Frank Merriwell in Mexico: The Search for the Silver Palace — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRANK MERRIWELL IN MEXICO. Bushnell nodded his satisfaction, and, | “T tell you I do not know myself. thirty minutes later, the party was ready to move. I know is that they tied me to a horse, - and brought me across a plain of burning .. way, and, guided by the landlord, made | sand, where I nearly perished for want of — their way along dark and. narrow streets, creeping cautiously through the town till the outskirts were reached. } the backbone of the horse I. rode. | water, and was nearly sawed in two by | I be- lieved it was a case of gone goose with. _ There Frank gave the landlord some | me. At last they camped in a wild spot, money, and, after calling down Oy ewes [aca I was'so badly used up that I could on their heads, he quickly slipped away scatcely eat or do anything but lay around — and disappeared. | land groan. ‘They seemed to think there © ‘*Now we'll hustle right along,’’ said| was no need of watching me very closely, the Westerner. ‘We'll put a good long |and I noticed that I was alone sometimes. _ stretch between ourselves an’ Huejugilla Then, feeling utterly reckless, I began _ el Alto before mornin’. We're off, bound |to watch for a chance to sneak away. I straight inter ther mountains——”? didn’t care if I were shot, or if I escaped > “And straight for the Silver Palace,’’!and perished from hunger and thirst. I. added Frank. was bound to make the attempt. Last - | ee night I made it. A saddleless horse | CHAPTER X. _ stray ed along where I was, and I made a THE AVENGER. They were fortunate in getting away | without being seen by any of the bandits, and at dawn they were well up into the mountains, where Bushnell found a se- cluded place for them tocamp and rest, as | rest was something of which they all sorely stood in need. id wl i _ Bushnell prepared breakfast, and Frank we wes Was. insisted that Professor Scotch should ex- Wa’al,”’? chuckled Bushnell, plain how. he escaped from Pacheco’s gang. “Don't ask me,’? sighed the little man, fondling his red whiskers. “I can’t ex- Frank calling for me to jump off. I means no harin whatever.’’ » Well, ‘you see, I don’t know how 1) wasn t a case of brains at all. % jump for the animal. Before they knew what I was doing, I was on the beast’s back and yelling into its ears like a ma-— niac. ‘The horse scooted out of the camp, and I clung on. The bandits pursued me,’ Jand everything else is a haze till I heard... I rec- ognized his voice and fell off the horse, . although I had not the least idea in the | Cthet’s os wat I call dead fool luck, beggin’ ware pardon fer speakin’ so open like, at which | “Or, ye- needn’t beg my pardon, ne plain it——really T can’t.” | ‘quickly said Professor Scotch. eT dow t Why not??? | want ‘any credit for getting away. It happened to do it. They forced me to’ Breakfast was prepared, and they ate — write that letter against mv will, two of heartily, after which Frank, Hans, and them standing over me with drawn dag-| the professor lay down to sleep, while gers while I was writing, and prodding Bushnell smoked a black pipe. me a bit whenever I refused to put down| But even Bushnell was not made of 7 _ the words Pacheco ordered written.” iron, and the pipe soothed him to slumber, _ “Then Pacheco speaks English?” -|so the entire party slept, with no one on. As well as Ido.” - — | guard. - “What does he look like?”? All at once, some hours later, they | ‘‘T do not know.”’ were awakened by an exclamation from _ ‘How is that?’ ~ Frank, who sat up and stared at the form ‘“He kept his face concealed with his|/of a stranger, the latter being quietly — serape guite up to his eyes. broke in Bushnell. ‘‘No one seems ter squatting in their midst, calmly puffing — “Thar’s a mystery about ween fe| a cigarette, while his puncho was — wrapped » about him to his lips. know jest what ther varmint looks like.’?| Frank’s exclamation awakened Bush- ‘Go on, professor,’? urged Frank ;/mnell like an electric shock, and, even as ~*“tell us just how you escaped.”’ his eyes opened, his hand shot out, the. COnnc DOO S (©) in