Dick Merriwell Abroad; Or, The Ban of the Terrible Ten

by Burt L. Standish

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  IN THE CAVE.

  As he spoke those fierce words, the young Greek drew a knife. His facewas convulsed with passion and hatred for this daring American boy who,he believed, had caused him so much trouble. He longed to rush at Bradand stab him to the heart.

  The manner of the Greek was enough to warn the Texan of his danger.

  "Whoop!" cried Brad. "If the gent is anxious to enter into a carvingcontest, just give me a toadsticker and I'll show him my style. I opineI can interest him some."

  Donatus weakly waved his hand.

  "I am wearied," he said. "I must rest. When I have rested I will saywhat shall be done. Until that time, place the boy in the cave."

  "But, chief, he is----"

  The wounded brigand cut Maro short with a flashing look from his stillterrible eyes.

  "What I have said I have said," he declared. "Those who dare disobey meinvite destruction."

  Then, as directed by him, Buckhart was marched away to the cave, beforewhich the guard still paced to and fro.

  Maro sank down, his face wearing a look of bitter disappointment. Tyrussquatted beside him, whispering in his ear:

  "Be content that your life is still spared, boy. It was in wrenching thepistol from you that Flavia caused the accidental shooting of Donatus. Ifeared you would be slain for that. The girl, the Englishman, and thehated American boy are in the cave. They are guarded. Donatus is sorelywounded and may die. Pray the gods that we may escape with our lives."

  "And is this Donatus the man you befriended?" exclaimed Maro bitterly.

  "Hush, you fool!" warned Tyrus; but the eyes of Donatus were closed andhe seemed to be sleeping.

  Brad Buckhart had looked around for Flavia and Cavendish. In theblackness of the cave he could see nothing. The men who escorted himleft him, after warning him that he would be shot down the moment hetried to step forth, unless given permission to do so.

  Then they departed. He saw their forms silhouetted for a moment againstthe glow of the fire as they passed from the mouth of the cave. Then theguard's dark figure paced slowly across the opening.

  "Well, here I am!" muttered the Texan. "I sure opine I'm in a right badscrape, and I'll have to depend hugely on my pard to pull me out."

  "It is indeed a bad scrape you are in," said the voice of a person nearat hand in the darkness of the place. "How in the world did you gethere?"

  "Hello!" cried the Texan, in surprise and satisfaction. "Is that yourgentle warble I hear, Cavendish?"

  "Yes, I am Charles Cavendish, a free-born Englishman, here held captiveby these dirty Greek brigands! Some one will pay dearly for it, too!"

  "Fighting mad, I see," half chuckled Buckhart. "Well, old man, thiscomes of monkeying round the Maid of Athens."

  "The Maid of Athens? What are you doing, quoting Byron?"

  "I opine it was Byron that made me call her that, and I'll bet a bunchof Texas longhorns that Byron's maid wasn't any prettier than Flavia."

  "Do you understand that, Flavia?" questioned the voice of Cavendish."Did you catch the compliment of this devil-may-care youngster who is inthe trap with us?"

  "I hear heem," was the answer, in a voice that made Brad start! "sametime the English is hard to comprehen'."

  The Texan whistled.

  "So Flavia is here with us, eh? And Maro outside! I don't quiteunderstand it."

  Cavendish explained as well as he could.

  "I fancy I came near being shot," he went on, "when I saw that Greekruffian catch Flavia in his arms. They warned me I'd be shot down themoment I thrust my nose out of this cave, yet my blood boiled when heclasped her. However, he kept her from Maro, and now he's in a bad wayhimself. Boy, I fear you and I will not live to see the rising ofanother sun. I fear these ruffians will cut our throats. As for Flavia,my soul shudders when I think what may become of her."

  "It shudders some, does it?" said Buckhart, with a touch of unspeakablescorn. "Well, I opine you see now, Mr. Cavendish, what a long-earedjackass you made of yourself by fooling round an innocent girl in thiscountry. You sure brought it on yourself by trying to deceive her."

