CHAPTER XII.
THE STRUGGLE.
At times Professor Gunn became very garrulous, and on such occasions heinvariably insisted that either Dick or Brad should listen to him. Ifboth refused, he was mortally offended.
When Brad saw Dick had slipped away and left him with the old man hefeared what was coming, and tried to edge toward the door; but Zenaspromptly called him back, urged him to sit down, placed a chair beforethe open fire, and sat down himself.
"Now we're comfortable and cozy," said the old man. "Now we can chat,Bradley. I have a few things I wish to say to you. I have some advice Iwish to give you, my boy."
Buckhart smothered a groan.
"Won't it keep until after supper, professor?" he asked.
"No, sir. I've been waiting for an opportunity to speak with you alone,and this is the time. I have taken note that you are greatly interestedin Miss Budthorne. Now, you are young--far too young to fall seriously inlove. Wait, sir; let me speak. I am doing this as a father. Indeed, Ifeel that while we are traveling together I must practically fill theposition of father to you. You have some faults. I had faults when I wasof your age. I wish to tell you a story, and at the end I will indicatethe lesson it teaches."
Zenas then began a long-winded series of reminiscences about himself andhis boyish love affair, to which Brad was forced to listen, littledreaming that in a room below Dick Merriwell and his enemy, MiguelBunol, were sitting face to face, watching each other with eyes thatnever wavered.
Only for Professor Gunn's determination to talk Buckhart would haveattempted to leave the room long before he did, and would have made asurprising and annoying discovery that came to him later when he triedthe door.
"Whatever's the matter with this old door?" exclaimed the Texan, when hefound it refused to open before his hand.
"Perhaps it sticks," suggested Zenas.
"Sticks--nothing!" growled Brad.
"Then what----"
"It's locked!"
"Locked?"
"Sure as shooting."
"It can't be."
"I opine I know when a door is locked," said the Texan; "and this yeredoor is locked tight and fast."
"How could it happen? I'm sure there is not a spring lock on the door."
"Not at all, professor. I wonder some if this is one of Dick's tricks. Iwonder if he locked us in here?"
"Why should he do that?"
Brad did not explain that he fancied it possible Dick had done so inorder to compel him to listen to the old man's lecture.
"Wonder if there's no other way to get out," he growled. "Mebbe the doorto the next room is not locked."
He hurried into the adjoining room, but found, to his furtherdisappointment and disgust, that the door leading from that room waslikewise locked.
When Brad returned he began hammering on the door in earnest.
"Look out!" cried Zenas. "You'll knock a panel out!"
"That's what I sure will do!" roared the Texan. "I'll certain bu'st ahinge off if Dick doesn't hike this way and open things up."
"Perhaps he didn't lock the door."
"Then whoever did? That's what I'd like to know."
A sudden thought flashed through Buckhart's head. What if this lockingthem in was a trick to keep them away while an attack of some sort wasmade on Merriwell?
"I can pay for the door," he muttered; "and I certain ain't going tokeep still when there may be deviltry of some sort going on."
Then he backed off a few steps and made a rush and a spring, flinginghis shoulder against the door, with the whole weight of his body behind.
The door burst open with a crash. Brad stumbled out into the hall,nearly falling, but quickly recovering his feet.
As he did so a significant cry came to his ears, proceeding from thelower part of the building.
In another moment he was bounding recklessly down the dark flight ofstairs.
In the meantime, Dick was having his hands full with the treacherousSpaniard. Bunol had whipped out his knife with astonishing swiftness andhad struck a deadly blow at the boy's throat.
Quick as he was, however, either Merriwell anticipated the movement orhe was quicker, for he dodged and clutched the wrist of his enemy at thesame time.
Bunol uttered a low exclamation of disappointed rage, attempting towrench his knife hand free.
"No you don't!" exclaimed Dick, holding fast with a grip of iron. "Youmurderous dog! This ought to be enough to put you behind bars, and Ithink I'll see that you go there for a while."
"You'll never put me there!" palpitated the Spanish youth.
In the struggle to break away from Dick he dragged the boy back andstruck against the chair on which he had been sitting, nearly falling tothe floor.
"Furies!" he panted.
For a few moments in the first heat of the encounter Bunol possessedamazing strength, and he kept Dick busy on the defensive, but it was notlong before the boy tripped his antagonist and flung him heavily.
The knife flew from Bunol's hand as he fell, clanging on the stonehearth, to lie gleaming in the glow of the open grate.
Although Dick had thrown the Spaniard, he found Bunol much like an eelto hold. The fellow slipped and squirmed, almost instantly writhing frombeneath the American lad.
As the two started up and Dick reached to again clutch his enemy, thelandlord came rushing into the room. His eyes falling on the combatants,he paused a second, aghast.
"What does this mean?" he cried.
Brad Buckhart was not a second behind the landlord, and his eyesrecognized Miguel Bunol instantly.
A roar broke from his lips.
"Mig Bunol!" he shouted.
But when he sprang to take a hand in the conflict, the strong arm of thelandlord blocked him off and flung him back, while that worthy againdemanded to know what it all meant.
"Don't stop me!" snarled the Texan, his face pale with excitement andrage. "Let me get my paws on that varmint! I sure will have his scalp!"
"Keep him away!" cried Bunol to the landlord. "They are ruffians androbbers! This one tried to rob me right here!"
Although Dick had again grasped the Spaniard, the latter once moresquirmed from his fingers and managed to recover his feet. Instantly hesprang toward the hearth, on which his deadly knife lay shining brightlyin the light.
Dick had no thought of letting the fellow again get that weapon in hishand. Knowing he had saved his life only by the narrowest possiblemargin, he now launched himself from a half-crouching position at theSpaniard, hurling the fellow aside and against the wall.
"Stand there!" thundered Buckhart.
In Glasgow Brad had purchased a revolver. This weapon he now had in hishand, and its muzzle was turned toward Bunol.
"Stand there, or by the everlasting Rockies, I'll bore you in yourtracks!" declared the Texan.
Dick quickly snatched up Bunol's knife.
The Spaniard stood at bay, his black eyes gleaming and his breast risingand falling with his panting breathing. He was like a ferocious wildanimal that had fallen into a trap.
"See, landlord!" he cried. "Now they are ready to murder me!"
"I'll have none of this in my house!" grated the innkeeper, and heunhesitatingly placed himself in front of Buckhart, who was thusprevented from using his weapon in case he wished to do so.
Dick took a step toward Bunol.
The Spanish youth saw his opportunity. He did not wait for Merriwell toagain lay hands on him. Instead of that, with two pantherish bounds hecrossed the floor, and another bound carried him, doubled into a compactball, straight at a window.
There was a great crashing and jangling of glass as the desperate youngvillain shot through the window, carrying out sash and panes.