For a long time the boys talked over the street encounter, and then Frank produced the handkerchief he had s.n.a.t.c.hed from the face of the leader of the ruffians. After looking it over carefully he uttered an exclamation.
"What is it, Merry?" asked Rattleton.
"I have made a discovery," said Merriwell, with a look of satisfaction, as he restored the handkerchief to his pocket.
"What sort of a discovery?"
"One that may prove of great importance."
"Don"t be so mysterious about it," urged Diamond. "Tell us what you have discovered."
"Wait," said Frank. "I will tell you later."
"Do you think you know any of the ruffians who a.s.saulted you besides the one caught?"
"I fancy so. Let"s go to bed now. We can talk this over to-morrow."
Frank went to bed and slept as well as if nothing serious had happened.
This was not the case with Hodge. His blood had not cooled, and he turned, twisted, muttered and grated his teeth in his sleep. Diamond, who slept with him, got out of bed, went into the room where Hans and Ephraim were sleeping together, awoke the Dutch boy, and sternly ordered him to go into the other room and sleep with Hodge.
Dunnerwust protested some, but as he was stupefied with sleep and being somewhat afraid of the Virginian, he finally obeyed.
Toward morning there was a wild outcry in that room, a thump on the floor and sounds of a struggle. Then Hans was heard calling:
"h.e.l.lup! h.e.l.lup! Somepody gome und took him off! Uf you don"d gome und done dot britty queek he peen sure to kilt himseluf! h.e.l.lup! Fire!"
Several of the boys rushed into the room, and when they turned on the light, an astonishing spectacle was revealed.
Hans and Bart were struggling on the floor, all tangled up in the clothes they had dragged from the bed. Hodge was striking out wildly, muttering:
"Come on! come on! We are enough for you! Three to one is small odds!
Back to back, Merry! We"ll fight as long as we can stand! They can"t lick us! They never could lick us at Fardale, Merry!"
One of his fists landed on the Dutch boy"s ear, and Hans squawked louder than ever.
"Hoch, I peen gone grazy!" he cried. "Took him off I toldt you! Uf you don"d took him off he vill kilt mineseluf! Murter! Id hurts heem ven he hits me dot vay!"
Frank and Jack grasped them and dragged them apart, but Hodge turned on Diamond and gave him a crack that sent him up against the wall.
"Come on, the whole of you!" he shouted. "You can"t do us up! Give it to them, Merry!"
Hans broke away and tried to crawl under the bed, wildly crying:
"Oxcuse me vile I look vor my vatch! Id might step on somepody uf I don"d took care uf id."
Merriwell made a leap and caught hold of Hodge, whom he ran up against the wall, where he held him, speaking sharply:
"Steady, Bart, old man! It"s all over! We have cleaned out the whole gang."
Bart struggled a moment, and then a wondering light came into his eyes, which had been wide open and staring all the while. His hands dropped at his sides, and he ceased to struggle.
"What"s the matter?" he faintly asked.
"You have had a rather lively touch of nightmare," explained Merry.
"Nighdtmares!" cried Hans from under the bed, in a smothered voice. "Uf he didn"d haf a whole heardt of vild hosses you vos a liar!"
The racket had aroused a number of guests, and the night watchman and two bellboys appeared. It took considerable smooth talk from Frank to convince them that murder had not been attempted in that room, but the curious ones departed at last, although there were mutterings of "disgraceful," "an outrage" and "ought to be fired."
Frank laughed when it was all over.
"We"ll be lucky if we are not fired in the morning," he said.
Hans refused to go to bed with Bart again, when he had been dragged from beneath the bed.
"Uf I done dot, you vos a fool!" he squealed. "I vould peen in dancher uf killin" me pefore der mornings! Shack Tiamon", you haf no peesness to done notthing like dot! Id vos an imbosition on me, und you von"t stood id!"
So Diamond was obliged to sleep with Bart, but Hodge did not create any further disturbance. The remainder of the night pa.s.sed quietly enough.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI-AN EXPLOSION COMING
When Bart and Frank presented themselves at the police court on the following day to testify against Shiner Gregg, the judge took them into a private room and heard the story they had to tell, after which he said:
"I am going to hold this Gregg a day or two for a purpose before I give him a trial. The police are looking for some information they believed the prisoner could give them, and they proposed to "put on the screws.""
Frank and Bart a.s.sured the judge that they would remain in Philadelphia four days and could be found at the Continental when wanted. Then they were allowed to depart.
Immediately after lunch Merriwell started for Charlie Creighton"s, feeling a strong anxiety to know how severely f.a.n.n.y Darling had been burned.
As for Merriwell, he was astonished to find he had not been seriously injured by the fire. The prompt attention given his hands by the doctor had saved them from blistering, and, although they were red and tender, they promised to be all right in a day or two. He had them done up again, and was advised to keep the air from them as much as possible till the following day.
Creighton and his sister were at home, and they welcomed Frank warmly.
"I called at the Continental this forenoon to see you," said Charlie; "but you and Hodge were out. However, the fellows told me your hands seemed much better than you had expected they would be."
"Yes," nodded Frank; "they seem to be coming out all right. The stuff the doctor put on them appears to have worked marvels."
"I am so glad!" exclaimed Mabel. "It seemed terrible to think you might be hurt so you could not play football this fall, for Charlie says Yale could not get along without you."
"Creighton is too kind!" exclaimed Frank. "He overestimates my abilities. But I wish to ask about Miss Darling. Have you heard from her to-day?"
"Yes, I have seen her. One of her arms is quite severely burned, but that seems to be all. She says she will be all right in two or three days, at most."