  In the gloom of the cave Cavendish stirred suddenly, and Brad fancied hecould see the figure of the man risen to a standing attitude.

  "Why do you say that?" hotly demanded the young Englishman. "DeceiveFlavia? How dare you accuse me of such a thing!"

  "Steady, you!" growled the Texan, not a bit abashed by the evident rageof the other. "I want you to know that my pard and myself have seen andtalked with that blear-eyed old reprobate, Sir Augustus Camberwell. Wefound him in the midst of the wreckage after the brigands jumped you onthe trail. He was so nervous he was ready to shoot at his own shadow. Wechinned him some, and he gave it to us straight that the whole affairwas brought about because you met the girl by accident and took a fancyto fool her some. He allowed you never had the least idea of marryingher."

  Flavia had listened to all this and understood it. Now she uttered a cryand clutched at the young Englishman.

  "Charlee!" she gasped; "Charlee, it is not true?"

  Cavendish placed his arm about her waist and drew her close to him.

  "It is not true, sweetheart!" he declared, with deep earnestness. "Imust confess that Sir Augustus thought so, for he could not understandthat I, a son of the house of Cavendish, could possibly mean to treat inan honorable manner a poor Greek girl of no family whatever. I tried totell him that I was in earnest, but I found that he would turn againstme the moment he believed it, and do everything in his power to separateus. The only way to obtain his assistance, which I needed very much, wasto let him believe I was playing the scoundrel in this manner. That iswhy I permitted him to think so."

  Needless to say Brad Buckhart had listened with deep interest to thesewords. He now stepped forward and his hand found Cavendish's shoulder.

  "How about that forged letter?" he asked.

  "I confess it was forged," was the instant answer. "I met Flavia byaccident and fell in love with her at first sight. She tells me that sheloved me the moment her eyes met mine. We met several times, and shetold me of Maro, and how her uncle was trying to force her into ahateful union with the fellow. We knew Tyrus Helorus would be enraged ifI simply presented myself and stated that I wanted Flavia for my wife,so we concocted a scheme we fancied might work. Flavia told me all abouther father, where he was in India and all that. I secured the service ofan expert with the pen, and the rascal forged a letter purporting to befrom Flavia's father. The letter introduced me to Tyrus, who wasdirected to deliver Flavia into my care, as I would take her to herfather in India."

  "That was some slick," commented Brad.

  "But it didn't work with Tyrus," said Cavendish. "The old man smelled arat, you know. He pretended to think it all right, and he promised thatFlavia should prepare for the journey. But he whisked her away and hidher from me. I found her, and then he had me arrested on some sort of acomplaint. I was locked up, you understand, and I'd be there now onlyfor Sir Augustus, who used his influence to get me out. That's how Ibecame tangled up with him, don't you know. And now here we are. Whatthe deuce are we going to do?"

  Brad found Cavendish's hand in the darkness and gave it a hearty grip.

  "Even if I am in a right tight predicament myself," he said, "I'm sureglad my pard and I concluded, after leaving Sir Augustus, to try to findout what had happened to Flavia and you. Cavendish, we may all go overthe range into the unknown country beyond, but the jig's not up, by along shot."

  The Texan lowered his voice to a whisper.

  "Listen: My pard and I both got into this valley, though I was the onlyone seen. If those cutthroats hadn't been miserable bad shots, I'd beenpeppered full of holes. They shot all round me. Then something trippedme as I was scooting, and they had me before I could recover. Here I am;but Dick Merriwell is somewhere out in the valley, and I'll wager everyhoof on the Bar Z that we hear from him before morning. You want to holdyourself ready to move a whole lot lively when he ta
kes a hand in thegame, for he plays his cards to win and makes no false moves. You hearme chirp!"

  CHAPTER XXX.

  OUT OF THE TOILS.

  The mists of early night had dissolved in the valleys. Above the hillsthe pale stars glittered as the night wore on. Donatus, the Suliote,still reclined by the fire, his head pillowed on the saddle. Over him afaithful follower had spread a blanket to protect him from the coolnight air.

