"Well?"
"Well, that left me no doubt whatever in regard to the legality of my t.i.tle. In all my investigating I found no record of any grant to Colonel Sebastian Jalisco. In all my probing into the history of Mexico and her struggles to rid herself of the Spanish yoke I am certain I found no mention whatever of any such person as Sebastian Jalisco, who held in the patriot army the commission of colonel. In short, Bantry Hagan, I do not believe any such person as Colonel Sebastian Jalisco ever existed!"
As far as Frank Merriwell was concerned, the bomb hurled by Hagan had missed the mark completely.
In spite of himself, Hagan was staggered by the bold stand of the youth that nothing could daunt. Not only was he staggered, he was enraged.
"It is a wonderful knowledge of Mexican history you have, me boy!" he cried. "But you"re due to find out that you don"t know near as much as you think you do. This poor boy has a claim to property you are holding and working, and as true as me name is Bantry Hagan, I"ll see that he gets his rights!"
"Go ahead," said Frank quietly. "It"s not the boy you are looking after; it"s Hagan, and I can give you my opinion of Hagan in a very few words.
From his toes to the hair on his head he is a thoroughbred rascal."
"Your talk is very bold, but you"ll come down before we are done with you," snarled the Irishman, in exasperation. "I"ll bring you to your knees and have you begging."
"I have no fear of that. You have taken up altogether too much of our time. Will you have the decency to retire and let us go on with our business!"
It was not a request; it was a command.
Hagan"s belligerent nature was aroused, and it seemed that he was inclined to remain and create further annoyance. From Frank he turned to the others.
"Gentlemen," he cried, "you have heard our claim and you have seen the doc.u.ment by which we propose to back it up. If you know anything of Bantry Hagan, you know he enjoys a good fight and he sticks to a thing to the bitter end. I propose to stick to this thing. In the end this boy will secure his rights, and Merriwell will not hold one inch of property in Mexico. But let me give you warning that if you attempt to build that railroad you will find yourselves involved in a matter that will cost you more money than you can count in a week. In the end you will meet disaster. Before you go any further, either you or Merriwell must settle with Felipe Jalisco."
Then he stepped toward the Mexican lad, on whose shoulder he placed a hand, observing:
"You have heard, Felipe; the man who is usurping your rights refuses to do you justice, and proposes to continue robbing you."
The black eyes of the boy flashed.
"I will have my rights!" he exclaimed, in good English. "Either he shall pay me or he shall die! I will kill him!"
"Softly, my lad! Don"t make such threats before witnesses, for it is bad business."
"It is what I mean!" shouted the boy, who had suddenly grown greatly excited.
He flung off Hagan"s hand, and sprang out before Frank.
"You rob me!" he panted. "Pay me--pay me, or I kill you!"
"Better take him away, Hagan," said Merriwell, "or I"ll turn him over to the police, which I do not care to do."
"He"s dangerous, if he is young," said the Irishman. "I"m afraid you"ll be sorry you did not listen to his demand for justice."
"If there were a grain of justice in his demand I would be ready enough to listen," returned Merriwell. "You are behind this business. Having failed in your other project, through the death of Del Norte, your fertile brain has originated this daring, yet foolish, scheme. Do you think you are dealing with children? Did you fancy you could frighten or browbeat me into paying you money before I had thoroughly investigated this Jalis...o...b..siness and sifted it to the bottom? Why, you know that were you in my place you would not give up a dollar on such a demand.
Take him away, Hagan, and be quick about it, or I swear I"ll telephone the police and have you both arrested for attempted fraud!"
That Frank was in earnest now there could be no doubt.
"We"ll go," nodded Hagan. "Not because we are afraid of the result should you have us arrested; but we know your power--you and the men behind you--and we care not to suffer the humiliation and inconvenience of temporary confinement. The Jaliscos are hot-blooded and revengeful, and you now have one for your bitterest enemy. Take my advice, me boy, and watch yourself day and night, for you can"t tell when Felipe will strike at you."
Then the Irishman grasped his companion by the arm and urged him toward the door.
At the door, ere leaving the office, Felipe turned to glare over his shoulder at Frank, hissing:
"You rob me! I will kill you!"
CHAPTER XV.
HAGAN SECURES A PARTNER.
"The fight has begun, Felipe, me boy," said Hagan, as the two left the brokers" office and stood waiting for the elevator to carry them down to the ground floor. "I knew it would be no easy thing, but it was worth trying."
"I will kill him!" repeated the Mexican lad, in a savage whisper.
"No, no; better not."
"He robs me!"
"But it is not safe to kill in this country."
"Always the Jaliscos kill their enemies."
"If you were to do that in this State it would be the electric chair for yours."
"If they prove not that by me it was done----"
"You were foolish, me lad; you threatened. Besides that, to kill him would be to kill the goose that must lay the golden egg. You can see the folly in that. If you were to kill him, how could you force him to pay you the money you demand?"
"But what is it I am to do? I hate him! He is bold and he does not take the fright."
"Sure he"s a hard boy to frighten," nodded the Irishman.
"But I will drive fear into his heart!" hissed Felipe. "He shall soon know that death is near him everywhere. Ah! that is what I will do! I will frighten him until he is glad to pay to escape the death that may strike him any time. I have friends who will stand by me. They are here in this city, and soon I can find them. They will help me to frighten the bold American. We will find a way."
"Perhaps you may, but I have me doubts. Here is the car."
The car stopped, the sliding door rattled, and they stepped in, being swiftly carried to the ground floor, from which they emerged upon lower Broadway.
"A little while ago," said Hagan, "I was in a scheme with Porfias del Norte to bring this Merriwell to his knees and denude him of his Mexican property. He defied us all, but I believe we might have succeeded had Del Norte lived. It was his game to frighten or destroy Merriwell. We followed the fellow up into the Adirondacks, but when I found that Del Norte actually meant to murder Merriwell I declined to remain and be concerned. It was carrying the thing too far for Bantry Hagan. I left and returned to New York. Well for me that I did. As near as I can get at it, Del Norte did capture Merriwell, aided by two other men, and got him into a mountain cave. But just as Del Norte was on the point of putting an end to Merriwell his Indian guide turned on him and helped the prisoner to escape from the cave. Then came a landslide that covered the mouth of that cave with tons of earth and bowlders and buried Del Norte and his comrades in a living tomb. The death they experienced there must have been a horrible one."
He shrugged his thick shoulders at the thought of it.
"Evidently," he went on, "Merriwell congratulated himself on the death of Del Norte, for he fancied that would put an end to all his troubles and he would be able to carry through his great schemes without opposition. He must be a bit disgusted now. He"ll find Hagan a stayer.
But he has strong backers behind him, and we need some men equally good, Felipe. There"s Jerome--Basil Jerome! Just the man! He"ll go into anything that promises big, and he knows how to carry any scheme through. He can make dollars grow on elder bushes, that man! His office is round here on Na.s.sau Street. Come along, Felipe, and we"ll see if we can find him."
They walked through Wall Street to Na.s.sau, pa.s.sing the Stock Exchange on their way. Turning up Na.s.sau, they soon came to the building in which Basil Jerome had his office.