Frank Merriwell's Triumph; Or, The Disappearance of Felicia

by Burt L. Standish

  CHAPTER VI.

  WILEY MEETS MISS FORTUNE.

  When they returned with their captives and the stolen horses and outfitto the timber in which Frank had left Hodge and the others it waslearned that Worthington had disappeared. In vain they searched for him.He had slipped away without attracting Hodge's attention, and he failedto answer their calls. In the morning the search was continued. Theyreturned to their former camping place at the head of the valley wherethe mysterious voice had been heard, and there Frank finally discoveredsome rude steps in the face of the cliff, by which he mounted to anopening which proved to be the mouth of a cave.

  There were evidences that this cave had been occupied by some person.Merry saw at once that this unknown person might have been in the mouthof the cave at the time the mysterious voice was heard, and that beyondquestion he was the singer and the one who had warned them.

  It was midday when Worthington was found. They discovered him in athicket, locked fast in the arms of another man, whose clothes wereragged and torn, and who looked like a hermit or a wild man. The thicketin that vicinity was smashed and broken, and betrayed evidences of afierce struggle. Worthington's hands were fastened on the stranger'sthroat, and both men were stone-dead.

  "I know that man!" cried Merry, in astonishment. "I met him in Holbrooklast spring. I told him of Benson Clark's death. He was once Clark'spartner. Since that time he must have searched for Clark's mine and madehis way to this valley. This explains the mystery. This explains how heknew me and knew of Benson Clark."

  "Yes, that explains it," nodded Hodge. "But now, Frank--what are we todo?"

  "We will give these poor fellows decent burial, and after that----"

  "After that--what?"

  "Shawmut and Henry must be turned over to the law. We must dispose ofthem as soon as possible. Then there will be plenty of time to returnhere and locate Benson Clark's lost mine."

  And that plan was carried out. In a few days Frank Merriwell, BartHodge, Cap'n Wiley and little Abe rode into Prescott, Arizona, escortingtheir captives, whom they turned over to the officers of the law. Merrywas ready to make a serious charge against the men, but, after listeningto his story, the city official said:

  "Better not trouble yourself about it, Mr. Merriwell. Those chaps areold offenders! They have been wanted for some time for stage robbing,horse stealing, and for the malicious murder of a man in Crown King andanother in Cherry. Did you ever hear of Spike Riley?"

  "Seems to me," said Frank, "I have heard of him as a bad man who wasassociated with the Kid Grafton gang."

  "Well, sir, this chap you call Shawmut is Spike Riley. Since then littlehas been heard from him. I am glad to get my hands on him."

  "Then I'll leave him to your gentle care," said Frank, with a smile."You will relieve me of further bother on his part. As for Henry----"

  "Henry!" laughed the official. "Why, he's got a record pretty nearly asbad as that of Riley. He is known down in Northern Mexico as one Lobo,and he has been concerned with Juan Colorado in some few raids. I thinkthere is a reward offered for both of these men. In that case I presumeyou will claim it, sir."

  Cap'n Wiley, who had listened with his head cocked on one side and apeculiar look in his eyes, now coughed suggestively. Frank glanced atthe sailor and smiled.

  "In case there is a reward, sir," he said, "it belongs to thisgentleman."

  As he rested a hand on Wiley's shoulder the latter threw out his chestand swelled up like a toad taking in air.

  "Thanks, mate," he said. "My modesty would have prevented me frommentioning such a trifling matter."

  "Oh, I will give you all the credit that's your due, cap'n," assuredMerry. "You pulled me out of a bad pickle and tricked those ruffiansvery handsomely."

  "That will do, that will do," said the sailor. "Let it go at that,Frank, old side partner. It is as natural for me to do such things asfor the sweet flowers to open in the blooming spring. I never thinkanything about them after I do them. I never mention them to a soul.Why, if I were to relate half of the astounding things that havehappened to me some people might suspect me of telling what is notstrictly true. That's what binds my tongue to silence. That's why Inever speak of myself. Some day my history will be written up, and Ishall get great glory even though I do not collect a royalty."

  "This is a pretty good thing, Merry," said Hodge. "It relieves you ofall responsibility in regard to those ruffians, and you can now go aboutyour business."

  In this manner it was settled, and Frank left the two ruffians to belocked up in the Prescott jail.

  Rooms were obtained at the best hotel in the place, and both Frank andBart proceeded without delay to "spruce up." Having bathed, and shaved,and obtained clean clothes, they felt decidedly better.

