CHAPTER XII.
A LIVELY FISTIC BOUT.
Three days later they arrived in San Diego, where Felicia was returnedto the home of Mr. and Mrs. Staples, the former having given up thesearch in despair.
It was Frank who led a party of Americans to the Castle Hidalgo, in ElDiablo Valley. The only human being found there was a man who had beenshot and left where he fell in one of the chambers of the ruins. AsMerry looked at the body, he grimly said:
"Retribution, swift and terrible, overtook you, Carlos, on that darknight. Who can say the hand of Providence was not in it? You were theonly one who might have given us trouble, for your chief was bound andgagged, and your mates were drugged by your own hands. It is likely thatBlack Joaquin yet lives; but it is certain he must in time meet his justdeserts."
Fearing that Black Joaquin would not give up his scheming to getpossession of the girl, Frank decided that it was unsafe to leave her inSan Diego. Therefore, when he started on his return to Arizona,accompanied by Dick and Brad, he took Felicia along.
The railroad journey to Prescott was made without any incident worthrecording. Having arrived there, Merry secured accommodations at thebest hotel, for he expected to remain in the place a day or more beforesetting out for his new mines in the Enchanted Valley, where he had leftWiley and Hodge.
Little Abe was found safe in Prescott, where he had been left by Merry.But for the fact that what she had passed through had shaken Felicia'snerves and left her in a very excited frame of mind, the whole partywould have been in high spirits. Dick was anxious to visit the mines,and the prospect was also attractive to Buckhart.
Imagine Frank's surprise, on leaving the hotel an hour after hisarrival, to encounter Cap'n Wiley on the street. The sailor lookedsomewhat battered and weather-worn, and there was an unnatural flush inhis cheeks and a suspicious odor upon his breath. The moment his eyesfell on Merry he stopped short and made a profound salute.
"Mate Merriwell!" he cried, "it is with a sensation of the most profoundsatisfaction that my eyes again behold your unexpected reappearance."
"Cap'n," said Frank soberly, shaking his head, "I fear you have beenlooking on the corn juice. There is something suspicious about yourbreath and your heightened color."
"Hush!" said the marine marvel. "The dreadful ordeal through which Ihave lately promulgated myself made it necessary for me to takesomething in the way of medicine. Mr. Merriwell, there have been riotousdoings since you departed."
"Any trouble in regard to the new mine?" asked Merry, somewhatanxiously.
"Oh, no; nothing of that sort. I have been tending strictly to business.At the suggestion of Mate Hodge, I gathered up in Cottonwood, CentralButte, Stoddard, Bigbug, Cherry and elsewhere a score of hale and heartylaborers and piloted them safely to the valley, where they now are. Hethen sent me hither for supplies and other needed articles. I havesecured half a dozen more good men, who will journey with us to thevalley."
"Now, Wiley," said Frank, "tell me about these men you say you haveengaged. What sort of men are they?"
"They are charming," assured the sailor. "You remember your TerribleThirty."
"Yes."
"Well, they are men of the same class. They are the real thing."
"But I am afraid such men are not just what we want, cap'n."
The sailor looked surprised.
"Why not?" he questioned.
"What we need are miners, not fighting men. It happened that I was ableto control the Thirty, and they proved valuable to me at that time. Youremember that as miners I couldn't retain one of them. You say you havepicked up some more men here?"
"Sure, sure."
"I'd like to look them over, cap'n. Where are they?"
"If you will perambulate with me, I will present you to the bunch. Ihave them corralled not far away."
"Lead on," said Frank. "I will look them over."
Wiley led the way straight to a saloon, which they entered. As theywalked in, several men were drinking at the bar, and Merry distinctlyheard one of them, a huge, pockmarked fellow, say:
"It sure is ten chances to one the gent loses his mine afore he eversets eyes on it again."
Frank recognized the fellow at a glance. He was a desperado with a badreputation, and was known as Spotted Dan.
"There they are," said Wiley. "Those fine boys I have collected. You cansee at a glance that they are the real thing."
"Altogether too real!" muttered Frank.
He was confident that the words of Spotted Dan referred to him, and in atwinkling his mind was made up.
"Mates," said Wiley, calling the attention of the ruffians, "it gives meuntold pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Merriwell, the owner of themines I told you about."
