Frank Merriwell's Catch — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TIP TOP WEEKLY. | 5 riwell, holding his paddle in the water so that it would slacken the forward motion of the canoe. "Who are you talkin’ to??? demanded Welch, surlily. - “Tam talking to you, sir! that shot ?”? ‘*What shot?’ ‘<The one a few moments ago.”” “Oh, what are you drivin’ at? We don't know nothin’ about no shot. You make me tired!” “That kind of bluff will not go. One of you fired a shot from behind these reeds a few minutes ago. Who did it?” The man regarded the boys with the utmost contempt, seemingly quite indiff- erent, but Welch grew red with anger. ‘*Say!’? he cried; ‘‘you’re too fresh, Mr. Frank Merriwell! I know you! Be- cause you are a college chap and have had your name printed in the papers, you think you can come down here into ' Maine and run over the countrymen you find here. Well, you will find out the ’ countrymen won’t be run over. I don’t believe you are such a much, anyway. What you really need is a good thump- ing, and I’d like the job to give it to you. I’d done it yesterday if it hadn’t been for that big lummuxing chum of yours who meddled in.. 11 do it yet when I get the chance! I promise you that I will thump you, and Jim Welch always keeps his promises. Now, you chaps had better git!” : Frank laughed outright. ‘‘VYou are very amusing, Mr. Jim Welch,” he declared. ‘‘It is evident that you think yourself a dangerous sort of individual, but you are dangerous only when you have a shotgun in your hands and are hidden behind some reeds. It would be just, like you to try to shoot somebody in the back. Your face shows that.” Who fired “ B’gee” Dewey is still at West Point. ‘I didn’t shoot at all, and you don’t want tosay I did.” ‘Phen your friend did!’ creid Hodge, who was. fairly quivering for trouble. ‘‘His face shows he wouldn’t hesitate to——"” ‘‘Look here, confound you!’’ growled the man, scowling at Hodge; ‘‘you want to gosiow! Neither of us did any shoot- ing, for we ain’t got anything. to shoot with.”? ‘No guns ?”? *‘Of course not.” ‘*¥ don’t believe it!” | ‘““Well, it don’t makea bit of differ- ence whether you believe it or not. You’re nothing but kids, and we can't fool with you. Come, Welch, if we’re going to get any fishing this morning we must get started. Coine on.”’ He placed the oars in the row-locks and got into position for rowing. ‘What were vou doing in there behind those reeds?’ asked Frank. “That is none of your business!’ — shouted Welch. ‘‘Now you chaps want to get out of the way, or you'll get into trouble, for we won't fool with ye!’ He lifted an oar threateningly, but the. canoe was beyond his reach, and so he sat down, after half rising to his feet. | ‘*Take your paddle out of the water, Bart,’’ whispered Frank. ‘‘I’m going to have a look into their boat.’ : Hodge obeyed, and then, with a single long, quick stroke, Merriwell whirled the canoe up beside the boat. ‘What are you doing?’’ growled the startled man. ‘‘We want to see your guns,’ said Hodge. | “To Dlazes with vou! I told you we - had no guns, and you can see for your- selves. Do you see any guus?” To Bart's surprise, not a gun was to be seen in the boat. In the bottom at one Read about him in The Half-Holiday. COMIC OOO SS (C(0)