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CHAPTER XI – THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE

It was growing dark down there beneath the waves. The golden sunlight had turned to a bluish gloom that lay dense beneath the boy and girl, who were slowly sinking into that mysterious region.

Those dark depths were suggestive of rest and peace. They seemed most inviting and alluring to the lad who was wearied and exhausted by his struggles to save the girl who was so dear to him.

Frank felt like ceasing to struggle – like giving over all effort and floating gently down into those cool depths, where he could rest.

Inza was with him, and they would rest down there together, still locked in each other’s arms.

To his mind came a picture of them as they would look in the cool blue shadows, undisturbed by anything that was occurring in all the wide, wide world. He saw their pale faces and their closed eyes, and he fancied Inza’s dark hair floating gently at the soft throb of the ocean. Oh, it was sweet as a dream!

Then he seemed to see the fishes that would come to look at them with wonder. He saw the fishes swimming about, darting over them and playing around the spot where they rested.

Then came another and a horrible thought.

The fishes would nibble at their flesh – would feast off their bodies. Inza’s beautiful face would be disfigured.

It was that thought that brought him to himself.

With a last mad burst of strength he broke the girl’s hold, and then they went mounting toward the surface.

Up, up, up from the dark blue shadows, which now seemed filled with horrible shapes, they mounted. Out from those shadows reached long, crooked arms with hands that tried to clutch them and drag them down again.

For the first time in his life Frank felt like shrieking with fear. A great horror was on him, and it made him frantic.

He saw bubble eyes that peered and glared at him from all sides, and shapeless forms hovered all around.

With all his strength he strove to reach the surface.

Up from the blue depths into the yellow sunlight he mounted, still clinging to the girl. Up from the yellow sunlight till their heads arose above the waves with a sudden splurge.

Frank coughed and strangled, ejecting salt water from his mouth.

He held the helpless, unstruggling girl in his arms, but he gave her little attention till he had raised not a little of the salt water that seemed to have gone down his throat.

Then Frank turned on his back, with the head of the girl resting on his breast and shoulder, and floated thus.

Frank had always been a marvelous swimmer, and he could float like a cork. Now he sought to rest on the surface of the swells till he could recover enough strength to swim.

The surface of the ocean was rolling gently in huge billows, which lifted and lowered them with a soothing motion and seemed to be sweeping them farther and farther from the shore.

But Frank felt a thrill of joy. He had reached Inza at last by a mighty struggle, and he was certain he would be able to save her, now he had broken her hold and escaped from the fascination of the blue depths beneath.

The sun shone down on the heaving sea as it always seems to shine along the coast of Southern California. The sky was blue and clear. A white-winged gull soared above them, having shot upward from the water as they reached the surface.

Frank watched that gull, and it seemed to fascinate him. It looked so white and pure and gentle as it hung there with outspread wings, wheeling slowly, and mounting higher and higher.

Somehow it seemed to Frank that the white bird had arisen from the head of the girl as it appeared above the water.

It was as if her pure white soul had been released and was soaring above them, pausing to look back lingeringly and pityingly before taking its flight to heaven.

Frank could see several figures running along the beach toward the cove where boats were to be found, and he knew some of the fellows were hastening to come to his assistance.

He looked at the face of the girl he had saved. It was quite pale, but a tinge of color began to show in her cheeks. All her curls were gone, and her light, fluffy hair was watersoaked; but still she was exceedingly pretty in a cool, icy way. To Frank at that moment, she seemed far prettier than when he had first met her.

And Merry’s heart was so overflowing with joy at the knowledge of having saved her that he kissed her repeatedly.

Suddenly Inza’s blue eyes opened and she looked at him in a dazed and bewildered manner.

Something like a faint smile fluttered across her face, and more color came to her cheeks.

“Where – where – what – ” she vaguely began.

“Don’t be excited, dearest,” urged Frank. “If you get excited and struggle, I may not be able to save you. If you keep still, I may be able to keep our heads above the surface till a boat reaches us.”

