Part 11 (1/2)
Aaron had followed tremblingly at the heels of the boys. Now Professor Gunn came hastening from the house and joined them.
”It's awful-perfectly awful!” he fluttered. ”I fear the shock will kill his sister. She's in a dreadful condition. Boys, we must send to town right off for the officers. We are in danger of our lives. At this moment we are in deadly peril. I'm afraid out here where the ruffians may spring upon us, and I'm afraid in there with no one but a woman and a girl.”
”Go back to the inn, professor,” directed d.i.c.k. ”Stay with the widow and Nadia.”
”What if the ruffians come?”
”You'll be there to protect the ladies. It will give you an opportunity to display your heroism and fighting blood.”
”But this isn't the right kind of an opportunity,” said Zenas. ”Boys, you are recklessly exposing your lives! Come back into the inn at once.
I can't permit you to be so careless.”
”You'll have to permit it now,” retorted Merriwell.
”What, do you dare disobey my orders?”
”On an occasion like this, yes. It is necessary, professor.”
Zenas gasped and hesitated.
”Do come in!” he urged. ”What can I tell your brother if anything serious happens to you?”
”Tell him the truth, and he will be satisfied. I am doing what my brother would wish me to do.”
”Dear! dear!” muttered Gunn. ”I regret that we ever came here. I fear we'll all be murdered before we get away.”
Mumbling to himself, he hastened tremblingly back to the inn.
”His courage has all oozed out,” said d.i.c.k.
”Waugh! I should say it had!” growled Brad, in disgust.
Aaron now attempted to frighten the boys by telling them how fierce the masked men were and how thoroughly armed.
”Singular you saw so much of them,” observed d.i.c.k. ”Never mind if they are armed thus and ready to commit murder at the drop of a hat; we'll do our best to trail them, just the same.”
”Right, partner!” cried Buckhart. ”It's up to us to do everything we can for the sake of Nadia. It hurt me a heap to see her heartbroken over her brother, and I couldn't stay with her any longer. I told her we'd find him.”
Down the road went d.i.c.k and Brad, with Aaron following them like a dog.
They entered the woods, where the bare trees stood silent and grim, coming at length to the path that turned off toward the lake. This d.i.c.k took.
Reaching the sh.o.r.e, Merriwell quickly announced that Budthorne had been placed in a boat and taken away.
”That lad ha' th' power o' a witch!” whispered Aaron to himself. Then he shook as he beheld d.i.c.k's eyes fastened on him.
”Come,” said the boy grimly, ”we can't follow them on water, for that leaves no trail. We'll return to the inn.”
As they entered the inn Nadia rushed at them, asking if they had learned where her brother was and what had happened to him.
”Not yet,” answered Merriwell; ”but we'll know all about it in a minute.”