Frank Merriwells Pursuit | Page 8

of danger to-night."
Little he knew what would happen before the night passed.
CHAPTER V.
THE WOLVES.
The pavilion was brilliantly lighted. Hundreds of Chinese lanterns were suspended from the beams and cross timbers. The musicians were hidden by an arbor of green at one end of the floor. The floor itself swarmed with dancers wearing all sorts of grotesque and beautiful costumes.
Amid the whirling throng two ghosts were waltzing, the partner of one being a cowboy, while the right arm of a redskin encircled the waist of the other.
The waltzing of these couples was the poetry of grace and motion. They seemed to glide over the floor without effort of any sort. The ease of their movements was admired by many.
"Isn't it delightful, Frank?" enthusiastically whispered one of the ghosts; and her cowboy partner answered:
"It's all the more delightful being unexpected and unplanned, Inza. I feel to-night as if I hadn't a care in the world."
"Why have you any great cares to worry you now?" she asked. "All your great business projects are coming out right, and the man who could make you trouble has paid the penalty of his villainy. He'll never interfere with you again."
"That's right. With him out of the way, his railroad plan and mining and development company will never mature."
"I see no reason why you should hurry back to Mexico now. Can't you remain in the East longer?"
"I'll know better about that after consulting with Watson Scott. If possible to linger, I'll be in no hurry to go."
They swept past a solitary man who stood watching the dancers. His mask was the head of a wolf. Through the twin holes of the mask his eyes gleamed strangely as they followed Merry and Inza.
Another wolf approached and touched the first on the shoulder.
"Have you found him yet?"
"Look!" exclaimed the first. "See the girl in flowing white?"
"With the Indian?"
"No; with the cowboy."
"I have noticed both."
"Well, it is the cowboy I want you to watch. Listen near him. Hear him speak. I think it is our man. If so--well, to-night I strike the blow that makes me the master!"
"Your head----"
"Never mind. I have taken pains to hide well anything that might betray me. The dead seldom rise, and I am dead, you know."
"It's the greatest wonder in the world that you are not."
The music stopped. Frank escorted Inza to one of the great, open windows, through which came a grateful breath of the cool, still night. Through the trees outside they could see the lake, with the silver moonlight shimmering on its bosom.
"It's a beautiful spot here," said the girl. "See how peaceful everything is out there, Frank."
After a few moments they strolled out together beneath the trees, where the shadows were heavy. Arm in arm, they walked up and down, pausing at intervals to listen to the music which came from the pavilion, where the dancers were again whirling over the polished floor.
Suddenly they came face to face with a silent figure beneath the trees. This figure started back, uttering a low exclamation, turned suddenly, and almost fled round a corner of the building.
Frank laughed.
"You gave him a start, Inza. The phosphorus skeleton shows plainly here, you know."
"Somehow I didn't fancy that was why he fled so quickly," she said.
"What other reason could there have been?"
"I don't know, but there seemed something familiar in his movements. It was fancy, I suppose."
"It must have been. We know no one here, save Hodge and Elsie."
"Let's go in. Somehow a feeling of apprehension is on me. I'm not often nervous, you know; but something is the matter with my nerves now."
He laughed at her, but they returned to the floor and danced out the latter part of the two-step.
When this dance was over Merry left Inza, departing to find and bring her a glass of water.
Barely was he gone when she was surprised to hear a harsh voice at her elbow saying:
"I'll not believe your ghostly garments hide nothing save the hideous skeleton I saw a few moments ago. I must confess you gave me a shock."
One of the wolves had paused close at hand.
Knowing the dance was informal, as masquerade affairs must be, she was not surprised to be addressed in this manner.
"Then it was you who fled before me?" she laughed. "It seems that even a wolf may be frightened by a ghost."
"Quite true, fair wraith; but you are not the only ghost at this dance to-night."
"I have a sister ghost with me."
"It was not your sister I spoke of," growled the wolf. "There is still a third ghost present."
"Indeed? I have not seen----"
"I think you will later. For all of your awesome aspect I would entreat you to favor me with one dance were it not that something I cannot explain denies me the pleasure of dancing to-night."
"Why do you