CHAPTER XIII.
MACKLYN MORGAN APPEARS.
"Mate," said Cap'n Wiley, as they hurried along the street on their wayback to the hotel, "you are in every minute particular the finestspecimen of exuberant manhood that it has ever been my fortune toassociate with. Of course, I felt sure you would do up that fellow, butyou came through the seething and turgid fray without so much as a scar.I don't believe he even touched you once."
"Yes, he did," said Merry, "a couple of times. He hit me on theshoulder, but the blow was spent, and he caught me a fair one over theheart. I leaped away just in time to spoil the effectiveness of that."
"But you are certainly the supreme fighter of this period of scrappers.If you chose to enter the ring, you might be champion of the world. Itwould delight my soul to be able to put up a real fight like that."
"It disgusts me," returned Merry.
"Wha-a-at?" gasped the sailor. "I think I fail to catch your meaning."
"It disgusts me," repeated Merry. "If there is anything that makes mefeel degraded, it is being compelled to take part in a fight of thatsort. I was practically forced into it on this occasion. I saw thosefellows meant mischief, and I felt that the only way to settle theaffair was to give that big duffer a thumping. It's about the onlyreasoning a man can use on men of his calibre. Words and arguments failto affect them, and a good thrashing moves them to respect."
"But do you mean to tell me," said Wiley, "that you are not an admirerof the manly art of self-defense? Do you mean to tell me that you takeno interest in the prize ring and the glorious heroes of it?"
"If there is anything for which I have absolutely no use," said Merry,"it is a professional prize fighter. To me prize fighting is the mostdegrading of all the so-called sports."
"This is more than passing strange," said the sailor. "If such can bethe case, will you elucidate to me how it happened that you ever learnedto use your little dukes in such a marvelously scientific manner?"
"I think it is the duty of every American youth to learn to defendhimself with his fists. No matter how peacefully inclined he is, nomatter how much of a gentleman he is, no matter how much forbearance hemay have, there is bound to come a time in his life when he will beforced to fight or suffer insults or bodily injury. As a rule, I neverfight if I can avoid it. In this instance I might have avoided it forthe time being, but I was certain that if I did so the matter wouldculminate in something more serious than a fistic encounter. Had Iescaped from that saloon without meeting Spotted Dan, he and all hispartners would have regarded me as afraid of them, and you know verywell that they would have sought to force trouble on me at everyopportunity. The easiest way to settle the whole matter was to fightthen and there, and therefore I did so."
"Well, you oughter feel proud of the job you did!"
"Instead of that, I feel as if I had lowered and degraded myself. I'llnot throw off the feeling for some time. To make the matter still worse,it was a saloon fight. However, I do not go there to drink. Out in thiscountry the man who does business with the men he finds here issometimes compelled to enter a saloon."
"That's true--quite true," sighed Wiley. "I sometimes find it necessaryto enter one myself."
By this time they had reached the hotel, and as they entered the officeMerry suddenly paused in surprise, his eyes fastened on a man who stoodbefore the desk.
This man was tall and well dressed, with a somewhat ministerial face andflowing grayish side whiskers. He was speaking to the clerk.
"I see here the name of Mr. Frank Merriwell on the register," he wassaying. "Can you tell me where to find him?"
"Mr. Merriwell!" called the clerk. "Here is a gentleman inquiring foryou."
The man at the desk turned and faced Frank.
"Is that so?" muttered Frank. "It is Macklyn Morgan!"
Morgan, one of the money kings of the great Consolidated MiningAssociation of America, looked Merriwell over with a glance as cold asice.
"How do you do, sir?" he said, in a calm, low voice. "It seems that Ihave found you at last."
"From your words," returned Merry, "I should fancy you had been lookingfor me for some time?"
"I have."
"Indeed?"
"Yes, I have looked for you in Denver, in Holbrook, and at your QueenMystery Mine."
"It appears that I have given you considerable trouble?"
"Not a little; but I was determined to find you."
"You have done so."
"Yes; you can't hide from me."
"I have not the least desire in the world to hide from you, Mr. Morgan."
"You say so," returned the man, with a cold sneer; "but I am certain youhave taken pains to keep out of my way for the last two weeks."
