CHAPTER XXIV.
END OF THE SEARCH.
Like a cat, Frank alighted on his feet, and he was ready for anythingthe moment he struck the ground.
There was no longer any fighting beneath the tree. The struggling masshad melted to two dark figures, one of which was stretched on theground, while the other bent over it.
Frank sprang forward and caught the kneeling one by the shoulder.
"What has become of her?" he demanded, fiercely.
The man looked up, astonished.
It was Colonel La Salle Vallier!
"Yo', sah?" he exclaimed.
"You?" cried Frank.
Then the boy recovered, again demanding:
"What has become of Miss Burrage? She was here a moment ago."
The colonel looked around in a dazed way, slowly saying:
"Yes, sah, she was here, fo' Mistah Raymon' heard her voice, and herushed in to save her."
"Raymond? Where is he?"
"Here, sah."
The colonel motioned toward the silent form on the ground, and Frankbent forward to peer into the white, ghastly face.
It was, indeed, Rolf Raymond.
"Dead?" fluttered Frank.
"Dead!" replied Colonel Vallier.
"He was killed in the struggle?"
"He was stabbed at the ver' start, sah. The knife must have struck hisheart."
"Merciful goodness!" gasped the boy, horrified. "And how came he here?"
"We were searching fo' Manuel Mazaro, sah. Mistah Raymon' did not trus'the rascal, and he believed Mazaro might know something about MissBurrage. Mazaro is ready fo' anything, and he knew big money would beoffered fo' the recovery of the young lady, so he must have kidnapedher. We knew where to find Mazaro, though he did not suppose so, and wecame here. As we approached, we saw some figures beneath this tree. Thenwe heard a feminine cry fo' help, and we rushed in here, sah. That'sall, except that Mistah Raymon' rushed to his death, and the rascalshave escaped."
"They have escaped with the girl--carried her away!"
"But they will not dare keep her now, sah."
"Why not?"
"Because they are known, and the entire police of the city will be afterthem."
"What will they do with her?"
"I don't know, but I do not think they will harm her, sah."
"What was she to Rolf Raymond?"
"His affianced bride, sah."
"Well, she will not marry him now," said Frank; "but I am truly sorrythat the fellow was killed in such a dastardly manner."
"So am I, sah," confessed the queer colonel. "He has been ver' valuableto me. It will be a long time before I find another like him."
Frank did not understand that remark then, but he did afterward, when hewas told that Colonel Vallier was a professional card sharp, and hadbled Rolf Raymond for many thousands of dollars. This explained thesingular friendship between the sharp old rascal and the young man.
More than that, Frank afterward learned that Colonel Vallier was not acommissioned officer, had never been such, but had assumed the title.
In many ways the man tried to imitate the Southern gentleman of the oldschool, but, as he was not a gentleman at heart, he was a sad failure.
All at once Frank remembered Barney, and that he had promised to standby the Irish lad.
"Great Scott!" he cried. "Barney Mulloy is in there with that gang ofraging wolves!"
"Nivver a bit av it, Frankie," chirped a cheerful voice. "Oi am here."
Down from the tree swung the fighting Irish lad, dropping beside hiscomrade.
"Th' craythers didn't feel loike comin' up th' shtairs inny more,"Barney explained. "They seemed to hiv enough sport fer wan avenin'.Somebody shouted somethin' to thim, an' away they wint out doors, so Itook to lookin' fer yez, me b'y."
"And you found me?"
"Oi looked out av th' windy, an' hearrud yer voice. Thot's whoy Oi camedown. Phat has happened out here, Oi dunno?"
Frank hastily explained.
"Well, it's the avil wan's oun luck!" exclaimed Barney. "But av we shtayhere, Frankie, it's pinched we'll be by the police as will be afthergetting around boy and boy. We'd betther take a sneak."
"Inza----"
"She ain't here inny more, me lad, an' so ye moight as well go."
"You are right. Come on."
Swiftly and silently they slipped away, leaving Colonel Vallier with thedead youth.
Frank was feeling disgusted and desperate, and he expressed himselffreely as they made their way along the streets.
"It is voile luck," admitted Barney; "but we did our bist, an' it's ajolly good foight we had. Frankie, we make a whole tame, wid a litthleyaller dog under th' waggin."
"Oh, I can't think of anything but Inza, Inza, Inza! She----"
"Frank!"
Out of a dark shadow timidly came a female figure.
With a cry of joy, Frank sprang forward, and clasped her in his arms,lifting her off her feet and covering her face, eyes and mouth withkisses, while he cried:
"Inza, girl! at last! at last! We fought like fiends to save you, and wethought we had failed. But now----"
"You did your best, Frank, but that dreadful wretch dragged me to thewindow and dropped me into the arms of a monster who was waiting below.I did not faint--I would not! I made up my mind that I would keep mysenses and try to escape. The man jumped after me, and then a signal wasgiven that brought the others from the building. They were going to wrapsomething about my head when I got my mouth free and cried out. Afterthat I scarcely know what happened. There was fighting, and I caught aglimpse of the face of Rolf Raymond. How he came there I do not know. Ifelt myself free, and I ran, ran, ran, till I fell here from exhaustion,and here I lay till I heard your voice. I knew it, and I replied."