He was treading water as he spoke.

The girl seemed too weak to make much of a struggle, and he was relieved to see that she lay quite still.

“Oh, I thought I was drowning – I was sure!” she said, presently. “I was frantic, and then all my senses left me.”

“It was a good thing they did, for you did not swallow much water while you were beneath the surface.”

“Then I did go under?”

“Yes.”

“I knew it – I knew I would.”

He felt her trembling in his grasp, and he quickly said:

“You are all right now.”

“Oh, but I must get up – up out of this water! I am so far down in it! Lift me up farther!”

“No!” he said, sternly; “you must remain as far down in the water as possible, for I shall not be able to save you if you don’t. Try to lie on your back, and tip your head far back. In that way you might float alone, and you would be all right as long as your nose remained above the surface so you could breathe. The trouble always is with those who drown in water like this that they try to climb up out of the water, instead of sinking as far down in it as possible, and keeping perfectly still, and their efforts send them under the surface.”

She understood him, and she murmured:

“Hold fast to me, and I will trust everything to you. You are such a brave and noble fellow!”

Inza suddenly remembered that Effie Random had been in the water, too, and she excitedly asked:

“Where is Effie now? Did I – did I do it?”

“Do what?”

“Drown her. She said I would drown both of us if I did not keep still, but every time I kept still a moment the water went over us, and that made me frantic. Oh, I do hope she did not drown! She is such a splendid girl, and I think so much of her!”

“She is all right,” assured Frank. “Mr. Hodge aided her in swimming to the shore.”

The calmness with which he talked to the girl seemed to give her confidence in his power to save her, and she trusted him completely.

Farther and farther from the shore they were carried.

Soon Frank saw a boat put out and pull toward them.

He felt that the boat was coming none too soon, for he had been weakened by his immersion beneath the surface, and he found that the effort of keeping upon the surface and holding the girl up was telling on him, despite his wonderful power of endurance.

Already he had begun to fear that he would give out, but the girl suspected nothing of the sort, for he seemed calm and confident.

“I shall owe you my life, Frank,” she said.

“We will talk of that later,” said Frank, by way of saying something in an unconcerned manner, although it seemed that the effort to speak deprived him of strength.

He looked longingly toward the boat. Two pairs of oars were being used, and the rowers were making the small craft jump with each stroke. The oars flashed in the sunshine when the wet blades came up dripping, and the bodies of the rowers swayed and bent. In the stern somebody waved a cap at Frank and uttered a shout of encouragement.

“Hurry! hurry! hurry!”

It was with the greatest difficulty that Merriwell kept from uttering the words in a wild cry that would have betrayed his failing strength. He choked it back, however, and smiled encouragingly at Inza.

“They are coming,” he said. “In a few minutes we’ll be in a boat and quite safe.”

“I don’t care,” she returned, in a significant manner. “They need not hurry.”

“If she only knew!” thought Frank.

Once he went down, and the water filled his nostrils so that he strangled a little. Inza gave a cry of alarm, and, fearing she would get excited and struggle, he forced a short laugh.

Nearer and nearer came the boat. He could hear the rump-thump, rump-thump of the oars in the rowlocks.

“Howld on, Frankie, me b’y!” came the cheery call of Barney Mulloy. “We’ll be wid yez in a minute.”

Rump-thump, rump-thump – would the boat never reach them?

How heavy Inza was! And it seemed that a great weight was dragging at Frank’s feet – a weight he could not cast off.

“Hurry, Barney – hurry!” he tried to cry; but the words died in a hoarse gasp in his throat, causing the girl to turn her head to look at him.

“What is the matter?” she asked, in sudden alarm.

“Nothing,” he declared, faintly – “nothing at all.”

“Oh, I know there is! You are giving out!”

Then he saw she was liable to grasp him about the neck, which would be sure to sink them both, in which case he was certain they would never rise again.

“Don’t do it – if you wish to live, Inza,” he pleaded. “I can hold you a little longer if you do not touch me; but we shall go down if you grasp me.”

