CHAPTER XXIV.

FRANK EXACTS A PROMISE.

The very next day old Joe appeared at the roundhouse, although his week was not up. He took care to keep out of Ganzell’s sight, but he hung around.

“Phwat th’ divvil is he up to?” asked Larry Logan. “He’s apt to git another wake off av th’ ould marn sees him.”

Some of the men spoke to old Joe, but he snarled at them in reply, so they quickly decided to let him alone.

Hicks was seen in the vicinity of 33, and Logan got a fancy that he contemplated some trick with the engine.

Frank Merriwell was busy at work, and he paid no attention to his enemy.

Hicks showed he was still drinking, for he was in his shirt sleeves, not even having worn a coat to the roundhouse.

Frank’s work often took him outside the building, sometimes to turn the table, sometimes to do other things.

No. 33 was being run by a spare man, who appeared as the time approached for her to go out. The fireman was on hand in advance, and had steam up.

It happened that Frank Merriwell was on his way to the roundhouse from another building when the time came for old Joe’s engine to come out. He was walking near the track just as 33 glided out of the door.

There were several persons about, and Merry was paying very little attention to any of them. He was attending strictly to his business, as was his habit.

As old 33 came along, Frank received a heavy jolt that threw him on the track directly in front of her pilot!

Had the engine been running a trifle faster, or had Frank been less nimble, the life of the young wiper would have been crushed out beneath the wheels then and there. As it was, the pilot brushed Merry as he scrambled from the track.

Frank leaped to his feet, quivering all over with anger.

Whoever the man was, he was on the other side of the engine at that moment, but Merry would know quickly.

The fireman of 33 had been running her out. He saw Merriwell knocked down before her nose, and threw back the lever, although he realized it was too late to save the youth by his efforts to stop the engine. A moment later, he saw Frank was safe from harm, and he sent her ahead again.

Then, as the engine passed on, Frank leaped across the track and sprang after a man who was walking swiftly away.

“Here!” he cried, and his hand fell on old Joe Hicks’ shoulder.

The engineer turned, uttering a snarl. His face was white and his eyes staring. It was plain enough that he was completely unstrung at that moment.

“So it was you who tried to kill me in that cowardly manner!” cried Frank, his eyes blazing. “Well, that is even worse than I expected of you!”

“What d’yer mean?” hoarsely demanded the man.

“I mean that you knocked me onto the track in front of 33, which was a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill me!”

“You lie!”

“It is true!”

“I say you lie!”

“And I say you lie, Hicks!” growled a hoarse voice, and Old Slugs came up. “I saw the whole thing, an’ I’ll swear you done it on purpose.”

“You?” Hicks hissed. “Why, you’re a fool! You ain’t got no reason to love this youngster! You’d oughter be glad ter see him knocked out.”

“Mebbe I had, but I’m no murderer, an’ I don’t care ter ’sociate with murderers. Merriwell gave me a hammerin’, but he done it fair, an’ I ain’t doin’ him dirt in return.”

“You’re a fool!” Hicks again hissed.

“All ther same, I reckon my word will stand if I have ter tell what I jest saw you do. You’ll git scarce mighty quick round this shop when the old man hears of that.”

“You hear!” came from Frank. “I have the proof!”

“All right!” panted the desperate engineer. “I can live. I’ll take care of my nevvy and niece. If I’m out of work, I can look arter them all the better.”

Frank started. So that was what Hicks would do. He would force himself on the lame boy and the blind girl by right of relationship. He would take the money they made on the street, and he would spend it for drink.

A sudden idea came to Merry.

“Look here, Mr. Hicks,” he said, “on one condition I will agree not to make a charge against you.”

“What’s that?”

“You are to let little Jack and his sister quite alone. You are not even to claim them as relations, or try to see them.”

“Think I’ll do that?”

“If you don’t, I’ll swear you tried to kill me to-day, and I have the proof. You were seen by Mr. Hall and by the fireman on 33. You will lose your job on this road. You will be discharged in disgrace, and it will not be easy for you to get a job anywhere else. When they ask you why you left the last place, you’ll have to lie. Perhaps they will know why you left. You may be blacklisted.”

Old Joe’s face turned almost green, while his lips seemed dry and parched. He stood before Frank Merriwell, half cowering, half defiant, like a tiger driven at bay.

“Choose!” commanded Frank.

“I don’t like the idea of letting you have your way with the kids.”

“Choose!”

“Oh, well, you could fix me if you went and told that stuff to the old man. It was all an accident, but----”

“Choose!”

“I don’t care a rap about the kids anyway. You needn’t worry about me botherin’ them.”

“You give your word not to trouble them?”

“Yes.”

“You will not even try to see them? Promise that.”

“I promise.”

“All right. I will not make a complaint against you.”

“But I may,” growled Old Slugs, who did not seem at all satisfied.

“No!” exclaimed Frank, quickly. “You must not!”

“I ain’t makin’ any promises.”

“Why, blow ye!” grated Hicks. “You don’t dare!”

“Yes, I do,” returned Old Slugs, sullenly. “I don’t like you none too well, and I’d as lives see you get out of here as not. It’s my duty to report what I saw, an’ I’m goin’ to do my duty.”

“Ah--a--ah! You’re thunderin’ particular about your duty all to once! I won’t forgit it. I’ll have a score to settle with you!”

“I’ll keep watch for ye better than Merriwell did. You won’t get the chance on me.”

“But you shall not report this affair, Mr. Hall,” came firmly from Frank’s lips.

“Who says so?”

“I do.”

“But you ain’t got any right to say so.”

“All the same, I do. If you report it, I’ll----”

Frank hesitated, and Old Slugs quickly asked:

“What’ll you do?”

“I’ll give you another thrashing, and it will be worse than the first!” flared Frank, looking as if he were ready to start in on the job at that moment. “I’ll fix you so you will not work for more than one day!”

It was plain enough that Frank meant exactly what he said. Old Slugs could not doubt it.

“Why,” said Hall, “I’m your friend now. I came here and stood by you in this matter against Hicks.”

“You are not my friend if you say a word about it to the old man. You will be my enemy.”

“You must be foolish! If Hicks stays here, he’ll get at you ag’in, and he may do me, too. The only safe thing for us now is to report him, and then he’ll be fired.”

“I will take my chances. As for you, you can’t be afraid of him, for you can handle him. Give him another show. Perhaps he will appreciate it.”

“All right, if you say so, but it seems like a fool trick.”

“You’ll keep mum?”

“If you say so.”

“I do. I have your promise. Do not break it.”

Old Slugs went away grumbling and growling, and Frank turned to the engineer.

“I have saved you from being discharged,” he said. “Of that there can be no doubt. All I ask of you in return is that you let Jack and Nellie entirely alone.”

Hicks nodded.

“If you do not,” cried Frank, his fine eyes flashing, “by the eternal skies, I’ll make you regret the day you ever saw them! That is all.”

Then he turned and walked into the roundhouse to go about his work.