"The same, me lad," was the cool answer. "I thought I'd come to see how you were coming on, and this is the first time I could see ye. I find you have a visitor already. It's slick he calls me, but I'll bet me life he's been playing a slick game of his own with ye. Careful, me lad, or he'll have that document in his fingers, and never again will you see it at all."
"He has it now!" exclaimed the Mexican boy defiantly. "I gave it to him."
"Then it's too late I came. A poor fool you are, Felipe!"
The patient became greatly excited and rose to a sitting position, crying:
"Go you away! I want to see you no more! I will not listen to you!"
Hagan surveyed Merriwell.
"How you do it I can't say," he confessed; "but you have the trick of making friends of any who may give you trouble. It's proud I am to say you can't fool Bantry Hagan and turn his backbone to jelly. Del Norte is dead, but Hagan is alive, and he'll keep you on the jump for a while."
Frank stepped past Hagan to the door. Looking out into the long corridor, he called a young doctor who happened to be passing.
"Doctor," he said, "a serious mistake has happened here. Take a look at this man who has forced his way in here. He is no friend of the patient, and you can see for yourself that the patient is greatly excited and wrought up by his intrusion. For the sake of the patient, will you see that this man leaves at once, that he is observed at the door, and that instructions are given to refuse him admittance if he has the cheek to call again."
"Take him away! Take him away!" cried Jalisco.