Frank Merriwell's Catch — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

TIP TOP. WEEKLY. eg CHAPTER IV. HELD AT BAY. Bunker halted and glared at the boys. His clothes were dripping wet, and his long hair clung about his neck. At that moment he was an ugly-looking indi- vidual. ‘*You youngsters have had lots of sport this morning, haven't you!’ he snarled. ‘*Well, you shall pay for it, and pay dearly, too!’ ‘*You or your friend here started the ball rolling,’’ said Frank, quietly. ‘‘You filled the side of our canoe with shot, and wounded Mr. Hodge in the wrist. It was fortunate for us that you did not do greater damage, And it is fortunate for you that, after what you did do, you have got off so easily.”” Hodge was not saying a word, but he was watching the man closely. The look on Bart’s face told that he thor- oughly despised Bunker. ‘‘Oh, you crow pretty loud for kids!’ - grated the fellow. ‘‘What you need is to have some of the conceit taken out of you. Welch says you have had your name in print so often and been talked about so. much that you’ve got the swelled head. You think yourself the sinartest chap alive.”? “No matter what I think, that is no excuse for your criminal carelessness in shocting toward us.”’ ‘‘Tt wasn’t carelessness, Merry!’ ex- claimed Bart, unable to keep still longer. “Tt was criminal design !’ “Tf one of us shot toward you, it was an accident,’’? growled the man. ‘‘But now you have an account to settle with us.’? - ‘Well, quietly. ‘“You upset us.”’ ‘“That’s not true.”’ ‘And you caused us to lose our guns.” what is it??? asked Frank, “Arthur Sewall, author of the “Gay Dashleigh ” series writes exclusively for The Half- a ality. cited. “You denied that you had any guns in the boat.”’ “That makes no difference. want you to pay for those guns.”’ “Oh, you do?” ‘You bet I do!” “Well, that is nerve!’’ laughed Merry, his eyes flashing. ‘‘After you overturned Now | your own boat in the attempt to break my head, you expect us to pay for the guns you lost.”’ ‘You are responsible, and you'll have 5 to pay.”’ “There is another opinion about that. You and Mr. Welch are responsible for everything that has occurred between. us. Had not Welch tried to break my head with an oar, you would not have capsized and lost your guns. That being the case you cannot expect us to pay for them.”’ To the men, Frank seemed very mild and quiet, and this encouraged Bunker, who fancied it would not be difficult to scare him. ‘““We do expect you to pay for them!’’ shouted the man, fiercely ; ‘‘and you will, too!" ‘“No, we will not.” | Still Merriwell was not in the least ex- he did so, he unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt and began to roll them back. Two round, white arms, shining with dampness, were expased. Bunker gave a snarl of anger. | ‘Why, you fool!’ he cried. your sleeves? I'll take you over my knee and spank you!” This caused Merriwell’s ‘smile to broaden and break into a ringing laugh. ‘‘Tust toss aside that club,’’ he said, ‘fand I'll soon show you who will be. spanked. ”’ ‘Don’t do it, Bill!’ came from Welch, He even smiled serenely into the face of the water-soaked, angry man. As “Do you think you can scare me by rolling up Gon SS (SO)