The company was all made up and waiting behind the scenes.
Cassie Lee started to find Frank to ask him how he liked her make-up. In a corner behind the scenes she saw a man stopping near a mass of piled-up scenery. Something about the man’s appearance and his actions attracted her attention. She saw him pick up a can and pour some of the contents on the scenery. Then he crouched down there, taking a match safe from his pocket.
In a moment it dawned on Cassie that the fellow was up to deviltry. He had saturated the scenery with oil, and he was about to set it on fire!
Cassie screamed, and Frank Merriwell, who was near at hand, heard her. He came bounding to the spot, just as the startled man lighted his match.
“Quick, Frank!” cried Cassie. “He’s setting the scenery afire!”
Frank saw the fellow and leaped at him. The scenery flared up where the match had touched it. Then the fire bug turned to run.
Merriwell was on him, had him, hurled him down.
“No, you don’t, you dog!” grated Frank. “You shall pay for this dastardly trick!”
Cassie, with rare presence of mind, caught up a rug, which happened to be near, and beat out the fire before it had gained much headway.
A terrible struggle was going on between Frank and the man he had captured. The fellow was fighting with all his strength to hurry off and escape.