Not far away were several other buildings, and also a corral.
"We are on the right trail after all!" sang out the shipowner's son,
joyfully, and commenced to run at the best speed he could command.
"Hold on!" called Dave, but Phil was so eager to get to the house first
that he paid no attention to the words. Not until he had reached the
very piazza of the building did he pause to stare around him.
"Why, it's not Mr. Endicott's place at all!" he exclaimed.
He had made considerable noise ascending the piazza, and now a door was
flung open, letting a stream of light flood his face, momentarily
blinding him.
"Hello! what do you want?" demanded a man Phil had never seen before.
"Why--er--what place is this?" stammered the youth, and as he asked the
question Dave came up behind him.
"This is the Triple X Ranch," was the man's answer.
"What! Mr. Merwell's place?" stammered Phil.
"That's it. Want to see him? Why, say, you're all out of wind,--anything
wrong?"
"I--I didn't know this was the Merwell place," murmured Phil. He knew
not what else to say, he was so taken back.
"Who is that, Jerry?" asked another voice, and a moment later Felix
Merwell stepped into view. As he saw Dave he scowled slightly.
"Why, Mr. Merwell, we--er----" commenced Phil, and then he looked at
Dave.
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