IN CONSTANT PERIL.
The frightful peril of Inza commanded Frank"s whole attention. He leaped toward her. He saw her slipping from the damp rock.
The eddying, swirling, hissing water was dragging at her feet. Inza"s gloved fingers clutched vainly at the rock. She could obtain no detaining hold upon it.
She turned her white, bloodless face toward Frank, horror and despair in her dilated eyes. He reached her, swung out with one long stride to the rock, stooping and clutching her just as she must have been swept away.
His fingers closed on her arms with a grip like iron. He swung her to her feet and flung her into the hollow of his left arm. Then he turned and leaped back to the solid ground.
Inza had not fainted. She was limp and nerveless, but still conscious.
Of course, just then Frank"s attention was given entirely to her; but the moment he realized she did not need him, he placed her gently on the ground and turned to look for the man in black who had fled past him.
By this time the attention of Bart and Elsie had been attracted. They saw something was the matter, and they hastened toward Inza.
"What is it--oh, what is it?" palpitated Elsie.
Frank turned to Hodge.
"Did you see that man?" he hoa.r.s.ely asked.
Bart was startled and astounded by the terrible look on Merriwell"s face and the glare in his usually kindly eyes.
"What man?"
"The one in black--the old man who nearly knocked Inza into the river over on the Canadian side."
"Was it him? I saw some one running, among the trees yonder. What happened, Merry? How did----"
"Look out for the girls--guard them," commanded Frank.
Then he sprang away with the speed of a deer, quickly disappearing from view in pursuit of the mysterious man, for he now knew that twice that day had that man made an attempt on the life of Inza Burrage.
In the meantime, Elsie was kneeling on the ground, her arms about Inza, trying to learn what had taken place.
"Your feet and the bottom of your skirt are dripping wet, dear," she said. "Did you slip? Did you fall into the water?"
Inza covered her colorless face with her hands. The fingers of her gloves were torn from her efforts to obtain a hold on the rock where she had fallen. She was shuddering all over.
"Tell me--tell me how it happened," urged Elsie.
"That man----" gasped Inza.
"The one Bart saw running away?"
"Yes, yes!"
"What did he do?"
"He pushed me!"
"Pushed you?" cried Bart, astounded and horrified.
"Pushed you?" burst from Elsie.
"With his cane," shuddered Inza.
"The monster!" cried Elsie.
"I had stepped out on that rock," explained Inza.
"Where was the man then?"
"I don"t know. I didn"t see him until I turned to look back. Then I saw him close by the edge of the water. I think he must have leaped out from behind the thick cedars yonder. He looked at me, and the expression on his face---- Oh!"
The quivering girl was overcome by the memory.
"Heavens!" palpitated Bart. "The old wretch tried to murder you! Is it possible he did, Inza?"
"I saw murder in his eyes," whispered Inza. "They were the most terrible eyes. He was a man with snow-white hair, yet he did not seem so very old. And his face--I have seen it before! Where? When?"
"You saw him on the Canadian side."
"I did not see him plainly then. I did not get a good look at his face.
I know I have seen those eyes before. He seemed to laugh horribly as he lifted his cane, but no sound came from his lips. I thought he was going to strike me with the cane. Instead of that, he thrust the end against me and tried to give me a push that would send me from the rock into the rapids."
Elsie"s arms tightened about her friend, and she trembled all over with the thought of such a thing.
"Like a flash I understood what he meant to do," continued the dark-haired girl. "I twisted about so that the full force of his thrust was lost; but in doing so I lost my balance. I thought it was all over, and I uttered a cry. At the same time, even as I was falling, I sought to drop on the rock. I succeeded in doing so, and there I lay, with my feet in the water. I could feel the water dragging at them! I felt myself slipping, slipping, slipping!"
She choked and covered her face with her hands.
Some of the others now approached and were startled to learn what had taken place.
The moment he heard about it a most astounding change came over Bruce Browning. The big fellow had been loitering along, apparently so weary that only by the greatest effort could he drag his feet; but in a twinkling he awoke to astonishing animation, asked which way Merry had gone, and a second later bounded away, covering the ground in mighty leaps.
Starbright and Morgan followed. Rattleton remained with Hodge to look after the girls.
There were other visitors on the islands. Soon the boys learned that the strange white-haired man in black had fled across the bridges to Goat Island, followed a few moments later by a young man.
When Goat Island was reached another man informed them that he had seen the old man in black leap into a waiting carriage, upon which the driver whipped his horses and sent them off at a great pace.
Merriwell had reached the spot a few moments later and had rushed across through the woods in an effort to head off the fugitive.
While Browning was making inquiries he was overtaken by Starbright and Morgan.
"There"s only one way to get off this island," reminded Dade. "Come on!"