Frank Merriwells Bravery | Page 6

and I
shadowed you till the train started. I boarded the train with the
determination to capture you. I seldom fail when I have resolved on a
thing, and I did not fail this time."
"Then this is no joke?"
"You will find it is no joke."
"Well, I can't ride from this place to Elreno with my hands held above
my head, as you must very well know."
"Of course you can't. I'll have to put the irons on you. Here, young man,
hold this revolver to his head while I handcuff and search him."
He spoke to Cholly De Smythe, who had been watching, with staring
eyes, his jaw dropped, and a look of amazement on his face.
"Haw?" squawked the dude, aghast. "What ith that you want, thir?"
"Take this revolver, and hold it to this boy's head. If he moves, shoot
him as if he were a dangerous dog."
"Good gwacious!" gurgled Cholly. "I nevah touched a wevolver in awl
my life! You will hawve to excuse me, thir."
"If you are determined to treat me as if I were a mad beast, I beg you to
let some one who knows something about firearms handle that
revolver," said the captive. "I will give you my word not to make any
trouble if you lower the weapon."
"Your word does not count with me," declared the crafty detective. "I
wouldn't trust you a second--not a second."

"I can show you my card, letters, and other papers to prove my claim
that I am Frank Merriwell, a traveler."
"Black Harry would be likely to have such letters and papers ready for
just such an emergency. That trick will not count."
"Oh, well, don't fool around with that loaded gun held up against my
head! Put on the irons, and give me a chance to rest my arms. Hurry
up!"
"Shust led me dake dat revolfer, mine friendt," said the voice of the Jew.
"Uf dot poy tries any funny pusiness, he vill be deat, vid der accent on
der deat."
"Can I trust you?" cautiously asked Burchel Jones.
"Vell, I dunno. You can uf you vant to. I alvays make a bracdice uf
doin' a cash pusiness."
After some hesitation, the tenderfoot detective decided that he could
not do better than trust Solomon, and the revolver was surrendered to
the Jew.
"Don'd you vink!" commanded Solomon, as he screwed the muzzle of
the weapon up against the lad's head. "Uf you do, you vas a deat poy!"
The detective searched the youth, removing a handsome revolver from
one of his pockets. That was the only weapon found anywhere on his
person.
Burchel Jones was disappointed, for he had expected to find "guns" and
knives concealed all over the lad.
"Oh, you're slick--you're slick!" he said. "But you can't fool me. I know
how to deal with rascals like you. I have handled hundreds of
'em--hundreds upon hundreds."
"You must be a very old hand in the business," said the captive, with a
laugh. "Still, you seem to need assistance to capture a boy, who has

made no offer to resist you, although he knows very well that you have
no legal right to arrest him."
"Oh, you are ready with your tongue--altogether too ready."
Having searched the lad, Jones produced some manacles, and snapped
them on the wrists of his prisoner.
"There," he said to Solomon, "you needn't hold the revolver to his head
any longer. I have him foul now."
"Dank you," nodded the Jew. "You vas much opliged vor der use of my
revolfer."
"Of course, of course."
"V'y you don'd puy dot revolfer, den, und gif a poor man a drade?"
"Oh, get out. I don't want it any longer."
"Vell, I am glad uf dat, vor it vas long enough alretty. Uf you like id so
vel, v'y you don'd bought id?"
"I have one of my own."
"Vell, haf dwo. I gif you a drade on dat revolfer. I sell you dat revolfer
vor elefen tollar."
"Don't want it."
"Ten tollar."
"Don't want it."
"Nine."
"No."
"Eight."

"Say, shut up! I wouldn't take it for five!"
"Vell, you may haf him vor your tollar, und dot vas less dan haluf vat
id vas vort'. Shall I put a biece uf baper roundt id?"
"I won't buy it at any price."
"Moses in der pulrushes! Do you vant me to gif him to you? I vill dake
tree tollar, und dat vas der rock-pottom brice. Here you haf him."
But the detective still declined to take the weapon, which made
Solomon exceedingly disgusted and angry.
"You vas der meanest man vat I nefer met!" he cried. "Uf I hat known
how mean you vas, I vouldn't helluped you capture dot ropper! I hat
better do pusiness