They turned and looked Frank over. His youthful appearance seemed tosurprise them, and it was evident that they regarded him as atenderfoot.
Frank lost no time.
"It's my duty to inform you, gentlemen," he said, "that Cap'n Wiley hasmade a slight mistake. I shall not need you."
This seemed to astonish them.
"What's that?" cried Spotted Dan hoarsely. "Whatever is this you says,mister?"
Frank quietly repeated his words, upon which one of the ruffians swore.
"I reckons you is the one mistaken," said Spotted Dan, stepping out. "Iopines, sir, that you does need us."
"Then you opine wrong."
"We has been engaged all fair and square, and we sticks by it. Weproposes to see that you sticks by it, too."
"Cap'n Wiley had no authority from me to engage anybody," declaredMerry. "That being the case, you can see at once that no agreement madewith him counts for anything."
"Say you so?" sneered Dan. "Well, now, we thinks a heap different."
"What you think is a matter of indifference to me," said Merry, lookingthe ruffian straight in the eyes.
"Whatever does you take us fer?" snarled the pox-marked fellow. "We'reno kids to be fooled with this yere way. You shakes us none whatever. Ifyou tries it----"
"What then?" asked Merry, in a low tone.
"What then? Well, by the everlasting, I chaws you up! I flattens youout! There will be a funeral in Prescott to-morrow!"
"There may be," said Frank; "but, if there is, you will be highlyinterested, and yet you will know nothing about it."
Spotted Dan glared at Merry in his fiercest manner. It seemed toastonish him that the smooth-faced young man was not in the least awedby this fierceness.
"Look a here, Mr. Merriwell," he said, "do yer know who yer dealing within this yere piece of business?"
"From all appearances, I should say that I am dealing with athoroughbred ruffian," was the serene answer.
"Yer dealing with a bad man with a record, and don't yer forget it,"snarled Dan. "My record is as long as my arm. And whar I goes I leavesgraves in my footsteps. I adds to the population of the cemeteries."
"You're plainly a big bluffer and a blowhard," said Frank.
Then, as Spotted Dan made a suspicious movement, quick as a flash oflight a pistol appeared in Merriwell's hand.
"Don't try to pull a gun on me, you big duffer!" exclaimed the youth."If you do, I will run a couple of tunnels in you."
"Correct in the most minute particular," chipped in Cap'n Wiley. "Hewill do it scientifically and skillfully. When it comes to shooting, heis a shooter from Shooterville. Say, you oughter see him shoot out apigeon's eye at four thousand yards! Why, he can shoot with his feetbetter than any man in this bunch! At the same time I happen to beprovided with a couple of large-bore fowling pieces, and I shall feel itmy duty to shed real gore in case any of you other gents take a notionto chip in to this little circus."
While speaking the sailor had produced a pair of Colt's revolvers, whichhe now flourished with reckless abandon.
"Oh, that is the way yer does it, is it?" sneered Spotted Dan. "Mebbeyer thinks this settles it. Well, wait and see. You has the drop now;but our turn comes. It's a good thing fer you, young feller," hedec
lared, still glaring at Frank, "that I don't git my paws on yer. EfI'd ever hit yer a crack with my maul you would sprout wings instanter.Sometimes I gits at yer, tenderfoot, and I hammers yer all up."
"You think you will," retorted Merry. "You might find yourself upagainst a snag."
"Waal, ef I can't knock you stiff in less than one minute, I'll take tomy hole and stay thar for a year."
"I presume you would consider this engagement ended in case you fail toput me down and out in short order?" said Merry. "If you were the onewhipped, you would call all dealings off?"
"Sartin sure. I'd be so ashamed of myself I'd never look a dog in theface again."
"Give your weapons to one of your pards there," directed Merry. "I willpass mine to Wiley, and I'll agree to take off my coat and give you achance to do me up right here."
"I think I smell smoke," murmured the sailor, sniffing the air. "I thinkI smell fire and brimstone. I think there will be doings around heredirectly."
"Whoop!" cried Spotted Dan. "It's a go! Say, I makes you look like apiece of fresh beefsteak in just about two shakes."
Then he turned to one of his companions and handed over a pistol andknife. He wore no coat, and when he had cast his old hat on the floorand thrust back his sleeves, exposing his brawny, hairy arms, hedeclared he was ready.
