carson was worn out with lack of sleep and exhaustion. when clancy dragged him to the fireplace, took a burning brand from the fire, and approached him, he let out one frightened yell.
the red-haired chap knew that he could not carry out his bluff, but he held so desperate a countenance that carson was overborne. even billy himself half thought that clancy meant to put his bluff into effect.
“i give in!” yelled carson wildly.
clancy drew a long breath of relief, but did not let carson see it.
“where’s chip merriwell?” he demanded grimly.
“don’t burn me!” yelled carson frantically. “give me a drink!”
“you’ll drink when i get ready, and not before,” roared clancy. “where’s chip merriwell? hurry up, you galoot!”
“he’s at the brundage farm, on the other side of orton,” gasped bully. “for heaven’s sake, give me a drink!”
the bully had given in completely and absolutely. none the less, he knew that since it was getting on toward noon, all hope of getting to fardale for the game must now be over.
[195]
“get up,” and clancy kicked him to his feet. “billy, take him out to the car and you take the wheel. i’ll come along in the hornet. make him guide us to this brundage place, and do it quick!”
“give me a drink first,” pleaded carson.
“you’ll drink when you get there, not before. jump lively!”
with a groan, carson followed billy. the fellow was in a pitiable plight, but at thought of chip, clancy lost all pity.
he soon ascertained from billy mac that brundage was a farmer living on one of the carson farms, just outside orton, but on the opposite side of the town from where they were at present. also, carson loosened up with the story.
he confessed to having lured chip away, and stated that both he and the driver of his machine were being held at the farm in question, in order that chip should be detained from the franklin game. at this clancy climbed into the hornet with a groan of despair.
“the harm’s done, now!” he reflected bitterly. “billy, chip, and i will be out of the game for certain. that means that franklin will have a walk-away, unless old fardale comes up to the scratch, or a miracle happens.”
billy, driving carson’s car with the owner huddled in the tonneau, shot out on the road, while clancy followed in the hornet. poor carson[196] was almost in a state of collapse, but billy allowed him no sleep.
the two cars shot through orton like a streak, giving carson no chance to call for assistance. on the other side of town they came in sight of their goal—a large white farmhouse, set back from the road.
billy turned in at the drive and whizzed up to the side of the house. as clancy followed him, two men appeared, one carrying a shotgun. clancy instantly perceived that their troubles had just begun, and took charge of the situation.
“get a drink of water for mr. carson,” he cried, and the man with the shotgun leaned the weapon against the side of the house and hurried toward the well. the other came forward.
“this mr. brundage?” inquired clancy.
“it is. what ye want? what’s the matter with bully?”
clancy turned and drew a breath of relief at sight of bully, who had fallen sound asleep from utter weariness.
“we came after merriwell,” he stated, turning to the farmer. “get him out here in a hurry. bully is tired out, that’s all.”
this statement was perfectly true. at clancy’s air of haste, brundage clawed his whiskers for an instant, then turned and hurriedly stamped into the house. before the other man returned,[197] clancy caught up the shotgun and thrust it into billy’s hands.
“climb into the hornet and be ready to light out,” he exclaimed. “keep that fellow covered.”
as the man approached, billy ordered him to put up his hands. clancy was already examining the barnyard. in one corner appeared an automobile, which beyond a doubt was that of the carsonville garage.
the astonished farm hand obeyed billy’s abrupt order. bully carson was in no danger of awakening for the present, and clancy made ready to depart as soon as chip was produced.
“we’ve got to hit her up for fardale, billy. when chip comes, you give him that seat and climb out to the running board——”
“take carson’s car,” suggested billy.
“no. we’ll do it in the hornet. that old bone wagon of bully’s couldn’t keep up with us for a mile.”
at this moment brundage appeared at the door.
“shall i let the other feller out——” he began, then stopped abruptly at sight of billy covering the farm hand with the shotgun. “hey! what you fellers up to?”
“you send merriwell out here and do it in a hurry,” said clancy, striding toward the door.