"Frankie, me b'y!" cried Barney, "it's a bit ago we were ravin' at ourluck: It's givin' thanks we should be this minute."
"True, Barney, true! It is all right at last. Inza is safe, Rolf Raymondis dead, and----"
A cry broke from the lips of the girl.
"Rolf Raymond dead?" she exclaimed, wildly. "Are you sure?"
"Sure," replied Frank, coldly. "You will not marry him now."
"I should not have married him anyway."
"But you were affianced to him?"
"By my father--yes. My father and Roderick Raymond, who is a cripple andhas not many more years to live, were schoolmates and friends in theiryounger days. Roderick Raymond has made a vast fortune, and in his oldage he set his heart upon having his son marry the daughter of hisformer friend and partner. It seems that, when they first got married,father and Raymond declared, in case the child of one was a boy, andthat of the other was a girl, that their children should marry. Rolf wasMr. Raymond's only son, as I am an only daughter. Believing himselfready to die, Roderick Raymond sent to my father and reminded him oftheir agreement. As you know, father is not very wealthy, and he is nowan invalid. His mind is not strong, and he became convinced that it washis duty to see that I married Rolf Raymond. He set his mind on it, andall my pleadings were in vain. He brought me here to the South, and Isaw Rolf. I disliked him violently the moment my eyes rested on him,but he seemed to fall madly in love with me. He was fiercely jealous ofme, and watched me as a dog watches its mistress. I could not escapehim, and I was becoming entangled deeper and deeper when you appeared. Iknew you, and I was determined to see you again--to ask you to save me.I took part in the parade to-night, and went to the ballroom. Rolffollowed me about so that I became disgusted and slipped from the room,intending to return home alone. Barely had I left the room when a fellowwhispered in my ear that he had been sent there by you--that I was to gowith him, and he would take me to you. I entered a closed carriage, andI was brought to the place where you found me a captive in the hands ofthose ruffians."
Frank had listened with eager interest to this explanation, and it madeeverything clear.
"It was ordained by fate that we should find you there," he declared.
"It was known the Queen of Flowers had disappeared, and we weresearching for you. Something led us straight to that place. Rolf Raymondcame there, also, and he came to his death. But, Inza, explain onething--why didn't you answer my letters?"
"I answered every one I received. You stopped writing."
"I did not; but I received no answers."
"Then," cried the girl, "your letters must have been intercepted. Youwere constantly changing about. I did not know your address, so I couldnot ask for an explanation."
"Well, it has come out right at last. We'll find a carriage and take youhome. To-morrow I will see you."
They reached Canal Street, and found a carriage.
Inza's invalid father was astounded when he saw Frank and Barney Mulloyappear with his daughter, and he was more than ever astounded andagitated when he knew what had happened.
But Inza was safe, and Rolf Raymond was dead.
It was a lively tale the boys related to Professor Scotch that night.The little man fairly gasped for breath as he listened.
"Well! well! well!" was all he could say.
In the morning the police had taken hold of the affair, and they werehot after the fellows who had killed Rolf Raymond. Frank and Barney werecalled on to tell their story, and were placed under surveillance.
But the cottage cafe was deserted, and the Spanish rascals were notcaptured. They disappeared from New Orleans, and, to this day, the lawhas never avenged the death of Roderick Raymond's only son.
The murder of his boy was too much for Raymond to endure, and he died ofa broken heart on the day of the son's funeral. Knowing he was dying, hehad a new will swiftly made, and all his wealth was left to his oldfriend Burrage.
Frank and Barney thoroughly enjoyed the rest of their stay in NewOrleans. In the open carriage with them, at Frank's side, rode the"Queen of Flowers" as they went sight-seeing.
In the throng of spectators, with two detectives near at hand, they sawColonel La Salle Vallier. He lifted his hat and bowed with the utmostcourtesy.
"The auld chap is something of a daisy, after all, Frankie," laughedBarney. "Oi kinder admire th' spalpane."
"Ha, hum!" coughed Professor Scotch, at Barney's side. "He is a greatduelist--a great duelist, but he quailed before my terrible eye--he wasforced to apologize. Hum, ha!"
Frank leaned toward Inza.
"If anything happens when we are again separated that you should fail toreceive my letters, you will not doubt me, will you?" he asked, in awhisper.
And she softly replied:
"No, Frank, but----"
"But what?"
"You--you must not forget Elsie Bellwood."
"I haven't heard from her in a long time," said Frank. And there thetalk ended.
But Frank was to hear from his other girl friend soon and in a mostunexpected manner.