But when he lunged again Frank leaped aside and struck him in the shoulder, from which the blood flowed swiftly, staining the Mexican"s white shirt.
"The fiends must protect you, gringo!" hissed the wounded man.
"Fair fight!" muttered Red Ben. "Merriwell him win, he git gal."
For a few moments Del Norte"s injury seemed to make him fiercer and more dangerous. A little while he kept Frank on the defensive, and then he was slashed in the forearm.
Clapping his free hand to the wound, he leaped backward, Spanish oaths flowing from his lips.
"Him beaten!" whispered the watching Indian. "Merriwell kill him soon now."
Frank followed Del Norte up.
"Stand up to it, greaser," he urged. "The fight has just begun. You have threatened to leave your knife in my heart. I could have split yours a dozen times, but I have spared you. When you are well cut up, I"ll wring from your lips the secret of Inza"s hiding place."
"Never!" vowed the Mexican. "If die I do, I"ll tell nothing. But I"ll not die! I"ll yet kill you!"
Fancying he saw an opening, as Frank"s hands were both hanging by his sides, Del Norte leaped in. He was sent reeling back with another wound, this time in the ribs.
Frank followed up his failing foe, forcing him to the edge of the cleared s.p.a.ce. He kept close, fearing Del Norte might attempt to flee.
Instead, the man danced round Merry till his back was toward the centre of the cleared s.p.a.ce, while the dark shadows of the scraggy timber was behind Frank.
Again Del Norte rushed, but this time his wrist was seized and given a wrench that brought him, with a gasping groan of pain, to his knees.
"Fight done now!" muttered Red Ben, as he saw Merriwell lift his blood-stained blade.
"You"re at my mercy, Del Norte," said Merry. "I can kill you with a single stroke. I"ll spare you if you speak the truth. Where is Inza Bur----"
Out of the shadows behind Merriwell darted a figure. A heavy club crashed on Frank"s head.
Thus treacherously struck down, the brave youth dropped his knife and fell senseless to the ground.
CHAPTER X.
THE LANDSLIDE.
When Frank regained consciousness and opened his eyes he found he was lying on the rocky floor of a cave, his arms being bound at his sides.
The place was lighted by two flaring torches thrust in crevices of the rocks.
Near at hand were three men. One was Del Norte, pale from loss of blood, yet with a murderous light gleaming in his eyes. Another man was Red Ben, who stood with folded arms, silently watching. The third man was unknown to Merry.
The Mexican uttered an exclamation of satisfaction as he saw Frank"s eyes unclose.
"At last he is conscious," said Del Norte. "I wished him to have his reason when he died. Look you, dog of a gringo, your time has come. I bear many wounds on my body and limbs made by the knife in your hand.
You have only one scratch on your knuckles. But soon you will have this knife of mine in your heart!"
He displayed the weapon, stooping to sweep it flashing in the torchlight before the eyes of the helpless youth.
Frank did not shrink in the least.
"Oh, you"re defiant, I see, Senor Gringo!" snarled Merry"s enemy. "Soon I will make you groan with agony. Your sweet senorita is near in this very cave, but you shall not see her. She is guarded by one of my faithful ones. When I take her from here we"ll leave your lifeless carca.s.s behind. Have you still a grain of hope in your soul? Cast it away. Even though thousands of your friends were near they could not find you in this place. You are doomed."
He took savage pleasure in taunting Frank thus. Again he swept the knife before the eyes of the helpless youth, repeating his threats.
"Beg, gringo dog!" he exclaimed--"beg for your worthless life!"
"A thousand greasers could not make me do that!" declared the defiant captive.
"Do you think so? We"ll see! Remember that once I vowed to cut from your mouth your stinging tongue? That was when we stood face to face in New York. You thought my opportunity to keep that oath would never come, did you? It has come at last! Before I kill you I shall cut out your tongue!
Ha! ha! ha! How like you the prospect, brave gringo?"
Again Frank looked around. Surely he could expect no a.s.sistance from either of the mad Mexican"s companions. The white man stood looking on with an air of indifference. Red Ben was motionless, his rifle leaning against the wall at his side.
"You see there is no escape," laughed Del Norte. "At last you begin to understand. You have triumphed over others, but in me you meet your master."
"My master--no! I had you at my mercy when I was treacherously struck down from behind. This Indian knows it, for he saw it all. Porfias del Norte, of all vile things in human form you are the vilest! The mongrel dog that bites the hand that feeds it is your superior. You are----"
With a furious oath, the taunted man flung himself on the speaker, clutching him by the throat.
"Out with your tongue!" he cried. "I"ll choke you till it protrudes from your mouth, and then I"ll cut it off!"
A feminine shriek rang through the cave, and out of the darkness into the light of the flaring torches rushed Inza Burrage, followed by the man who had been guarding her. She sprang at Del Norte with both hands outthrust and flung him from the prostrate form of her lover, sending him rolling over and over on the rocky floor of the cave, snarling forth profanity in Spanish.
He dropped the knife, and she caught it up, ready to stand over Frank and defend him to the last.
But to the aid of the frenzied girl came most unexpectedly another. Red Ben grasped his rifle and with the b.u.t.t of the weapon struck down the man who had pursued Inza. Quickly reversing the weapon, he held it ready to shoot, at the same time saying:
"Red Ben him say he see fair play an" best man git gal. Merriwell him best man, but he no have fair play. Now Ben see him git it! I shoot first man who touch him or touch gal!"
They knew he meant it. Del Norte sat up, his pale face contorted with fury.
"Um better stay still," said the redskin, turning the muzzle of the rifle on the Mexican.
"Quick, Inza!" urged Frank--"cut these ropes! Set me free! It"s our opportunity!"
Immediately she stooped and obeyed. Frank rose as quick as possible.
"Red Ben," he declared, "you"ll not lose by this act of manhood! I"ll remember you."
"Take gal that way," urged the Indian, with a jerk of his head. "Git out of cave that way! Quick! Ben him foller."
Merry did not delay. Grasping Inza, he hurried her into the darkness.
The cave narrowed, the walls closed in, and the roof came down.
Crouching and feeling their way, they pressed on. Almost on hands and knees they crept out into the open air amid a thick screen of brush and shrubbery that concealed the mouth of the cave.