FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148  
149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   >>   >|  
as forced to fly from the school." "You disgraced yourself," declared the defiant captive. "You cheated at cards--you fleeced your schoolmates." "And you exposed the trick! Oh, yes, I was rather flip with the papers, and I should not have been detected but for you, Merriwell. When I was exposed, I knew I would be shunned by all the fellows in school, and so I ran away. But I did not forget who brought the disgrace about, and I knew we should meet some time, Merriwell. We did meet. How you came here I do not know, and why my bullet did not kill you is more than I can understand." "It would have killed me but for a locket and picture in my pocket," returned Frank. "It struck the locket, and that saved me; but the shock robbed me of strength--it must have robbed me of consciousness for a moment." "It would have been just as well for you if the locket had not stopped the bullet," declared Gage, fiercely. "By that I presume you mean that you intend to murder me anyway?" "I have sworn that one of us shall never leave this swamp alive." "Go ahead, Gage," came coolly from the lips of the captive. "Luck seems to have turned your way. Make the most of it while you have an opportunity." "We can't spend time in gabbing here," came nervously from Bowsprit. "Let's get away immediately." "Yes," put in Black Tom; "fo' de Lawd's sake, le's get away before dat light shine some mo'!" "That's right," said the old tar. "Some things happen in this swamp that no human being can account for." Gage was ready enough to get away, and they were soon pulling onward again, with Frank Merriwell, bound and helpless, in the bottom of the smaller boat. For nearly an hour they rowed, and then they succeeded in finding some dry, solid land where they could camp beneath the tall, black trees. They were so overcome with alarm that they did not venture to build a fire, for all that Gage was shivering in his wet clothes. Leslie was still puzzling over Frank Merriwell's astonishing appearance, and he tried to question Frank concerning it, but he could obtain but little satisfaction from the boy he hated. The night passed, and morning came. Away to the west stretched the Everglades, while to the north and the east lay the dismal cypress swamps. The party seemed quite alone in the heart of the desolate region. Leslie started out to explore the strip of elevated land upon which they had passed the night, and he found it s
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148  
149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Merriwell
 

locket

 

passed

 

robbed

 

Leslie

 
bullet
 
exposed
 

declared

 
captive
 

school


succeeded

 

finding

 
beneath
 

happen

 
helpless
 

bottom

 
pulling
 
onward
 

account

 

things


smaller

 

appearance

 

cypress

 

dismal

 

swamps

 

stretched

 

Everglades

 

elevated

 

explore

 

desolate


region

 
started
 

morning

 

shivering

 

clothes

 
overcome
 

venture

 
puzzling
 

satisfaction

 
obtain

astonishing
 

question

 
forget
 
brought
 

disgrace

 

struck

 
strength
 

returned

 
pocket
 

understand