No, not everybody. Down near the front sat a man who scowled and glowered at the stage. It was Sam Hooker, and he was there to make trouble. He was handling something which Gallup could not see. Ephraim paused and winked at the ruffian in a most tantalizing manner.
The audience was waiting for the appearance of the star. The whole town had heard of the manner in which Frank had treated the terror of the place, and everybody seemed anxious for a look at the boyish actor who had dared face the ruffian.
Granville Garland, as Carius Dubad, came on and carried things with a high hand, everything leading up to an effective enter for Merriwell.
Dubad was terrorizing Grass when the moment came for Merry to make his appearance. As he entered there was a great burst of applause and a voice from the gallery cried:
“That’s him! That’s Frank Merriwell hisself, and he’s a lollypalooser!”
Then about fifty boys jumped up in the gallery and yelled like a lot of wild Indians.
Immediately after his enter, Frank’s lines caused him to threaten to fling the villain of the piece out of the house, whereupon the villain drew a revolver.
This was the weapon Frank had loaded with bullet-bearing cartridges. Merry sprang on Garland and wrested the revolver from his hand, while Ephraim looked on in apparent terror.
While this brief struggle was taking place, Sam Hooker rose to his feet, roaring:
“Whoop! He’s a purty lively maverick, but I’m ther puncher ter put my brand on him. First I’ll rope him, same as I would a steer. Hyar goes!”