"You are utterly mistaken. I would not take pains to keep out of yourway for two minutes. What do you want of me?"
"I have a little matter to talk over with you--some private business."
"I was not aware that there could be business dealings of any sortbetween us, Macklyn Morgan."
"Be careful!" warned Morgan, lifting a thin finger. "You are putting ona very bold face."
"And is there any reason why I should not? I know, Mr. Morgan, of yourmethods at the time of my affair with the C. M. A. of A."
"I have not forgotten that."
"Nor I. Nor do I regret that, although the C. M. A. of A. was compelledto give up its unlawful efforts to rob me, you entered into acombination with another moneyed rascal to accomplish the work."
"Be careful!" again warned Morgan. "I am not the man to whom you cantalk in such a manner."
"Like any other man, you are one to whom I can tell the truth. If thetruth cuts, so much the worse for you, sir."
"Don't get on your high horse, young man; it will be better for you ifyou refrain. Don't be so free with your accusations, for you will soonfind that there is an accusation against you of a most serious nature."
"What new game are you up to, Mr. Morgan? It seems to me that thefailures of the past should teach you the folly of your plots andschemes."
"I have told you that I wish to have a private talk with you, young man.Perhaps you had better grant me the privilege."
"As far as I am concerned, there is no necessity of doing so; but reallyI am curious to know just what you're up to. This being the case, I willnot object. I have a room, and we may go there."
"Your record indicates that you are a desperate character, Merriwell. Ishould hesitate to place myself alone with you in any room unless youwere first disarmed. If you will leave your weapons here at the desk wewill go to your room."
"I am quite willing in case you leave your own revolver, sir."
"I never carry a revolver, Merriwell."
"But you have one in your pocket now," declared Frank positively.
He seemed to know this to be a fact, and, after a moment's hesitation,Morgan took out a small revolver, which he laid upon the desk.
"I thought it best to provide myself with such an article while in thispart of the country," he said. "There it is. I will leave it here."
Immediately Frank walked to the desk and placed his own pistol upon it.
"Come," he said. "You may follow me to my room."
In Frank's room, with the door closed behind them, Merry motioned to achair.
"Sit down, Mr. Morgan," he said, "and make whatever statement youchoose. I will listen."
Morgan took the chair.
"First," observed Morgan, "I wish to speak of Milton Sukes."
"I thought likely."
"You know the interests of Mr. Sukes and myself were closely allied."
Frank laughed.
"Yes; although Sukes was at the head of the concern, I know that youconspired with him to defraud me."
"Have a care!" again warned Morgan. "You are now dealing with a man ofpower and influence."
"I have dealt with such men before. As a bugaboo, the mere fact that youhave money does not frighten me in the least, Mr. Morgan. If, likeSukes, you fancy
that money gives you power to commit any fraud, likeSukes, you are to learn your mistake."
"I know all about your scandalous attack on Mr. Sukes in Denver. I knowof your attempted blackmailing of him, Merriwell. You did try toblackmail him, and you can't deny it."
"You lie, Morgan!" retorted Frank, with perfect control of himself.
"Then what was the meaning of your threat to expose his miningoperations?"
"Morgan, Milton Sukes pitted himself against me and attempted to rob meof my mine. When he did so he aroused my fighting blood. He was defeatedin every effort he made against me, and the decision against him in thecourts of the Territory was the final blow that upset his plans. In themeantime I had learned that his Great Northwest Territory Mining Companywas a swindle of the most outrageous sort. I had threatened to exposehim, and, when he found himself whipped to a standstill, he sought toenter into a compact with me, by which I was to remain silent and lethim go on with his dishonest work.
"He sent one of his tools to me with a contract for me to sign. I toreit up. As I say, my blood had been aroused, and I warned him then thatneither cajolery nor money could silence me. I warned him that I wouldexpose and disgrace him, so that every honest man in the country wouldregard him with scorn and aversion. Had it been mere blackmail, Sukescould have silenced me with money. He sought to do so, but found he wasbarking up the wrong tree. He threatened libel suits and all that; but Ikept on at my work. As a last desperate resort he paid an employee ofmine to fire my office in Denver, and the result of that affair was thatthe treacherous fellow who betrayed me fancied I had perished in thefire. It drove him insane. He pursued Sukes relentlessly, and it iscertain that Sukes was finally killed by that man's hand."
