Frank Merriwell's Athletes: or, The Boys Who Won. Standish Burt L.
plunging and rearing, but the driver had clung to the reins, and was holding them from running away.
Frank wondered if Barney had been hurt, but there was no time for him to stop there, if he meant to keep the other cab in sight.
Frank was a sprinter, and he started after the cab at a run.
Two men tried to stop him, thinking he must have caused the smash and was running away to escape arrest.
“Hold on!” they shouted, grabbing at him.
“Hands off!” he flung back, dodging them.
A policeman appeared at the opposite corner and yelled across the street for the running lad to stop.
Frank did not heed the command.
Seeing the driver struggling with his frantic horses the officer hastened to his aid, letting Frank go.
Round to the left the cab turned at the next corner.
Frank saw a head thrust out of a window, and he knew one of the occupants was looking back.
Round the corner darted Frank.
Out upon a long pier the cab was being driven.
Setting his teeth the pursuer made a last great burst of speed, and went racing out upon the pier.
The cab stopped, and a young, red-faced man flung open the door and sprang out. Then he reached back and pulled the girl out after him.
A short distance from the pier a handsome white yacht lay at anchor. At the foot of the stone steps that ran down to a small floating landing lay a rowboat. In the boat was a sailor in yachting costume, while another sailor stood on the pier, as if he had been waiting for the appearance of some one.
“Here, Bush!” cried the man who had pulled the girl from the cab; “take her – hold her! I must have it out with this blooming young idiot who is coming.”
“Drop that girl!” cried Merriwell, with one hand outflung, as he came straight on.
Inza’s father was slowly getting from the cab, shaking with excitement, his face being very pale.
Lord Stanford tried to hand the girl over to the sailor, but at this juncture Inza showed her spirit:
“Don’t touch me – don’t you dare!” she cried to the sailor, her eyes flashing at him in a manner that made him hesitate.
Then she broke from all detaining hands and ran toward Frank, who met her and placed an arm about her shoulders.
“Oh, Frank!” she panted; “is it you – can it be?”
“Yes, Inza,” he answered, as he held her close and kept his eyes on the Englishman, whose flushed face had grown white with rage. “It is I.”
“And you have come to – to save me from that horrid wretch?”
“Well, you should know I am ready to do anything in my power for you, Inza. Have I ever failed to respond when you have appealed to me for aid?”
“Never – never, Frank! Don’t let him come near me again! I am afraid of him!”
“Release that young lady!” cried Lord Stanford, his voice hoarse and husky. “Who are you that you dare interfere here?”
He took a step toward Merriwell, but was halted by a look from the Yale lad’s flashing eyes.
“I am the friend of Miss Burrage,” answered Frank; “and I shall protect her from you, sir.”
The Englishman forced a husky laugh.
“That’s a blooming good joke!” he sneered. “Miss Burrage is in her father’s charge, and I scarcely think you will have the impudence to interfere.”
Bernard Burrage looked on in a helpless manner, leaning heavily on his cane.
“Her father has no right to force her into an odious marriage against her will,” declared Frank. “It is possible that she needs protection from him.”
“What insolence!” fumed Lord Stanford. “I never heard anything like it! There’s not an English boy living who would dare think of attempting such a thing.”
“Possibly not; but you are not dealing with an English boy, sir. I am American to the bone.”
“And what you need is a good sound drubbing.”
“Possibly you think of giving it to me? If so, I advise you to take off your coat, as you will find it warm work, I assure you.”
Inza clung to Frank, looking up at his handsome face with an expression of admiration in her dark eyes.
“You young scoundrel! Perhaps you do not know whom you are addressing?”
“It makes no difference to me, sir.”
“I am Lord Stanford, of – ”
“I don’t care if you are the lord of all Europe! You are on American soil now, and dealing with a full-blooded American.”
“Bah!” cried the Englishman. “You are nothing but a young braggart! You are trying to pose as a hero before the young lady, but it will do you no good.”
“Do you think so? That makes not a bit of difference to me.”
Frank regretted very much that he had not been able to follow them to the pier with a cab, for then he would have made an attempt to hurry Inza into it and carry her away.
Now he fully realized that, should he attempt to walk away with her, if Lord Stanford found no other manner of stopping him, he could follow and order the first policeman he met to arrest Frank.
Merriwell saw that Bernard Burrage was shaking with excitement, showing the old man’s nerves were quite unstrung.
Stanford appealed to Inza’s father.
“Mr. Burrage,” he said, “why don’t you order that young man to unhand your daughter? Is it possible you mean to let him carry on this outrage in such a high-handed manner?”
“Let her go! Let her go!” cried the invalid, weakly, lifting his heavy cane and shaking it in a feeble manner at the youth.
“I will do so when she commands me, not before,” declared Frank, calmly. “I am astonished at you, Mr. Burrage! I never dreamed you would attempt to force your daughter into a marriage against her will.”
“Have you forgotten?” whispered Inza. “This is not the first time. He tried to make me marry my cousin in New Orleans.”
“It’s nothing to you – nothing, sir, nothing!” excitedly shouted Bernard Burrage.
“Take her away from him, why don’t you?” fretted Lord Stanford.
Frank laughed with a cutting sound.
“That is very fine, noble sir!” he sneered. “It seems quite appropriate that you should stand still and order this feeble old man to take her from me.”
“He has the right to do it, don’t you know.”
“You do it, Lord Stanford – I give you the right to do it,” said the old man.
“Yes, come and do it!” urged Frank.
“Oh, can’t we get away!” whispered Inza. “We must!”
“If Barney would appear with the cab!” thought Frank. “I am afraid he was badly injured.”
Once more he looked around, but the one he wished to see was not in view.
Frank longed to have several of the boys on hand, for then he could have looked after the Englishman and the girl’s father while they carried Inza away.
As Frank turned his head, Lord Stanford stepped swiftly forward and grasped Inza’s wrist, attempting to draw her away.
She gave a scream.
Merriwell turned like a flash, saw what was occurring, and swung his fist at the Englishman.
Crack! – the blow caught Lord