“all right, brundage!” sang out the farm[198] hand, with a grin. “i’ll ’tend to these fellers—that old gun ain’t loaded!”
he started for billy on the jump. brundage slammed the door and vanished.
at the man’s shout, billy hastily examined the shotgun. he found that it was unloaded, and flung it to the ground. clancy, flaming with anger and despair, returned hastily to the machine just as the farm hand leaped at billy.
the red-haired chap was in no mood for argument. his fist shot out and caught the farm hand underneath the ear. the fellow gave a grunt, then slumped weakly to the dust, and lay quiet.
“we’re up against it, clancy,” exclaimed billy, looking at the house. “he would have fallen for it if he hadn’t seen me holding that chap up, or trying to.”
“it’s all my fault,” said clancy, with a groan. “but we know that he’s got merry in there, and that’s some comfort. we’ll have to get him out.”
“i don’t see how——” began billy, but at that instant he was interrupted.
a shrill yell arose from inside the house. then there followed a wild commotion.
without warning, there was a crash of glass, as a china plate came through one of the lower windows. another followed, and another, then a chair burst through the window.
[199]
“wow! lemme out o’ here!” came a shrill yell. “i want to go home!”
through the window protruded a frightened countenance.
“it’s the garage driver from carsonville!” yelled billy. “come on, old scout!”
“wow! lemme out o’ here!”
it was evident that the young fellow was scared almost out of his head. he took a flying leap through the window and landed in a rose-bush. in his hand he held two more plates, and as he scrambled to his feet he hurled them against the house.
then, paying no attention to clancy and billy, he rushed across the barnyard and cranked up his machine. it was evident that he had broken loose, and was too frightened to do anything but hit it up for home.
“let him go,” said clancy. “we’ll get in that window, billy!”
he started for the house. the chauffeur, wild-eyed and reckless, got his machine slewed around and went shooting down the drive like a crazy man.
“wow!” he yelled, as he passed. “git the constable! wow!”
renewed sounds of commotion came from within the house. clancy dashed at the window. billy gave him a boost to the sill, and the red-haired[200] chap shot over the edge headfirst and tumbled to the floor inside.
he found himself in a darkened room, evidently the dining room of the farmhouse. it was in wild confusion. chairs were flung around, the floor was littered with smashed crockery, and over in the corner clancy made out two figures in furious combat.
as he rushed up, he saw that chip merriwell was being gripped by the enraged brundage, and that the young athlete was fighting furiously for his freedom, despite the handicap of handcuffs on his wrists.
“whoop-ee!” yelled clancy, charging across the room. “here we are, pard!”
merry managed to break loose, and, raising his handcuffed wrists, he brought them down across the brow of the farmer, who toppled forward. clancy caught his chum in his arms as the man fell senseless.
“come along, chip——” he cried, but merry broke in.
“get the key for these irons, clancy! he’s got it in his vest pocket.”
clancy leaned over, and, after a short search, found the key of the handcuffs in the farmer’s pocket. straightening up, he inserted it in the lock, and merry’s hands fell free.
“bully for you, clan! i thought you were never coming!”
[201]
“we’ll put these fellows over the road,” cried billy, who had also entered. “this will land the carsons in jail, all right.”
“i guess they’re all right,” said merry. “they got me over here on the pretext that uncle dick was here. this man brundage slipped the irons on me, and they imprisoned me and the chauffeur. where’d he go?”
“went home on the jump,” said clancy. “what happened?”
“brundage came in and released him. then he went to the door a moment. the chauffeur was almost wild with rage and fright, and he started to smash his way out. i guess he did it, all right!”
“looks that way, chip! say, do you know it’s ’most noon monday? let’s get out of this!”
the three hastily left by the window and ran to the hornet.
“we’re off for fardale and the big game,” cried clancy exuberantly.
“you can’t get us there in time, can you?” asked merry anxiously.
“by thunder, i can try!” returned clancy. “hang on, billy! we’re off!”
and the hornet darted away.
