As they were climbing from the fissure by the narrow and difficult path, little Abe came rushing excitedly to the brink above and called to them.
"Come quick! Come quick!" he cried.
"What"s the matter, Abe?" asked Frank, alarmed by the boy"s manner.
"Somebody"s coming," said the hunchback; "a man on a horse. He is coming right this way. He has seen the tent!"
"We may have some trouble after all, Merry," said Hodge.
Ere they could reach the head of the path near the waterfall they plainly heard the thudding hoofs of the horse coming rapidly in that direction. When they had reached the level ground above they beheld the horseman approaching. It seemed that he observed them at the same time, for he suddenly waved his hat in the air and gave a yell.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Merry, "I know him! It is Wiley!"
"Right you are!" agreed Hodge. "What the d.i.c.kens could have brought him here at this time?"
"Perhaps he has some message for me. You know I made arrangements with him to bring any message of importance."
The sailor drew up his horse as he approached.
"Ahoy there, mates!" he cried. "At last I have struck port, although I"d begun to wonder if I"d ever find it. This confounded old valley has moved since I was here last. I thought I knew just where it was, but I have spent two whole days cruising around in search of it."
"h.e.l.lo, cap"n!" said Frank. "You"re just in time for supper."
"Supper!" exclaimed the sailor. "Say it again! Supper! Why, I have been living on condensed air for the last twenty-four hours. Look at me! I am so thin and emaciated that I can"t cast a shadow. Hungry! Mates, a bootleg stew would be a culinary luxury to me. I will introduce ravage and devastation among your provisions. This morning I found an empty tomato can and another that once contained deviled ham, and I lunched off them. They were rather hard to digest, but they were better than nothing."
He sprang down from his horse, which betrayed evidence of hard usage.
"How did you happen to come?" asked Merry.
Wiley fumbled in his pocket and brought forth a telegram.
"I believe I made arrangements to deliver anything of importance directed to you," he said. "This dispatch arrived in Prescott, and I lost no time in starting to fulfill my compact."
Merry took the telegram and quickly tore it open. There was a look of anxiety on his face when he had read its contents.
"Anything serious the matter?" asked Hodge.
"It"s a message from my brother, d.i.c.k," answered Frank. "You know I wired him to address his letters to Prescott. He didn"t stop to send a letter. Instead he sent this telegram. You know Felicia Delores, d.i.c.k"s cousin, with whom he was brought up? The climate of the East did not agree with her, therefore I provided a home for her in San Diego, California, where she could attend school. d.i.c.k has learned that she is ill and in trouble. He wants me to go to her at once."
"What will you do?" asked Hodge.
"I must go," said Frank quietly.
Frank mounted the steps of a modern residence, standing on a palm-lined street in San Diego, and rang the bell. He was compelled to ring twice more before the door was opened by a sleepy-looking Mongolian.
"I wish to see Mr. Staples at once," said Merry. "Is he home?"
"Mistal Staple not home," was the serene answer, as the Chinaman moved to close the door.
Frank promptly blocked this movement with a foot and leg.
"Don"t be so hasty," he said sharply. "If Mr. Staples is not home, where can I find him?"
"No tellee. Velly solly."
"Then I must see Mrs. Staples," persisted Merry.
"She velly sick. Velly solly. She can"t slee anyblody."
"Well, you take her my card," directed Merry, as he took out a card-case and tendered his card to the yellow-skinned servant.
"No take cald. She tellee me no bothal her. Go "way. Come bimeby--to-mollow."
"Now, look here, you son of the Flowery Kingdom," exclaimed Merry, "I am going to see Mrs. Staples immediately, if she"s in condition to see anyone. If you don"t take her my card, you will simply compel me to intrude without being announced."
"Bold, blad man!" chattered the Chinaman, with growing fear. "I callee police; have you "lested."
"You"re too thick-headed for the position you hold!" exasperatedly declared Merry. "Take my card to Mrs. Staples instantly, and she will see me as soon as she reads my name, Frank Merriwell, upon it."
"Flank Mellowell!" almost shouted the Celestial. "You Flank Mellowell?
Clome light in, quickee! Mladam, she expectee you."
The door was flung open now, and Frank entered.
"Well, you have come to your senses at last!" he said.
"You no undelstand. Blad men velly thick. Blad men make velly glate tloubal. Little glil she glone; mladam she cly velly much, velly much!"
"Hustle yourself!" ordered Frank. "Don"t stand there chattering like a monkey. Hurry up!"
"Hully velly flast," was the a.s.surance, as the Mongolian turned and toddled away at a snail"s pace, leaving Frank in the reception room.
A few moments later there was a rustle of skirts, and a middle-aged woman, whose face was pale and eyes red and who carried a handkerchief in her hand, came down the stairs and found him waiting.
"Oh, Mr. Merriwell!" she exclaimed, the moment she saw him. "So it"s really you! So you have come! We didn"t know where to reach you, and so we wired your brother. He wired back that he had dispatched you and that he thought you would come without delay."
Her agitation and distress were apparent.
"Felicia," questioned Frank huskily; "what of her?"
"Oh, I can"t tell you--I can"t tell you!" choked the woman, placing the handkerchief to her eyes. "It"s so dreadful!"
"Tell me, Mrs. Staples, at once," said Frank, immediately cool and self-controlled. "Don"t waste time, please. What has happened to Felicia? Where is she?"
"She"s gone!" came in a m.u.f.fled voice from behind the handkerchief.
"Gone--where?"