le, Merriwell was the one he most feared.
And his heart told him that there was something serious back of this
unexpected call.

"I'm glad to find you in," said Frank, "for I want to have a talk with
you. I will take this chair, with your leave. You won't mind if I come
to the point at once?"

"I don't know what you're driving at, and I think you must be drunk or
luny to come into a fellow's room and lock him in! If you have an idea
that there is anything funny about this, I'm pleased to tell you that
there isn't."

"I was afraid you might be so uncivil as to desert me. I shall not try
to take anything away with me but a bit of your writing. You're a good
penman, Agnew, and I shall want a sample, after we've had a friendly
chat."

The cold sweat came out on Agnew's brow.

"I don't intend to beat about the bush at all. It is not needed. You
know what I think of you, for I've given you abundant opportunity. Twice
within my knowledge you have tried to murder me--once when you slipped a
ball cartridge into Badger's musket in 'A Mountain Vendetta,' hoping and
believing that I would be killed, and again on the grounds of the gun
club, when you slipped some prepared shells into my box, thinking I
would get hold of one of them, and that I would be killed by the
explosion of my gun!"

Agnew's face grew as white as writing-paper. He opened his lips to
reply, but Frank went on:

"Of course, you are ready to deny these things. But I have some proofs.
You thought you could get all the 'fixed' shells when you knocked
Rattleton over in the crowd, pretending you were shot. But one of them
you failed to get. I have had its contents analyzed by one of the
professors of chemistry, and he says that in place of powder, the shell
contained a sort of gun-cotton, and that he does not see why the gun was
not torn into splinters."

"This----"

"Just keep still, Agnew, until I am through! I have found the dealer of
whom you purchased those shells, and I have found the dealer of whom you
procured that gun-cotton!"

Again Agnew opened his mouth to protest. He had stopped pushing the
cards about.

"Once you tried to ruin my right arm by injecting into it a preparation
that would produce atrophy of the muscles. I can produce evidence of
that, too!"

"It's a lie!" Agnew finally gasped. "There is not a word of truth in
these accusations!"

"I have been accumulating evidence against you for some time. You have
struck at me and at my