“Pive it gup—I mean give it up, old man. Let us sleep over it to-night.”
“Sleep—sleep after hearing this? Impossible!”
“But you can do nothing until daylight comes.”
“That is true, and I am wondering what I shall be able to do then. That is why I cannot sleep.”
In vain Rattleton urged Frank to lie down and rest. At last he gave it up and went into the other room to tell the boys how hard hit Frank was by the news concerning his old sweetheart.
“I don’t doubt me,” nodded Hans. “Thot am shust like Vrankie. He vos alvays thinking a great deal more of somepody else apout, than he vas himself of.”
“Begorra,” put in Barney, “it is no more than nacheral he should think a great dale av thot girrul. They wur the bist av swatehearts at Fardale. Although they sometimes jist quarreled a bit it’s true love thot nivver did run smooth at all, at all, and there’s no telling what may happen betwane thim. For sure there is very little smoothness in their love affairs.”
“Ah, Merriwell is always falling in love,” said Diamond. “I do not believe it goes very deep with him.”
“An’ if it is yersilf thot thinks so!” cried Barney, contemptuously, “it’s little ye know about him, thin!”
Jack flushed, and seemed on the point of resenting this plain speech, but bit his lip and remained silent, although he gave Barney a black look.
The Irish lad did not mind looks, however, and as for words, he had a proverbial Irish tongue that could send back a witty and cutting reply for any sort of speech.
After meeting Hans in San Francisco, Barney had been stopping with Hans at a boarding house to which they now decided to return for the night.
Before leaving, however, they had a few words with Frank, who made them promise to come around early in the morning.
“I may have thought of some plan of action by that time,” he said. “Think the matter over yourselves, boys, perhaps you may be able to aid me. You know Inza, and—well, you know me. You must know I would give anything I possess to locate her now.”
“You pet mine poots we know dot,” nodded Hans.
“Begorra, you’re th’ roight stuff, Frankie, an’ Oi’m riddy to foight wid yer bist frind if he maloigns ye,” said Barney, thinking of Diamond.
Frank pressed their hands and bade them good-night. Then they departed.