Others of the assembled crowd murmured to themselves in a most indignant manner, all seeming to regard Frank as the offender.
Frank took out his watch and looked at it.
"Gracious!" he mentally exclaimed, "time is flying. If this keeps up much longer, I'll not reach Puelbo to-day."
"Now he shows his anxiety and concern," said a voice in the crowd.
"He's beginning to be frightened," said another voice.
"He's anxious to get away," said a third.
"This is all very interesting," thought Frank; "but it is decidedly unpleasant."
"Waal, whut in time's sake is goin' on here, I'd like ter know?" cried a voice that was familiar to Frank, and a tall, lank, countrified-appearing youth came up to the outskirts of the crowd, stood on his tiptoes, and peered over.
Merry made a swift movement, clapping a finger to his lips, and Gallup, usually rather slow to tumble to anything, understood him at once, relapsing into silence.
"Let me git in here where I kin see the fun," he said, and he elbowed the people aside as he forced his way through the crowd.
It did not take him long to reach the center of the throng, although a number of persons were indignant at his manner of thrusting them aside or stepping on their feet.
"Whut's up?" he asked. "Ef there's anything goin' on, I kainder want to see it."
"This young masher has insulted this lady!" explained the man with the bobbing head.
"Sho!" exclaimed Gallup. "Yeou don't say so, mister! Waal, I am s'prised!"
"He has treated her in an outrageous manner!" added the man with the agitated and fiery whiskers.
"I do declare!" ejaculated Ephraim. "I'd never thought it of him, by thutter!"
"The lady requires protection," declared the gallant man with the mismated wearing apparel.
"Yeou don't tell me!" gasped the Vermonter, his surprise seeming to increase. "Ain't it awful!"
"But the fellow needs a lesson!" rasped the man with the eye that persisted in looking in the wrong direction. "I think I'll hit him once or twice."
"My gracious!" fluttered Gallup. "Hev ye gotter hit him real hard? Don't yeou s'pose he might hit back?"
"Let him try it!" came fiercely from the giant.
"Be yeou goin' to hit where ye're lookin'?" asked the country youth. "Cause ef yeou be, I'd advise that man with the wart on his nose to move."