But Nemo limped worse than ever. "This is singular," muttered the perplexed lad. "I don't understand it at all. There's something wrong, for a fact." He watched the horse, and decided that he had made no mistake in locating the lameness in the left hind leg. Again he dismounted and made an examination, and again the result was far from satisfactory. "I wish you might speak and tell me what is the matter," said Frank, in dismay. "I'll have you examined without delay by somebody who knows his business." He rode slowly into the outskirts of the city. Of a sudden there was a rattle of wheels and a clatter of hoofs behind him. He turned and looked back, to see a carriage coming along the road at a reckless rate. Two persons were seated in the carriage, and the horse was covered with sweat. "Why are those fools driving like that?" muttered Merriwell. "Are they drunk, or is it a matter of life or death?" "Get out of the road!" The command was hoarsely shouted, and Frank reined aside, having no desire to get in the way of the reckless driver. Once more the boy on the horse turned to look back. "Drunk, sure enough," he decided. "And they are two young fellows, too. Students on a tear, perhaps." The occupants of the carriage had been drinking heavily, but they were not so drunk that they did not recognize the boy in advance when he turned in the saddle the second time. "Hey, Rolf!" exclaimed the one who was not driving. "It's Merriwell!" "That's what it is!" cried the driver. "I haven't seen him for some time, but I know his face too well to ever forget it!" "He's out on his new horse." "Sure." "Run him down! run him down! Throw him off! Now's our chance!" The driver was just intoxicated enough to be utterly reckless of consequences, and he snarled: "Hang me if I don't do it!" And then, when they were very near the boy and the horse, he suddenly reined toward Frank with the intention of running into Merriwell's mount. In another moment there might have been a grand smash there on the road, but Frank had caught the words "Run him down!" and he gave Nemo a light cut with the whip, at the same time pulling him still farther into the ditch. Nemo was not used to the whip, and he leaped like a flash. Such a spring would have unseated any but a most expert rider, but the boy in the saddle seemed to move as a part of the horse. Into the ditch they went, and past them spun the carriage containing the two reckless young men. The carriage came very near upsetting. It careened and spun along on two wheels, threatening to hurl its occupants into the ditch, for the driver had reined the horse back toward the middle of the road. Both clung on for life. "Don't blame me!" muttered Merriwell, through his teeth. "You were looking for a smash." But the carriage did not go over; it righted at last. One of the young men looked back and shook his fist at the boy on the horse, and then away they went in a cloud of dust.