o one watching, I knew
not what to do."

"It's all right," nodded Hagan, as he took a seat on the bed. "Devil a
soul followed us here."

Lazaro did not sit down, although the boy offered the only chair and
urged him to take it.

"No," he said; "I choose to stand. I shall not remain long, but I came
to give you news that will cheer your heart. Senor Hagan says he has
told you of the sudden illness of Senor Watson Scott and of the accident
which happened to Senor Warren Hatch. Thus you see, Felipe, already two
of the great men who were going to build Frank Merriwell's railroad in
Sonora are flat on their backs, and why both of them are not dead is
more than I can understand. Senor Scott must have a constitution like
iron, for he drank all the coffee in which I dropped a powder that
should have ended his life."

"Then it was you who did it?" cried Felipe.

"Yes; I have begun the work of ruining Merriwell's plans, bringing him
to poverty and wretchedness and destroying him at last. Did I tell you
once that I was the bosom friend of Porfias del Norte? I am Del Norte
himself!

"Del Norte, a youth, died in that cave; but Del Norte, the old man you
see before you, rose from it. I am Del Norte, the old man; but to the
world I am Alvarez Lazaro, the avenger of Del Norte. I have sworn to
destroy Merriwell and make him suffer even as I suffered. I am losing no
time. I began with the purpose of blocking Merriwell's railroad scheme.
Human life is nothing to me.

"I poisoned Watson Scott. I bribed the chauffeur of Warren Hatch to send
him crashing over the bank. Next I will strike Sudbury Bragg. My plan is
made. I am ready. The railroad shall not be built. Great accidents shall
happen in Merriwell's mine. An evil spell shall fall on it. Men will die
or flee from it in terror. All Merriwell attempts shall fail. In the end
I will mock him and bring him to a terrible death."

Barely had Lazaro spoken these boastful words when the door fell with a
crash, and Frank Merriwell himself, with his friends behind him, stood
in the doorway. He had cast aside the wig and a part of his disguise,
and the startled trio of rascals recognized him before he spoke.

"Lazaro," he cried, "your tongue has betrayed you, and your vile
plotting is done. Even if Scott and Hatch live, you'll get twenty years,
at the very least. The house is surrounded by police. There is no
escape! Surrender!"

With a furious oath, Del Norte rushed at Frank, drawing