But when he sprang to take a hand in the conflict, the strong arm of the landlord blocked him off and flung him back, while that worthy again demanded to know what it all meant.

"Don't stop me!" snarled the Texan, his face pale with excitement and rage. "Let me get my paws on that varmint! I sure will have his scalp!"

"Keep him away!" cried Bunol to the landlord. "They are ruffians and robbers! This one tried to rob me right here!"

Although d.i.c.k had again grasped the Spaniard, the latter once more squirmed from his fingers and managed to recover his feet. Instantly he sprang toward the hearth, on which his deadly knife lay shining brightly in the light.

d.i.c.k had no thought of letting the fellow again get that weapon in his hand. Knowing he had saved his life only by the narrowest possible margin, he now launched himself from a half-crouching position at the Spaniard, hurling the fellow aside and against the wall.

"Stand there!" thundered Buckhart.

In Glasgow Brad had purchased a revolver. This weapon he now had in his hand, and its muzzle was turned toward Bunol.

"Stand there, or by the everlasting Rockies, I'll bore you in your tracks!" declared the Texan.

d.i.c.k quickly s.n.a.t.c.hed up Bunol's knife.

The Spaniard stood at bay, his black eyes gleaming and his breast rising and falling with his panting breathing. He was like a ferocious wild animal that had fallen into a trap.

"See, landlord!" he cried. "Now they are ready to murder me!"

"I'll have none of this in my house!" grated the innkeeper, and he unhesitatingly placed himself in front of Buckhart, who was thus prevented from using his weapon in case he wished to do so.

d.i.c.k took a step toward Bunol.

The Spanish youth saw his opportunity. He did not wait for Merriwell to again lay hands on him. Instead of that, with two pantherish bounds he crossed the floor, and another bound carried him, doubled into a compact ball, straight at a window.

There was a great crashing and jangling of gla.s.s as the desperate young villain shot through the window, carrying out sash and panes.

CHAPTER XIII.

PROFESSOR GUNN'S WILD RIDE.

Strange and unusual things were happening at Robin Hood Tavern that night. Perhaps not since the days of the famous outlaw himself had such blood-stirring events happened on that particular spot.

Professor Gunn held up his hands in consternation as the impetuous young Texas hurled himself crashing through the door.

"Dear me! dear me!" gasped Zenas. "What a boy! what a boy! Impossible to restrain him! Impossible to refine him! Sometimes he acts like other people, but at other times--Eh? What's that?"

The old pedagogue heard the cry that caused Brad to gather himself and go bounding recklessly down the dark stairs.

"Sounded peculiar!" whispered Zenas, listening at the door. "I don't like it! I fear something is wrong!"

Then he heard excited voices rising from below and distinctly understood Buckhart to shout the name of Bunol.

"Bunol!" gurgled the old man. "That scoundrel! That miserable villain!

Is he here? Can it be possible?"

Something stirred in a dark corner of the hall. He saw the thing move and cried out:

"Who's there? What are you doing? What do you want?"

There were two of them. They came out of the darkness swiftly and were upon him in a moment. Over their faces they wore masks, and the professor gave a cry of dismay as he saw a pistol in the hand of one of them. The weapon was pointed at Zenas, and the man who held it growled:

"Better keep still, guvner! If you raise a noise we'll 'ave to shoot you, and we don't want to do hanything like that."

"Robbers!" whispered the old man. "This place is a den of thieves! We'll all be robbed and murdered here!"

Had the door not been broken he might have tried to close and hold it against them, but now he was totally defenseless.

"Don't shout, don't speak, don't heven whisper!" commanded the man with the pistol.

"All right," said Zenas, disobeying the order. "I won't make a noise.

Take my money! I haven't much. Be careful with that deadly weapon! It might go off by accident!"

They entered the room, while the commotion below continued.

"Hif you're sensible, guvner," said the one with the pistol, "you'll get off with an 'ole skin; but hif you're foolish Hi'm afraid you'll get 'urt."

"Don't waste time in talk, pal!" growled the other fellow. "We've got to move lively."

"Here's my purse," said Zenas, holding it out. "Take it-take it and go!"

One of the men took it, but at the same time he said:

"We wants you to take a little walk with us, guvner. Now you 'adn't better refuse, for we'll 'ave to shoot you hif you do. Don't hask hany questions, but move and move in a 'urry. Right out of the door, guvner.

March!"

They grasped him by the arms and he was unceremoniously hustled through the broken door. He thought they were going to take him toward the front stairs, but they forced him falteringly along a dark and narrow pa.s.sage, coming to another flight of stairs at the back of the house, which they descended.

"What are you going to do?" whispered the agitated old man.

"Shut hup!" growled the fellow with the pistol. "Hif you hopen your 'ead hagain Hi'll 'ave to shoot you."

In the darkness they pa.s.sed through a room at the back of the house and came to a door that let them out into the open air. The stars were shining brightly through the leaf-denuded branches of the trees.

Just as they reached the open air there was a crashing and jangling of broken gla.s.s at the front of the house.

The starlight showed Zenas that a pair of horses had been attached to the closed carriage he had observed standing near the building. A man was standing at the head of the horses. Another man was perched on the driver's seat, holding the reins.

The man who had hold of Gunn now rushed him without loss of time to the carriage, the door of which was standing open. Without regard for his feelings, they lifted him bodily and pitched him into the vehicle.

He b.u.mped his head and uttered a cry of pain and fear.