LITMIR.BIZ

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II.

       AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.

       Table of Contents

      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," asserted 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.

      "With his enemies. I know you and I were both enemies to him in the beginning, and——"

      "He threw us down hard."

      "That's all right; but there are enemies you have to hold down."

      "Merriwell didn't do a thing to Hartwick!" exclaimed Griswold, grinning. "He scared the fellow so he ran away from college, and nobody knows where he went."

      "Yes, but Merriwell gave him the opportunity to skip and escape the disgrace that must follow public exposure of his acts. Some fellows would have exposed him and brought about his expulsion."

      "That's right," chirped Griswold. "Merriwell was as generous with Hartwick as he could be with such a fellow. He might have used him much worse than he did."

      "And do you fancy Hartwick thinks any more of Merriwell for not exposing him publicly?" asked Jack.

      "Oh. I don't know."

      "Well, I will wager that he does not. More than that, I'll venture that Hartwick, wherever he may be, cherishes a fierce desire for revenge, and longs for the day when he will be able to get back at Frank. Merry will hear from that chap again."

      And there the subject was dropped.

      Frank enjoyed the ride upon Nemo's back, for the horse seemed intelligent and something of a comrade. The boy talked to his mount as if the animal could understand every word he uttered.

      He had ridden beyond the limits of the city before he noticed that Nemo was limping the least bit.

      "What's the matter, old fellow?" asked Frank, with concern. "Have you hurt yourself some way?"

      Nemo shook his head. It almost seemed that the animal was answering the question in the negative.

      "You must have stepped on a stone," Merriwell declared. "Why, you are really beginning to limp in earnest!"

      Frank immediately dismounted, after having decided it was Nemo's left hind leg or foot that was lame.

      "I'll make an inspection, and see if I can discover what is the matter," said the boy, anxiously.

      He examined both of the horse's hind feet, but could not see that anything was wrong.

      "If that rascally shoer has blundered in his work he'll not get another chance at you, boy," Merriwell declared.

      After patting Nemo's neck and fondling the fine creature a bit, Frank mounted once more.

      But Nemo limped worse than ever.

      "This is singular," muttered the perplexed lad. "I don't understand it at all. There's something wrong, for a fact."

      He watched the horse, and decided that he had made no mistake in locating the lameness in the left hind leg.

      Again he dismounted and made an examination, and again the result was far from satisfactory.

      "I wish you might speak and tell me what is the matter," said Frank, in dismay. "I'll have you examined without delay by somebody who knows his business."

      He rode slowly into the outskirts of the city.

      Of a sudden there was a rattle of wheels and a clatter of hoofs behind him.

      He turned and looked back, to see a carriage coming along the road at a reckless rate. Two persons were seated in the carriage, and the horse was covered with sweat.

      "Why are those fools driving like that?" muttered Merriwell. "Are they drunk, or is it a matter of life or death?"

      "Get out of the road!"

      The command was hoarsely shouted, and Frank reined aside, having no desire to get in the way of the reckless driver.

      Once more the boy on the horse turned to look back.

      "Drunk, sure enough," he decided. "And they are two young fellows, too. Students on a tear, perhaps."

      The occupants of the carriage had been drinking heavily, but they were not so drunk that they did not recognize the boy in advance when he turned in the saddle the second time.

      "Hey, Rolf!" exclaimed the one who was not driving. "It's Merriwell!"

      "That's what it is!" cried the driver. "I haven't seen him for some time, but I know his face too well to ever forget it!"

      "He's out on his new horse."

      "Sure."

      "Run him down! run him down! Throw him off! Now's our chance!"

      The driver was just intoxicated enough to be utterly reckless of consequences, and he snarled:

      "Hang me if I don't do it!"

      And then, when they were very near the boy and the horse, he suddenly reined toward Frank with the intention of running into Merriwell's mount.

      In another moment there might have been a grand smash there on the road, but Frank had caught the words "Run him down!" and he gave Nemo a light cut with the whip, at the same time pulling him still farther into the ditch.

      Nemo was not used to the whip, and he leaped like a flash. Such a spring would have unseated any but a most expert rider, but the boy in the saddle seemed to move as a part of the horse. Into the ditch they went, and past them spun the carriage containing the two reckless young men.

      The carriage came very near upsetting. It careened and spun along on two wheels, threatening to hurl its occupants into the ditch, for the driver had reined the horse back toward the middle of the

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