Tip Top Weekly No. 52: Frank Merriwell's Dash — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

2 ‘“Vou are insulting !”’ “I am if the truth can be considered an insult.’? **¥ demand an explanation.”’ ‘I do not propose to waste any breath in giving explanations to such as you. You know why I say you are a sneak— you know vou are a sneak!”’ Frank Merriwell laughed. That laugh was a warning that he was dangerous. Diamond knew it; Ratileton knew it. They held themselves ready to make room when Frank Merriwell saw fit to act. “You put yourself ina bad light by calling a man a sneak and then refusing to tell why you call him that,’’ said Frank. Yates did not know Merriwell very well and that laugh had not sounded a warning to him. Instead, it really seemed that Frank was frightened, and he had laughed to conceal the fact. ‘It is my conviction,’* he criea, ‘‘that you are not only a sneak, but you are alsoacoward! IJfthatis not enough, I will make it stil] more forcible.” Quick asa flash, he struck Frank in the face with his clinched fist. A gasp came from those. who wit- -nessed this act. There was notime given for further words. Like a leaping panther, Frank Merri-| well shot up and alighted on Duncan Yates. He clutched Yates in his strong grasp, snapped him off his feet, swung him into the air. | _ The spectators had: fallen back in a wild sort of scramble to get out of the way. Thus enough room was made for Merriwell to act. It was a warm day, and the car door was open. Almost before any one could tell what Frank thought of doing, he leaped out through the doorway, and, with the lad who had delivered the blow still poised above his head, seemed on the verge of hurling Vates from the flying train ! CHAPTER IX. | THE FORTUNES OF BASEBALL. | **Stop, Frank !”? Diamond shouted the words. Cries of horror broke from the lips of the other spectators of the scene, but, FRANK. MERRIWELL’S DASH. strangely enough, none of them made a move to prevent Merriwell from carrying out his apparent purpose. If Merriwell flung Yates from the train the unfortunate Jad who had aroused Frank’s wrath must be instantly killed. At first, when he had felt himself clutchetd, Yates had struggled, but, to his amazement, he seemed like a child in the grasp of the infuriated athlete. As Frank reached the platform and poised Yates aloft, the latter seemed to realize his peril, and fear robbed him of nerve and strength. He was limp and helpless in Merriwell’s grasp. And then, almost as quickly as Frank had caught the lad up, he lowered him to his feet. Again Merriwell laughed, but this time there really seemed to be something of. ainusement in the sound. ‘If I had dropped you off, Mr. Yates, you must have been injured,’’ he said, and his voice was soft and gentle. Yates gasped. ‘‘Jee!’? chattered Bink Stubbs. ‘That was a regular hair-raiser, as the fellow said when he finished ‘the blood- and-thunder story.”’ Yates swayed and caught at the iron tail. The flush had gone out of his face, which was ashen-gray. well. ‘‘You seem rather unsteady, and you might fall off here.”’ Without a word, Yates steadied himself by taking hold of the side of the door, and entered the car, Merriwell followed, taking out his handkerchief and pressing it lightly to the spot on his cheek where a. slight bruise marked the spot that had felt the enraged jad’s fist. The witnesses of this scene seemed to breathe freely for the first time... They stared at Frank as if- his marvelous: dis- play of strength had peen a revelation to them. _ Yates had plenty of friends, as he had _|never seemed a bad sort of fellow, but the |fact that he had struck Merriwell while the latter was sitting down was against him. ‘‘He’s been drinking,’’ one declared. ‘“Metriwell could not have handled him ‘*Better go into the car,”’ nai Merri- that way otherwise.” JOO @ OMNUG SS (C(O) nn