“Under the circumstances,” said Frank, his natural delicacy influencing him, although he was rather curious to see the owner of that voice, “I am inclined to think we’re intruding, and we had better go on.”
For a moment the face of the old man expressed relief, and then that look vanished, while he shook his head.
“No,” he said, “that will not do now. She has decided that you shall stop, and she will not leave any hair on my head if you go away. You must stop.”
“She must be a gentle maiden!” murmured Bruce, with a faint smile.
The boys followed the old man around to a shed, under which they placed their wheels. The shed had sometimes been used to shelter horses, but no horse was there then.
“You mustn’t mind my niece,” said the old man, apologetically. “She has been spoiled, and she is determined to have her own way. She runs the ranch.”
Again the boys looked at each other.
“I wonder which of us she knows,” said Harry.
“It must be Merriwell,” Diamond declared. “It could not be any one else. This is a joke on him.”
Diamond’s ideas of a joke were decidedly peculiar.