"It was a mighty bad tumble for him," he said. "He falls right into our paws, and we has him foul. Now we"re all right. Talk about luck; this is it!"
Kip Henry shook his wounded and bandaged hand before Frank"s eyes.
"You did that, hang you!" he snarled. "Now you gits paid fer it!"
As the ruffian uttered these words he placed a hand on his revolver and seemed on the point of shooting the helpless captive.
"Wait a minute, mate," urged Wiley. "Let"s not be too hasty. There are three of us here, and I have a sagacious opinion that any one of us will take morbid pleasure in putting Mr. Merriwell out of his misery. I propose that we draw lots to see who will do the little job."
"You seem mighty anxious to take a hand at it!" growled Henry.
"I wish to prove my readiness to stand by you through thick and thin,"
a.s.serted the sailor. "In this way I shall win your absolute confidence.
Should it fall on me to do this unpleasant task, you will see the job most scientifically done."
As he made this a.s.sertion Wiley laughed in a manner that seemed wholly heartless and brutal.
"I didn"t think it of you, cap"n!" exclaimed Frank.
"That"s all right," returned the sailor brazenly. "I"m a solicitor of fortune; I am out for the dust. These gents here have a.s.sured me that I shall have a third interest in the mine when it is located. Every bird feathers its own nest. I have a chance to feather mine, and I don"t propose to lose the opportunity. If the task devolves upon me to transport you to the shining sh.o.r.e, rest easy in the a.s.surance that I"ll do a scientific job. I will provide you in short order with a pair of wings."
"That"s the talk!" chuckled Shawmut. "How does we settle who does it?"
"Have you a pack of cards?" inquired Wiley.
"Sartin," said Shawmut, fishing in his pocket and producing a greasy pack. "We has "em."
"Then I propose that we cut. The one who gets the lowest does the trick."
That was agreed to, and a moment later the cards had been shuffled and placed on a flat stone near the fire. Henry cut first and exposed a king.
"That lets you out," said the sailor. "I can beat that. Come ahead, Mate Shawmut."
Shawmut cut and turned up a trey.
"I reckon I"m the one," he said.
Then Wiley cut the cards and held up in the firelight a deuce!
Both Henry and Shawmut uttered exclamations.
"Well, you has your wish," said the latter. "Now it"s up to you to go ahead with the business."
Wiley actually smiled.
"Let me take your popgun, mate," he said, extending his hand toward Henry. "Mine is a little too small to do the trick properly."
Henry handed over his pistol.
Wiley examined it critically, finally shaking his head.
"It"s a mighty poor gun for a man of your standing to carry, mate," he a.s.serted. "Perhaps you have a better one, Shawmut? Let me see."
Shawmut also gave up his pistol.
Having a revolver in each hand, Cap"n Wiley c.o.c.ked them both.
"They seem to be in good working order," he said. "I should fancy either of them would kill a man quicker than he could wink his eye."
"You bet your boots!" said Henry.
"That being the case," observed Wiley, "I will now proceed to business."
Then, to the surprise of the two ruffians, he leveled the pistols straight at them.
"Now, you double-and-twisted yeller dogs!" he cried, "if you so much as wiggle your little finger, I will perforate both of you! I have the pleasure to inform you that I am a fancy pistol shot, and I think I can soak you with about six bullets each before you can say skat."
The astounded ruffians were taken completely by surprise.
"What in blazes does you mean?" snarled Shawmut.
"I mean business," declared the sailor. "Did you low-born whelps think that Cap"n Wiley would go back on his old side pard, Frank Merriwell? If you fancied such a thing for the fraction of a momentous moment, you deceived yourselves most erroneously. Now you keep still where you are, for I give you my sworn statement that I will shoot at the first move either of you make."
As Wiley said this he stepped close to Frank, beside whom he knelt, at the same time keeping the ruffians covered. He placed one of the revolvers on the ground and drew his hunting knife. With remarkable swiftness he severed the cords which held Frank helpless.
"Pick up that shooting iron, Merry," he directed. "I rather think we have these fine chaps just where we want them."
Frank lost no time in obeying, and the tables were completely turned on Shawmut and Henry.
"Stand up, you thugs!" ordered Merry. "Stand close together, and be careful what you do."
Infuriated beyond measure, they obeyed, for they were in mortal terror of their lives.
"Take those ropes, Wiley, and tie their hands behind their backs,"
directed Frank.
"With the greatest pleasure," laughed the sailor. And he proceeded to do so.
When the ruffians were thus bound Merry turned to Wiley, whose hand he grasped.
"Cap"n, forgive me!" he cried. "I was mistaken in you. I couldn"t believe it possible; still, everything was against you. How did it happen?"
"A few words will clear up my seeming unworthiness," said the sailor.
"When you departed to-day I found everything calm, and peaceful, and serene about the camp, and, after smoking my pipe a while, I fell asleep beside the tent. When I awoke these fine gentlemen had me. They proceeded to tie me up to the queen"s taste. Seeing my predicament, I made no resistance. I permitted them to do just as they liked. I depended on my tongue, which has never failed me, to get me out of the predicament, I saw them gather up the outfit, pack it on the horses and prepare to remove it. During this I craftily a.s.sured them that I would gleefully embrace the opportunity to join issues with them.
"It"s needless to enter into details, but they decided that it was best to let me linger yet a while on this mundane sphere while thinking my proposition over. So I was brought thither, along with the goods and chattels, and I further succeeded in satisfying them that they could trust me. It was my object, when I found they were well supplied with corn juice, to get them both helplessly intoxicated, after which I hoped to capture them alone and unaided. Your sudden tumble into this little nest upset my plans in that direction, but everything has worked out handsomely."