Horror had been slowly rising in Clancy’s eyes.
“What wretch,” he whispered, “what infernal villain, would have dared to do a thing like that?”
“There you are again,” said Merriwell calmly, “trying to guess who it was might attempt such a devilish piece of work. If you keep that up, first thing you know you’ll be doing some one an injustice. After all, you know, Darrel’s fall might really have been due to an accident.”
“Maybe I’m thick, but I’ll swear I can’t see how it could have been an accident.”
“Suppose the reata, in kicking around the camp, had been accidentally cut into near that particular end? Suppose Darrel, in tying the rope about the paloverde, didn’t notice the weak spot?”
At first Clancy was impressed with this reasoning; then, when his wits had a little time to work, he believed he saw the fallacy of it.
“If it had been like that, Chip,” said he, “a few strands would have been left torn and ragged where they had broken. But that’s not the case. Every strand shows a keen, clear cut. Your argument won’t hold water.”
“Possibly not,” agreed Merriwell, his face hardening, “but I’d rather, ten times over, think this was an accident rather than a deliberate attempt on the part of some fiend to put Darrel out of the way. We may have our suspicions, ugly suspicions, but let’s keep them to ourselves until we get a little further light on this business. If no light ever comes—well, we’ll throw the piece of rope away and try to forget all about it. It’s an awful thing, Clancy, to think there was a deliberate plan to throw Darrel down the face of that cliff. There goes the bugle,” he added, getting into his coat. “Mum’s the word, Clan, when we get back to camp.”
Coiling up the piece of rope, Merry thrust it under his coat, where it could not be seen. Very thoughtfully the two lads returned to Tinaja Wells.
Professor Phineas Borrodaile was in front of the tent, jointly occupied by himself and Frank and his chums, carefully combing what little hair nature had spared him. A three-cornered piece of looking-glass, hung against the canvas-tent wall, aided him somewhat in making his toilet.