nature that must have meant ruin,as he would have fallen in with fast companions, would have requiredmoney, and would have obtained it by some means or other. If hiscompanions had been crooked, Hodge, although his nature would haverebelled against anything dishonest, would have become crooked also.He told me that, and he said I was his good angel."
"Hang it, Merry!" spluttered Rattleton; "you've been a good angel forlots of us. It seems that every fellow who sticks by you gets onbetter than he ever did before."
"I'm a mascot," laughed Frank. "Follow me and you'll wear diamonds--orsomething else."
"There's no doubt about it," grunted Browning. "We'll be arrested ifwe don't. Can't go naked in this country."
"Yah!" cried Toots. "Don' yo' try so hard to say somefin' funny,Mistah Brownin', fo' dat is where yo' meks a mistook, sar. Yo' fallsdo'n on yo'se'f, an' yo' don' get funny at all."
"Thanks, my colored counsellor," murmured the big fellow. "You have ashocking habit of giving advice when it isn't asked. I wouldn't do itso much if I were you."
"Choke off, Toots," advised Frank.
"All right, sar--all right," muttered the colored boy; "but I knowswhat I knows--yes, sar. It done do some of de crowd good if dey tookmah advice, sar."
The boys admired the trees and the weather, and they were supremelyhappy. All were hearty and healthy, with muscles as hard as iron andeyes clear as the eagle's.
Browning, although still stout and sturdy, had worked himself down toa hard, healthy condition, and was really a stunningly handsomefellow. There was about him a suggestion of great strength, and almostany man might have hesitated about facing him in anger.
As Merriwell was one who constantly kept himself in perfect condition,it cannot be said that he was looking better than when the party leftNew York, although he, like the others, was tanned by exposure to allsorts of weather.
As the party came around a bend of the road, they saw another youngbicyclist, who was standing beside his wheel, somewhat uneasilyregarding their approach.
"Hello!" exclaimed Diamond. "Here's a fellow traveler."
Frank took off his cap and waved it about his head, but the strangerdid not answer the salute.
"Some way he doesn't seem at all pleased to see us," said Rattleton.
"It may be the way with Californians," said Diamond.
"Anyhow we'll stop and ask him a few questions," Merriwell said. "Atleast, he can't refuse to answer us, if we are civil."
So, as the boys came up, they slackened their speed and prepared todismount. To their surprise the stranger made preparations to mount,as if he contemplated riding away if they stopped.
"He's going to run away," grunted Bruce, in disgust.
"Hold on," urged Merriwell, addressing the stranger. "We want to talkwith you."
Then the boys sprang off their wheels.
To their surprise, the stranger suddenly held out his hand, almostshouting:
"It is Frank Merriwell, or my eyes can't see straight!"
"Bart Hodge, as I live!" cried Frank, grasping the outstretched hand.