CHAPTER XLIV.
A GIRL'S MAD LEAP.
By nightfall they were encamped--or bivouacked--in a sheltered pocket,close by a clear bubbling spring. A fire was lighted, and, having eatensupper, they sat around and talked over the journey and adventures ofthe day.
The men smoked. The horses fed on some tender grass near at hand. Bartsaid:
"Do you know, Frank, I never touched a cigarette since you induced me toswear off at Fardale?"
"I am glad to hear that," said Frank. "There is nothing more hurtfulthan cigarettes used to excess, and one who smokes them regularly isalmost certain to use them to excess, after a time."
"When you left Fardale I told you I feared I might fall back into my oldways--might become reckless and dissipated as I was before you gave me ahelping hand and pulled me out. You remember it?"
"Yes."
"And do you remember that you said you were confident I would not goback--that you felt sure I had stamina of character enough not to takeup with my old associates?"
"Yes."
"Well, Frank, by saying so you saved me. Whenever I have been tempted todo a mean thing, or to take up with any of the old gang, I have alwaysthought of your words, and knowing you had faith in me has given mestrength to resist."
"I am glad of it, old fellow. For all that we were enemies to begin withat Fardale, I found you had good stuff in you, and so I stood by youwhen others were against you."
"You stood by me when I was falsely accused of a theft, even though Ihad treated you shamefully, and it was that which made me ashamed anddisgusted with myself. I saw you were white clean through, and Iresolved to mend my ways if I ever pulled through the scrape I was in."
"You kept your resolution."
"With your aid. I did not expect you would accept me for a roommate,after what had happened, but you did. I do not believe I should havebeen able to remain in Fardale Academy but for that. Now----"
"Now what?"
"Well, it may sound like boasting, but you know I am not given to that,Frank."
"I know. Go on."
"Now, to a certain extent, I have taken the place you left vacant atFardale. I was captain of the football team last fall, and we came outchampions in the series we played. This year I was unanimously chosencaptain of the baseball team, and we have had a most successful seasonthus far. The fellows who would have nothing at all to do with meoriginally are ready to stand by me to the last gasp now. All this cameabout through your influence, Frank."
"You make me blush," laughed our hero. "Don't tell me anything more, oryou will give me a case of swelled head."
"There is no danger of that," Bart declared. "For a fellow who was sopopular at school, you were and are reprehensibly modest. You had a wayof holding your own, and still you never thrust yourself forward, whichis something I cannot understand, for, as a rule, if a person does notpush himself right ahead, he does not get there. Modesty may be allright, but, in most cases, the modest fellow gets left. Not that Ibelieve in the braggart and blowhard, but a chap must have nerve to puthimself ahead if he wants to keep in the game. I have seen lots ofinferior individuals get a start on those with ability simply becausethey had the gall to sail right in and make their bluff. I believe thereare two kinds of modesty, and one kind is closely allied to cowardice.The fellow who has confidence in himself, thinks he can do a thing, sayshe can do it, and does his level best to do it, is the one who will comeout on top. If a chap wants an opportunity to try at anything, he makesa fool of himself if he says, 'I don't know, perhaps I can do it.' Theone who says, 'I can and will' is the one people have confidence in,even though he may not be so smart as some modest coward."
Frank whistled softly.
"Hodge," he said, gravely, "you are a philosopher. Your philosophy maybe a trifle mixed, but it will untangle itself later on. Such words fromyour lips rather daze me. I think I'll have to sleep and rest in orderto recover."
He ended by a light laugh, in which, however, Bart did not join.
The dark-haired boy would have been glad to talk of the mysterious girl,but Frank rolled himself in a blanket, with his feet toward the fire andshowed no desire to continue the conversation.
Bart soon followed this example, but the men continued to smoke and talkfor some time.
Bart was awakened by feeling himself vigorously shaken, but, when hestarted to speak, a hand was over his mouth, and a voice whispered, inhis ear:
"Easy, old boy; don't make a racket. We want to take a little stroll byourselves, and there might be objections."
He knew it was Frank who spoke, although it was still dark, with just ahint of approaching dawn in the east.
When Frank was sure Bart understood he removed his hand from thelatter's mouth, and the dark-haired boy crept softly from his blanket.
"Where are you going?" whispered Hodge, in surprise.
"Never mind," was the answer. "Take your rifle and come along."
