The miners gathered near their quarters. As far as possible, Frank had secured miners who were not Mexicans, but there were a few Mexicans among them.
Among the men were some who were hard characters when they were drinking, and Merry had taken particular pains to make rules and regulations to keep liquor away from them.
The morning after the encounter between Pablo and Jim, the foreman, Frank arose and flung open the door of his cabin, but immediately made the discovery that a sheet of paper was pinned to the door with a knife.
"Hello!" he exclaimed. "Here's something interesting!"
Gallup came slouching forward, followed by Ready.
"What, ho!" cried Jack, as his eyes fell on the knife and the paper. "Methinks I see something! Hist! That is what the tragic actor said when he appeared upon the stage. He crept in and looked around, after which he said, 'Hist!' And he was hissed."
"By gum!" cried Ephraim. "There's writin' written on it! What does it say?"
This is what they read written sprawlingly on the sheet of paper that was pinned to the door by the knife:
"Frank Merriwell: You are hearby giv notis that you are to send away the boy Pablo instanter.[Pg 152] He promised to come to his sister, and he has not come. You are warned not to keep him. Bill."