No wonder the young cyclists stared in astonishment at the marvelously bejeweled skeleton!
“Well,” drawled Browning, with his usual nonchalance, “the gentleman seems to have dressed up in his best to receive us. Some one must have sent him word we were coming.”
Toots, seeing the others did not seem frightened, had got on his feet and picked up his bicycle.
“Goodness!” muttered Diamond. “If all those decorations are solid gold, there is a small fortune in sight!”
“What is the meaning of this, Frank?” asked Rattleton. “How do you suppose this skeleton happens to be here?”
“Ask me something easy,” said Merriwell, shaking his head.
“The skeleton must have been decorated in that manner by some living person,” asserted Rattleton.
“But where is that person?”
“Not here, that is sure.”
“It may be a warning,” said Jack, gloomily.