  It was useless for Cap'n Wiley to indulge in such needless trouble, ashe regarded it.

  "This is not my month to bathe," he murmured, as he sat with his feet onthe sill of Frank's window and puffed leisurely at a cigar. "Besides, Iam resting now. I find myself on the verge of nervous prostration, andtherefore I need rest. Later I may blossom forth and take the town bysurprise."

  Later he did. Although he had jocosely stated that it was not his monthto bathe, he indulged in such a luxury before nightfall, was shaved at abarber's shop and purchased a complete outfit of clothes at a clothingstore. He even contemplated buying a silk hat, but finally gave this upwhen he found that silk hats of the latest style were decidedly scarcein Prescott. When he swaggered into Frank's room, where Merry and Hodgewere holding a consultation, they both surveyed him in surprise.

  "I am the real thing now," he declared.

  "What has brought about this sudden change on your part?" questionedFrank.

  "Hush!" said the sailor. "Breathe it softly. When I sat by yonder windowmusing on my variegated career I beheld passing on the street a charmingmaiden. I had not fancied there could be such a fair creature in thistown. When I beheld her my being glowed. I decided that it was up to meto shed my coat of dust and grime and adorn myself. I have resolved tomake my ontray into the midst of society here."

  "But aren't you going back with us to the Mazatzals?" questioned Merry.

  "When do you contemplate such a thing?"

  "We expect to leave to-morrow."

  "Why this agitated haste?"

  "You know we've not definitely located Benson Clark's lost claim,although we feel certain it must be in the Enchanted Valley or in thatvicinity. We're going back to prospect for that mine. If you return withus and we discover it, of course you will have an interest in it."

  "Thanks for your thoughtful consideration, mate. At the same time, itseems to me that I have had about enough prospecting to do me for awhile."

  "Do you mean that you're not going with us?" exclaimed Hodge, insurprise. "Why, if we discover that mine it may make you rich!"

  "Well, I will think the matter over with all due seriousness," saidWiley easily. "I know you will miss my charming society if I don't go."

  "It may be the chance of your lifetime," said Merry.

  "I'm not worrying about that. Wherever I go, Dame Fortune is bound tosmile upon me. I have a mash on that old girl. She seems to like mystyle."

  "I think you will make a mistake, Wiley, if you don't go," assertedFrank.

  "Possibly so; but I've made so many mistakes in the brief span of mylegitimate life that one or two more will hardly ruffle me. If I have toconfess the truth to you, that valley is to me a ghastly and turgidmemory. When I think of it I seem to hear ghostly voices, and I rememberWorthington raving and ranting about death and destruction, and Ipicture him as we discovered him in the thicket, dead in the clutch ofanother dead man. These things are grewsome to me, and I fain wouldforget them."

  "All right, cap'n," said Frank; "you are at liberty to do as you like."

  Then he and Bart continued arranging their plans.

  That evening Wiley disappeared. Frank and Bart left little Abe at thehotel and went out to "see the sights." In the biggest
gambling place ofthe town they found the sailor playing roulette. Wiley had a streak ofluck, and he was hitting the bank hard. Around him had gathered a crowdto watch his plunging, and the coolness with which he won large sums ofmoney commanded their admiration.

  "It's nothing, mates," he declared--"merely nothing. When I was at MonteCarlo I won eleventeen thousand pesoses, or whatever they call them, atone turn of the wheel. Such a streak of luck caused the croupier to dieof apoplexy, broke the bank, and put the Prince of Monte Carlo out ofbusiness for twenty-four hours. The next day the prince came to me andbesought me to leave the island. He declared that if I played again hefeared he would die in the poorhouse. As it was, he found it necessaryto mortgage the Casino in order to raise skads to continue in business.To-night I am merely amusing myself. Five thousand on the red."

  "Well, what do you think of that?" asked Hodge in Frank's ear.

  "I think," said Frank, "that it is about time for Cap'n Wiley to cash inand stop playing."

  He pushed his way through the throng and reached the sailor.

  "Now is the time for you to stop," said Frank in Wiley's ear, speakingin a low tone, in order not to attract attention, for he knew suchadvice would not be relished by the proprietor and might get him intotrouble.

  "Never fear about me, mate," returned the sailor serenely. "Ere morningdawns I shall own this place. Talk about your gold mines! Why, thisbeats them all!"

  "It's a wise man who knows when to stop," said Frank.

  "It's a wise man who knows how to work a streak clean through to thefinish," was the retort. "I have my luck with me to-night, and the worldis mine. In the morning I shall build a fence around it."