The barkeeper had remonstrated. Merry was known in Prescott, and to theman behind the bar he said:
"Whatever damage is done I will pay for. I will set 'em up for every onewho comes in for the next hour besides."
Then he placed his revolver on the bar and coolly drew off his coat,which he lay beside the pistol.
"Keep your ellipticals parabolically peeled," warned Cap'n Wiley. "Thegent with the dented countenance looks like a Peruvian dog. I don't knowas there is a Peruvian dog, but I judge so, because I have heard ofPeruvian bark."
Merry said nothing. His face was calm and grim as he thrust back thesleeves of his woolen shirt. He had a handsome forearm, finely developedand finely moulded, with the flesh firm and hard and the supple musclesshowing beneath the silken skin.
"Come on!" cried Spotted Dan eagerly. "Step right out yere and git yermedicine."
The ruffian's friends were chuckling and muttering among themselves.
"Dan paralyzes him the first time he hits him," declared one.
"You bet your boots he does!" put in another.
"I seen him break Bill Goddard's neck with a blow down in Buckeye," saida third.
Frank removed his wide-brimmed hat and laid it on the bar, tossing backhis head with a slight shaking motion to fling a lock of hair out of hiseyes. Then he suddenly advanced to meet his antagonist, his arms hangingstraight at his sides and his hands open. It seemed as if he invitedannihilation, and Spotted Dan improved the occasion by making a strongswinging blow with his huge fist, aiming straight at the face of thefearless youth.
Quick as a flash of light, Merry ducked just the slightest and tippedhis head to one side.
Dan's fist shot over Frank's shoulder. With a quick movement of hisfoot, Merriwell struck the ruffian's feet from beneath him, and thegiant crashed to the floor so heavily that the glasses and bottlesrattled on the shelves behind the bar.
With a roar of surprise, Spotted Dan made a spring and landed on hisfeet. Before him stood Merriwell, still with his hands hanging at hissides, regarding him with just the faintest suggestion of an amusedsmile. That smile was enough to infuriate the bruiser beyonddescription.
"Dodges, does yer!" snarled the man. "Well, dodge this if yer ken!"
Again he struck, and again Merry escaped by simply tipping his head likea flash over upon his shoulder and crouching the least bit. He did notlift a hand to ward off the blow. Like a panther he leaped to one side,and his outstretched toe caught his enemy's ankle as the force of thatblow, wasted on the empty air, sent Dan staggering forward. A secondtime the fellow went crashing to the floor. A second time he sprang upwith amazing agility for one so huge and ponderous.
"Whatever kind of fighting does yer call this?" he shouted, in a rage."Why don't yer stand up like a man and fight? Is that all yer can do?Does yer know nothing else but jest ter dodge?"
"You're too easy," declared Frank. "I hate to hurt you--really I do. Itseems a shame."
"Yah!" shouted the infuriated man. "You would hurt nobody if yer hitum."
"I beg you to pause a moment, Daniel," put in Wiley. "Have you made yourwill? If not, I entreat you to do so. If he ever hits you--oh, luddy,luddy! you'll think you've been kicked by a can of dynamite."
The ruffian's companions had been astonished by the ease with whichMerriwell escaped Dan's blows; but they, too, believed the fight wouldquickly end if Merry stood up and met his enemy.
Spotted Dan slyly edged around Frank, seeking to force him into acorner. Apparently without suspecting the fellow's object, Merrypermitted himself to be driven back just as Dan seemed to desire.Getting the young mine owner cornered, as he thought, the bruiserquickly advanced, seeking now to seize him with one hand, while theother hand was drawn back and clinched, ready for another terrible blow.
With a snapping movement, Frank clutched the wrist of Dan's outstretchedarm. There was a sudden twist and a whirl, and although the ruffianstruck with all his force, he felt his shoulder wrenched in the socketand knew he had missed even as he delivered the blow. That twistingmovement turned the fellow about and brought his arm up behind him onhis back. Then Merry sent him forward with a well-directed and vigorouskick.
"It is too easy!" sighed Cap'n Wiley, sadly shaking his head. "It isn'teven interesting. I fancied possibly there might be some excitement inthe affair, but I am growing sleepy, and I fear I shall miss the finishwhile I take a nap."
