Frank Merriwell Down South | Page 5

towers of a church rose against the dim blue; low down,
and on every side were spots of cream-white, red, and yellow, with
patches of dark green intervening, revealing bits of the town, with
orange groves all about.
Across the fields ran a road that was ankle deep with dust, and along
the road a string of burros, loaded with great bundles of green fodder,
were crawling into the town.
An undulating mass of yellow dust finally revealed itself as a drove of
sheep, urged along by peons, appeared.
Groups of natives were strolling in both directions, seeking the
shadows along the canal. The women were in straw hats, with their
black hair plaited, and little children strung to their backs; the men
wore serapes and sandals, and smoked cigarettes.
Along the side of the canal were scattered scores of natives of all ages
and both sexes, lolling beneath the bushes or soaking their bodies in the
water, while their heads rested on the ground.
Those stretched in the shadow of the bushes had taken their bath, and
were waiting for their bodies to dry, covered simply by serapes.
From beneath such a covering dark-eyed native girls stared curiously at
the passing trio, causing Hans no small amount of confusion.
"I say, Vrankie," said the Dutch boy, "vot you dinks apoudt dot
pusiness uf dakin' a path in bublic mit der roadt beside?"
"It seems to be the custom of the country," smiled Frank; "and they do

not seem to think it at all improper."
"Vell, somepody better toldt dem to stob id. Id keeps mein plood mein
face in so much dot I shall look like you hat peen drinking."
"They think nothing of it," explained the professor. "You will notice
with what deftness they disrobe, slipping out of their clothes and into
the water without exposing much more than a bare toe."
"Oxcuse you!" fluttered Hans. "I don'd like to took mein chances py
looking. Somepody mighd make a misdake."
The sun was low down as they rode into the town.
"We have no time to lose," said Frank. "We must move lively, if we
mean to return to the hut before nightfall."
"That's right," nodded Professor Scotch.
They were successful in finding a native undertaker, but the fellow was
very lazy, and he did not want to do anything till the next day.
"To-morrow, señors, to-morrow," he said.
That did not satisfy, however, and he was soon aroused by the sight of
money. Learning where the corpse was, he procured a cart and a burro,
and they again set out along the road.
They found whole families soaking in groups in the canal, sousing their
babies in the water, and draining them on the bank.
Young Indian girls in groups were combing out their hair and chatting
merrily among themselves and with friends in the water.
"Dere oughter peen some law for dot," muttered Hans.
Leaving the canal, they set out upon the sand-plain, the undertaker's
burro crawling along at an aggravating pace, its master refusing to whip
it up, despite urging.

The sun had set, and darkness was settling in a blue haze on the plain
when the hut was reached.
Frank lighted a pocket lamp he always carried, and entered.
A cry of astonishment broke from his lips.
"Professor! professor!" he called; "the body is gone!"
CHAPTER III.
HELD FOR RANSOM.
"Gone!"
The professor was astonished.
"Shimminy Gristmas! I don'd toldt you dot!" came from Hans
Dunnerwust.
"Yes, gone," repeated Frank, throwing the light about the room and
finally bringing it back to the bed of grass.
"But--but it's impossible."
"Impossible or not, it is true, as you may see."
"But the man was dead--as dead as he could be!"
"Yah!" snorted Hans. "Py shingoes! dot peen der trute. Dot man vos
teader as a goffin nail, und don'd you vorget him!"
The trio were silent, staring in stupefied amazement at the bed of grass.
An uncanny feeling began to creep over Frank, and it seemed that a
chill hand touched his face and played about his temples.
Hans' teeth began to chatter.

"I am quite ill," the professor faintly declared, in a feeble tone of voice.
"The exertions of the day have been far too severe for me."
"Yah, yah!" gurgled the Dutch lad. "You vos anodder. Oxcuse me
while I go oudt to ged a liddle fresh air."
He made a bolt for the open door, and Professor Scotch was not long in
following. Frank, however, was determined to be thoroughly satisfied,
and he again began looking for the body of the dead man, once more
going over the entire hut.
"The body is gone, beyond a doubt," he finally muttered.
"There is no place for it to be concealed here, and dead men do not