The men were sleeping heavily. The horses stamped restlessly at adistance of two or three rods. The stars were fading before the graylight that slowly spread in the east.
Bart secured his rifle. Frank had his already, and they stole out of thebivouac.
Frank led the way, walking swiftly, and making no noise.
Bart wondered what the boy meant to do. Surely he did not think ofskipping the party, for the horses were abandoned.
The dark-haired lad could not restrain his curiosity long, and he askeda question as soon as they were beyond earshot of the camp.
"What do you mean to do, Frank?"
"Take a morning stroll," was the laughing reply. "It is good for one'shealth. Why, it's a regular tonic."
Bart was puzzled, for he knew Frank was not out for his health.
"You are not skipping them?" he asked.
"Not for long," was the reply.
"But what will they think when they awaken and find we are gone?"
"I have left a note."
"Where?"
"Pinned to Big Gabe's breast."
"What did you say?"
"That we would be back, and for them not to think we were running away."
"They will think so, all the same."
"They are likely to."
"And I fail to see the object in this move. If they catch us before wereturn, Jack Long is liable to tie us up and take us back to Carsonwithout delay."
Frank laughed softly.
"They will not catch us till we are ready to return. I will tell youjust what this move means."
"Fire away."
"Last night, after we both seemed to be asleep, Big Gabe told hiscompanions just where this hidden cabin of the counterfeiters islocated. I was not asleep, although I seemed to be, and I heard everyword."
"Well?"
"Well, we are going there."
"For what reason?"
"To see what we can do. I also overheard the men talking, and theyseemed extremely doubtful as to our ability to do much of anything. Infact, they regarded us as an incumbrance. That touched my pride. Iresolved to see if we could not convince them that they had made amistake."
"Are you sure you can find this hidden cabin?"
"No; but I can try. I remember every word Gabe spoke, and I'll comepretty near it, you may bet."
"Go ahead. I am with you."
Bart did not question his friend further, although it seemed a foolishmove to him. But he remembered that, in the past, Frank had seldom madea mistake when he set out to do anything.
Merriwell moved at a swinging pace, and Hodge held close to his heels.
The light in the east broadened, flushed, and rose to the zenith. Thestars were blotted from the sky; but there were deep shadows far down inthe ravines and gorges when the sunlight lay on the mountain peaks.
Having left the pocket, Frank led the way along a twisting ravine. Outof this he climbed at a certain point, and they made their way over aridge into another ravine, from which they branched into yet another.Finally, with the bare fac
e of a great mountain rising abruptly on theirleft, the boys advanced slowly.
"It cannot be far from here," said Frank, keeping his eyes about him."We shall not be able to see the cabin from this ravine, but we maylocate the cliff on which it is built."
"How can we locate it?"
"Big Gabe said there was a wide streak that ran perpendicularly in therocky precipice not far from the cliff--and there it is!"
The boys fell back a bit, gazing intently at the wide, white strip thatseemed to hang along the face of black stone, like a wide streak from amonster whitewash brush.
"I am certain we are very near the place," said Frank. "We will look forthe cliff."
This they did, and, in a very short time, they fancied they haddiscovered it.
"There seems no possible way of reaching the ledge up there," said Bart,somewhat despondently.
"But there must be a way, if the hidden cabin is built there," declaredFrank.
"I don't doubt it. At the same time, we are not likely to find it.Instead of making queer money in a city, where they would be in constantdanger of discovery and arrest, they have come here to this wild region,where they are not likely to be discovered, and where there is verylittle chance that they will be arrested if they are discovered."
For some time the boys speculated concerning the possibility of reachingthe ledge. They were about to seek a way out of the ravine whensomething happened that astonished them both.
"Look, Bart!" softly cried Frank, catching the shoulder of hisfriend--"look there!"
He pointed upward to the ledge.
On the very verge of the sheer descent a girl had suddenly appeared. Inher hand she carried a huge umbrella, which she was struggling to open,her movements seeming to indicate that she was in great terror. Herunbound golden hair was falling over her shoulders.
"It's Vida!" palpitated Bart Hodge.
"It's Isa!" asserted Frank Merriwell.
"What does she mean to do?"
"Wait! Look!"
"Merciful goodness!"
Both lads were horrified, for, having succeeded in opening the hugeumbrella, the girl suddenly turned, and, with a wild cry, leaped outinto space from the edge of the ledge.
"Frank brought the butt of his Winchester to hisshoulder, and began to work the weapon." (See page 296)]