CHAPTER XIII.
FRANK'S ESCAPE.
As the ruffian pitched forward on his face, Gonchita uttered a cry. Theattention of the men was turned toward the point from which theunexpected shot had come. The Mexican girl caught hold of Merry, thrusta pistol into his hand, and hissed:
"Back--back there! Quick! It's your chance! You take eet!"
Frank did not hesitate. With the pistol in his hand, he went leapingtoward the point of cover indicated. He was behind the rocks before thedesperadoes realized what had taken place. They turned, utteringexclamations of anger and dismay.
"Steady, you chaps!" rang out Frank's clear voice. "Keep your distance!If you don't----"
But now the three young fellows above began shooting into the valley,and their whistling bullets sent the ruffians scudding to cover.
Gonchita disdained to fly. She walked deliberately to the shelter of therocks near Frank.
"I geet horse for you," she said. "You take eet an' ride. Eet ees yourchance. Mebbe them your friend?"
Frank had caught barely a glimpse of the three fellows, and he was notat all sure that his eyes had not deceived him.
"Perhaps they are my friends," he said. "They must be."
"You ready to go?"
"Yes."
She ran out and pulled the picket pin of one of the horses. This animalshe brought up close to the point where Frank crouched.
"Take heem queek!" she panted. "You haf de chance! Down de vallee. Mebbeyou git 'way."
Frank hesitated. He knew the danger of such an attempt. He no longerdoubted the friendliness of Gonchita, although the remarkable change inher was most astonishing.
But the firing from above continued, and the ruffians were forced toagain take to their heels and seek still safer shelter farther up thevalley.
That was Merry's opportunity, and he seized it. In a twinkling, whilethe rascals were in confusion, he leaped upon the bare back of thehorse, headed the animal down the valley, and was off.
A yell came down from above; but Frank, bending low, did not answer it.
Two or three bullets were sent after him. He was untouched, however.
Gonchita had armed him with two pistols, neither of which he had used.One he held gripped in his hand as the horse carried him tearing downthe valley, and thus he came full upon Cimarron Bill, who was returningto his satellites.
Bill was astounded. He had drawn a pistol, and he fired at the riderwho was stooping low along the neck of the horse. The animal tossed itshead and took the bullet in his brain.
Even as the horse fell, Frank fired in return. He flung himself from theanimal, striking on his feet.
Bill's horse reared high in the air, striking with its forward feet. Therider leaned forward and fired from beneath the creature's neck as itstood on its hind legs, but the movements of the animal prevented himfrom accuracy.
Merry's second shot struck the hind leg of Bill's horse, and thecreature came down in such a manner that its rider was pitched off,striking upon his head and shoulders.
Frank did not fire again, for Bill lay in a heap on the ground. Thehorse struggled up, being caught by Merry. Frank looked to the beast'swound, fearing to find its leg broken. This, however, was not the case,although the bullet had made a rather ugly little wound.
In another moment Frank was in Bill's saddle, and away he went on theback of the chief's horse, leaving the stunned rascal where he hadfallen.
"An exchange of horses," he half-laughed. "You may have my dead one inplace of your wounded one. If you do not like the bargain, Captain Bill,blame yourself."
He was in no great fear of pursuit, but he longed to know just whatfriends had come to his rescue at such an opportune moment. How was heto reach them?
When he felt that he was safe, he drew up Bill's splendid horse,dismounted and examined the bleeding wound. It was far less serious thanhe had feared, and he proceeded to dress it, tearing his handkerchiefinto strips to tie about the creature's leg.
Having attended to his horse, Merry remounted and sought to find a meansof approaching the spot from which his unknown friends had fired intothe valley at such an opportune moment.
He was thus employed when he came upon a most disreputable-looking oldbummer, who had in his possession four horses. This man was startled bythe appearance of Merriwell and acted very strangely.
Frank rode slowly forward, ready for whatever might take place. However,he was recognized by the man, who uttered a shout of astonishment.
The man with the horses was Whisky Jim, who had awakened to find hiscompanions gone.
He greeted Merriwell with protestations of delight.
"I knew I wash a guide!" he said. "Who shed I washn't guide? I shed I'dbring 'em to Frank Merriwell, an' I done it. But whazzer mazzer? Wherezey gone? I dunno."
Barely had Merry started to question the old toper when Hodge, Ready,and Gallup appeared, hurrying forward. When they saw Merriwell they gavea cheer of delight, and, one minute later, they were shaking hands withhim.
"What does this mean?" asked Frank, when he could recover enough to askanything.
"It means," said Bart, "that we are here to back you up in your fightagainst the mining trust. You can depend on us to stand by you. Aftergetting your letter, in which you wrote all about the hot time you werehaving fighting the trust, I hastened to get hold of Ready and Gallupand light out for this part of our great and glorious country. Here weare, though we're dead in luck to find you, for this drunken duffermanaged to lose us here in the mountains."
