nd one!"

* * * * *

Frank Merriwell had just taken his cold plunge the next morning, when
the telephone in his apartments rang.

Immediately Merry answered the summons.

"Hello!" he called into the phone.

"Hello!" was the answer. "Is this Frank Merriwell?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm Sam Bronson."

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Bronson."

"I'm afraid you'll not be so good-natured, Mr. Merriwell, when I tell
you what has happened."

"Eh? What's the matter? Anything gone wrong?"

"I should say so! You know that Mexican that I arrested on the warrant
you gave me?"

"Of course."

"Well, I turned him over to the rest of the boys who had the whole crowd
rounded up, while I helped you get your friend, Hatch, out of the place,
you know."

"Yes. I am to appear against Jalisco in court this morning."

"You don't have to appear."

"Why not?"

"He wasn't with the bunch locked up last night."

"Impossible!"

"It's true, unfortunately."

"How could that be? I don't understand it."

"Nor I. I'm doing my best to get at the bottom of it. Neither he nor
Bantry Hagan were locked up. Both got away somehow."

Frank was more than vexed over this information.

"There's something crooked about this, Bronson!" he exclaimed. "Why, you
put the irons on Jalisco."

"I know I did, and I'm shy a good pair of bracelets."

"He could not have escaped from the handcuffs unless they were removed
by an officer. I should say this thing needs investigating, Bronson! And
Hagan was not locked up either?"

"No. Neither Jalisco nor Hagan was with the bunch when it was rounded up
at the station house last night. Both got away somewhere between
Worden's and the station house. You know this man, Hagan, is pretty well
known to the police, and he has influence. I'm going to make a roar over
the business, and somebody's head will come off if I can fix the blame
anywhere. It's the best I can do. I'm sorry, but I know you can't blame
me."

"I'm sure you were not to blame, Bronson. This is bad business. I
wanted to teach Jalisco a lesson. He's a dangerous young thug, and he's
taken an oath to kill me unless I cough up a lot of cash to him. Do your
best to get at the bottom of the matter and to get track of Jalisco at
the same time. If you set eyes on him again, pinch him at once."

"Leave that to me," said Bronson. "I'm pretty sore over it. I'll call
round to see you in an hour or so. Thought I'd phone you and let