  The fire sank lower. Even Maro, with his heart of fire, had at lastfallen into slumber.

  The guard who had passed before the mouth of the cave, now unreached bythe firelight, seemed grown weary, for he made his beat with lessfrequence and regularity. Once he disappeared for such a length of timethat Buckhart was tempted, for all of the danger of being shot, to peerforth. But before the Texan brought himself to the point of risking theperil the guard reappeared, a blanket wrapped about him, pacing withslow step across the opening.

  Flavia slept, her head pillowed on Cavendish's lap. The Englishman hadremoved his coat and spread it over her.

  "Poor girl!" he muttered, as he did so. "It's a beastly shame! She'llget her death in this blooming hole!"

  "Death isn't the worst thing that can happen to her," said the Texan, ina whisper. "But we'll hope for better luck. Cavendish, I'm sure afraidsomething has happened to my pard. I'm afraid to wait longer for him tomove. Are you in for taking a chance?"

  "What sort of a chance?"

  "A desperate one. The band is asleep, though they're all sleeping withweapons in their hands. The guard seems to be the only one awake, and Ijudge he's half asleep."

  "Go on."

  "We'll creep close to the mouth of the cave. The fire is down so it nolonger shines in at the opening, and we can get right close withoutbeing seen. When the guard passes, we'll jump him. I'll try to get himby the woozle and shut off his wind so he can't peep. We'll have to movea whole lot hasty, and if he raises any sort of a racket to awaken theothers, it will be a run for our lives, with bullets chasing us. Butremember that the gang shoot mighty bad. What do you say?"

  "Flavia?"

  "Of course we'll take her. You'll have to explain it to her."

  "She may be killed when they begin to shoot?"

  "Better that than for her to be carried off by these cutthroats."

  Cavendish shuddered. The thought of placing the beautiful girl in suchperil of instant death was horrible to him. He bent in the darkness andgently kissed her parted lips.

  "Charlee!" she murmured.

  "With my life I'll protect you!" he whispered.

  "Wake her," urged Brad impatiently. He had resolved on action, and everymoment seemed precious now.

  Cavendish kissed her again and then gently aroused her. She wasfrightened at first, but he succeeded in soothing her.

  "You are with me, Flavia," he said.

  "My Charlee!"

  "Yes."

  "Oh, I dream such terrible thing!"

  "Tell her our plan," directed Brad.

  Cavendish did so.

  "You may be kill, Charlee!" she whispered, in terror.

  "It is the only chance. We must try it. Remain here, Flavia, while wecreep close to the mouth of the cave and attempt to overpower the guard.If we fail and he raises an outcry, we will knock him down at least, andtry to secure his weapons. If you see us do that, come quickly and beprepared to run with us into the darkness. Are you brave, Flavia?"

  "You make me brafe, Charlee. You brafest, bes' man in whole world!"

  Even as he closed her loving lips with another kiss a surprising thinghappened. Brad saw the guard halt at the mouth of the cave and lookintently toward the dying fire and the dimly seen sleepers about it.Then the fellow stepped into the cave!

  The Texan gathered himself panther-like for the spring.

  "Hist!"

  The guard had paused, and from his lips came a sibilant sound.

  "Englishman here? American boy here?" he asked, in a whisper.

  "Whatever does this mean?" thought Buckhart, hesitating.

  "Other American boy send me," declared the guard. "He have horses ready.He pay me to help. I am sic' being outlaw. He gif me drachma 'nough tomake me rich. I leaf this countree, lif hones' some other countree. Ihelp you 'scape. You come now! Quick!"

  "Great horn spoon!" breathed the Texan. "My pard has made a move! I knewhe would! Oh, he's a bird, you bet your boots! But I don't see how heworked the trick of bribing the guard."

  "Don't be fool!" hissed the man. "No time for waste! Come now!"

  He found Brad and thrust a weapon into his hand.

  "Perhap' have fight," he said.