  "Red wins," quietly announced the croupier.

  "You observe how easy it is, I presume," said Wiley, smiling. "I can'thelp it. It's as natural as breathing."

  Frank saw that it was useless to argue with the sailor, and so he andHodge left him still playing, while they strolled through the place.There was a dance hall connected, which provided amusement for them awhile, although neither danced. Barely half an hour passed before Frank,who was somewhat anxious about Wiley, returned to note how Wiley wasgetting along.

  Luck had turned, and Wiley was losing steadily. Still he continued tobet with the same harebrained carelessness, apparently perfectlyconfident that his bad luck could not keep up.

  "He will go broke within twenty minutes if he sticks to it, Frank," saidHodge.

  Merry nodded.

  "That's right," he agreed; "but he won't listen to advice. If we attemptto get him away, we will simply kick up a disturbance and find ourselvesin a peck of trouble. Even if he should cash in now and quit ahead ofthe game, he'd come back to it and lose all he's won. Therefore we mayas well let him alone."

  They did so, and Bart's prophecy came true. The sailor's recklessbetting lowered his pile so that it seemed to melt like dew before thesun. Finally he seemed to resolve on a grand stroke, and he beteverything before him on the red.

  The little ball clicked and whirred in the whirling wheel. Thespectators seemed breathless as they watched for the result of thatplunge. Slower and slower grew the revolutions of the wheel. The ballspun around on its rim like a cork on the water. At length it dropped.

  "He wins!" panted an excited man.

  "No--see!" exclaimed another.

  The ball had bobbed out of its pocket and spun on again.

  "Lost!" was the cry, as it finally settled and rested securely in apocket.

  Wiley swallowed down a lump in his throat as the man behind the tableraked in the wager.

  "Excuse me," said the sailor, rising. "I hope you will pardon me while Igo drown myself. Can any one direct me to a tub of tanglefoot?"

  As he left the table, knowing now that it would cause no disturbance,Frank grasped his arm and again advised him to leave the place.

  "I admit to you," said Wiley, "that I was mistaken when I stated that Ihad a mash on Dame Fortune. I have discovered that it was her daughter,Miss Fortune. Leave me--leave me to my fate! I shall now attempt to lapup all the liquids in the place, and in the morning I'll have a largeaching head."

  Frank insisted, however, and his command led Wiley reluctantly to permitthem to escort him from the place.

  "I might read you a lecture on the evils of gambling, cap'n," saidMerry; "but I shall not do so to-night. It strikes me that you havelearned your lesson."

  "It is only one of many such lessons," sighed the sailor. "By this timeI should have them by heart, but somehow I seem to forget them. I wishto tell you a secret that I have held buried in my bosom these manyyears. It is this:

  "Somewhere about my machinery there is a screw loose. In vain I havesought to find it. I know it is there just as well as I know that I amCap'n Wiley. Now, you are a perfect piece of machinery, with everythingtight, and firm, and well oiled, and polished. As an example you are thereal thing. Perhaps to-morrow I may conclude to follow in yourfootsteps. Just tuck me in my little bed and leave me to dreamyslumber."

  After being left in his room, however, Wiley did not remain long in bed.Knowing they would not suspect such a thing of him, he arose, anddressed, and returned to the gambling house. When morning came he wasnot only broke, but he had pawned everything of value in his possessionand was practically destitute.

  "Well," said Merry, having discovered the cap'n's condition, "I presumenow you will return with us to the Mazatzals?"

  "No use," was the answer; "I shall stay here in Prescott. I have my eyeon a good thing. Don't worry about me."

  It was useless to urge him, for he persisted in his determination tostay there. And so before leaving Frank made some final arrangementswith him.

  "I have wired for my mail to be forwarded here, Wiley," he said. "Ifanything of importance comes, anything marked to be delivered in haste,I wish you would see that it reaches me. Cannot you do so?"

  "Depend upon me, Frank," assured the sailor. "I will not fail you inthis. But before departing it seems to me that you should makearrangements that any such message be delivered into my hands."

  "I will do so," said Merry. "Now, see here, cap'n, I don't like to leaveyou strapped in this town. At the same time, I don't care to let youhave money of mine to gamble with. If I provide you with some loosechange, will you give me your word not to use it in gambling?"

  "Your generosity is almost ignoble!" exclaimed Wiley. "However, I acceptit in the same manner that it is tendered. I give you my word."

  "Well, that goes with me," nodded Merry. "Before leaving I shall seethat you are fixed with ready money."