She was filled with fear, but something in his words and manner caused her to obey him fully.

Suddenly there was a wild shout of alarm from the boat, and Frank saw Barney making frantic gestures, while he urged the rowers to greater exertions.

Merriwell wondered what it meant. He saw Barney swing his arm and point away toward the channel.

As they arose to the crest of a swell, Frank saw something that sent his heart into his throat.

At a distance the sharp back fin of a shark cut the crest of the water for a single instant and then disappeared.

A shark was coming!

“What – what is it?” asked Inza, who had been startled by Barney’s cries. “Why are they shouting thus?”

“They are doing it to encourage us,” said Frank, believing he was fully justified in the falsehood.

“You are sure?”

“Why, of course!”

Rump-thump, rump-thump went the oars! jump, jump plunged the boat as it sped to the rescue.

The rowers were straining every nerve. They were Bruce Browning and Ephraim Gallup, and for once in his life, at least, the big collegian was doing his very utmost. Nothing but an effort to save his own life or that of Frank could have made him work thus.

It seemed that the shark was approaching with the speed of an express train. Fortunately the boat was far nearer, and so it came up first.

Even as the boat shot alongside the youth and maiden, with Bruce and Ephraim backing water to check its headway, there was a flash of a dark body in the water, a flashlike turn, the showing of a white belly, and Barney had dragged Inza into the boat just in time.

Yes, he had dragged Inza in; but Frank – where was he?

He had disappeared!

CHAPTER XII – FRANK IS TROUBLED

Shuddering with horror as he held the dripping girl in his arms, Barney Mulloy looked over the side of the boat, expecting to see the water dyed with a crimson stain.

Browning gave a shout:

“Here he is!”

Frank’s head appeared on the other side of the boat.

He had dived just in time to avoid the shark when it turned.

The moment he came up on the other side of the boat Browning and Gallup dropped the oars and grasped him.

They had him in the boat a second later.

The shark had lost its prey.

Frank sank down in the bottom of the boat, utterly helpless and without strength.

Barney placed Inza on the rear seat.

“Begorra!” he gasped, wiping great drops of perspiration from his face; “thot wur a close shave, but we did it, me b’ys!”

Ephraim Gallup, despite the exertion of rowing, was pale as a ghost, and Browning was seen to shiver.

“Darn my pertaturs!” muttered the Vermonter. “It’s a wonder we did do it, b’gosh!”

“A wonder!” came from Browning! “It is a miracle!”

“Be me soul, we did it, though! Cheer, b’ys – cheer!”

Then, standing upright in the boat, they waved their caps and gave a wild cheer of joy.

Away on the beach the cheer was answered by another and another and yet another.

Merriwell opened his eyes, and something like a faint smile came to his drawn face.

“It’s all right, boys!” he said. “You did a good job!”

“An’ it’s yersilf that did another, Frankie,” declared Barney. “But fer yez th’ young lady would be at th’ botthom of the say now.”

They rowed back, carrying the rescued youth and maiden.

Inza remained in an exhausted condition, but Frank began to recover soon after being drawn into the boat.

A large crowd had gathered on the beach, for the four girls were not the only bathers, and nearly a hundred people had come to the beach for pleasure that afternoon.

When Frank and Inza came ashore the crowd cheered again, and the boys who belonged to Merriwell’s party rushed to embrace him.

Toots was so overjoyed that he fell on his knees and hugged Frank’s legs, laughing and crying in a hysterical manner.

“Oh, Marser Frank!” he said; “I done fought yo’ was a goner one time fo’ suah! I nebber suspected to see yo’ no moah, Marser Frank! Bress de good Lawd – bress His name!”

Frank was hugged and his hand was shaken till he began to push them off, laughing and remonstrating.

And the strangers who were looking on turned and said to one another:

“Who is he? See how much they think of him!”

Wallace Random, a handsome young fellow of nineteen, who had been on hand to receive his sister, as he was near the beach when she went into the water, hastened to Frank.

