"I thought it must be something of the kind. The fellow is cranky. You had better look out for him."
"He says you'll never travel on the road and make a success of it. I told him I thought you would. Then he went into the air and swore he'd make sure you didn't. I believe he is so cranky that he's dangerous."
"I hardly think so," said Merry. "I trust he will get over it."
"Yes. That fellow is dangerous, and I know it. Last time I saw him, he tried to burn me to death in an old barn."
"He must have a strong reason for hating you."
"Well, I drove him out of college, but not till I had given him every possible chance to straighten up and do right. Fellows said I was a fool to give him such a chance, but I never like to push anybody down."
"If he and Mazarin got together, they might make it rather warm for you. Here is the account. Seventy per cent. is your share. I think you will find it all right."
Frank ran the account over. It was straight, and he pocketed a roll of money that made him feel like a millionaire. Then he bade Burnham good-night and started for the hotel.
"Haow are ye, Frank?" cried Ephraim Gallup, a friend of Frank's, from Vermont, as Merry entered the office of the hotel.
The long, lank Vermonter came forward, followed by a short, fat lad, who exclaimed:
The short lad was Hans Dunnerwurst, another friend.
"Yes, we're here, bag an' baggage, by gum!" declared the down-Easter.
"Dot peen a fact," nodded Hans, with owl-like gravity. "Der pag und paggages vos here mit us."
"Why, what does it mean?" Frank managed to ask.
"I do not understand," confessed Frank. "You should be playing in Tornton to-night."
"Tornton don'd peen us in to-nighd," averred Hans.
"Gone der spoudt ub," further explained Hans.
"We managed to scrape together enough money to git here, an' we ketched a train that took us here all right. Jest got to this air howtel an' faound yeou was over to the theater. We was goin' right over there."
"But now you haf come ofer us to id safed us der droubles," said the Dutch boy.
Frank sat down on a chair and stared at them some seconds.
"Well," he murmured, "I thought the company would break up, but this is sooner than I expected. What's the matter?"
"Yas; left ther hull craowd in ther lurch. They'd lynch him if they could git their paws onter him."