  The Texan doubted no longer, for his fingers gripped the butt of apistol.

  "Come, Cavendish!" he palpitated. "Here is where we prance forth andtrust to fortune and the sagacity of Dick Merriwell, the cleverest chapon two legs. You hear me gurgle!"

  They followed the stooping, muffled guard. The moment they were outsidethe mouth of the cave he turned sharply to the right and hastened intothe enfolding gloom. They kept at his heels.

  They had not gone far when Buckhart espied a prostrate figure on theground. It seemed like a dead man, and the Texan paused, not a littlestartled.

  "What's this?" he whispered.

  "He tied, gagged, make no trouble," explained the guard. "I take care ofthat. Horses ready this way."

  A loud cry rose behind them. They turned in alarm, but saw in the dimfirelight a man bending over the prostrate figure of the chief, who hadseemed to be sleeping.

  That cry brought the brigands to their feet. The fire was stirred up.They saw Ruteni kneeling beside Donatus.

  "He is dead!" declared Ruteni sorrowfully. "While we thought himsleeping, he died!"

  Maro and Tyrus were looking on. They saw the brigands gather sorrowfullyabout their dead leader. A look of great satisfaction rested on the faceof the young Greek, and, seeing this, Tyrus hastily advised him toconceal his feelings.

  After a little, Maro asked that the captives should be brought from thecave.

  Two of the brigands hastened to bring them forth, but quickly theyreappeared, declaring that the captives were not there.

  Snarling forth his fury, Maro caught a brand from the replenished fireand dashed into the cave. He was gone but a few moments when hereappeared, almost frothing in his madness.

  "I have been deceived!" he cried. "While I slept you dogs stole Flaviaaway. Miserable, crawling things, where is she? Bring her to me withoutdelay, or I swear I'll see that you all are delivered over to justice!"

  One of the brigands swiftly approached him.

  "You threaten us!" he said--"you, whose pistol slew our chief! I saw itall! But for your weapon Donatus would be living now. This for Donatus!"

  Like a stroke of lightning he drove his knife into Maro's bosom.

  * * * * *

  The valley was left far behind. The stars were beginning to pale. Stillthat muffled figure astride the horse in advance led them on.

  They had trusted him. He had led them to the waiting and saddled horses,and he had led them from the valley, near the entrance to which anotherdark figure lay prone, but squirmed and rolled to get away from thehoofs of the passing horses.

  But Brad Buckhart could stand it no longer. He urged his horse to theside of the mysterious figure, about whose shoulders the robe flapped inthe wind.

  "Hold on here, you!" cried the Texan. "You told us my pard had bribedyou, but we reckoned we would combine with him a heap soon after leavingthat cave. Where is he?"

  "When we leave cave you see man on ground, tied, gagged, still?"

  "Sure thing."

  "That not him. You see 'nother man when we ride out from vallee?"

  "Yes."

  "That not him. First man guard cave; other one guard vallee. Americanboy say him lif with Injun in America. Him creep on both. Jump on backs.Fix them. Tie fast and gag. Old Joe Crowfoot teach American boy trick.Him take clothes from both men all he need.
Brigands see him then indark think him one of them. You want see American boy? Ha! ha! ha!"

  "May I be shot!" growled the disgusted Texan. "I'm the biggest fooloutside the bughouse, you hear me!"

  Then, with a swift movement, he reached out, caught at the muffling robeand jerked it away, flinging it aside.

  The gray light of dawn was in the eastern sky toward which the face ofthe supposed guard was turned. It was a laughing face, that of a daringAmerican boy--Dick Merriwell!

  "Brad, you're easy," he cried.

  "Dead easy!" admitted Buckhart. "But you're a wonder!"

  They looked back. Cavendish and Flavia had permitted their horses toslow down. Their figures could be seen against the pearl gray of thesky. He leaned toward her--she leaned toward him--their lips met.

  Dick and Brad were too far away to hear her whisper:

  "My Charlee!"

  THE END.

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