Frank Merriwells Races | Page 4

sir, but I don't know as I
can describe him particular, except that he had on a checked suit and
wore a red necktie, in which were a blazer, genuine, or to the contrary.
I know horses, but I'm no judge of diamonds. He was smooth shaved,
and his jaw were rather square and his hair short. The eyes of him never
looked straight at me once. Somehow I didn't think he were a student,
for he made one or two breaks in the words he said that made his talk
different from your student's. He didn't have that sort of real gentleman
way with him neither."
Frank turned to his friends.
"Now what do you suppose this business means, fellows?" he asked.
"It means crookedness!" declared Diamond, rather excitedly. "I am
dead sure of that!"
"It looks that way," admitted Browning.
"But what sort of crookedness can it mean?" asked Frank, bewildered.
"What is the game?"
"That will develop later; but there is some kind of a game on, be sure of

that," asserted Jack. "If not, why should anybody come here and give a
fictitious name? That gives the whole thing away. Look out, Frank, all
your enemies are not sleeping!"
"Well, it is time they let up on me," said Merriwell, seriously. "They
have brought nothing but disaster and disgrace on themselves thus far,
and----"
"Some of them are looking for revenge, mark what I say."
"I am tired of being bothered and harassed by petty enemies!"
exclaimed Frank. "I have had considerable patience with the fellows
who have worked against me, but there is a limit."
"That's right, and they would have reached the limit with me long ago,"
declared Diamond.
"Well, it is like this, Jack," said Frank; "it is almost always true that not
all of a man's enemies are bad fellows. To begin with, you remember
that you were my enemy, and now we are friends, and this is not the
first time such a thing has happened with me."
"Well, if a man were bucking against me, I do not think I would wait to
see how he would turn out before I bucked back."
"Oh, I am not in the habit of doing that. You will remember that I
bucked back pretty hard in your case."
Jack did remember it, and he felt that Merriwell was capable of holding
his own with his foes.
"You will do well to look out for your horse, all the same," said
Diamond.
"That's right," grunted Browning. "If I were in your place, Merriwell,
I'd watch out pretty sharp."
"I will," said Frank. "I'll have Toots come on here and keep watch over
Nemo most of the time. When he is not here, Grody can take his place.

If I have an enemy who thinks of stealing my horse, he'll have hard
work to accomplish his design."
"Unless he does it before you get things arranged," said Griswold. "Put
him up, Merriwell, and let's get out."
"I am going for a ride," said Frank. "Put the saddle on him, Grogan.
Will see you later, fellows, if you are going now."
"We'll wait till you leave," yawned Browning. "There's no reason why
we should tear our clothes hurrying away."
"You are not liable to tear your clothes doing anything," laughed Frank.
CHAPTER II.
AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.
Grody soon had Nemo saddled and bridled. The horse was eager to be
away, as he showed by his tossing head, fluttering nostrils and restless
feet.
"Whoa, boy," said Frank, soothingly. "Don't be so impatient. We'll get
away in a moment."
He swung into the saddle, the stable doors rolled open, and away
sprang the gelding.
The remaining lads hurried out of the stable to watch Frank ride, Grody
accompanying them.
"He seems like he were a part of the horse," declared the hostler,
admiringly. "That young gentleman were born to handle horses, he
were."
"He is, indeed, a graceful rider," nodded Diamond. "I am sure he did
not learn in any riding academy, for he rides naturally. The riding
academies all turn out riders with an artificial and wooden style. There

is no more distressing sight than the riders to be seen in Central Park,
New York, almost any afternoon. They bounce around in the saddle
like a lot of wooden figures, and it is plain enough that many of them
do not bounce because they want to, but because they think it the
proper thing. Southerners ride naturally and gracefully. Mr. Merriwell
rides like a Southerner."
"He rides like Buffalo Bill," said Browning, with an effort. "Bill is the
best rider I ever saw."
Diamond was watching Merriwell and the horse, a queer look on his
face. Finally he exclaimed:
"By Jove! there's something the matter with Nemo!"
"What