“What do you intend to do with me?” he asked, seeing that further efforts at evasion and concealment were useless.
There was a rap on the door, followed instantly by entering footsteps.
“This!” said Frank.
Two officers had come in, sent by Inza in response to the request conveyed to her by the colored boy. Santenel rose, after another hesitating glance at the closed windows. Then his coolness returned to him. He advanced toward the officers.
“I am informed that you have been sent for to place me under arrest. I demand to know with what I am charged, for I have committed no crime. You have no right to seize me without a proper warrant, merely on complaint of this person!”
The smaller officer smiled and produced a paper.
“We have a warrant,” he said. “It was sworn out by a young lady, Miss Inza Burrage, who charges that you cut the balloon-rope on the day of the Yale-Carlisle football-game, with the intention of causing her death and the death of Charles Conrad Merriwell, who was in the balloon with her. You will see, therefore, that we can do nothing but go ahead, and we place you under arrest.”
CHAPTER XVII
FORCING HIS ENEMY’S HAND.
Frank Merriwell took his way thoughtfully toward the rooms of Dade Morgan, whither Dade had gone but a moment before. Dion Santenel lay in prison, having been committed to jail that afternoon.