"And you were the ones who chipped in just at the right time after mylittle encounter with Red Sam? Fellows, you have given me the surpriseof my life! It's great to see you again! I ran into those gents, or wasled into a trap by a very singular girl, and it looked as if I was in abad box. The girl, however, seemed to change her mind after getting meinto the scrape, and she wanted to get me out. I owe her a lot. Butthere is no telling when Cimarron Bill and his gang may come hiking thisway after me, so I propose that we light out for the Queen Mystery,where we can talk things over at our leisure."
They were ready enough to follow his lead.
Jim Tracy sat with his feet elevated upon Frank Merriwell's table,smoking his pipe and talking to Hop Anson, who was on the opposite sideof the table when the door opened and Frank stepped in, followed by hisfriends, with Whisky Jim staggering along in the rear.
Tracy's boots came down from the table with a thud, and he jumped up,uttering an exclamation and looking astounded.
"Well, may I be derned!" he said, staring at Frank.
Now Merriwell was not at all pleased to find the foreman making free inhis cabin in such a manner.
"What's the matter, Tracy?" he asked sharply, glancing from Jim's faceto that of Anson, who seemed no less confounded. "You seem disturbed."
"I allow I didn't expect ye back so soon," mumbled the foreman, whocould not recover his composure at once.
"But I told you I might be back in a few hours, or I might not returnfor many days."
"I know, but----"
"But what?"
"Oh, nothing!"
"It's plain you were making yourself quite at home here. What were youdoing with Anson?"
"Jest givin' him a piece o' my mind," answered Tracy promptly. "I reckonhe knows now purty well what I think of him."
Now to Merry, it had seemed on his appearance that these two men wereengaged in a confidential chat.
"Well, couldn't you find some other place to talk to him?" Frank asked.
"I brought him here so the rest of the boys wouldn't hear us," explainedTracy. "I opined they might take a right strong dislike to him in casethey found out what happened this mornin'."
"You have not told them?"
"No."
"Well, your consideration for Anson seems very strange, considering thetalk you made to-day at an earlier hour."
"I'm jest follerin' your orders," protested the foreman, not at allpleased by Merry's manner.
"Very well. You may retire, Tracy. Boys, make yourselves at home."
As Tracy and Anson were going out, the eyes of the latter encounteredthose of Whisky Jim, who was surveying him closely in a drunken manner.
"Who are you lookin' at?" muttered Anson.
"Sheems to me," said Jim thickly, "I'm a-lookin' at a gent what hadshome deeficulty down Tucson way 'bout takin' a hoss what b'longed tonozzer man."
"You're a liar, you drunken dog!" grated Anson, as he hastened from thecabin.
"Do you know that man?" asked Merry, of Jim.
"Sh!" hissed the toper, with a cautioning gesture. "I don't want 'tgener'lly know I ever shaw him before. He'sh a hosh-thief. He'd shtealanything, he would. I never 'nowledge him ash 'quaintance of mine."
"Do you know the other man, my foreman?"
"Sheems to look ruzer nacheral," said Jim; "but can't 'zactly plashehim. All shame, if he keeps comp'ny wish that hosh-thief, you look outf' him."
Frank celebrated his safe return to the mine in company with his friendsby preparing a rather elaborate spread, and all gathered about thetable to enjoy it and chat about old times and the present fight Merrywas making against the mining trust.
"Waal, dinged if this ain't scrumpshus!" cried Ephraim Gallup. "I'mfeelin' a hanged sight better than I was when we was lost out in themaountains this arternoon."
"Fellows," said Merry, "you have given me the surprise of my life. Inever dreamed of seeing you at such a time. And Bart's shot saved mylife. I know it! I owe him everything!"
There was a glow of satisfaction in the dark eyes of Hodge.
"You owe me nothing," he said earnestly. "Whatever I am I owe it to you.Do you think I am a fellow to forget? That is why I am here. I felt thatthis was the time for me to prove my loyalty. When I explained it toEphraim and Jack they were eager to come with me to back you in yourfight. If you need them, you can have any of the old gang. They'll cometo a man."
"Thus far," said Merry, "I have been able to balk every move of theenemy. They have employed ruffians who hesitate at nothing. You saw thefellow with the bandaged hand who was here with my foreman? Well, it wasthis very morning, while I was shaving at that glass, that he crept upto that open door and tried to shoot me in the back. I fired first, andhe has lost a few fingers."
"Dear me!" said Ready. "I'm so frightened! What if somebody should takea fancy to shoot me full of holes! It might damage me beyond repair!"
"Gol ding it!" chuckled Gallup. "You must be havin' enough to keep youalfired busy around here. But what is that chap a-doin' of stayin'here?"
Frank explained fully about Hop Anson, adding that he had partlybelieved Anson's statement that it was the foreman for whom he waslooking.
"But since coming back here unexpectedly," said Merry, "and finding themtogether in such a friendly fashion, I am inclined to think differently.Tracy pretended to have a powerful feeling against Anson. Somethingleads me to believe now that Tracy will bear watching."
They sat up until a late hour talking over old times and other mattersthat interested them all. When they slept they took pains to make surethat the door and windows were secured.
Whisky Jim slept outside in another building.