“Mr. Merriwell,” he said, earnestly, as he grasped Frank’s hand, “I am proud to know you. Your friend has saved my sister’s life in the same noble manner. You are both heroes.”

The girls had come to the beach in carriages, and Inza was soon placed in one, bundled about with a wrap and whirled away.

Frank looked for Inza as soon as he could escape from the ones who were offering their praise and congratulations, but he was told she had gone with Miss Random.

“I shall see her to-night,” he said. “There is a dance at the hotel, and she has promised to give me the first waltz.”

He made haste to escape to his room at the hotel, whither he was followed by the boys, where Toots rubbed him down and they all talked over the adventure and rescue.

Frank confessed that he was on the verge of giving out when the boat reached them, and he had just strength enough to dive and escape the shark, that had seemed to snap at Inza’s feet as she was pulled out of the water.

“I don’t think I could have held out a minute more,” he said; “and I should have gone down again immediately if Bruce and Ephraim had not grabbed me when I came up after diving under the boat. I used my last bit of strength to get to the surface that time.”

“When you dived,” said Hodge, “Effie arose close to me. I saw in an instant that she was ready to give out, and I helped her to get ashore. I could not have done that, but she was able to swim a little after a few minutes. She was almost frantic, and kept saying over and over that she had been forced to break Inza’s hold to save herself. She laughed and cried and then swooned for a moment when the boat reached you and you were pulled in.”

Later in the afternoon Frank called on Inza, having been sent for by Mr. Burrage.

Inza’s father, who was weak and ill, wrung the lad’s hand.

“My dear boy!” he cried; “how noble you are! I wished to see you, for I have heard all about your brave deed.”

After a few further words, Frank left his card for Inza, who was confined to her room, and returned to the hotel.

The boys found time to talk over their combination, when they had grown tired of discussing the rescue of the two girls. All were elated by the prospect of great sport on their trip back East.

While they were sitting on the veranda of the hotel chatting about athletic sports, Wallace Random appeared. Once more he shook Frank’s hand, expressing his appreciation of Merriwell’s brave act, and then he was introduced all around to the boys.

“Mr. Random,” said Frank, “we have organized an athletic club, and I shall be pleased to accept your invitation to take part in the contests day after to-morrow.”

“I am glad to know that,” smiled Random. “We hope to make the affair a big success. Entrances for the various contests may be made now or to-morrow, if that serves you better.”

“Perhaps it would be better to wait till to-morrow, as we can have time to decide who will take part and what sports they will choose. As yet we have not arranged matters fully, as the first meeting of our club was interrupted when we hastened to save your sister and Miss Burrage. That meeting broke up without adjournment.”

“Suit yourselves,” laughed Wallace, “but you must remember that we have some hot lads down here, and we do not propose to let anybody from the East carry off honors if we can prevent it.”

“I rather fancy you will find some hot stuff among the members of our club,” said Frank, quietly. “We will represent Yale College, and it is seldom ‘Old Eli’ gets left at anything.”

“I understand you are something of a runner and hurdle-racer,” Random said.

“There are others,” was the answer. “I am not the only one.”

“But I have heard that you are pretty good.”

“He is a dim jandy – I mean a jim dandy,” spluttered Harry, getting somewhat excited. “I don’t believe you have any one out here who can keep in sight of him.”

Random elevated his eyebrows.

“Now you do interest me!” he exclaimed. “I am something of a runner myself, and I shall take part in the hurdle race and the hundred yards dash. Perhaps Mr. Merriwell may like to enter those contests. Out here they say I am bound to win in a canter. Mr. Merriwell might make it interesting, at least.”

“Inderesting!” cried Hans. “I pets you your life he peats der packin’ oudt uf you! I haf seen dot poy sbrint!”

“Begorra! he’s a birrud!” nodded Barney. “He was th’ shwiftest runner in Farrdale whin we wur there.”

“Mr. Merriwell,” said Random, pleasantly, “I trust you will take part in the races. I do not think you will be able to win over me, but I am sure it will be a pleasant and fair rivalry between us, and there will be no hard feelings in any case.”

