Rattleton gave a wild shout of joy and clasped Merry in his arms.
“He’s all right, fellows!” Harry shouted. “Here he is! He is not dead! Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!”
“Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!” roared the others, expressing their delight in a wild outburst of cheering.
It was some time before the rejoicing over Frank’s lucky escape abated, but the mystery of the shot remained a mystery still.
Who had tried to kill Merriwell? That question seemed unanswerable.
“I tell you,” said Hodge, “I believe that half-breed had something to do with it.”
“Billy Cornmeal?” asked Rodney.
“Sure.”
“But he was drunk.”
“He seemed to be, but I don’t think he was drunk at all. I think it was a trick, and he played it well.”