Then he says, says he, "Horses is mighty uncertain property, for you never can tell what may happen to them." In this I agreed with him, but there was something about him I didn"t like much. Then he went away."
Frank whistled.
"This is highly interesting," exclaimed Frank. "What did this fellow look like, Grody? Can you describe him?"
"Well, I looked him over rather careful like, sir, but I don"t know as I can describe him particular, except that he had on a checked suit and wore a red necktie, in which were a blazer, genuine, or to the contrary.
I know horses, but I"m no judge of diamonds. He was smooth shaved, and his jaw were rather square and his hair short. The eyes of him never looked straight at me once. Somehow I didn"t think he were a student, for he made one or two breaks in the words he said that made his talk different from your student"s. He didn"t have that sort of real gentleman way with him neither."
Frank turned to his friends.
"Now what do you suppose this business means, fellows?" he asked.
"It means crookedness!" declared Diamond, rather excitedly. "I am dead sure of that!"
"It looks that way," admitted Browning.
"But what sort of crookedness can it mean?" asked Frank, bewildered.
"What is the game?"
"That will develop later; but there is some kind of a game on, be sure of that," a.s.serted Jack. "If not, why should anybody come here and give a fict.i.tious name? That gives the whole thing away. Look out, Frank, all your enemies are not sleeping!"
"Well, it is time they let up on me," said Merriwell, seriously. "They have brought nothing but disaster and disgrace on themselves thus far, and----"
"Some of them are looking for revenge, mark what I say."
"I am tired of being bothered and hara.s.sed by petty enemies!" exclaimed Frank. "I have had considerable patience with the fellows who have worked against me, but there is a limit."
"That"s right, and they would have reached the limit with me long ago,"
declared Diamond.
"Well, it is like this, Jack," said Frank; "it is almost always true that not all of a man"s enemies are bad fellows. To begin with, you remember that you were my enemy, and now we are friends, and this is not the first time such a thing has happened with me."
"Well, if a man were bucking against me, I do not think I would wait to see how he would turn out before I bucked back."
"Oh, I am not in the habit of doing that. You will remember that I bucked back pretty hard in your case."
Jack did remember it, and he felt that Merriwell was capable of holding his own with his foes.
"You will do well to look out for your horse, all the same," said Diamond.
"That"s right," grunted Browning. "If I were in your place, Merriwell, I"d watch out pretty sharp."
"I will," said Frank. "I"ll have Toots come on here and keep watch over Nemo most of the time. When he is not here, Grody can take his place. If I have an enemy who thinks of stealing my horse, he"ll have hard work to accomplish his design."
"Unless he does it before you get things arranged," said Griswold. "Put him up, Merriwell, and let"s get out."
"I am going for a ride," said Frank. "Put the saddle on him, Grogan.
Will see you later, fellows, if you are going now."
"We"ll wait till you leave," yawned Browning. "There"s no reason why we should tear our clothes hurrying away."
"You are not liable to tear your clothes doing anything," laughed Frank.
CHAPTER II.
AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.
Grody soon had Nemo saddled and bridled. The horse was eager to be away, as he showed by his tossing head, fluttering nostrils and restless feet.
"Whoa, boy," said Frank, soothingly. "Don"t be so impatient. We"ll get away in a moment."
He swung into the saddle, the stable doors rolled open, and away sprang the gelding.
The remaining lads hurried out of the stable to watch Frank ride, Grody accompanying them.
"He seems like he were a part of the horse," declared the hostler, admiringly. "That young gentleman were born to handle horses, he were."
"He is, indeed, a graceful rider," nodded Diamond. "I am sure he did not learn in any riding academy, for he rides naturally. The riding academies all turn out riders with an artificial and wooden style. There is no more distressing sight than the riders to be seen in Central Park, New York, almost any afternoon. They bounce around in the saddle like a lot of wooden figures, and it is plain enough that many of them do not bounce because they want to, but because they think it the proper thing.
Southerners ride naturally and gracefully. Mr. Merriwell rides like a Southerner."
"He rides like Buffalo Bill," said Browning, with an effort. "Bill is the best rider I ever saw."
Diamond was watching Merriwell and the horse, a queer look on his face.
Finally he exclaimed:
"By Jove! there"s something the matter with Nemo!"
"What is it?" asked Griswold. "I didn"t notice anything."
"The horse shows a suspicion of lameness," a.s.serted Jack.
"You have good eyes to detect it," observed Browning, doubtingly. "I can"t see that anything is the matter with the horse."
"I"ll wager he goes lame before Merriwell returns."
"If he does, I shall think you have great discernment."
Merriwell turned a corner and disappeared.
"Come, fellows," said Griswold, "let"s shuffle along."
"Merriwell is altogether too generous," declared Diamond, as the trio walked away.
"In what way?" asked Browning.