“Well,” said Frank, “I do not pretend to be a champion, but I will come in and do the best I can.”

“Good!” nodded Wallace. “I hope to see you at the hop to-night. Good-evening, gentlemen.”

Then he departed.

CHAPTER XIII – A GAME FOR TWO

Frank and Bart were the only ones of the party who attended the dance, that evening, which was an informal affair.

Fine music was furnished, and the young ladies and girls of Santa Barbara looked their best as they mingled with the guests at the hotel.

As Frank stood looking on he decided that the girls of the Golden State were charming indeed, and there was no reason why California should not be proud of them.

They were refined and cultured, too, as they showed by their manners and conversation. In this respect Frank felt that they might well be compared with the finest bred girls of the East.

“It is a great country,” he thought; “and the East is altogether conceited when it fancies it has all the brains and culture. There are other places besides Boston and New York, and I can understand why some of the other places seem superior to many people.”

He was watching for Inza. She had promised him the first waltz, and he hoped to find time to chat a moment with her before the dance. He wished to compliment her on her brave attempt to rescue Effie Random.

While he was looking for her Miss Random entered the room, accompanied by her brother.

Lord Stanford, the Englishman, was present, and he started for Effie the moment she appeared.

But the girl saw Frank, and, leaving Wallace, she hastened toward him before the nobleman could reach her.

“Oh, Mr. Merriwell!” she exclaimed, with an ardor that surprised him, as she had seemed so cool and reserved, “I must thank you again and again for your heroic rescue of Inza.”

“Don’t,” entreated Merry. “I have been thanked enough already. Permit me to congratulate you on your fine appearance this evening. It is wonderful! I feared you would be prostrated, and here you are at this dance, looking as fair and fresh as a flower. I do not understand it.”

Her eyes fell.

“I – I came to see – you,” she almost whispered the words, and an added color tinged her fair cheeks.

Frank began to feel awkward. He could see Lord Stanford glowering at him from a short distance, and he wondered if this was the same girl he had fancied was so eager to capture the nobleman. It seemed that Effie had quite forgotten Stanford.

“To see me?” said Frank, slowly. “I am sure that is a compliment – a great compliment.”

“Yes, to see you,” she again declared, placing her hand upon his arm, and lifting her blue eyes to his. “I knew you would be here.”

At this moment Frank discovered that Inza had entered and was looking toward them. He longed to hurry to her side, but he could not leave Effie Random without positive rudeness.

“What is the matter, Mr. Merriwell?” said Effie, rather sharply. “You do not seem to be listening? I am talking to you!”

“I beg your pardon!” hastily replied Frank, blushing, when he realized how rude his manners must have seemed. “It’s one of my spells – that’s all.”

“Do you have them often?” she asked, with a light laugh.

“Oh, no; only occasionally. I am afraid they make me appear very rude. Physicians whom I have consulted say I may outgrow them by the time I am eighty or ninety, and that I shall not be troubled by them all the rest of my life after that.”

Lord Stanford came up.

“Pawdon,” he said; “but I think this is our dawnce, Miss Random.”

She looked at him, and then, as Frank was on the point of excusing himself, she said:

“Not this one, Lord Stanford. I said I would give you a waltz, but I am engaged to Mr. Merriwell for this one.”

Frank glanced at her in surprise. He had not asked her for that dance. What could she mean? Effie noted the glance and cast her eyes downward.

Like a flash the truth came over Frank. During their brief stay in Santa Barbara he had met Effie quite often with Inza. He had simply regarded her as a rather pretty and winning girl, and had paid her no more attention than was demanded by courtesy. Now it seemed —

He was compelled to smile. Was it possible the foolish girl imagined he was in love with her?

She must know of his sincere admiration for Inza.

Still, such is the weakness of human kind, he did not feel greatly offended at the discovery. Effie was attractive and —

Then it happened that, almost before Frank realized it, they were on the floor, gliding gracefully along to the swing and throb of the music.

