"Sing out that a queen bee is coming for him!" urged Danny, in an
undertone.
"Keep still!" said Merriwell.
Badger balanced his gun, called "Pull!" and threw it into position as
the birds sprang from the trap.
A deafening explosion followed. The gun was torn to pieces and Badger
was hurled backward to the ground.
CHAPTER X.
BADGER'S CHALLENGE.
Merriwell and others sprang toward him to offer their aid. Frank could
hardly believe what he had seen and heard. He feared Badger was
seriously or fatally injured, but was relieved before he reached the
Kansan to see the latter rise unsteadily to his feet.
Badger looked dazedly about, then down at his numbed left hand and arm.
They felt dead, and he could hardly lift them. But he saw they were not
mangled.
"I hope you are not hurt!" Frank exclaimed.
The blood rushed in a great wave into the Westerner's dark face, and he
gave Frank a strange look.
"Your gun has gone to pieces!" he said gruffly.
"But I hope you are not hurt. There are other guns. I don't understand
how it happened."
There was a suspicious light in Badger's eyes.
"I'll not be able to beat you," he said. "I don't know that I can shoot
again, and it's a wonder, I reckon, that my arm wasn't torn off."
He turned toward the exploded gun.
Pages:
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106