"So you say, Merriwell; but I hold quite a different opinion--quite adifferent opinion."
"Whatever your opinion may be, Morgan, it is a matter of absoluteindifference to me."
Macklyn Morgan showed his teeth.
"You may think so just now, young man, but you will change your mind. Ihave been investigating this matter thoroughly. I have followed it upfaithfully. I know how and where Sukes was shot. I have taken pains tosecure all the evidence possible. You were present at the time. You werethere in disguise. Why did you pursue and hunt him in disguise? It looksblack for you, Mr. Merriwell--it looks black. These things will countagainst you at the day of reckoning, which is surely coming. How willyou explain your behavior to the satisfaction of the law?"
"That's no matter to worry you, Macklyn Morgan," calmly returnedMerriwell. "If there is anything of explanation, I shall have theexplaining to do. Don't trouble yourself over it."
"You have a great deal of nerve just now, young man; but it willweaken--it will weaken. Wait until you are arrested on the charge ofmurder. Had you killed an ordinary man it might have been different; butMilton Sukes was a man of money, a man of power, a man of influence. Allhis money, if necessary, will be used to convict you. You cannot escape.Just as true as this case is put into the hands of the law you willeventually be hanged."
In his cold, calm, accusing way, Morgan was doing everything in hispower to unsettle Frank's nerves. As he spoke, he watched the youth as ahawk watches its prey.
"I fail to see your object in coming to me with this," said Merry. "Itseems most remarkable. If you intend to push such a charge against me,why don't you go ahead and do it? Why do you tell me what youcontemplate doing? The proper method is to secure every scrap ofevidence and then have me arrested without warning and thrown intojail."
"I have all the evidence I need," asserted the money king. "Merriwell, Ihave men who will swear that you fired that shot."
"Did they see me do it?"
"They did."
"Most amazing, Morgan! Are you aware of the fact that Sukes was shot inthe dark? Are you aware that every light in the place had first beenextinguished by other shots? Will you explain to me how any one couldhave seen me shoot him under such circumstances?"
"One of the men was standing within two feet of you. He saw the flash ofyour weapon, as did the other man, who was a little farther away."
Frank smiled derisively.
"Wonderful evidence!" he said. "I doubt a great deal if a jury anywherein this country would convict a man on such proof. At the time, as Ithink you will acknowledge, there was another man who did some shooting.I deny that I fired the shot. But even had I done so, who could say thatit was not I who shot out the lights and the other man who killed MiltonSukes?"
"Did you know that you left a pistol with your name upon it in a hotelwhere you stopped in Snowflake?"
"I did nothing of the sort."
"You did, Merriwell! The bullet that killed Sukes is in my possession.It is a bullet such as would have been fired from that pistol. Thepistol is in my possession, Merriwell! I have the evidence against you,and you can't escape!"
"Although you are lying in every particular, Morgan, I am curious toknow what your game may be. What is behind this singular procedure ofyours?"
Macklyn Morgan seemed to hesitate for a few moments, and then, leaningforward on the edge of his chair and holding up one finger, he suddenlyexclaimed:
"There is only one escape for you!"
"And that is----"
"If I abandon the case you may escape. If I drop it there will be no oneto push it."
"And you will drop it?" questioned Merry, with pretended anxiety. "Onwhat inducements?"
"Now you're coming to your senses," nodded the man. "Now I fancy youcomprehend just where you are. You possess several mines, and they areof considerable value. I have spent some money to get possession of oneof those mines, having, as both Milton Sukes and I believed, a goodclaim to it. I speak of the Queen Mystery. Frank Merriwell, the day youdeed over to me the Queen Mystery and give me possession of it I willabandon my determination to prosecute you for murder. I will even placesuch proofs as I have in your hands and you may destroy them. Of coursethere will remain the two men who are ready to swear they saw you firethe shot, but they may be easily silenced. That's my proposition. And itis by that method alone you can save your neck. Now give me youranswer."
"I will!" exclaimed Merriwell suddenly.
And then, with a spring, he seized Macklyn Morgan by the collar.Immediately he ran the man to the door, which he hurled open.
"That is my answer!" he cried, as he kicked Morgan out of the room.