"That's all right, boss," said the boy, with a sickly grin; "but t'other feller give me a dollar not to say a word."
"And you promised that you wouldn't say a word?"
"Whut fer? Ain't ye goin' to make him tell who sent him with the note?"
"An' ye won't make him tell fer that reason?"
"That's whut I call too much conscience," he growled. "I jest guess I'll make the chap talk. I ain't got no conscience to stop me like that."
"You will let him go," came quietly from Frank.
"Arter I take him aout inter the barn an' have a little set-daown with him."
Ephraim hesitated. He did not want to offend Frank, but he did long to squeeze the truth out of the boy.
"Come, naow, Frank," he urged, "don't yeou be foolish abaout this. Ef I make him talk, it won't be northing to yeou."
"I shall allow it, and so, indirectly, I'll be responsible for making the boy lie. Let him go, Ephraim."
There was no mistaking Merriwell's resolve, and Ephraim said to the lad:
"All right, yeou kin go; but I'd tanned yer hide fer ye but I'd make ye talk, if I'd had the doin' of it. Skip."
Being released, the lad did skip in a hurry, quickly disappearing from view.
"Harris is in town," said Merry, speaking to the Vermonter.
"Whut? Not the feller that bruck up your stuff?"
"He helped the man that did the breaking. He is my old Yale enemy."
"Waal, let's go right aout and find him."
"That may be easier to say than to do, but we'll look for him. Keep your eyes open, Ephraim. He threatens to do me further injury."
It proved useless to search for Harris in that place. Nothing of the fellow could be found in the limited time given them to look for him.
It was necessary for the entire company to assemble at the hall to rehearse that afternoon.
Frank was playing the leading part in the society play, which was billed for that evening. He had been able to procure a dress suit in one of the towns through which they passed, so he was able to dress properly for the reception scene in the play. The other actors had managed to retain possession of their clothes, and all were fairly well supplied.
Lawrence really had left the company, refusing to go on with them under the new arrangement, so it was necessary for Merriwell to fill his place in playing leads, and, thus far, he had done so most successfully.