o I will slink away."

Filled with amazement, Inza watched him as he walked swiftly away. Frank
came up and she clutched his arm, pointing at the retreating figure and
almost panting:

"Who is that man?"

"I don't know, Inza. Has he bothered or insulted you? If so, I will----"

"Frank, he knows me!"

"Impossible!"

"He spoke my name! He called me Inza. His words were strange and
somewhat faltering. He spoke with a growl that I am certain he assumed
to disguise his voice. There is something familiar about him--something
familiar in his movements and his walk. Frank, I know him! Is there no
way to find out who he is?"

Merry was aroused.

"Drink, Inza," he said, "and I'll find a way to discover who he is.
Perhaps Warren Hatch has put up a joke on us. If so, we must turn the
joke."

Bart and Elsie came up. Frank left Inza with them as he returned with
the empty glass.

Leaving the glass, he set out to find the wolf. As he was passing one of
the wide windows he saw two wolves standing outside. Immediately he
stepped through the window and joined them.

"Howdy, pards," he said, with an assumption of the cowboy manner. "I
opine one of you two was chinning with my friend, the ghost, a few
moments ago. Now, even a wolf won't take advantage of a lady, and so, as
you happened to call her name, I reckon it's up to you in natural
politeness to give her yours in return."

They appeared somewhat startled, but one of them said:

"You're mistaken, sir; neither of us has spoken to a lady since arriving
here to-night. We have not danced yet, and therefore have not had
occasion to speak to any of the fair sex."

Frank rested his hands on his hips and eyed them searchingly.

"I have the word of the lady herself," he said. "I don't opine you're
going to dispute a lady?"

"You are at liberty to opine what you like," sneered the second wolf;
"and I advise you to go about your business, unless you are looking for
trouble. If it's trouble you are after, you may get more than you want."

"I never hunt trouble; but I thought it possible that, out of
politeness, the one who spoke to the lady would give his name."

"Get about your own business and leave us alone," advised the pugnacious
chap. "If you don't you'll get your make-up ruffled."

Now, Frank had not confronted them with the idea of pressing a quarrel.
His first thought had been to draw them into conversation that he might
hear their voices, thinking it possible he