Frank Merriwell's Champions

was

ort legs, was not well adapted to mountain climbing, was much

at the heels of the procession. "Maype it vos sbort vor me, alretty, py shimminy! put don't

turn in the path his friends vanished. At the same moment a pebble that had found

ike I pit a snake by. Dunder and blitz

ich he heard the voices of his friends, then plumped himsel

e right avay, I dell you!" he muttered. "I haf to haf a b

felt of the injured toe, and gave th

er than a small shot, but with a cutt

ings make a pig

istened for the voices, but th

ong like shain lighdnings. I vos half to

iedly laced and tied it, then picked up his

a swift pace, and had gained so much that it was qui

this, he bec

s behint, und kilt myselluf mit a club der head ofer

almost raised the hair on his head. The

to run, but his short, fat legs becam

h a bellow of fright, and p

e Dutch boy's back, and a lean sow, followed by thr

up, with a sc

d. "Shimminy Ghristmas!

along her spine and made a sound

e. Into its low branches he scrambled, throwing his

w's flight. She dashed toward it, bringing another squea

is pockets upside down, some peanuts that Hans had thrust into a

t, and, while its mother and the other members of the porcine family bounde

"He vos going to ead up dose beanuds und my gap, und den he v

had devoured all, it looked up at the peanut fountain for more,

led. "Someboty gome guick und shood

is weakness, and the springy nature of the bough, and he was di

its hunger now caused it to half lift itself on it

ngth entirely deserted him, and he fell from the boug

tried to scramble to his feet. He could do nothing, howeve

not devouring him alive, as he had fully expected, and that, since

iling heels and turning his head slowly to the point

is hands and stared, his eyes

on the groun

It vos shust agting like I vos deat. Id shust vant t

that strange silence, Dunnerwus

the game of "'possum" for all it was worth if the pig show

nd knees, then lifted himself to a standing pos

Dere vos no tepending on me somedimes. I haf heert apout d

ht, he must have discovered the fact sooner. He had struck with all his weight, and that was n

he pig was dead. "Dot vos a recklar knock-ou

him again, he picked up an enormous club, and proceeded to belabor it to such an extent t

ctorious air of a conquering hero, uttering exclamations of del

bunch mine heat uf you sait nottings like dot, Hans Dunnerwust, you vos der pinking uf vighting man

ad pig over his shoulders, picked up his alpinstock,

emingly blocked, he heard voices calling to him-the voices of Harry

, with a sque

it above his head. "Dot vos a vilt hock vot kilt me ven I dried t

bitter hate when he arrived with his companions at the goal of the mountain-climbing r

must have had wings hidden about you to get here so soon. But wings weren't bar

in the cabin, was creeping through the laurel and over the vines toward a point of rocks that command

st of passions, for Hammond had made him believe that the mountain climb was an excuse on the part of

nd almost inaccessible gorge, and he was fairly shaking with the fear that Merriwell ha

growled. "The guv'ment's got ter be larnt that it jes' ain't ary bit o' use to

g of the members of the Lake Lily Club, all the while wondering if Bob Thornton would try

ate that made them such a terror to their foes, and caused among them

cied that if Merriwell should be killed by a shot sent from the woods by an unseen hand, he mig

eve," declared Rattleton, speaking to Bart Hodge. "Perhap

the accounts given by Colson and others of Hammond's fire-eating and

Frank descended the mountai

through the bushes, with the lon

es. Nell Thornton, his daughter, who, having observed his movements, suspe

from which he could dive into a jungly growth that would protect him from vi

w of his arm and inspected the percussion cap, when Merriw

, through his set teeth. "He'd better be a-sayin' of h

the look of determination grew in her white, thi

afe, but still far enough off to enable him to plunge into the und

rown barrel, and covered Frank Merriwell's heart with the sights.

e trigger, and there

did not reach F

, Nell leaped from the bushes that screened her

ond threw up his arms an

Merriwell had lodged i