CHAPTER IX. HARRIS AGAIN VANISHES.
The burglar uttered a gasp of astonishment as Merriwell precipitated himself on the fellow.
"Got you!" half laughed Frank.
"I don't know!"
The other twisted about like an eel.
"Hold still!"
"Not much!"
The voice was choked by the efforts of the unknown, but Frank believed he recognized it.
"So it's you, Harris!" he said. "Up to your old tricks! You are just as much a sneak as ever!"
"If I'd got in before you discovered me, you might have never called me that again!" panted Harris.
"By that I suppose you were bent on murder. Well, that is no worse than your record."
"Why don't you shout?" hissed Harris. "Why don't you arouse the hotel?"
"It isn't necessary."
"Why not?"
"Did you hear the bell ring in the office?"
"Yes."
"I pushed the button. Somebody is coming here even now. All I have to do is to hold onto you till they come."
Harris snarled and gnashed his teeth, which he tried to fasten in the back of Frank's wrist.
"Steady," said Merry. "It's no use. I've got you, and I'll hold you. I'll see that you go to prison for this."
"Never!"
"It's what you deserve, and you'll have to take your medicine at last."
Then Merry found his enemy was feeling in his bosom. Frank tried to hold his hand, but Harris succeeded in getting out a knife. With this he struck back at Merry.
"That will look all the worse for you when they come," said Merry, grimly. "You are putting yourself in a pretty bad place."
"Oh, I could kill you!" panted Harris. "You ruined my college career!"
"You are wrong."
"It is true."
"You ruined it yourself."
"No; you did it."
"I did nothing of the sort. I gave you several opportunities to brace up and become a man, but you have bad blood in you, and blood will tell. I never did anything against you that you did not force me to do."
"Oh, you will say that, but I know better. But for you, I'd be in Yale now."
"Yale is better off without you."
With a sudden twist, Harris broke Frank's hold. A cry of triumph escaped him.
"Now you get it!"
The knife was driven at Merriwell's throat.
Frank's hand caught his wrist, and the blade was stopped just as the point touched Merry's neck.
Frank gave a twisting wrench, and the bones in the wrist of the young rascal seemed to snap. A cry of pain was wrung from his lips, and the knife fell clanging to the floor.
There was a sharp knock on the door.
"Wait a minute," called Frank. "I'll let you in directly. Got my hands full now."
"What's the matter in there? What's this mean? Stepladder against the door out here."
"Caller used it to come in with," cried Frank.
Just then he found an opportunity to break away a bit from Harris, and he gave the fellow a terrible swinging blow.
Frank's fist struck Harris under the ear, and the fellow was stunned.
"Just lay there a moment," murmured Merry, as he dropped the baffled rascal on the bed and turned to open the door.
The night watchman came in. Harris tried to get up and dart out by the open door, but Merry caught him and flung him back on the bed.
"Just help me take care of him, will you?" said Frank. "He is pretty ugly, and——"
Over the foot of the bed went Harris, out of the half-open window he dived.
Frank leaped and clutched at his heels.
Too late!
"Gone!" gasped Merry.
"Well, it's more than even money that he won't go very far," said the watchman. "I'll wager something he's broken his neck by the fall to the ground."
They hurried out of the room and down the stairs, fully expecting to find Harris lying under the window.
But when they reached the spot both were amazed to discover that the fellow was not there!
Nor was he found at all, although a sharp search for him was made.
He had escaped again.
Zolverein's remains were shipped to the little Eastern town that he sometimes called home, there to be interred in the village cemetery. Frank took care that everything was properly attended to, as he felt it his duty and privilege.
M. Mazarin remained bitter toward Merriwell, and he disappeared almost as mysteriously as had Sport Harris.
Frank proceeded to fill Zolverein's engagements, taking Ephraim and Hans along with him.
"We're running a show of our own, now," he said, laughingly, "and we are out for fun, fame and fortune."