Part 23 (1/2)
”Is it the professor?” whispered Buckhart, fearfully.
Together they dragged away some of the debris, and then d.i.c.k struck a match. The mask that had hidden the face of the man was covered with blood and partly torn away. His face was badly cut.
”Luke Durbin!” shouted the boy from Texas, as Merriwell fully removed the b.l.o.o.d.y mask and held the match with the reflected light flung from the hollow of his hands.
”That's who it is,” said d.i.c.k.
”And I opine he's cashed in. This was the end of the racket for him.”
d.i.c.k struck another match.
”See!” he exclaimed, as the light of this second match fell on Durbin's mutilated face. ”He's not dead!”
The eyelids of the man fluttered and his eyes opened. A groan came from his lips.
”It's some rough,” said the Texan; ”but you've got only yourself to blame for being here.”
The man's b.l.o.o.d.y lips moved and he sought to speak, but the husky sounds he uttered could not be understood.
”Durbin,” said d.i.c.k, ”your pals have left you here to die. Did you aid them in capturing and carrying off Zenas Gunn?”
Another painful effort to speak resulted in nothing that could be understood.
”Tell me the truth,” urged d.i.c.k. ”You can see how they deserted you. Why should you s.h.i.+eld them? Did you carry off the old professor? Can't you answer? If you would say yes, close your eyes and open them again.”
Slowly the wretch closed and opened his eyes.
”Where is he? Where have they taken him?”
It was impossible for Durbin to answer in words.
The boys lifted him and lay him on the cold ground by the roadside.
”I judge he's mighty near gone, partner,” whispered Brad. ”It's bad we have to lose time like this. We ought to be doing something for the professor.”
”We can't leave this man to die here alone like a dog, no matter how bad he has been.”
”He sure has got what was coming to him.”
”But he's a human being. Think of leaving any human creature to die here in such a manner!”
”Think of Professor Gunn!”
”If we find out without delay what has happened to the professor and where he has been taken, we must learn it through this man. In case he knows-which is pretty certain-he may tell everything if he finds he is going to die.”
”That's correct, d.i.c.k. You're always the long-headed one. But if he can't talk, how are we going to learn anything from him?”
”If we had a stimulant or restorative of some sort--”
”Liquor?”
”Yes; as a medicine liquor is all right when properly used. As a beverage it is poisonous.”