Effie was a delightful waltzer, light as a feather and graceful as a swan. Ordinarily it would have cost Frank no effort at all with such a partner.

But this was not an ordinary occasion, and Merriwell felt no satisfaction in dancing, even though Effie was a perfect waltzer. He realized that he was doing wrong and he was decidedly wretched.

On the second round Frank and Effie came close to Inza. She was dancing with Bart Hodge. For a single moment Inza’s dark eyes looked at Merry, but they turned away, and she laughed at something Hodge was whispering in her ear.

Merriwell felt a flush of heat pass over his body, and his cheeks burned. He saw Hodge’s arm about Inza’s waist, and an intense feeling of jealousy seized upon him. He forgot that he was to blame and he railed at his friend.

Then he began to chat and laugh with Effie, seeming to forget Inza entirely. He entered into the dance with a sudden change of spirit, so that many eyes were turned toward himself and Miss Random, who were generally pronounced the finest waltzers on the floor.

Effie noted the sudden change in Frank, but she did not know what had brought it about. She was charmed by his witty sayings, his complimentary speeches, and his beautiful dancing.

“He is just splendid!” she told herself. “I don’t wonder Inza Burrage says he is the finest fellow in the whole world.”

She saw Lord Stanford, surrounded by a group of girls, all of whom seemed regarding the red-faced nobleman with great admiration.

“Yesterday I was like those silly fools!” thought Effie. “To-day I have found a real man. What a difference there is!”

She felt a positive disgust for the Englishman.

“Miss Burrage said I’d be sickened of him when I came to know him well. He is looking for an American heiress, and he tried to force her to marry him till he found out she is not rich. Then his ardor cooled swiftly. What a contemptible man he is.”

When the dance was over Frank and Effie strolled out on the balcony, where the soft breath of a perfect summer night brought them the sweet perfume of flowers.

The moon had arisen above the Santa Yenz Mountains, and its brilliant light was shimmering with silver the sea that lay away to the westward. The sound of the surf came like subdued and distant organ peals. The scene was entrancing, but it did not appeal to Frank.

He was ill at ease. He felt his guilt, and a great wave of shame and self-contempt swept over him.

With characteristic impulsiveness he suddenly resolved to put an end to it. To seek out Inza and apologize.

As he made the resolution a low, musical laugh came from the other side of a bank of flowers.

Then a deep voice followed. It was Inza and Bart.

“Miss Random,” he said, hurriedly, “will you kindly pardon me if I escort you back to the room? I – I – have an engagement and – ”

Effie started and glanced at him with mingled surprise and pique. She, too, had heard the laugh. Her eyes flashed, and her lips compressed ominously.

“Certainly, if you wish it, Mr. Merriwell,” she replied, coldly. “But may I ask if your extremely sudden engagement is connected with Inza?”

The impertinence of the question passed unheeded by Frank. His mind was engrossed by his new resolution.

“I confess it is,” he replied, frankly. “Pray excuse me.”

With that he was gone. Effie watched him disappear with eyes filled with tears of rage and humiliation. Gripping the railing of the balcony until her hands ached, she muttered:

“You will regret this, Frank Merriwell. You will regret this insult to me. I will find means to make you suffer for it.”

Bart Hodge strolled past the bank of flowers, and started on seeing her.

“You here,” he stammered, impulsively. “I thought you were dancing with Frank?”

Effie greeted him so cordially that the youth flushed with pleasure. He gladly stepped to her side in obedience to her invitation.

“Yes, I was dancing with Mr. Merriwell,” she replied, “but he had a pressing engagement and was compelled to leave. Where is Inza?”

“She returned inside,” said Bart, indifferently.

“And you permitted her to go alone?”

“Yes. I wanted to look for you,” was the blunt reply, given with a glance of admiration.

“A weapon ready for use,” murmured Effie, softly. “I will strike Frank Merriwell through him.”

In the meantime Frank had eagerly searched for Inza. To his extreme disappointment, he found that she had left for home. Five minutes later he, too, was missed.