Spotted Dan was astonished now. Never had he encountered any one whofought in such a singular manner, and he could not understand it. Justwhen he felt certain that he had the youth where he wanted him, Merrywould thwart his design and trip him, or, with the utmost ease, send himstaggering.
"Dern yer! What makes yer fight with yer feet?" rasped the ruffian."That ain't no way whatever ter fight. Fight with yer fists on thesquar, and I will annihilate yer."
"I don't believe that anything was said about the style of fighting,"retorted Merry pleasantly. "However, if you don't like my methods I willagree not to use my feet any more."
"That settles it!" roared Dan. "I will fix yer in thirty seconds now."
"Dear, dear!" yawned Wiley, leaning on the bar. "How sleepy I am! Ithink this bout should have been pulled off under Marquis of Deusenburyrules. I, too, am against the use of feet. Cut it out, mates, and comedown to real business."
"Very well," said Frank.
"You kick no more?" questioned the ruffian.
"Not to-day."
"Then I thumps the head off you right away."
Spotted Dan sailed into it then, and for a few moments the fight wasrather lively, although the ruffian was doing all the hitting. That is,he was trying to do all the hitting, but he was wasting his blows on theair, for Frank parried them all or ducked and dodged and escaped by suchcleverness as none of Dan's comrades had ever before witnessed. Stillthe bruiser was the aggressor, and they were confident he would soonweary the youth, when a single blow would bring about the finish of theencounter.
Indeed, one thing that led Dan on and made him force the fight harderand harder was the fact that Merry seemed to be panting heavily andbetrayed signs of great exhaustion. The desperado was sure the youth wasgiving out, and so, although he was likewise somewhat winded, hecontinued to follow Merry up. At length, quick as a flash, Frank'smanner changed. He no longer retreated. He no longer sought to escapehis enemy. He made Dan parry two heavy blows aimed at him. Then hecountered, and the big fellow was sent reeling. Like a wolf Frankfollowed the bruiser up, hitting him again and again until he went down.
Cap'n Wiley roused up a little at this and observed:
"That's somewhat better. Now it grows slightly interesting. But hehasn't oiled his machinery an
d started in earnest yet. Wait a fewmoments, gents, and see him cut parabolical circles through thediametrical space around Daniel's dizzy cranium."
Spotted Dan sat up, astonished beyond measure at what had happened. Hesaw Frank standing at a little distance, with his hands on his hips,smiling down at him and showing not the least sign of exhaustion. Theman who had seemed winded a few moments before and ready to drop was nowas fresh and unwearied as if nothing had happened.
Through the bruiser's dull brain crept a suspicion that he had beendeceived by this handsome, smooth-faced young man. He knew now thatMerriwell could fight in the most astounding manner. This, however,enraged him to such an extent that he banished reason and coolness androse to charge on Merry, with a roar like that of a mad bull. Frankavoided the rush, but hit the ruffian a staggering blow on the ear as hewent past. Dan turned quickly and charged again.
Four times the big bruiser charged, and four times Merry avoided him andsent him reeling. The fourth time Frank followed him up. He gave SpottedDan no chance to recover. Blow after blow rained on the man's face andbody. Dan was driven back until he was close upon the card table thatsat in the rear of the room. Then, with a swinging upward blow,Merriwell's fist hit the fellow on the point of the jaw, and the ruffianwas actually lifted off his feet and hurled clean over the table againstthe wall. He fell to the floor and lay there in a huddled, senselessheap, literally knocked out.
Frank turned toward the bar, rolling down his sleeves.
"Watch his pards like a hawk, Wiley," he said. "Now is the time they maytry treachery, if ever."
"Depend on me," nodded the sailor.
Frank quickly slipped on his coat and placed his hat upon his head. Thenhe turned to the amazed ruffians, saying, quietly:
"Gents, you heard the agreement between us. If I whipped that fellow,the engagement which he claims to have made for himself and for youthrough Cap'n Wiley was off. I think you will acknowledge that he iswhipped. That settles it."
He backed toward the door of the saloon, followed by the sailor, alsobacking in the same manner and keeping his pistols ready. When the doorwas reached Merry turned and disappeared, and Wiley followed him.
Frank Merriwell's Triumph; Or, The Disappearance of Felicia Page 13