ortherners and Southerners. There is no North, no
South. The time is past. When you came to Yale you were full of freakish
notions about the North and the South, but I fancied you had been pretty
well cured of that. I see it will crop out occasionally, though."

To this Diamond made no retort, but he looked thoroughly angry. With
another fellow Frank would have laughed him out of the mood, but he knew
it would not do to try that on the Virginian, for Jack could not endure
a bit of ridicule.

However, Merry talked quietly, and soon he could see he was pouring oil
on the troubled waters, for the look of anger was leaving Diamond's
face, and Browning had assumed a lounging attitude.

"This is no time for hard feelings between any of us," said Frank. "As I
said a few minutes ago, I have called you together for a council of
war."

"Vot did I mean ven you said dot?" asked Hans Dunnerwust. "Berhaps you
don'd understood me as vell as I might. Vot for haf dot gouncil uf var
peen caldt?"

"Yes," said Bart Hodge, "just what are you driving at, Merriwell?"

"Fellows, we have struck a mystery."

"I thought you had solved the mystery of the monster of Devil Island."

"I solved the mystery of the monster's identity and discovered the
creature was the hunchback, Put Wiley, in disguise."

"But he came near ending your career."

"With the aid of the cock-eyed man, whose name, I have learned, since
returning to Green's Landing, is Dan Hicks. I could have handled Wiley
alone, but Hicks came to his aid and caught me by the throat, grasping
me from behind. Together they knocked me out and tied me to the old
railroad on the island. But for Browning's wonderful efforts in ripping
up the rails, they would have succeeded in their attempt to send a flat
car loaded with granite down the track, and I must have been cut in two.
I tell you, fellows, it was a wonderful sight to see Bruce pry up those
rails and send that car, granite and all, into the water. Ah, Browning!"
exclaimed Merriwell, his voice betraying his feeling despite his effort
to keep it under control, "it prolonged my life when you were born
strong."

"Oh, it wasn't much work to rip up those rails," said the big fellow,
with an air of modesty. "You see, the spikes that held them were planted
in rotten wood, for the ties are very old."

"You never moved half as fast before in your life, Browning," said
Hodge. "You did get a hustle on then."

"I had to," grunted Bruce. "