but Porrfeeus dil Noort is a moighty dangerous mon, and
he----"

"Is dead. You're not afraid of dead men?"

"It's dead Oi saw him before me," nodded the Irishman; "but Oi wish Oi
had seen him buried, so Oi do. Whin we returned afther pulling Misther
Shcott out av th' well Dil Noort's body wur gone."

"His companions carried it away," said Merry.

"Mebbe thot's roight," said O'Toole; "but afther ye left me here, wid
Joe gone an' mesilf all alone, it's nervous Oi became. Oi took to
thinkin' it all over, an' in th' air Oi hearrud a voice whisper,
'O'Toole, yure goose is cooked, fer, dead ur aloive. Porrfeeus dil
Noort will get aven wid ye!' It made me have cowld chills down me back,
an' out in th' grove yonder Oi saw shadows movin' an' crapin'. Oi began
to ixpect a bullet through me body, an' afther a whoile Oi joomped up
an' run inther th' cabin, jist shakin' loike Oi had a chill an' me tathe
knockin' togither. Oi fashtened th' dures an' closed th' shutters av
ivery windy. Thin Oi arrmed mesilf, an' nivver in all me loife did Oi
hear swater music than whin ye shpoke outside, Misther Merriwell."

Merriwell laughed.

"I declare, O'Toole, I'd never expect a man of your courage and wit to
be frightened in such a manner. Del Norte is dead, and it's almost
certain his companions have taken to their legs to get away as fast and
as far as possible. Mr. Scott will have officers searching high and low
for them. They are fugitives from justice. Even though they were not
under the ban of the law, with Del Norte gone, there is not one chance
in a hundred that any of them would ever lift a hand to annoy or molest
you or me. The fall of their leader put an end to their work, and they
will scatter and keep under cover until the storm blows over."

"That's right, O'Toole," declared Warren Hatch. "You rendered Mr.
Merriwell and the rest of us a great service when you fired the shot
that brought Del Norte down. They won't dare have you arrested for that
shooting, as no one would venture to appear against you. If they escape
from the officers, I expect we'll hear in a few days how Del Norte's
body was carried out of the mountains and expressed to friends
somewhere."

"They may not dare do that," said Frank. "They may bury him here in the
mountains, rather than take any chances of being captured themselves. At
any rate, it's foolish for you to worry, O'Toole. Of course it's not a
pleasant thing to think you have shot a man, but you