ter
Merriwell, but I seem to be left out of it. All right! I may come later.
Perhaps you will need me."

"Perhaps so," confessed Bart, grimly. "Give us plenty of time to make a
circuit of the island and return here. Then, if we have not appeared,
you will have a reason for coming."

"Und I vill come mit him," put in Hans.

"Don't leave the _White Wings_ unless you feel it is for the best. We
are going prepared for trouble, and it will be a warm crowd that gets
the best of us. Come on."

Away went Bart and the big Yale man, scrambling up the bank with their
guns and quickly disappearing into the bushes.

Bart took the lead, but Browning was at his heels, swinging along with a
stride that covered ground swiftly. There was a look of intense anxiety
on the face of the giant.

Round the island to the quarry they went, down the railroad they
hurried, and soon they were in sight of the spot where not many hours
before Frank had nearly lost his life.

Browning drew a breath of relief when they did not find the mangled body
of Merriwell stretched on the track. Somehow he had felt it was
possible the wretches had captured Frank and completed their work at
last, and he was dreading to walk down that railroad, fearing he should
find the friend he loved and admired dead upon the rails.

"He is not here."

The words came from Hodge, and they were exactly what Bruce was
thinking.

"No."

"Where shall we go now?"

"To the old boarding house." Away they went toward the building. It
looked before them, the sunshine glinting on its windows, apparently
utterly deserted. There was something forbidding in its appearance.

"We shall not find him there!"

Hodge spoke the words in full conviction that time would be wasted in
looking through the building.

"Perhaps not," admitted Bruce; "but I know of no other place to look."

This was a confession that the big fellow would be "stumped" if no trace
of Frank was found in the building.

They reached it, passed round to the back door by which admission had
been obtained when Frank and Bruce visited it the first time, and there
they hesitated.

The door was standing open.

"Just exactly as we left it!" exclaimed Browning. "No one has closed the
door."

This seemed to surprise him. Hodge pushed forward and went in. Bruce
followed.

The empty rooms echoed to their steps. Everywhere were cobwebs, dust,
decay. Some of the windows were broken, some were boarded up.

From r