"You do not understand," he slowly murmured. "I"d like to have a talk with you, Frank. I--I might tell you----"
"That"s right," said Harry, heartily. "Old friends like you chaps want a chance to talk over old matters and things. Excuse us. We"re going to find a chance to stretch our weary limbs on the ground. Browning has an attack of that tired feeling, and he will fall asleep in his tracks if he doesn"t recline without delay."
"Huah!" grunted Bruce.
Then the boys withdrew, leaving Hodge and Merriwell together.
Bart seemed embarra.s.sed and uneasy. He glanced at Frank slyly, as if in doubt, which Merry did not fail to note, although pretending not to observe it.
They sat down near the foot of a monster tree, against which they could lean in a comfortable position as they chatted. The great forest of redwood trees was all about them, and a Sabbath peace brooded over the gentle slope of the Sierras.
"Well, Bart," said Frank, insinuatingly, "I trust things are going well with you?"
A sudden change came over Hodge. A fierce look of rage came to his face and his eyes blazed, while his voice was harsh and unpleasant, as he cried:
"Things are not going well with me! Everything has gone wrong! Oh, I"ve had infernal luck! I know I was born under an unlucky star, and the only time I ever did get along was when you and I were together at Fardale."
"Then stick by me, and change your luck again."
"I"d like to do it, but you are going the wrong way."
"What"s the odds? There is no reason why you should not turn back and----"
"There is a reason."
"Of course I do not know about that, but----"
"Listen, Frank; you remember Isa Isban?"
"Yes, and Vida Milburn, Isa"s half-sister, with whom you were in love.
I distinctly remember that Vida was a beautiful and charming girl."
Hodge"s teeth ground together with a nerve-tingling, grating sound, and his face was set as stone, although his eyes still blazed.
"Yes, a beautiful girl--a charming girl!" he admitted, but with sarcasm that could not be mistaken.
"What"s the matter? Where is Vida now?"
"I don"t know, and I don"t care a rap!"
"Oh, say! I think I tumble. It is a case of lovers" quarrel. Now, now, now! Don"t be foolish, my boy! It will come out all right. You know true love persistently refuses to run smooth. You"ll make it all up in time."
Hodge grinned, but there was nothing of mirth in the expression. It seemed to Frank as if some wild animal had shown its teeth.
"Oh, yes, it will come out all right!" he sneered. "We"ll make it all up in time! It"s too late, Merriwell."
"You think so, that"s all."
"I know so. She"s married!"
Frank gasped.
"Married?"
"Yes."
"Married? Why, she is a mere girl! And you--where do you come in?"
"I"m not in it, and I think I"m lucky. That"s not worrying me."
"But how--how did it happen? Why did you throw her over? or why did she go back on you?"
"I"m not going to tell the whole story now, Frank; but the fact is that she lacked faith in me. I rather think I"m dead lucky to get out of it, for she was rather weak and fickle. You know her half-sister, Isa Isban, although stunningly handsome, is wild and reckless. She was married to a gambler and maker of crooked money."
"But he is dead--was shot, and Isa disappeared."
"Well, she has reappeared, but I"ll tell you about that later. It"s Vida I wish to tell you about now. You know Vida"s old uncle and aunt never did have a high opinion of me."
"Not till they discovered that you were a brave and honorable fellow.
Then they seemed to turn about and think you one of the finest chaps in the world."
"They got over it," Hodge sneered. "They came to think me anything but brave and honorable. They believed me a drunkard, a gambler and a thief!"
Frank was shocked, and he showed it.
"Impossible!" he cried. "How could they think such a thing of you?
They had no reason to think so!"
Bart turned crimson till it extended all over his face and neck.
"You don"t know, Merry," he muttered, positively showing shame. "I"m not like you--I make a bad break sometimes. It is hard for me to resist temptation, and--well, I was tempted, and I succ.u.mbed. That"s all."
"Succ.u.mbed? What do you mean? I know your heart is right, old fellow, and you did not do anything wrong intentionally."
"Appearances were against me--I confess it. First--well, I was seen drunk. That is, I seemed to be drunk, but I swear to you that I had not taken but one drink, and that was not enough to knock out a ten-year-old boy. It was drugged, Frank--I know it!"
"Drugged? Who did such a villainous trick?"
"My enemy--a young fellow who loved Vida. He has a father who"s got the rocks. He"s older than I, and I thought him my friend. I met him at her home. His name is Hart Davis."
"The whelp! But did Vida see you?"
"Yes. I had been out with Davis that night. In the morning I was found on the steps of Vida"s home, apparently dead drunk."
"How came you there?"
"I didn"t know at the time. Since then--well, it is settled in my mind. Davis said I left him to go to the place where I was boarding in Carson City. He said I seemed to be all right when I left him, and so he let me go. He appeared very shocked to think such a misfortune had happened me: but--burn him!--I believe he gave me knock-out drops--I believe he carried me to that house--I believe he left me on the steps, where I was found!"