“What do you mean by riding along here like this? You chaps have no right in the road, anyway! Can’t you see you have frightened this horse?”
That brought a touch of warm color to the handsome face of our hero, but his voice was calm and steady as he retorted:
“We have as much right on the public highway as you. The trouble with your horse is that you have abused and frightened it. You are not a fit person to ride a horse or have any dealings with one.”
That seemed to make the man more frantic than ever. He tried to force the horse at Frank, but the creature shyed at the wheel, so the rider did not accomplish his design of riding Merriwell down.
With a muttered cry of anger, the man struck at Frank with his whip, and the lash fell upon the boy’s shoulder, so that he felt the sting through his coat.
Then of a sudden, away leaped the horse, nearly unseating its rider. The girl followed.
“Confound him,” muttered Merriwell, watching the retreating figure of the horseman.
“May th’ Ould Nick floy away wid him!” cried Barney. “Did he hurrut yez, Frankie?”
“No. If he had, I might be tempted to follow him. Let him go. It is plain he thinks he is a blue blood and owns the earth. What he really needs is a sound thrashing.”
“An’ ye’re th’ b’y to give him thot, Frankie!”